A Lot Of Old, Unemployed Ballplayers

The question's all over spring training this year (trust us, it is): Why are there so many veteran free agents remaining? For some reason, this is a mystery to people. To solve the mystery, let's take a look at the big names left:

• Barry Bonds. • Tony Graffanino. • Ryan Klesko. • Mike Piazza. • Kyle Lohse. • Jeff Weaver. • David Wells.

Well, jeez, who wouldn't want those guys? (We Cardinals fans are partial to Weaver, and someone really should take a flier on Bonds — come on, Tampa Bay! — but other than that, slim pickings all around.) UmpBump says it's the plethora of young talent in the bigs right now, but, honestly, who does want those guys?

We spent our vacation reading Baseball Prospectus 2008, and the cumulative effect was to convince us that everyone in baseball over the age of 28 is doomed. Nothing makes us feel older than Baseball Prospectus; everyone freaking peaks at 28 in that book. How depressing.

Why So Many Out Of Work Free Agents? [UmpBump]