James Shields remains available on the free agent market and teams like the NY Yankees, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals could be interested in signing him.
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.
Shields is coming off of another solid season with the Royals and he has been as consistent as anyone in his career, usually going over 200 innings and never dealing with serious injuries. Shields is 33 years old and that hurts him a bit, but he is still basically in his prime and is a strong option for teams in need of starting pitching. The Yankees have a stacked bullpen and adding someone like Shields could help them keep from overworking it.
Shields comes in after going 14-8 last season and helping the Royals make it to the World Series and now he is poised to get a deal soon. Reports had Shields waiting for Scherzer to sign to set the benchmark and now he could be in line for a $100 million deal. The Yankees have some young arms, but they surely could use a veteran, while the Cardinals have some questions marks with Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright.
Shields earned over $13 million last season and he will cost a solid amount for whatever teams that signs him, but likely much less than what Scherzer signed for. Teams like the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres have been mentioned as potential options for Shields, while the Giants, Dodgers and Angels also could get involved if things continue along this way on the market. Shields is a durable player and while his nickname may not be totally earned, he would be a strong signing for any team that needs to eat up innings for their bullpen this season.
