As we did last year, we're upholding the annual off-season tradition of composing a lineup solely of remaining free agents. While you always end up using some players in ways that real teams never will, and you need to put aside all considerations of age, injury history, etc. in an exercise like this if you want to include most of the top remaining free agents and avoid losing your mind, it's an interesting puzzle.

Leading off and Playing Center Field, Kenny Lofton
Both Lofton and Sanders were also in last season's lineup, though last year, Lofton was hitting second as Rickey Henderson led off. I'd prefer to hit him second as his OBP has dropped below what I look for in a leadoff hitter. However, there are very few alternatives on the market.

Unfortunately for Lofton, few teams are looking for his services this off-season. While several clubs seemed to have interest when the season ended, most have chosen to sign other players rather than Lofton. Nevertheless, there are a few options remaining. The Devil Rays shrewdly signed Adrian Brown to a minor league deal, and he would have been a nice placeholder while Rocco Baldelli received additional minor league time. However as the Devil Rays had not protected Brown on their 40-man roster, Boston snatched Brown away with the final pick of the Rule 5 draft. Consequently, Tampa might be willing to sign someone like Lofton. Other options would be Pittsburgh and Montreal, though they also aren't running out with pocket book in hand.

Hitting 2nd and Catching, Ivan Rodriguez
After losing a reported 24 pounds last season, Rodriguez was able to discard his back problems and play at the top of his game. Provided he keeps the weight off, he should remain a tremendous asset to his team both offensively and defensively for the next few years.

Obviously, Rodriguez isn't receiving the interest for which he was looking, since he was goaded into considering a detour to Japan. The Cubs had some casual interest in him, but they don't appear willing to sign him at anything other than a considerable discount, so Baltimore remains his most likely destination, though their enthusiasm has also cooled of late. As a result, I see an opening for a less likely team to sweep in and grab him. Boston is still looking to spend some money and Jason Varitek is quite moveable. Former Texas and current Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin has been acquiring catchers all off-season and is certainly familiar with Rodriguez. If Anaheim weren't so attached to the Molina brothers, I'd consider them a possible candidate.

Hitting 3rd as the Designated Hitter, Brad Fullmer
Fullmer continues to struggle against left-handed pitching, but he provides excellent production against right-handed pitchers. He hits for solid power and a .300 average, which is supported by his plate discipline and even offers a little speed.

Anaheim non-tendered the arbitration-eligible Fullmer, but he still fits well with their club and may re-sign. They simply wanted to avoid the possibility of arbitration. If the Angels choose not to pursue him, Fullmer may have difficulty finding work, despite his skills.

Batting Clean-Up and Playing Third Base, Greg Colbrunn
When Colbrunn was healthy last season, he creamed the ball for a .626 SLG while maintaining a .378 OBP. I have limited confidence in the 32-year-old's ability to remain healthy, but he can hit the ball.

Colbrunn's position flexibility and relatively low price should make him accessible to a number of teams. If Boston doesn't do something bigger, they might look to add him to their DH mix.

Hitting 5th and Playing First Base, Brian Daubach
Meet Brad Fullmer without the plate discipline. As Anaheim has plans to add payroll, I don't see any reason for them to choose Daubach over Fullmer. I also don't think Boston has any intention of bringing him back at this point. Atlanta's not interested in adding more payroll, so Montreal seems like the best fit, as they have a big opening at first base.

Hitting 6th at Shortstop, Jose Hernandez
His strikeouts are noisy, but he's able to take a walk and manages to produce in spite of the whiffing. My original instincts had him heading towards the Mets, but now that they've signed Rey Sanchez, I'm not sure they'll go in this direction. Tampa's sadly pleased with Rey Ordonez, and Florida is paying Alex Gonzalez a considerable sum. If Colorado or LA decide to spend money, they have the biggest openings.

Hitting 7th and Playing Left Field, David Justice
Now Justice is likely to retire, but playing in Oakland revived his plate discipline and he still offers moderate power skills. However since Justice probably won't play in 2003, we'll take a look at Jose Cruz, Jr., who was our first runner up in the outfield and likely would accumulate over 400 AB, if he were to share the three outfield spots with the players in this lineup. Given the Giant's interest in trading for Cruz, I think they're his likely destination. However, Montreal, Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Tampa all have reasons to talk to his agent.

Hitting 8th and Playing Right Field, Reggie Sanders
I think Sanders made a big mistake in not trying harder to work out a deal with San Francisco. There aren't many teams looking for his skills at the salary he's accustomed to receiving. Once he lowers his asking price, I can see Toronto showing interest as might Tampa Bay. Anaheim could also pursue Sanders for their DH role, though I again prefer Fullmer.

Hitting 9th and Playing Second Base, Bill Mueller
Mueller continues to display strong plate discipline complemented by moderate power skills, making him an acceptable starter and a really nice bench player. The Cubs are still thinking about bringing him back to contribute to the hoards fighting for at-bats in their infield. If Boston trades Shea Hillenbrand, then they jump to the top of the list of potential destinations.

Team Tupperware's Lineup
1. Kenny Lofton, CF-L
2. Ivan Rodriguez, C-R
3. Brad Fullmer, DH-L
4. Greg Colbrunn, 3B-R
5. Brian Daubach, 1B-L
6. Jose Hernandez, SS-R
7. David Justice, LF-L
8. Reggie Sanders, RF-R
9. Bill Mueller, 2B-S