Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes and the Top 20 MLB Stars on the Market in 2012
Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes are just two of the many stars who could be testing the free-agent waters upon the completion of the 2011 season. And in scanning the list of potential free agents, it suffices to say there are plenty of other stars that could be had for the right price.
Make no mistake, Pujols would be the biggest catch of the bunch. A guy like Reyes, on the other hand, is a little harder to figure. He could command a fortune if he has a big 2011, but some team might pony up a king's ransom for him even if he doesn't.
Of course, there are a number of players with options and buyouts that could also end up on the market, and some of them will be on this list too.
But enough teasing.
Here are the Top 20 MLB stars who should be on the market in 2012.
Honorable Mention: Roy Oswalt, SP
1 of 21
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Contract Status: $16 million mutual option for 2012
When I initially compiled this list, I left Oswalt off it entirely. But it has been brought to my attention that it's a good idea to at least acknowledge the possibility that he could hit the market.
This can and will happen if the Phillies just aren't willing to shell out $16 million for Oswalt. If he is hurt and/or ineffective in 2011, I can certainly see that happening.
However, if this Phillies staff performs as well as it should, and the Phillies make a deep playoff run, you have to think he'll stick around.
Moreover, Raul Ibanez's contract is up after this season, and that's something like $10 million coming off the books. That should help.
As for Ibanez, I think there's a good chance he retires, so he's not on this list.
20. David Dejesus, OF
2 of 21
Team: Oakland Athletics
Contract Status: Final year
Anybody else think that David Dejesus was a great acquisition for the A's?
Well, even if it is just me, I still think Dejesus is going to be worth keeping an eye on in 2011. Remember, he was on pace for his best season as a pro before a thumb injury ruined things.
Either way, Dejesus picked the right year to become a free agent for the first time in his career. There will be a relatively weak crop of outfielders, and he could end up getting more than he's worth because of that.
19. Jason Kubel, OF/DH
3 of 21
Team: Minnesota Twins
Contract Status: Final year
Kubel took a step back in 2010 after he set career highs with 28 home runs, 103 RBI and a .907 OPS in 2009. Nevertheless, he still finished with 21 homers and 92 RBIs, so things could certainly be worse.
Working in Kubel's favor heading into the final year of his contract with the Twins is the fact that he's only going to be 29 in May, and that he is still one of the more underrated power hitters in baseball. Considering this is the Twins we're talking about, they'd probably prefer to keep Kubel since he's one of their guys.
If not, Kubel is the kind of player who will probably command more money than he's worth as a free agent, so you can't blame him if he takes his talents elsewhere.
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18. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
4 of 21
Team: Chicago Cubs
Contract Status: Final year
It seems like we always end each year wishing we had gotten more from Aramis Ramirez. But the fact of the matter is that the dude is pretty consistent when he's healthy. And even if he is getting older, he'll probably still be good for 25 homers and 90 RBI a year.
Ramirez exercised his $14.6 million player option for 2011, but that's as far as his contract with the Cubs is going to take him. He will hit the market and will probably be able to find a starting job elsewhere.
17. Carlos Pena, 1B
5 of 21
Team: Chicago Cubs
Contract Status: Signed one-year deal
I never thought I'd see the day when the going rate for .200 hitters would be $10 million a year.
Then again, this is the Cubs we're talking about.
All kidding aside, I can see Pena resigning with the Cubs if he has a solid year, and Ramirez ending up going elsewhere. Moreover, Pena would probably get lost in the shuffle next to the other slugging first baseman that will be hitting the market in 2012 (don't worry, they're ahead), so it's probably best for him to stay put if he can.
Of course, I've been wrong before. Many times.
16. Carlos Beltran, OF
6 of 21
Team: New York Mets
Contract Status: Final year
Beltran is indeed in the final year of the seven-year, $119 million contract he signed back in 2005. Generally speaking, Beltran has only been productive in three of those years (2006-2008), and he really hasn't been worth the money.
This is particularly true, of course, of Beltran's last two seasons in Queens, as injuries have limited him to 145 total games.
One way or another, it's hard to picture any scenario that keeps Beltran in New York. And at this point, whether or not he's an everyday outfielder is going to depend on if he can stay healthy this season.
If not, he might have trouble finding a job. If he does, then he'll probably get a short deal with a non-contender.
15. Jonathan Broxton, RP
7 of 21
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Contract Status: Final year
Because Broxton had his struggles in 2010, and because he is in the final year of his contract, the Dodgers' closer is actually a very good trade candidate to keep an eye on this season.
Nonetheless, he's probably going to test the waters one way or another, and his asking price is definitely going to be contingent on whether or not he can bounce back with a good season. In other words, if he duplicate his dominant 2009 campaign, in which he racked up 38 saves while posting a 2.61 ERA and a WHIP of 0.961, he could be a hot commodity.
If he can do that, there will be some team desperate enough to give him a multi-year deal worth as much as $10 million annually. If not, hey, he might make a good setup man.
14. Jonathan Papelbon, RP
8 of 21
Team: Boston Red Sox
Contract Status: Final year
In case you're wondering, I'm ranking Pap ahead of Broxton because Pap has had more than one good year as a closer.
That certainly wasn't last year, of course, as Pap blew eight saves and walked a career-high 28 batters. As a diehard Sox fan, my gut tells me he's not going to be back in Boston no matter what he does this season. Instead, they'll tab Daniel Bard as their closer and thank Pap for playing.
Like Broxton, Papelbon is a good trade candidate to keep an eye on this season. When he does hit the open market, he'll obviously be one of the top relievers on the market. However, he has said in the past that he wants to be the highest-paid closer in the game, and that's obviously not going to happen.
13. J.D. Drew, RF
9 of 21
Team: Boston Red Sox
Contract Status: Final year
Yup, we're going straight from one expiring Sox contract to another.
Unlike Pap, Drew stands a very good chance of finding himself in an iffy situation at the end of the year. The Sox seem to have absolutely no interest in re-signing him, and there's no way in hell he's going to get another team to pay him upwards of $10 million a year.
To be fair, Drew is still a very solid player, and I don't see why he won't be able to find a starting gig with another team. He's just the kind of guy that could be the veteran presence on a young team.
12. Mark Buehrle, SP
10 of 21
Team: Chicago White Sox
Contract Status: Final year
Buehrle is a guy who epitomizes the phrase "steady as they come." He's not going to contend for the Cy Young award any time soon, but he's won at least 10 games in each of the last 10 seasons, and he might also be the best fielding pitcher in the big leagues.
Buehrle did indicate recently that he will consider retiring after this season, but that just doesn't make any sense given the fast that he's only going to be 32 years old by the time next winter rolls around.
Now, Buehrle strikes me as the kind of guy who would prefer to stay where he's at, and I do think the White Sox would probably prefer to keep him. But there's always a "but," and Buehrle also seems like the kind of guy the Yankees might be interested in if their rotation is still in pieces next offseason.
11. David Ortiz, DH
11 of 21
Team: Boston Red Sox
Contract Status: Final year
It seems pretty weird to consider that this is going to be Papi's last year in Boston. It feels like he's been there forever, and he's provided so many memories...
Yes, the Red Sox are not going to bring Ortiz back. But the good news for him is that he is going to be by far the best DH on the market. This is obviously assuming that his April 2010 slump doesn't become a season-long affair in 2011, but even then, I still think most clubs would rather have Papi than, say, Manny Ramirez.
What saddens me is that the Yankees are probably going to need a DH for next season, and Papi is the perfect fit for their cute little bandbox of a ballpark.
10. Jose Bautista, 3B/OF
12 of 21
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Contract Status: Final year
Bautista's arbitration hearing is scheduled to take place on Monday. He wants $10.5 million, and the Jays only want to pay him $7.6.
Yup, sounds like your garden variety arbitration case. Whatever the outcome, Bautista will only be set for 2011, and he has said that he doesn't want to discuss a contract extension during the season (sound familiar?).
Personally, Bautista is another guy I can see sticking around. If he isn't inked to an extension, his season will certainly be worth monitoring. It stands to reason that he's not going to hit 54 home runs again, but he could be in for a good payday if he can hit something like 30.
If he reverts back to his 10-20 homer form, however, he's probably going to wish he had saved some of his 2010 thunder for this year.
9. Grady Sizemore, OF
13 of 21
Team: Cleveland Indians
Contract Status: $8.5 club option for 2012
In the event that Grady Sizemore plays the entirety of the 2011 season with the Indians, he's not going anywhere.
So why is he on this list? Because that $8.5 million club option becomes a player option if the Indians trade him away, and Sizemore is a good trade candidate.
So let's say Sizemore has a good comeback year in 2011, and that he ends up finishing the season elsewhere. If you're him, you're probably thinking you can probably do better than a measly $8.5 million if you choose not to pick up your option, thus becoming a free agent.
If so, you have to think that Sizemore would be the prize of the outfielder crop, even if he does have a mediocre 2011.
8. Heath Bell, RP
14 of 21
Team: San Diego Padres
Contract Status: Final year
Heath Bell has arguably been the most effective closer in baseball over the last two seasons, as he's racked up a total of 89 saves and has made two straight All-Star teams.
Between the trio of closers on this list, Bell is probably the most likely to be traded, as I just don't think the Padres are going to be able to be as successful without Adrian Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup.
One way or another, we're looking at a guy who is going to get paid. Simple as that.
7. Jose Reyes, SS
15 of 21
Team: New York Mets
Contract Status: Final year
If you're looking for a player to watch in 2011, look no further than Jose Reyes. Despite his recent injury troubles, the dude is still just 27 years old (28 in June), and he still has tons of talent.
Reyes is another guy who doesn't seem too interested in signing a contract extension, which basically means he aims to have a huge season.
If he does, somebody's going to pay him. If he doesn't, somebody's going to pay him anyway.
Personally, I think Reyes would be the perfect fit for the Giants at AT&T Park, where he would absolutely wear out Triples Alley.
6. Jimmy Rollins, SS
16 of 21
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Contract Status: Final year
Get ready, Philadelphia. Because it's a good bet that the Phillies and Jimmy Rollins are going to engage in the same kind of cat-and-mouse game that was made famous by the Yankees and Derek Jeter.
Indeed, this is a situation in which the current arrangement is the only one that makes any real sense, and every indication is that both the Phillies and Rollins want to stay together.
That being said, Rollins is a Bay Area guy, and both the Giants and A's could be in the market for a shortstop next offseason.
Just throwing it out there...
5. Chris Carpenter, SP
17 of 21
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Contract Status: $15 million club option for 2012
This is where things get interesting. For a guy who is a perennial Cy Young contender (when healthy, of course) and a lock for 15 wins a season, $15 million seems like a fair price.
And you know what, the Cardinals will probably pick it up.
But only if they can't re-sign Albert Pujols. If they do that, they're probably going to be on the books for up to $30 million a year, and the only team rich enough to let two players swallow up $45 million is the Yankees.
All this being said, am I right in thinking that Cardinals fans would rather have Pujols than Carpenter?
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
18 of 21
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Contract Status: Final year
If you want a good dark horse candidate to bet on this season, go with the Brewers. They've got talent up and down their lineup, and their starting rotation should be getting more love than people are giving it.
But even if the Brewers do something crazy (i.e. win the World Series), Fielder is a goner. After all, we're heading into an odd year, which means you can put him down for 45 homers and upwards of 120 RBI (see 2007 and 2009).
Translation: Fielder is going to get paid, and another team will be signing the checks. And you know as well as I do that he's going to wait for Pujols to set the market before he does anything.
3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
19 of 21
Team: Boston Red Sox
Contract Status: Has yet to sign extension
I read a report from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe the other day that said Gonzalez is not at all worried about signing a contract extension. In fact, he hasn't even set a deadline, so you pretty much get the sense that it's a foregone conclusion that he will.
Moreover, the Sox would be fools to bring this guy in only to let him walk after a year, especially considering how perfect he is for their lineup and their ballpark.
But what if...
That's all I'm going to say. Just know that Gonzalez is on this list simply because the possibility exists.
2. C.C. Sabathia, SP
20 of 21
Team: New York Yankees
Contract Status: Can opt out of remaining four years
This is yet another scenario that is probably not going to play out. After all, Sabathia is going to make something like $25 million in 2011, and he's already the highest-paid pitcher by a pretty wide margin. He also happens to play for a great team that is going to contend year in and year out.
In other words, why the hell would he opt out?
Short answer: because he can and because he knows the Yankees will pay him.
Will it happen? No.
Can it happen? Yes.
1. Albert Pujols, 1B
21 of 21
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Contract Status: Final year
In case you haven't been keeping up with the latest, Pujols rejected a contract proposal from the Cardinals two weeks ago, and it's looking like the team has until Tuesday to sign Pujols to an extension.
If not, it looks like this will probably be it for Pujols in St. Louis.
Can he get A-Rod money on the open market? Well, he's the best player in the game, so...yeah, probably.
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