MLB Free Agents 2012: 1 Player Each Team Could Still Re-Sign

With Jose Reyes and Heath Bell headed to South Beach, it's clear that the Miami Marlins are planning on making the biggest splash during this year's MLB winter meetings.

They're not the only team making moves though, as a number of other big-name players appear poised to ink deals in coming days.

Some teams will pry free agents away from their former teams, and some may make trades to get their pieces in place.

Others will look inside the organization during these meetings to get deals done.

Here are some players who could possibly end up staying in town after the dust settles.

Chicago White Sox: Juan Pierre

While the Chicago White Sox would love to bring long-time starter Mark Buerhle back to the south side, it's becoming more and more apparent that the interest he's getting from other teams is too great.

Keeping that in mind, Juan Pierre's veteran presence would be important to the White Sox lineup as they look to get runners on base throughout 2012.

Los Angeles Angels: Joel Pinero

The Los Angeles Angels may look to replace Joel Pineiro in the rotation after his subpar 2011 season, but the lack of depth in the free-agent market for starting pitching may force the Angels to retain Pineiro for the short term.

Kansas City Royals: Jeff Francis

Along with the Kansas City Royals addition of Jonathan Broxton to bolster the bullpen, re-signing Jeff Francis could help fortify the early inning situation for the pitching staff.

Francis is getting attention from a number of teams, however, and it's quite possible he'll end up in another uniform next season.

Minnesota Twins: Michael Cuddyer

If I could've picked one free agent that the Minnesota Twins wouldn't re-sign this offseason, it'd be Matt Capps.

With Capps signing a one-year deal today, I'll turn the attention to one they should re-sign.

Michael Cuddyer has gotten some interest from big-market teams this offseason, but the chatter has subsided a bit, and it now appears Cuddyer is headed towards a two-year deal with Minnesota.

Detroit Tigers: Magglio Ordonez

Magglio Ordonez's numbers have been declining since 2009 when he batted .310 in 131 games.

Having played in 176 games in the past two seasons, his age is starting to show, but the veteran outfielder could still have something left in the tank and likely wouldn't break the bank.

Texas Rangers: Darren Oliver

Darren Oliver has enjoyed a very successful second stint with the Texas Rangers, going 6-7 with an ERA below 2.50 in 125 appearances.

The only thing counting against Oliver at this point would be his age as he'll turn 42 next year. But he could still be a worthwhile candidate for a one-year deal.

Cleveland Indians: Kosuke Fukudome

Having already re-signed Grady Sizemore to a one-year deal, the Cleveland Indians could consider turning their attention to retaining Kosuke Fukudome.

He struggled a bit after coming over from Chicago but is young enough and has shown enough signs of potential that they may want a longer look at him in an Indians uniform before moving on.

Oakland Athletics: Coco Crisp

With David DeJesus already out the door and Josh Willingham likely not far behind, the Oakland Athletics will need some outfield help in 2012.

Coco Crisp has the capacity to fill in an outfield role as needed for the A's and would probably be signable with a similar contract to the one he just finished.

Seattle Mariners: None

With Adam Kennedy already in Los Angeles and Wily Mo Pena out of the league, the Seattle Mariners will likely need to look outside the organization to fill any holes they have on their roster.

New York Yankees: Luis Ayala

With some relief pitchers already making their moves and others sure to follow, Luis Ayala is getting more and more attention ahead of the winter meetings. 

The 33-year-old righty went 2-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 52 appearances with the Yankees, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him stay in the pinstripes in 2012.

Toronto Blue Jays: Frank Francisco

In his first year with the Toronto Blue Jays, Frank Francisco went 1-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 54 appearances.

At 32, he should have plenty left in the tank and should also be a cost-effective option for 2012.

Tampa Bay Rays: Johnny Damon

With a limited payroll on an annual basis, the Tampa Bay Rays have made a living as one of the most economical teams in baseball.

This past offseason, they made a big move in acquiring both Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, although only half of that proposition worked out.

Damon would be a good option for the Rays to bring back as he was a catalyst for the team throughout the season and would provide the same value again in 2012.

Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz

The Boston Red Sox have a number of free agents who will need to be addressed this offseason, with Jonathan Papelbon as the only one to leave town thus far.

Perhaps, their most move is important is the re-signing of David Ortiz. In 2011, Big Papi went deep 29 times, the 10th straight season of at least 20 home runs.

He's a reliable slot in the lineup as well, playing in less than 140 games in only one season since 2004.

Baltimore Orioles: None

Despite coming into the 2011 season with a number of expectations, Vladimir Guerrero failed to yield much productivity and likely won't be back in 2012.

Izturis played in only 18 games in 2011, and during that limited playing time, failed to turn any heads.

Milwaukee Brewers: Prince Fielder

Given the dollars involved and the interest that's coming from other suitors, it'll be a tall task for the Milwaukee Brewers to retain Prince Fielder.

But that doesn't mean they won't give every effort possible to make a play for the stud first baseman.

It will take a massive sum of money to keep Fielder around, but keeping in mind the impressive statistics that he's compiled during his tenure in Milwaukee, it's not too difficult to justify the spending.

San Francisco Giants: Carlos Beltran

The Giants' acquisition of Melky Cabrera from the Kansas City Royals went a long way in shoring up at least one outfield spot.

There has been signs indicating that the Giants won't be big spenders this winter, and it could put Carlos Beltran out of their grasp, but it's definitely worth looking into.

During Beltran's 44 games with San Francisco, he batted .323 while driving in 18 runs in 167 at-bats.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Jason Marquis

Having already signed four of their free agents to deals this offseason (Henry Blanco, Willie Bloomquist, Aaron Hill, John McDonald), the Arizona Diamondbacks may be, for the most part, done making moves.

There's been speculation that Joe Saunders is a non-tender candidate this winter, and if that ends up being the case, they could opt to re-sign Jason Marquis in place of him.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Hiroki Kuroda

After finishing the 2011 season with a 13-16 record and 3.07 ERA, speculation arose about where Hiroki Kuroda could potentially play in 2012.

A number of teams including the Rockies and Diamondbacks have been noted as suitors, but it seems like, if Kuroda opts to stay in the league rather than return to Japan to finish off his career, it could be with the Dodgers.

San Diego Padres: Chad Qualls

After the recent departure of Heath Bell, Chad Qualls may be the next Padres reliever to head out of town.

SI's Jon Heyman has indicated that teams have expressed interest in Qualls, and depending on how the rest of the relievers move about the league, a move may happen.

The Padres could also opt to offer Qualls a deal to have him work to replace the productivity missed by Bell's departure.

Colorado Rockies: Kevin Millwood

The Colorado Rockies have been mentioned in conversations surrounding starting pitchers like Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda this offseason.

If they aren't able to put together a package for either of those pitchers, they may opt to sign Kevin Millwood to a one-year deal to patch the pitching staff until they're ready to make other moves to improve the rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins

As evidenced by the signing of Jonathan Papelbon, it's clear that the Philadelphia Phillies are another team that will likely be very active this offseason as they look to make amends for a disappointing finish to their 2011 season.

With a number of key free agents, they'll likely count on players outside the organization to fill in the gaps and improve the team.

Jimmy Rollins has been with the team for his entire 12-year career, and despite a slight regression from his peak in 2007, he's still a valuable tool in the infield and provides a solid bat in the lineup.

Atlanta Braves: Alex Gonzalez

With the potential for the Atlanta Braves to look outside the organization for infield help, it's possible the team could let Alex Gonzalez walk and collect the draft compensation in return.

They may still try to retain Gonzalez as another option depending on how their offseason plans go though.

He has been a reliable entry in the lineup recently, having played in 306 games in the past two seasons.

Miami Marlins: Javier Vazquez

With the Miami Marlins heading into the 2012 season with a new logo, new manager, new stadium and newly revamped roster including Jose Reyes and Heath Bell, they're clearly looking to contend immediately.

As for their free agents, Javier Vazquez is probably the most likely option to be retained.

The 35-year-old right-hander went 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA in 32 starts with the Marlins in 2011 and could be a valuable veteran presence once again next season.

Houston Astros: None

With Clint Barmes already out the door, Jason Michaels is the lone option for free-agent re-signing in Houston.

He's likely not high on the Astros' radar as the career .263 hitter experienced a career-low .199 average and played in only 89 games in 2011.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derrek Lee

During a short stint in Pittsburgh after coming over from Baltimore this past summer, Derrek Lee proved that he still has some life left in this league.

He batted .337 in the 28 games he played, hitting seven home runs and driving in 18 runs.

As he continues to age, his ability to sign an extended deal decreases so the Pirates could likely complete a one or two-year deal to keep him in a Pirates' uniform.

St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols

After leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title this season, it would seem unfitting for Albert Pujols to leave town for another franchise.

With the winter meetings taking place this week, Cardinals fans are likely hoping for the good news, but with interest from other teams, any deal in St. Louis would take time since they're showing hesitance to move from their initial number.

New York Mets: None

After losing Chris Capuano to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last week, it didn't take long for the next free agent to leave town as Jose Reyes took his talents to South Beach to play with the Miami Marlins.

Of the Mets' remaining free agents (see below), none really turn any heads, and while some may ultimately be back next season, it'll still be done on a disappointing note after seeing Reyes' departure.

(Ryota Igarashi (unranked RP), Scott Hairston (unranked OF), Chris Young (unranked SP), Willie Harris (unranked IF/OF), Miguel Batista (unranked RP), Jason Isringhausen (unranked RP)

Washington Nationals: Rick Ankiel

After a deal this summer to bring Denard Span over from Minnesota fell through, talks of an offseason move to bring him over have once again been circulating.

With new management in Minnesota, it's likely that they'll hedge their bets with Span, taking him off the table for the Nationals.

That being the case they could opt to re-sign Rick Ankiel to hold down center field in 2012. By some accounts, Ankiel had a down year in 2011, batting just under .240 while only driving in 37 runs in 122 games.

Chicago Cubs: Carlos Pena

The Chicago Cubs made a big move this offseason in bringing Theo Epstein over from Boston.

It's now time for Epstein and his group to make moves that will no doubt make a statement for the team's first year under his control.

Carlos Pena maintained a relatively low batting average in 2011 but did manage to hit 28 home runs and drive in 80 runs.

If the Cubs aren't able to sign either Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder this offseason, they may very well settle for keeping Pena around at first base.

Cincinnati Reds: Francisco Cordero

The Cincinnati Reds had little trouble scoring runs in 2011 but continued to struggle with pitching down the stretch.

It doesn't appear that the organization will have much to work with in terms of money this offseason, but there could be a chance they'll be able to retain Francisco Cordero (5-3, 2.45 ERA in 2011) with a short contract as the 36-year-old reliever continues to age.