MLB Free Agent Rumors: Should the Pittsburgh Pirates Pass on Shaun Marcum?

"“They haven’t said anything. I think that ship sailed a long time ago,” he said while packing up personal items in the clubhouse on the final day of the season. “It’s just one of those things. It’s baseball, it’s a business and we all understand that. You play to get to free agency, so we’ll see what happens.”"

No, that’s not a quote from Kevin Correia.

It was Shaun Marcum.

Shaun Marcum could be a free agent target of the Pittsburgh Pirates

It appears Marcum will be heading to free agency.  The right hander put up a 3.54 ERA last season, but he sucked when it mattered in the National League DivisionSeres and two starts in the Championship Series.  You might remember he went just one inning in Game 6 when the Cards put up a four spotand killed the Brew Crew’s season.

The big question mark with Marcum is his health.  He put up a 3.70 ERA this year, but a sore right elbow cost him two months of the year and blew his trade potential.  Marcum put up an ERA over five in 26.2 September innings.

Now the poor Brewers will watch Marcum walk with nothing in return.  Damn shame.

Admirable plan to go all in falls flat.  Damn shame.

We hate Milwaukee.  Mainly, because they are so damn good.

A poll on JSOnline thinks it’s alright to let Marcum walk:

So is there something we’re missing?  Just how healthy is Marcum?

The go all in for 2011 was a cool plan by the Brewers.  They sent Brett Lawrie to the Blue Jays–all he’s done is be a bigger tease than that redhead who you swear is staring at you all the time.  The Brew Crew got a career best 200.2 innings from the off speed artist and another career best– a 3.73 FIP.

But he sucked after 160 innings.  Maybe he doesn’t keep himself in the best of shape.  A guy that has a history of fading is hardly anything that would interest us.  He’s already had Tommy John, so toss that worry out of the window.  But damn, when he broke down again this season, Marcum scares us.  How about you?

One more thing to consider is that demand is going to drive the price of free agents in 2013.    We just have to think there will be more teams ready to spend than quality players to spend it on, but that hasn’t stopped the Bucs in the past.  But Marcum is a guy we’d have to pass on unless he settles for a one year deal which I highly doubt.

Maybe the Bucs are impressed with Marcums’ high spin rate on his fastball.  Remember this story?