Jim Williams: Better bring the wallet as free agency heats up

Matt Yallof is one of the hosts of the MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” show every day at 6 p.m. along with Billy Ripken, Mitch Williams, Harold Reynolds, Al Leiter, Dan Plesac, Barry Larkin and Joe Magrane.

Yallof shared with me some of what he and his colleagues are hearing about the key free agents.

Yallof on the top free agents and where they could be heading » Top of the line free agents like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford are always going to go to contenders. They have had a taste of winning and want that big payday with a team that has a real chance to make it to the playoffs and the World Series every year.

Yallof on the Nationals » Prior to the injury to Stephen Strasburg, there was a real buzz going on in Washington that maybe with a couple of key additions they would be very close in 2011 to being a contender. Agents and players know Washington is not far away from contending. They need to figure out what they are going to do with Willie Harris. He really is a wonderful bench guy for them. To their credit, they will be players in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. But in the end if they spend that money wisely on an Adam LaRoche, if not Adam Dunn, add pitching like Jon Garland and another innings eater, they should be ready for a real run in 2012 and beyond. The Nats have really set themselves up well providing they can keep those young guys healthy and, of course, Strasburg returns to form.

Yallof on the Orioles » For them, it is the Rays’ formula. The young pitching really has to continue to improve, and hopefully they can find a good bat. But the truth is everyone in the AL East is better than they are. That simply means the Orioles’ way of the old days is how they become a contender. Build from the farm system and hope the free agents overachieve.

Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!