The James Shields sweepstakes are winding down and the top free agent is likely to pick a team soon, with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, LA Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and NY Yankees all potential options for the former Royals pitcher.
Shields is expected to make a decision very soon according to recent reports and Hardball Talk reports that the San Diego Padres are the favorites to sign him. USA Today and MLB.com have reported interest from the Padres along with the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlina and Toronto Blue Jays, while the Brewers were in at one point, but look to be out now. The Yankees have been considered and option due to the fact that they are the Yankees, but all indications point to Brian Cashman sitting tight.
Shields had a solid record at 14-8 last season, but he had a winning record and he put up a 3.21 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 227 innings. Shields has been as durable as anyone during his career and has not dealt with any serious injuries, making at least 30 starts in eight straight seasons. The 33 year old is the last major free agent left on the market and he comes in after Jon Lester and Max Scherzer already signed this offseason.
The Padres have emerged as the favorites for signing Shields and it comes after they have made a number of significant moves this offseason. The Padres already added Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Wil Myers and now they could be poised to sign Shields, who lives in the city and is hoping to stay local. The Cubs reportedly have been looking into Shields and have been called a "dark horse" to sign him by Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports.
The Yankees rotation could be great, but it also has as many question marks as anyone. CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka are coming back from injuries, while Ivan Nova had Tommy John surgery and they also will be without Hiroki Kuroda. The team has some young arms, but the bullpen likely will get taxed with Tanaka and Sabathia coming back from injuries and that means a player like Shields could be key. Shields will help save those innings for the bullpen, as he is a six-to-seven inning pitcher on a consistent basis and went for over 200 innings pitched last season.
According to Hardball Talk, Shields is a target for the Blue Jays and the Padres, while the Miami Marlins are also in the mix. The Yankees could use another starter, but they do not appear willing to shell out money for a free agent. If Shields dangles a bit more and his price goes down, there is a chance that the Yankees could jump in on him. The Brewers also could look at Shields after trading Yovani Gallardo to the Rangers.