Cashman likes next year’s free agent crop

Via a Ken Davidoff (Newsday) tweet from the Granderson presser:

Cashman says the potential of next year’s free-agent class is “incredibly more impressive than this one.”

Here’s next year’s free agent class, which Cashman seems to like, courtesy of MLBTR:

Updated 12-17-09

Catchers
Henry Blanco (39)
John Buck (30)
Ramon Castro (35)
Raul Chavez (38)
Ramon Hernandez (35) – option vests with 120 games played
Gerald Laird (31)
Jason LaRue (37)
Victor Martinez (32)
Joe Mauer (28)
Chad Moeller (36)
A.J. Pierzynski (34)
David Ross (34)
Jason Varitek (39)
Gregg Zaun (40) – $2.25MM club option with a $250K buyout

First basemen
Garrett Atkins (31)
Lance Berkman (35) – $15MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Wilson Betemit (29)
Jorge Cantu (29)
Adam Dunn (31)
Wes Helms (35)
Paul Konerko (35)
Derrek Lee (35)
Doug Mientkiewicz (37)
Lyle Overbay (34)
Carlos Pena (33)
Albert Pujols (31) – $16MM club option with a $5MM buyout
Ty Wigginton (33)

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (33)
Alex Cora (35) – $2MM option vests with 80 starts
Craig Counsell (40)
David Eckstein (36)
Mark Ellis (34) – $6MM club option with a $500K buyout
Omar Infante (29) – $2.5MM club option with a $250K buyout
Akinori Iwamura (32)
Maicer Izturis (30)
Julio Lugo (35)
Kaz Matsui (35)
Aaron Miles (34)
Nick Punto (33) – $5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Ramon Vazquez (34)

Shortstops
Juan Castro (39)
Alex Cora (35) – $2MM option vests with 80 starts
Craig Counsell (40)
Bobby Crosby (31)
Adam Everett (34)
Alex Gonzalez (33) - $2.5MM club option
Cristian Guzman (33)
Cesar Izturis (31)
Maicer Izturis (30)
Derek Jeter (37)
Julio Lugo (35)
Jhonny Peralta (29) – $7MM club option with a $250K buyout
Nick Punto (33) – $5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Edgar Renteria (35) – $10.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jose Reyes (28) – $11MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jimmy Rollins (32) – $8.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Ramon Vazquez (34)
Omar Vizquel (44)

Third basemen
Garrett Atkins (31)
Wilson Betemit (29)
Geoff Blum (38) – $1.65MM mutual option
Jorge Cantu (29)
Eric Chavez (33) – $12.5MM club option with a $3MM buyout
Craig Counsell (40)
Bill Hall (31) – $9.25MM club option with a $500K buyout
Pedro Feliz (36)
Wes Helms (35)
Brandon Inge (34)
Mike Lowell (37)
Jhonny Peralta (29) – $7MM club option with a $250K buyout
Aramis Ramirez (33) – $14.6MM player option
Scott Rolen (36)
Ty Wigginton (33)

Left fielders
Eric Byrnes (35)
Carl Crawford (29)
David DeJesus (31) – $6MM club option with a $500K buyout
Willie Harris (33)
Jason Kubel (29) – $5.25MM club option with a $350K buyout
Jason Michaels (35)
Manny Ramirez (39)

Center fielders
Willie Bloomquist (33)
Jody Gerut (33)
Willie Harris (33)
Andruw Jones (34)
Mark Kotsay (35)
Jason Michaels (35)
Corey Patterson (31)
Willy Taveras (29)

Right fielders
Willie Bloomquist (33)
Jose Guillen (35)
Brad Hawpe (32) – $10MM club option with a $500K buyout
Gabe Kapler (35)
Magglio Ordonez (37) – $15MM club option vests with 135 starts or 540 plate appearances in 2010
Jayson Werth (32)

Designated hitters
Pat Burrell (34)
Jason Kubel (29) – $5.25MM club option with a $350K buyout
Hideki Matsui (37)
David Ortiz (35) – $12.5MM club option

Starting pitchers
Bronson Arroyo (34) – $11MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Josh Beckett (31)
Joe Blanton (30)
Jeremy Bonderman (28)
Dave Bush (31)
Matt Cain (26) – $6.25MM vesting option
Kevin Correia (30)
Jorge De La Rosa (30)
Jeff Francis (29) – $7MM club option
Freddy Garcia (35)
Chad Gaudin (28)
Rich Harden (29) – $11MM mutual option with $1MM buyout
Aaron Harang (33) – $12.75MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Hiroki Kuroda (36)
Cliff Lee (32)
Ted Lilly (35)
Rodrigo Lopez (35)
Kevin Millwood (36)
Sergio Mitre (30)
Brian Moehler (39)
Jamie Moyer (48)
Carl Pavano (35)
Brad Penny (33)
Andy Pettitte (39)
Nate Robertson (33)
Jeff Suppan (36) – $12.75MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Koji Uehara (36)
Javier Vazquez (34)
Brandon Webb (32)
Jake Westbrook (33)
Dontrelle Willis (29)
Chris Young (32) – $8.5MM club option

Closers
Scott Downs (35)
Frank Francisco (31)
Jason Frasor (33)
Brian Fuentes (35) – $9MM option vests with 55 games finished in 2010
Trevor Hoffman (43) – mutual option worth $7-8.5MM; buyout at $500K-1MM
Chad Qualls (32)
Mariano Rivera (41)
Rafael Soriano (31)
Huston Street (27)
Billy Wagner (39) – $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished
Kerry Wood (34) – $11MM club option, vests with 55 games finished in 2010

Right-handed relievers
Luis Ayala (33)
Grant Balfour (33)
Rafael Betancourt (36)
Jesse Crain (29)
Juan Cruz (30) – $4MM club option with a $500K buyout
Chad Durbin (33)
Kyle Farnsworth (35) – $5.25MM club option with a $500K buyout
Matt Guerrier (32)
Aaron Heilman (32)
Mike Lincoln (36)
Justin Miller (33)
J.J. Putz (34)
Jon Rauch (32)
David Riske (34) – $4.75MM club option with a $250K buyout
Takashi Saito (41)
Scot Shields (35)
Dan Wheeler (33) – $4MM club option with a $1MM buyout

Left-handed relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (32)
Bruce Chen (34)
Randy Choate (35)
Pedro Feliciano (34)
Trever Miller (38) – $2MM option vests with 45 games in 2010
Dennys Reyes (34)
Arthur Rhodes (41)
J.C. Romero (35) – $4.5MM club option with a $250K buyout
Bobby Seay (33)
Matt Thornton (34) – $3MM club option with a $250K buyout

Cot’s Baseball Contracts was used in the creation of this list.

Joe Mauer, Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, Adam Dunn… huh? Sounds pretty weak to me…

Photo by Chris Cox/Getty Images