MLB Free Agency: One Soon-to-Be Free Agent Each Team Must Keep

When the 2011 MLB season and postseason finally play themselves out and the awards and trophies are handed out in early November, each team will then go through the process of deciding on its makeup for the 2012 season and beyond.

The months of November, December and January are the months when general managers and directors of player personnel really earn their keep, and their decisions during that time will oftentimes determine their team’s outcome, not to mention their job status.

There are a number of quality free agents who will be out there on the open market, and while everyone will be focusing on the biggest two names on the top of that list—Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder—there are others who have also provided great value for their teams, either in the short or long term, who will be highly sought after as well.

But for many teams, re-signing their own free agents may pose a problem, either through the fact that it would be cost-prohibitive or simply because the GM would be vilified by the fans if he let a popular star sign with another team. It’s a tricky balancing act for sure.

So which star free agents should be re-signed by teams? Here is a list of soon-to-be free agents each MLB team should prioritize in terms of re-signing.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Xavier Nady

With the incredible year the Arizona Diamondbacks have had, they will have tremendous momentum headed into the 2012 season. GM Kevin Towers has done a remarkable job rebuilding the bullpen and plugging in players who have provided terrific value.

Utility player Xavier Nady has been out of action for the past month with a fractured left hand but has been cleared to resume baseball activities and could be back in time to help the Diamondbacks during the postseason.

At just $1.75 million, Nady helps provide a veteran presence on the bench along with better depth and production. Towers should work on a deal to keep Nady in Arizona, where his flexibility in the field can be a huge factor.

Atlanta Braves: Scott Linebrink

The Atlanta Braves have been fortunate enough to have two quality arms that have developed into stars in the back of their bullpen—Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. Kimbrel has been just nasty, striking out an incredible 120 batters in just 72.2 innings while racking up 44 saves to set the rookie record for saves in one season.

However, even with Kimbrel and Venters, the Braves still need that reliable middle man to round out the ‘pen, and there may be no one better in that role than Scott Linebrink.

Linebrink has been steady this season with a 3.73 ERA in 60 appearances, and his veteran presence in the bullpen has no doubt helped youngsters like Kimbrel and Venters. Braves GM Frank Wren should work on a two-year deal to keep Linebrink in Atlanta if he can keep Linebrink’s salary close to where it is now ($5.5 million).

Baltimore Orioles: Jim Johnson

Unfortunately for the Baltimore Orioles, the moves made by general manager Andy MacPhail during the past offseason did nothing to stop them from posting their 14th consecutive losing season.

Attendance at Camden Yards is down considerably, and the O’s will continue to have a tough time convincing free agents to join them, considering their recent trend of losing.

There is one player currently on the roster who has, however, provided steady production throughout his time in Baltimore—reliever Jim Johnson.

While Johnson still has two years before he is eligible for free agency, he is a guy MacPhail should work on locking up through at least the next two or three seasons. Since 2008, Johnson has been consistently solid in an Orioles bullpen that has been called upon far too often. Johnson has been the one person who doesn’t give Buck Showalter indigestion when he is called upon.

Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz

With just 10 games remaining in the 2011 regular season, it is very likely that Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz will top 30 HR and 100 RBI for the seventh time in his nine seasons in Boston.

His .317/.404/.582 slash line as of Saturday is well above his career line of .284/.378/.546, and his .986 OPS is the highest since the 2007 season.

There is no doubt that GM Theo Epstein should put together a two-year package for Ortiz. Is there really anyone else out there who can provide better production? Not only that, Epstein would no doubt be scorned by fans who have come to regard Ortiz as one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise, and his positive presence in the clubhouse would be sorely missed.

Chicago Cubs: Reed Johnson

The Chicago Cubs are currently without a general manager after Jim Hendry was relieved of his duties last month. Whoever takes over that position will have an unenviable task—trying to rid the roster of bloated contracts and rebuilding all over again.

One step to take in a positive direction would be to re-sign outfielder Reed Johnson. Johnson has been one of the lone bright spots in a dismal 2011 season for the Cubs, with a .315 batting average in 102 games.

Johnson was under contract for just $900,000 this season, so it won’t be an expensive proposition to re-up Johnson to a two- or three-year deal.

Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mark Buehrle has pitched his entire career in Chicago, never making less than 30 starts since his rookie season in 2000.

Buehrle is 11-9 with a 3.74 ERA this season and has once again shown his durability and reliability in a season that has now become a lost cause for the White Sox.

While Buehrle has slumped a bit in his last three starts, there is no question that he has plenty left in the tank. His overall WAR since 2001 ranks only behind Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia, Roy Oswalt, Randy Johnson, Johan Santana and Javier Vazquez, and only Sabathia has logged more innings during that time.

GM Kenny Williams should absolutely work to keep Buehrle in a White Sox uniform. If consistency and team loyalty are of any importance to Williams, he can look no further than Buehrle as a shining example.

Cincinnati Reds: Brandon Phillips

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is in the final guaranteed season of a four-year, $27 million contract. The Reds hold an option for the 2012 season at $12 million; however, Phillips has not been approached yet about picking up that option or an extension to his contract.

According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Phillips is disappointed that talks have not been generated:

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"I've always said from Day 1 that this is where I want to be at," Phillips said. "I thought there might be some talks going on during the season but I haven't heard anything all year. I was very disappointed about it. It hurts bad that this is where I want to be at and I've paid blood, sweat and tears for this organization, but the only thing I can do is thank them very much for giving me a second opportunity. I can't really trip about anything that much. I came here and got my career back to where it should be going."  

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Phillips also said that he would explore free agency after the 2012 season if the Reds only pick up his 2012 option without extending his contract:

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"If they just pick my option up and don't extend me, I feel like that's a slap in my face," Phillips said. "If the team wants you, they will make room. They will show you they want you here, period. They did it for some of the other guys.

"If they're going to have me for just one year, I feel like they don't see me in the future."

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Phillips was referring to Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto, whose contracts have all been extended by GM Walt Jocketty. With a solid core of players in place, Jocketty should without a doubt be approaching Phillips and doing the same with him as well.

Cleveland Indians: Grady Sizemore

Given the injuries that Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore has endured over the past three seasons, there are certainly questions concerning the durability of the former All-Star going forward.

The Indians hold an option for Sizemore on the 2012 season for $8.5 million, and there has been much discussion regarding whether or not the Indians will exercise or decline that option.

With the health concerns surrounding Sizemore, it’s doubtful he can command big bucks in the free-agent market, especially considering the injuries have largely been to his knees, which has robbed him of the speed he displayed early in his career.

However, if the Indians can somehow work out a hometown discount, there is no reason they can’t sign Sizemore, who can still provide consistent production with the bat.

Colorado Rockies: None

The Colorado Rockies have already locked up their two stars—shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez—to multi-year deals, keeping both of them in the Mile-High City until at least the end of 2017. It’s the other parts they need to rebuild.

With the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, the Rockies have some promising prospects who could yield results in the future. The Rockies would do well to develop those prospects and continue building around Tulo and CarGo.

Detroit Tigers: Doug Fister

In only his third season, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister isn’t technically a free agent until 2016 and isn’t even arbitration-eligible until 2013.

However, given how Fister has performed since the trade that brought him over from the Seattle Mariners, general manager Dave Dombrowski should absolutely be working on a deal to keep Fister in Detroit for several years.

Fister is 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA in nine starts since joining the Tigers and has clearly given the Tigers a great one-two starting pitching tandem along with expected Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. Headed into the playoffs, teams will be very fearful of facing the Tigers with their one-two punch in the rotation.

Fister is perfect for Comerica Park, and Dombrowski should lock Fister up through the remainder of his arbitration time and at least the first year of free-agent eligibility.

Florida Marlins: Omar Infante

Florida Marlins second baseman Omar Infante backed up an All-Star year in 2010 with another solid season this year. In his first year with the Marlins, Infante has hit .278 while only committing six errors in 669 total chances for a .991 fielding percentage.

At 29 years of age, Infante provides a stable presence in the Marlins infield, and GM Larry Beinfest should absolutely work to sign Infante to a long-term deal.

Houston Astros: None

The Houston Astros lost their 100th game of the season over the weekend and will go down as one of the worst teams of the 21st century thus far.

With ownership in flux and GM Ed Wade seemingly on his way out the door, there is really no one currently on the roster who is worth re-signing at this point.

The best thing that incoming management can do is try to unload the contracts of both Carlos Lee and Wandy Rodriguez to get whatever return they can and start building back from within.

Kansas City Royals: Melky Cabrera

Outfielder Melky Cabrera appears to have found his groove in Kansas City.

Cabrera has reached career highs in hits (191), doubles (41), home runs (18), runs batted in (83), stolen bases (19) and batting average (.303) in his lone season with the Royals.

With the great mix of youth (Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas) and veterans (Jeff Francoeur, Billy Butler), the Royals have a solid nucleus within their lineup, and signing Cabrera would add another potent piece.

Los Angeles Angels: Howie Kendrick

The Los Angeles Angels already took care of the biggest red herring concerning potential free agency: Jered Weaver, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract last month.

If anything, the Angels need to subtract payroll, or I should say underperforming payroll, from their roster. Both Joel Pineiro and Fernando Rodney will be coming off the books at the end of the season, and together with finally being rid of the contract of Gary Matthews Jr., GM Tony Reagins will have some $20 million-plus to work with during the offseason.

Howie Kendrick still has one year of arbitration left, so Reagins might want to consider a multi-year deal for the talented second baseman. Kendrick’s overall power production increased exponentially in 2011, and there won’t be many second basemen on the market who can outperform Kendrick.

Los Angeles Dodgers: None

Absolutely no one knows what will happen with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason. The pending bankruptcy proceedings and MLB’s desire to drive current owner Frank McCourt out of town will certainly continue to be on the front pages in terms of news for the Dodgers.

The uncertainty will also play a factor in the signing of free agents as well. While stars Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Andre Ethier are still under team control, it would behoove management to attempt to sign all three to long-term contracts.

However, all other bets are off in terms of contracts and payroll at this point.

Milwaukee Brewers: Prince Fielder

When Prince Fielder created a buzz earlier this week in saying that this year is “probably” his last year in Milwaukee, he wasn’t alerting the media or baseball fans to anything that anyone didn’t already know.

All year long, the status of Fielder and his potential free agency has been written about ad nauseam, and while the Brewers have locked up Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart long-term, they have not done so for Fielder, who once again has put up monster numbers in 2011 (33 HR, 110 RBI, .957 OPS).

Whether or not the Brewers have enough left in the pot to retain Fielder is unknown, but GM Doug Melvin should at least give it the old college try.

Minnesota Twins: Michael Cuddyer

The Minnesota Twins will have two major decisions to make during the offseason—what to do with pending free agents Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer, two of their most productive and reliable hitters.

My nod goes to Cuddyer. The 11-year veteran proves year after year that he is invaluable to the Twins, both on the field and in the clubhouse.

With extended absences by Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Kubel, Cuddyer continued providing offense all season long, and his versatility in the field certainly came in handy once again this season.

New York Mets: Jose Reyes

This really should be a no-brainer; however, it may take a financial miracle to pull it off.

Shortstop Jose Reyes has been hurt by injuries once again this season with two stints on the DL after the All-Star break. However, his offense and worth to the Mets when healthy are priceless, and with all of the controversy surrounding Fred Wilpon with the Bernie Madoff scandal, does he really want to be crucified by Mets fans for allowing Reyes to walk?

New York Yankees: Nick Swisher

Much of the payroll talk surrounding the New York Yankees has been centered on CC Sabathia and the opt-out clause in his contract, allowing him to walk at the end of the season and seek a new deal.

However, while it certainly would be nice if Sabathia doesn’t exercise the option, it would be equally as nice for outfielder Nick Swisher to remain in the Bronx as well.

Swisher does have a team option next season for $10.25 million that will likely be exercised, but he should be considered for an extension. Swisher’s steady presence in the lineup for the Yankees over the past two seasons has produced terrific results, and don’t you think New York would miss that smile and quirky personality?

Oakland Athletics: Josh Willingham

This one should also be a no-brainer. However, with Oakland, you just never know.

Outfielder Josh Willingham has had a career year in his first season with the A’s, hitting 27 HRs with 82 RBI, both career highs.

Considering Oakland’s complete lack of offensive production, Willingham should be a top priority for the Athletics during the offseason.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins

One can certainly argue that Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins is nowhere near the production that won him a Most Valuable Player award in 2007, and the fact is that his production is indeed much lower than in previous years.

However, Rollins also has a cast of characters around him (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez) who now carry the offensive load. While Rollins has been slowed in the last two years by injuries, he is still the heart and soul of the Phillies.

There is no question that Ruben Amaro Jr. should be working on an extension to keep Rollins in Philadelphia, possibly for the rest of his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derrek Lee

At 35 years old, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Derrek Lee is probably past his prime. His production over the past two seasons would certainly indicate as such.

However, he has hit .348 with five home runs and 14 RBI since joining the Pirates, and his veteran presence can be a huge factor in helping younger players such as Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez.

General manager Neal Huntington, who was recently given a contract extension himself, should work on keeping Lee in Pittsburgh at least for another season to continue helping to mentor the new young crop of Pirates.

San Diego Padres: Heath Bell

There are quite a few people who are of the belief that San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell would be better off signing somewhere else next season, especially considering that Bell will be a Type A free agent who will get the Padres two top draft choices if he does sign with another team.

I am not from that particular camp. I do believe that the Padres should make every effort to sign Bell, especially since he has indicated his desire to stay with the team and the fact that he would take a hometown discount.

No doubt the money will probably be more than what the Padres can afford, but Bell would be an outstanding example for a young pitching staff.

San Francisco Giants: Javier Lopez

Obviously, a lot of the discussion surrounding the San Francisco Giants this offseason will be whether or not they make an offer to right fielder Carlos Beltran. However, they have a left-handed specialist in their bullpen who they should absolutely be locking down for the 2012 season.

Reliever Javier Lopez has been almost automatic in terms of punching out left-handed batters, holding them to a .159 average this season. Lopez made $2.375 million this season, so GM Brian Sabean won’t have to break the bank to re-sign him, as he no doubt will have to with other potential free agents.

Seattle Mariners: Brandon League

In one season as the closer for the Seattle Mariners, Brandon League has grown into his role nicely, putting up 34 saves thus far and being selected to the AL All-Star team for the first time.

League has one year of arbitration left before hitting free agency, but GM Jack Zduriencik should work to lock League up now with a multi-year deal. At $2.25 million this year, League certainly shouldn’t break the bank when compared to other closers who will be hitting the free-agent market.

St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols

Is it really possible to think Albert Pujols will be playing elsewhere next season?

Pujols certainly bounced back nicely after a tough beginning to the 2011 season, now leading the National League with 35 HRs and getting his batting average back above .300.

The three-time NL MVP winner will break the bank—there is no question about that. The question is, will the Cards be the one setting the bar?

Tampa Bay Rays: Johnny Damon

Let’s face it: No one in their right mind honestly thought the Tampa Bay Rays would be fighting the Boston Red Sox for the wild-card spot this season, but here they are, with just 10 games remaining and only two games out of a postseason slot.

Outfielder/designated hitter Johnny Damon has certainly had something to do with that. Damon has provided a terrific veteran presence on a team that was literally torn apart with a slew of players leaving during the offseason and the controversy surrounding the retirement of Manny Ramirez early in the 2011 season.

Signing Damon to a one- or two-year deal will ensure that his veteran presence and leadership abilities can continue to help a young Rays team.

Texas Rangers: C.J. Wilson

This should also be a no-brainer. Since moving from the bullpen at the start of the 2010 season, southpaw C.J. Wilson has become one of the elite left-handed starters in the American League. Wilson has already topped last year’s win mark, and his ERA of 2.97 is sixth-best in the AL and the lowest among all left-handed pitchers.

The Rangers have done a great job of developing a terrific pitching staff, and signing Wilson should be GM Jon Daniels’ top priority during the offseason.

Toronto Blue Jays: None

The Toronto Blue Jays already have several key players locked up for the next several seasons. Jose Bautista, Adam Lind, Yunel Escobar, Rajai Davis and Ricky Romero have been signed long-term by GM Alex Anthopoulos.

The Blue Jays have the bulk of their roster still under team control and have several youngsters ready to compete at the major-league level (Brett Lawrie, David Cooper, Mike McDade).

Washington Nationals: Rick Ankiel

Outfielder Rick Ankiel was signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract last year, a very affordable contract for a player who can provide solid offensive production in a part-time role.

The Nationals should consider welcoming Ankiel once again for 2012. Even with a raise, he is certainly more affordable than several other available free-agent options.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.