Chone is as good as gone.  So who plays third base next year?

     Obviously Brandon Wood is the #1 candidate at this point and it is his job to lose.  But can we trust him implicitly with a .559 OPS at the major league level? 

      Yeah Izturis is a suitable backup plan.   Sometimes.   But he also needs to backup the middle infielders as well.  With the departure of Robb Quinlan we're going to need a backup corner man.   History suggests this role should be given a roster slot.  

      If I'm Tony Reagins I go look for a cheap insurance policy on the Free Agent market.  No major signings here.  Just someone for a one year deal to fill a utility role in case Brandon Wood is a total disaster.  If Wood is good enough to play everyday we have a utility backup for one year and we cut them lose after 2010.  If Wood fails miserably we use the signing for the year and then seek a multi-year replacement for 2011 and beyond.

      Here are the free agent third basemen still available:

Rich Aurilia (38)
Brian Barden (29)
Adrian Beltre (31) - Type B, offered arb
Aaron Boone (37)
Craig Counsell (39)
Joe Crede (32)
Bobby Crosby (30)
Mark DeRosa (35) - Type B, offered arb
Pedro Feliz (35)
Nomar Garciaparra (36)
Troy Glaus (33) - Type B, not offered arb
Adam Kennedy (34)
Mark Loretta (38)
Melvin Mora (38) - Type B, not offered arb
Pablo Ozuna (35)
Robb Quinlan (33)
Miguel Tejada (36) - Type A, not offered arb
Juan Uribe (31)

Obviously an Adrian Beltre isn't appropriate here since he's seeking a multi year deal and would require a draft pick.   But what about some of the other players on this list?  Would a Mark Loretta or Rich Aurilia or an Aaron Boone be appropriate at the right price?