Next up: free agency

About 12 seconds after the final out was recorded in Game 5 of the World Series, officially ending the 2010 season, the Major League Baseball Players Association released the names of 142 players who had become free agents. Why the holdup? Glaus, Troy 1B AT Hinske, Eric OF AT Lee, Derrek 1B AT Benson, Kris SP AZ Hampton, Mike SP AZ Heilman, Aaron RP AZ Lopez, Rodrigo SP AZ Webb, Brandon SP AZ Izturis, Cesar SS BA Lugo, Julio 2B BA Millwood, Kevin SP BA Patterson, Corey OF BA Uehara, Koji RP BA Wigginton, Ty 1B BA Lowell, Mike 1B BO Martinez, Victor C BO Varitek, Jason C BO Nady, Xavier OF CC Bloomquist, Willie OF CI Cairo, Miguel 3B CI Edmonds, Jim OF CI Hernandez, Ramon J. C CI Lincoln, Michael RP CI Rhodes, Arthur RP CI Springer, Russ RP CI Beimel, Joe RP CO de la Rosa, Jorge SP CO Dotel, Octavio RP CO Giambi, Jason 1B CO Mora, Melvin 3B CO Payton, Jay OF CO Garcia, Freddy Antonio SP CWS Jones, Andruw OF CWS Konerko, Paul 1B CWS Kotsay, Mark DH CWS Pierzynski, A.J. C CWS Putz, J.J. RP CWS Vizquel, Omar 3B CWS Bonderman, Jeremy SP DE Damon, Johnny DH DE Laird, Gerald C DE Ordonez, Magglio OF DE Seay, Bobby RP DE Ohman, Will RP FL Sosa, Jorge RP FL Tracy, Chad 3B FL Blum, Geoff SS HO Moehler, Brian RP HO Chen, Bruce SP KC Matsui, Hideki DH LAA Shields, Scot RP LAA Ausmus, Brad C LAD Barajas, Rod C LAD Gibbons, Jay OF LAD Johnson, Reed OF LAD Kuroda, Hiroki* SP LAD Padilla, Vicente SP LAD Ramirez, Manny OF LAD Weaver, Jeff RP LAD Bush, David SP MI Capuano, Chris SP MI Counsell, Craig SS MI Crain, Jesse RP MN Flores, Randy RP MN Fuentes, Brian RP MN Guerrier, Matt RP MN Hudson, Orlando 2B MN Mahay, Ron RP MN Pavano, Carl SP MN Punto, Nick 3B MN Rauch, Jon RP MN Thome, Jim DH MN Blanco, Henry C NYM Dessens, Elmer RP NYM Escobar, Kelvim RP NYM Feliciano, Pedro RP NYM Tatis, Fernando 1B NYM Berkman, Lance 1B NYY Jeter, Derek SS NYY Johnson, Nick DH NYY Kearns, Austin OF NYY Moeller, Chad C NYY Pettitte, Andy SP NYY Rivera, Mariano RP NYY Thames, Marcus OF NYY Vazquez, Javier SP NYY Wood, Kerry RP NYY Duchscherer, Justin SP OA Sheets, Ben SP OA Contreras, Jose RP PH Durbin, Chad RP PH Romero, J.C. RP PH Sweeney, Mike DH PH Werth, Jayson OF PH Park, Chan Ho RP PI Correia, Kevin SP SD Eckstein, David 2B SD Hairston Jr, Jerry SS SD Stairs, Matt OF SD Tejada, Miguel 3B SD Torrealba, Yorvit C SD Bard, Josh C SE Woodward, Chris SS SE Wright, Jamey RP SE Burrell, Pat OF SF Guillen, Jose DH SF Huff, Aubrey 1B SF Mota, Guillermo RP SF Uribe, Juan SS SF Feliz, Pedro 3B SL LaRue, Jason C SL MacDougal, Mike RP SL Miles, Aaron 2B SL Penny, Brad SP SL Reyes, Dennys RP SL Suppan, Jeff RP SL Westbrook, Jake SP SL Winn, Randy OF SL Baldelli, Rocco OF TB Balfour, Grant RP TB Benoit, Joaquin RP TB Choate, Randy RP TB Crawford, Carl OF TB Hawpe, Brad OF TB Kapler, Gabe OF TB Pena, Carlos 1B TB Qualls, Chad RP TB Soriano, Rafael RP TB Cantu, Jorge 3B TE Francisco, Frank RP TE Guzman, Cristian 2B TE Lee, Cliff SP TE Molina, Bengie C TE Treanor, Matt C TE Buck, John C TO Downs, Scott RP TO Frasor, Jason RP TO Overbay, Lyle 1B TO Batista, Miguel RP WA Dunn, Adam 1B WA Harris, Willie OF WA Mench, Kevin OF WA It should be noted that another 34 players, including left-hander Mark Hendrickson, could become free agents if their respective clubs decline to pick up their options. The Orioles will let Hendrickson test the waters. Ankiel, Rick OF AT Farnsworth, Kyle RP AT Gonzalez, Alex SS AT Infante, Omar 2B AT LaRoche, Adam 1B AZ Hendrickson, Mark RP BA Beltre, Adrian 3B BO Hall, Bill OF BO Lopez, Felipe 3B BO Ortiz, David DH BO Ramirez, Aramis 3B CC Arroyo, Bronson SP CI Cabrera, Orlando SS CI Harang, Aaron SP CI Francis, Jeff SP CO Olivo, Miguel C CO Peralta, Jhonny 3B DE Podsednik, Scott OF LAD Davis, Doug SP MI Hoffman, Trevor RP MI Zaun, Gregg C MI Reyes, Jose SS NYM Chavez, Eric DH OA Crisp, Coco OF OA Ellis, Mark 2B OA Garland, Jon SP SD Young, Chris SP SD Bedard, Erik SP SE Branyan, Russ 1B SE Renteria, Edgar SS SF Wheeler, Daniel RP TB Guerrero, Vladimir DH TE Gregg, Kevin RP TO Kennedy, Adam 2B WA I'm still processing how the Giants are world champions. Pitching really does matter. And finding the right parts - like Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell - who were the wrong parts in other organizations. Does this lineup scream world champions? 1. Andres Torres, RF 2. Freddy Sanchez, 2B 3. Buster Posey, C 4. Cody Ross, LF 5. Juan Uribe, 3B 6. Aubrey Huff, 1B 7. Pat Burrell, DH 8. Edgar Renteria, SS 9. Aaron Rowand, CF It helps, of course, to have Tim Lincecum on the mound. Yes, the Orioles passed on Lincecum in the 2006 draft, taking Billy Rowell with the ninth pick and putting the Giants on the clock. That one continues to haunt them. Probably haunts a few other teams, too. The Orioles took catcher Matt Wieters fifth overall in 2007. The Giants chose pitcher Madison Bumgarner with the 10th pick. The Orioles took pitcher Brian Matusz with the fourth overall pick in 2008, and the Giants followed by selecting catcher Buster Posey. You can't really argue with the Orioles' selections. And I'm sure the Giaints are quite happy with the ones they made. Going back to 2002, the Orioles took pitcher Adam Loewen fourth overall, and they received high praise for the selection. The Giants grabbed pitcher Matt Cain with the 25th pick. In 2004, the Orioles took Indiana University catcher Cody Wargo in the 27th round, making him the 799 overall pick. With the 820th selection, the Giants took pitcher Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants lost 90 games two seasons ago. Now they're world champions. Are they a role model for the Orioles?