MLB Free Agency 2013: 20 Biggest Names in Next Winter's FA Class

Wait a minute. The 2012 Major League Baseball season is barely underway, and I am already talking about free agents that will be available next winter. Isn't that a little bit premature?

Not really. Baseball isn't just about 2012. Great teams are built into dynasties. One great season does not make a team legendary; success over the long term makes that happen.

Because of that, everyone should care about next year. Everyone should care about the long-term track that their team is on.

In that light, here is a list of the top 20 free agents that will be on the market next winter. For the purposes of this list, I will not be including any player that has an option. Many of these options will probably be exercised, so many of these players will not hit the open market.

Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers

Mike Napoli has become one of the best, if not the absolute best, offensive catcher in baseball today. He hit a career-high 30 home runs in 2011 and should be able to hit roughly that amount in 2012.

Admittedly, Napoli is not purely a catcher even though he played a majority of his games behind the plate. He also appeared in a significant number of games at designated hitter or first baseman. While that might enhance his value somewhat, it also might hinder his ability to convince teams that he can play full-time at catcher.

However, even if teams want to use him as a first baseman or a designated hitter, he still has plenty of offense value to make him one of the top free agents on the market next winter.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees

There is no way that Mariano Rivera is going to leave the New York Yankees. However, my only criterion for including players on this list is that it will be free agents at the end of 2012. When the best closer in baseball history is technically going to be a free agent, there is no reason not to put him on this list.

First of all, Mariano Rivera has 605 career saves. He has been an elite closer for a very long time, and he definitely knows how to close down a game in the ninth inning.

There is no reason to believe that Mariano Rivera is going to slow down this season. As long as he has his amazing cut fastball, he will get outs. He won't hit the open market because if he doesn't retire, the Yankees will bring him back, but I wanted to give him credit for his amazing success over such a long time.

Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals

Lance Berkman has been one of the best offensive producers of the past decade. Even when his career appeared to be fading in 2010, 2011 turned out to be an excellent return to form. He hit .301 with 34 home runs and 94 RBI.

Berkman will definitely be able to enhance his value if he becomes the centerpiece of the St. Louis offense that will surely miss the steady presence of Albert Pujols. He will stand out, and that is definitely beneficial before hitting the market.

After a decade of solid production, Lance Berkman doesn't necessarily seem to be slowing down too much. While he isn't quite what he once was, he should still be a great presence for a team in 2013.

Kelly Johnson, Toronto Blue Jays

Second basemen are a scarce commodity in Major League Baseball, but second basemen that can hit over 20 home runs are even rarer.

Given that fact, Kelly Johnson is definitely going to be a popular target when he hits the market. He does strike out a lot, and his batting average definitely leaves something to be desired, but Major League baseball management pays a premium for power.

Johnson has had a very nice start for 2012, so he probably will cool off a little bit and return more toward his career averages. He is living up to the stereotype that players play better a year before they become free agents.

Scott Rolen, Cincinnati Reds

Scott Rolen is getting older, but that doesn't mean that he should totally be forgotten at the hot corner. Even though he has struggled with durability throughout his career, he has been awarded eight Gold Gloves and has been named to seven different All-Star teams.

The only reason that these two points are emphasized together is to highlight the fact that even though he has had a hard time staying on the field at times, he has performed incredibly well in between.

Similarly, as he gets older, his body will age. However, he has excelled throughout his career while battling with a variety of injuries. He won't be deterred by physical problems as easily as some players. For that reason, he would definitely be worth acquiring when he is available over the winter.

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

Zack Greinke has seen great success and great failure during his career. However, as he has matured and gained more experience, he has also become much more consistent.

In 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Greinke won 16 games with a 3.83 ERA. He might have benefited from the substantial run support generated by the likes of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, but he also won most of those games as a result of his talent.

Zack Greinke is going to be entering his prime as he is only going to be 28 when he signs his next long-term contract. A lot of pitchers have been signing major contracts lately, and Greinke should be able to receive a very nice deal as well later this year.

BJ Upton, Tampa Bay Rays

BJ Upton has to be one of the most perplexing players in baseball. He is a tremendously gifted athlete, but he has had some difficulty channeling all of that talent into an All-Star level performance.

Last season, he only hit .243, but he demonstrated that all-around talent by hitting 23 home runs and stealing 36 bases. He can do a lot of things on the baseball diamond, so because of that, he will definitely make some nice money this winter.

It is definitely possible that he will not enter the open market and instead remain in Tampa Bay, but players with his natural talent are few and far between. If he is available, many teams will be interested in trying to help him reach his maximum potential.

Edwin Jackson, Washington Nationals

Edwin Jackson only signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals last winter because he wanted to test the market again this coming winter. He should again be one of the top pitchers available.

Now that he is playing for the Washington Nationals, he should receive plenty of run support. If that is true, his win total should climb, which will only make him that much more attractive as a free agent again this winter.

Edwin Jackson doesn't quite have the track record that a few of these other pitchers have, but he is still a good pitcher who is young and has plenty of time to get even better.

Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies

Shane Victorino has often been pointed to as evidence of the success of the Rule Five draft. In fact, he was a Rule Five choice twice before he landed for good with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Since then, he has demonstrated his prowess in the field by winning three Gold Gloves and being named to a pair of All-Star teams. He has incredible speed, so even though his stolen base numbers are not incredibly high, most of that is due to the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies don't run very much.

"The Flyin' Hawaiian" has been developing his all-around game and actually hits for a decent amount of power to complement his foot speed. This combination will make him highly desirable as a free agent over the winter.

Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers

Jose Valverde has established himself as one of the better closers in baseball right now. Last season, Valverde shut the door on 49 games and passed the 200 saves mark for his career.

The Detroit Tigers are going to win a lot of games this season, so Valverde should be in a position to tabulate a lot of saves. If he is able to have another big season, he will reap the benefits of his success in the form of a very large contract.

Valverde has appeared in a lot of games over the past few seasons, so there is always the potential of his arm wearing out. However, since he is a closer, that shouldn't necessarily be as big of a problem, and he should continue to be successful in the future.

Michael Bourn, Atlanta Braves

Michael Bourn has become the epitome of what a leadoff man traditionally is. He puts the ball in play, ends up on-base quite a bit and steals a lot of bases.

In fact, he has led the National League for the past three seasons with 61, 52 and 61 stolen bases, respectively. The Atlanta Braves will definitely be interested in keeping him around at the top of their lineup, but strong offers might be out there from a lot of different teams.

Michael Bourn is finally out of Houston, so he will have a lineup that is able to drive him in. He could then become an elite run producer and would have even more value for any team that is lucky enough to have him next season.

Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

Ichiro had a difficult 2011 by his standards. However, given his career track record, he had some very high standards to live up to. 2011 was the only season in his entire career that he failed to hit .300.

Ichiro has appeared in a lot of games both in Japan and the United States, so it is possible that he will eventually start slowing down and not be able to convert all of the infield singles he has lived on for the past decade.

There is virtually no chance of Ichiro leaving Seattle. He has become the face of the franchise, and he is still an excellent player who should return to form in 2012.

Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays

Carlos Pena could definitely be in a position to cash in a large way in the winter if he is able to channel some of his previous success in the Sunshine State to the 2012 campaign.

Pena hits the ball hard and strikes out a lot. This often manifests itself in a low batting average, but if he is able to hit approximately 30 home runs this season, he would definitely be in demand next winter.

His batting average is definitely an important liability, but his major power and solid defense at first base will make him a very hot commodity next winter.

Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants

Aside from having one of the best names in baseball, Melky Cabrera burst out with the Kansas City Royals last season. He hit .305 with 18 home runs, 87 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Management will probably want to see another strong season from Cabrera before he receives a major contract. However, the San Francisco Giants are counting on him to be part of an offense that needed correction after last season.

Cabrera is still relatively young and could therefore continue to get even better. However, even if he is only able to match his success from last season, he should be in line for a pretty nice contract in December or January.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

David Ortiz was a free agent last winter, and he returned to the Boston Red Sox. Since he is going to be a free agent again this winter, you shouldn't expect him to leave Boston this time either.

Nevertheless, he was going to be one of the best hitters on the market this winter. While Ortiz is getting older and isn't performing quite as well as he did about five years ago, he still is probably going to hit around .300 with almost 30 home runs and almost 100 RBI.

David Ortiz has been one of the better hitters in baseball for the past 10 years, and even though he will be a free agent at the end of the 2012 season, it would be surprising to see him wearing anything other than a Boston Red Sox uniform for 2013.

Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers

Andre Ethier is definitely overshadowed by his superstar teammate Matt Kemp, but that doesn't diminish his individual quality. Though his power numbers decreased last season, he has shown quite a bit of power already in 2012.

If this sudden surge continues throughout this season, he will be a very popular target on the free-agent market. While he could remain with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it is much more probable that he will be relocating this winter.

Ethier will probably still be in the background in Los Angeles this season, but Major League Baseball management will reward his performance when winter comes.

Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Josh Hamilton has been in the public eye for his entire career. As a former No. 1 overall pick, the expectations were high when he entered Major League Baseball.

After a roller coaster of a career, he has arrived as one of the better hitters in the game right now. He is only two years removed from his American League MVP trophy, and he has started 2012 on a tear. While his current pace is probably not sustainable, it is a good indication of things to come.

Josh Hamilton is an incredibly popular player, so it would be surprising to see the Texas Rangers let him go. Of course, as a free agent, he definitely can make up his own mind, but Texas should make a very convincing offer to keep him as the nucleus of their powerful lineup.

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers

Shaun Marcum has quietly been becoming a very good pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers over the past few years. He isn't overwhelming, and he doesn't pile up the strikeouts, but he doesn't allow runs to cross the plate and ultimately wins baseball games.

He has won 13 games in each of the past two seasons with ERAs of 3.64 and 3.54, respectively. This type of performance will earn him some attention this winter simply because teams want pitchers who keep them in ballgames and win most of them.

Marcum might fly somewhat under the radar most of the time because his numbers are not overwhelming. Nevertheless, he is going to be a great addition for some team once he is available.

Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Torii Hunter was one of the most acrobatic center fielders in recent memory. Even though he now plays right field, he is still an excellent fielder with a great harm.

He is most well-known for his talents in the outfield, but he has also been reasonably productive at the plate. He will almost definitely hit around .270 with 20 home runs. He had succeeded this threshold at times throughout his career, but he is a safe bet to hit at these levels.

Torii Hunter is part of a very crowded outfield with the Angels right now, so he almost definitely won't be back next season. He will be able to find another place to play next season without much of a problem.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

Cole Hamels is one of the best pitchers in baseball right now. He has been integral in the success of the Philadelphia Phillies over the past few years, and as a highly successful left-handed starting pitcher, he is definitely going to get a lot of attention this winter.

In 2011, Cole Hamels had his best professional season. He went 14-9 with a 2.79 ERA and an incredibly low 0.986 WHIP.

If he is able to carry that success into 2012 and doesn't agree to an extension with the Philadelphia Phillies, he will almost definitely be the most sought-after target on the free agent market next winter.

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