Free Kenny Lofton

Kenny Lofton’s reluctance could cost him Major League history.

Well, he’s not exactly free, so don’t feel sorry for him. He’s had his opportunities: the Reds offered him a minor league deal, and the Rays offered him a one-year/$1million deal. He declined both of these franchises for which he’s never played.

Kenny Lofton could have made major league history by signing either of these offers and making it to opening day. Lofton could tie Mike Morgan’s major league record for 12 career franchises played for if he would sign with a team.

Lofton did sign a $6 million deal with the Rangers last off season, and put up great numbers for a forty year old center fielder: .303/.380/.438. In July, he was traded to a playoff contender at the trade deadline for the third time in his career. He continued to put up nice numbers playing left field for the Central Division champion Cleveland Indians.

He will be 41 on May 31, and he does carry baggage, but his winning record speaks volumes. Since 1995, there have only been two postseasons without him- 2000 and 2005. Lofton has amassed 65 career postseason hits on seven different teams. He has lost a step, or two, but is a four-time gold glove winner, and once the quintessential lead off hitter in the AL with a career OBP of .372. Critics may say that he doesn’t have the range to play center, and his zone rating (ZR) isn’t in the nine hundreds anymore, but in 83 games in center last season ESPN.com listed his ZR as only .003 points lower than Ichiro Suzuki’s (who won his seventh consecutive gold glove).

Now that Craig Biggio has retired, a signed Lofton will have outlasted all of the lead-off hitters of his generation, and his “traditional” lead-off hitter numbers match-up well with all of them.

As teams examine their rosters for holes exposed after Opening Day, there are many teams that could use Lofton’s production either at the top of the order, or in the nine hole to lead up to the top. He could be a great fourth outfielder who can play center or left, and he could also be a defensive replacement and pinch runner on a contender with a clumsy outfielder in the lineup for his bat. (A role that can be useless, or as valuable as Dave Roberts in 2004). Important also for general managers on rebuilding teams, he can be a veteran presence for young players, who is a proven commodity at the trade deadline to garner a mid-level prospect. This is the Allard Baird theory of rebuilding- sign mid to low-level free agents, and hope they produce so at the trade deadline you can trade them for long shot prospects, and pray.

The Rays had many of these reasons in mind. They could get a mentor for B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford who could be a defensive replacement for Upton in center, or a pinch runner for whichever clodhopper they choose to play in right, and in July maybe find a minor-league pitcher they can get from a contender for him.

The Reds situation makes a little less sense. Lofton has succeeded before playing for Dusty Baker in 2002 and 2003, but the Reds already have a full house in center field. They may have been looking at him as a catalyst to compete with their younger outfielders in spring training, or they may have felt shaky about the players they have. They signed Corey Patterson, who’s a great athlete, plays good defense, has a good arm, and steals bases, but he has struggled in the lead-off spot with a career .298 OBP. Norris Hopper, a rookie last year, looks like an adequate center fielder, but in 307 ABs last year had only 16 extra base hits, and 14 RBIs in a hitter’s ballpark. Ryan Freel is coming off of an injury, and played only 75 games last season, but he is their most proven lead-off hitter in center field. Ken Griffey Jr. also is available in spot duty in center, though his skills are diminished. They also could have been foreseeing the emergence of Jay Bruce, and/or a possible trade of Ryan Freel.

If Lofton didn’t feel like these teams were the right fit for him, there are still plenty of teams he’s never played for out there that could use a player like Lofton.

Minnesota Twins- Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young may be the future of the Twins outfield, but they’re not going to make anyone forget about Torii Hunter defensively. The young duo have 34 career games in center field, and neither one of them has showed much patience to bat at the top of the order. If they played Lofton in center part-time they could rotate the other three outfielders at DH along with Craig Monroe and Justin Morneau to keep everyone fresh, and Gomez could get confidence playing center field part time, while being tutored to create runs at the top of the lineup by one of the best.

Detroit Tigers- With Curtis Granderson on the DL, I think Lofton would be a much better replacement in center field than Brandon Inge. After he returned, I think he also would help mentor Granderson on his continued work with patience and base stealing.

New York Mets- I read a Jim Baumbach column on March 6 in Newsday supporting the Mets signing Kenny Lofton to help remedy their outfield injuries. He is probably a better option than Endy Chavez, and while he’s not free, he’s probably a lot cheaper than Barry Bonds. His 23 stolen bases last season would fit in well with Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, and Willie Randolph’s running style of play.

St. Louis Cardinals- Like the Twins, they have very little experience in center field, losing So Taguchi and Jim Edmonds in the off-season. Their three opening day outfielders have 46 combined games in center, and look very much like an Oakland A’s outfield. When a first baseman is in left, a pitcher is in center, and a guy named Skip Schumacher is your probable lead-off hitter in right field, Kenny Lofton sounds awfully appealing.

Lofton’s teammate on the 2002 Chicago White Sox is also without a job. Royce Clayton had six at-bats for Boston last season after starting the season with Toronto, and got himself a World Series ring. This is a phenomenon that happens every season, but what is unique is that Toronto and Boston were the tenth and eleventh franchises of his career, putting him on the same precipice as Lofton, waiting to be signed in order to tie a MLB record.

Clayton is a tough sell for most teams. He never was much of a hitter, and his defense has steadily slipped the last five years, and he’s been primarily a shortstop. Before going to the Red Sox in August last year, Clayton had one career game at third base, and zero at second. Still, . . .