Predicting MLB's Most Hotly Contested Free-Agent Battles

MLB free agency is here, and there are no shortage of rumors out there for the top players on the market.

Some players will have a good amount of suitors, while others will have one or two teams look their way. Regardless of who it is, a lot of players are about to hit the big time.

Robinson Cano is one of those players about to get paid, but because of his desire to earn more than $300 million over 10 years, that's going to take a lot of teams out of the equation.

Others are going to be in the price range of many teams and are going to have general managers beating down the doors of their agents.

So, what players will be the most sought-after this free-agency period?

Brian McCann

McCann will be one of the most sought-after free agents because he's been one of the most consistent catchers in baseball.

Here's how his numbers have looked over the last three years (rank among catchers with at least 400 PA):

Year	BA	SLG	HR	RBI	OBP
2013	.256 (12th)	.461 (6th)	20 (4th)	57 (11th)	.336 (6th)
2012	.230 (15th)	.399 (14th)	20 (8th)	67 (11th)	.300 (14th)
2011	.270 (7th)	.466 (3rd)	24 (2nd)	71 (5th)	.351 (6th)

McCann did have an off year in 2012 but recovered nicely this past season. Add in the fact that he's a seven-time All-Star and you have teams that want him badly.

Among the teams that are interested in McCann, some of the big-money teams have come to the forefront:

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman mentioned a few other teams who are in the running for the catcher:

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Early predictions that he could reach $100 million may be a bit ambitious, but it has to help that the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Cubs and Angels all are candidates to sign a catcher and could be major McCann players. The Blue Jays and White Sox are among [the] teams that could have an interest, as well.

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Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors predicts McCann will receive somewhere in the neighborhood of five years and $80 million. But if enough teams get in on the bidding, that number will go higher.

Masahiro Tanaka

Although not technically a free agent, Tanaka won't get a shortage of suitors when he is finally posted.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball are working on a new posting system:

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There had been speculation the system would undergo radical changes, with perhaps even the teams with the three highest posting bids all gaining the rights to negotiate with the players. I have been told there will be alterations in the process, but still only one team will win the post and have exclusive negotiating rights.

It is possible, as a way to give the player more power to chose his destination, he might get to pick a singular team from, say, the top two or three bidders.

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While the details of that are still being hammered out, there is no shortage of teams interested in Tanaka's services.

During the 2013 season, Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA and 183 strikeouts. 

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweeted the Angels' interest in Tanaka, while his colleague Steve Dilbeck wrote "does this not look like the most obvious move since Brad Pitt sidled up to Angelina Jolie?" when describing the Dodgers' interest in signing him.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York wrote Tanaka was "a key component of the Yankees' offseason plan," according to sources.

Sherman notes in another post that the Red Sox, Rangers, Diamondbacks and Blue Jays are all expected to be involved in the bidding process as well.

As you can see, Tanaka has no shortage of suitors. But unlike other free agents (if the posting system sees little change), he won't have a choice of where to go if he wants to play in the U.S. next year.

Shin-Soo Choo

Choo doesn't get as much recognition as the other free agents, but he's still one of the best in the business.

In 2013, Choo batted .285/.423/.462 with 21 home runs, 54 RBI, 112 walks drawn and 107 runs scored for the Reds. His .423 on-base percentage was the second best in the NL and is a huge reason why teams are looking at him for the top of their lineup.

Heyman reported a lot of teams are heavily interested in Choo, including the Rangers, Yankees, Cubs, Astros, Mariners, Phillies, Reds and Mets.

Dierkes wrote in his free-agent profile of Choo that he will likely receive a deal in the neighborhood of six years and $100 million.

That sixth year may take a few teams out of the running, but the team that guarantees that will be the one that comes out on top.

Making an Impact

There are multiple other free agents who will have multiple suitors. They may not have six or seven like the three listed above, but they will have teams clamoring for their services.

While most won't get a nine-figure deal, some will help make an impact on their team next year.

Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were both cheaper options for the Red Sox last offseason, and you see where it got them. That same model could hold true again this year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we've seen where the Angels' big spending has gotten them—two third-place finishes. So, spending big is not always the answer.

It's not always about signing the biggest name on the market. It's about signing the right name on the market.

In the end, it's all about winning world championships. Sure you can make nine figures, but winning the World Series is the ultimate goal (or should be) of every player. And for some teams, the only way they feel like they'll reach that goal is by getting that one guy that everyone else wanted.