[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Losing Two Of The Best, Another Honor For Hellboy And Zaun’s Wish To Return

Keith Law calls Rafael Soriano, Mariano Rivera and Joaquin Benoit the three free agent relief pitchers most in demand. And with Rivera almost certainly re-signing with the Yankees, that makes Soriano and Benoit the two best relief pitchers on the free agent market.

On Soriano: “You can make an argument that he was the best closer in all of baseball in 2010 — consider the competition he faced in the AL East — and has performed at that level for two years. He’s the best reliever in this free-agent class, but his arm action is long and he’s missed the better part of two seasons with injuries, so there is risk here as well.”

On Benoit: “His change is extremely effective against lefties, and his velocity has increased over the last few seasons as well. You do need to worry about the recurrence of a shoulder injury, but his relatively light workload in 2010 (60 IP) should lessen that concern.”

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

• Jeremy Hellickson has been named to the Topps’ triple-A post-season all-star team. [MLB]
• Carl Crawford has an update on his free agency. [Rays Report]
• Gregg Zaun would like to return to the Rays…With Kelly Shoppach and John Jaso already under contract, all Zaun can hope for is a minor league deal. [MLB Trade Rumors]
• Don Martin of the New York Post speculates that Grant Balfour could be a “realistic option” for the Mets bullpen. [New York Post]
• And don’t forget about your morning Cup O’ Joe. [Joe Bucs Fan]

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