out there

Cliff Lee is fixin’ to get rich. He is one of the hottest free agents out there, coveted by the New York Yankees, among other big-market clubs. The lefty out of Meridian Community College is certainly the most high-profile Mississippi-connected player on the market, ranking No. 2 overall (behind Carl Crawford) among the 2010-11 free agents, as selected by a Sports Illustrated writer. Louisville’s Marcus Thames is also out there (see previous post), as well as Nettleton’s Bill Hall. Hall, whose option was not picked up by Boston, had an uneven year: .247, 18 homers. His versatility in the field gives him some value, but he was expected to hit better. He may be slipping — and his options may be limited. In fact, neither Thames nor Hall appears on the SI list of the top 50 free agents available. Also on the market is former Jackson General Lance Berkman, who helped the Yankees once he got healthy down the stretch but wasn’t retained. Berkman is 35, but he can still play. His .248 average in 2010 was an aberration.
P.S. Mississippi Braves alumnus Tyler Pastornicky went 0-for-2 in Saturday’s Rising Stars game in Arizona.