While the Chicago White Sox non-tendered Todd Ritchie they still intend to remain in negotiations with the starter and hope to re-sign him. Ritchie's strikeout rate continued to fall last season while his BB/9 rose to return to the levels of his first two seasons in the majors after having improved the past few years. Last season he suffered from inflammation in his shoulder and there are indications he might have more serious arm troubles in the future. Although I don't like to see the White Sox discard Ritchie after sending so much to Pittsburgh to acquire him, I'm not certain we can expect a rebound in 2003. On the other hand, one of his major troubles last year was an elevated hit rate, which having a better defense behind him could easily correct, and his other problems could dissipate if he's healthy.

Steve Reed was beginning to experience increasing control problems, but in 2002, he posted his best BB/9 since his rookie year. He remains a dominant pitcher and should be an asset to whatever pen he eventually joins. I expect the Cardinals to have some interest, and if his asking price goes low enough, the Expos could grab him. Other teams that might be willing to spend a bit more include Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Once healthy in 2002, Gordon pitched surprisingly well. I still believe he'll ultimately land in Kansas City, but there's been little movement on that front, so we need to consider alternatives. He is from Florida, so he might want to try to sign with one of those two teams, though I don't think the Marlins will be interested and he's probably outside the Devil Ray's budget. He wants to be a traditional closer, so I don't think he'll return to Boston and join their committee.

James Baldwin is another player I'd like to see pitch in Detroit. He continued to struggle with homers and also developed a hit problem last season. Baldwin's also not striking out as many batters as I'd prefer, but his control improved in 2002. The Rangers have expressed interest in him as a part of a group of potential candidates from which they hope to find one veteran starter.

Esteban Loaiza needs to look for a team with a good infield defense as he allows a lot of ground ball hits. Unfortunately, the teams looking for starters don't have the best defenses. Texas hasn't expressed any interest in reacquiring him, but he'd be a better fit for their team than someone as homer prone as Baldwin.

Juan Acevedo actually posted the second lowest strikeout rate of his career last season, but he regained the control he displayed in his 1995 and 1998, allowing him to pitch effectively. I don't expect Detroit to re-sign him, as they have closer candidates galore. Tampa and Kansas City are possibilities, if he's grown fond of closing. However, I'm not sure they'll be interested, so I think it is more likely he'll return to the Cardinals or find another team that wants him in setup and/or middle relief.

If Graeme Lloyd was trying to express his displeasure over his trade to Florida by pitching poorly, he succeeded. However, I don't consider that a very wise course of action for a pending free agent. Nevertheless, there will be teams that remember his prime and show interest. Both the Dodgers and Brewers are looking for a southpaw for their pens. Anaheim also may be interested in spending money on a lefty, though they should probably focus on Mark Guthrie.

I'm still surprised that Arizona didn't retain Mike Fetters, but I suppose he'll just have to take his surly setup motion elsewhere. If he ends up in Colorado, Fetters would really have something to frown about. He's a California native, so he may try to stay on the west coast. Fetters control difficulties limit his usefulness, but his strikeout skills keep him in the majors. If he's not asking for much, the Expos might be interested.

Like Fetters, Ligtenberg has some control issues, but he can still provide a team with decent relief work. However, I don't think he deserves more than a million and I don't expect him to receive more than that in the current market. He may try to join up with former teammate Kevin Millwood and head to the Phillies. However, Ligtenberg lives in Minnesota so he might also try to entice the Twins into adding a veteran right-hander to their pen, despite the fact that they're easily able to fill it with youngsters.

Jeff D'Amico faded into the background for most of last season, but he continued to demonstrate solid skills and would be a capable addition to any rotation. Texas should consider his services, if they're committed to adding a starter, though he'd work well in almost any rotation currently looking for a mid-priced pitcher.

Brian Moehler didn't show any additional dominance after recovering from shoulder surgery. However, he was able to maintain good control, making him an acceptable bottom of the rotation pitcher for a team looking for an innings eater.

Robert Person faces the daunting task of selling himself after undergoing shoulder surgery late last season. He may go from earning over $6M last season to accepting a non-roster invitation to Spring Training. Cleveland may try to sign Jon Lieber, who is recovery from Tommy John surgery. Lieber likely won't be able to pitch much if at all in 2003, but the Indians should be able to get a discount on his services in 2004 by signing him to a two-year deal now.