Few agents know how to make a splash like Scott Boras, so we really shouldn't be surprised that before much of the baseball universe awoke Saturday morning, Boras had found new homes for his two biggest remaining free-agent clients.
First baseman Chris Davis returns to Baltimore on a seven-year, $161 million deal, while pitcher Ian Kennedy joins the Kansas City Royals rotation on a five-year, $70 million pact. Suddenly, teams that are in need of another impact bat or a reliable starter are facing a more desperate situation than they were 24 hours ago.
Their options are disappearing—and the time for indecisiveness is over. Those teams need to make a big splash before they're left scrounging through the bargain bin at the onset of spring training, trying to decide whether outfielders Domonic Brown or Jeff Francoeur should be their starting right fielder.
Luckily, there are still some impact players available via free agency—outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, pitcher Yovani Gallardo and outfielder Justin Upton—and a few more who could be obtained by trade.
What follows are sensible-yet-splashy moves those desperate teams should make—no matter how painful they may be.
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