MLB Free Agency: Predicting Who Gets Baseball's 10 Next 9-Figure Deals

With the 2011 World Series wrapping up this week, attention will quickly turn to the opening of free agency as teams that came up short will look to fill holes wherever they can.

The majority of contracts will involve role players who fill a vacancy, add depth or help franchises change philosophies.

But franchise names like Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Prince Fielder will be the ones that headline what will certainly be an active winter in baseball front offices.

With that in mind, here are a few players that could be in line for lucrative long-term contracts in the foreseeable future.

Clayton Kershaw

After posting a 32-15 record over his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw got the league's attention.

His 2.28 ERA this season was the lowest in the National League and his WHIP of 0.977 was tops as well.

Kershaw won't be a free agent until after the 2014 season but will only be 26 when that time comes, setting him up for a lucrative long-term contract if he can continue to dominate hitters as he has in recent years.

Albert Pujols

Currently in the midst of an outstanding World Series performance with the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols isn't looking towards this offseason—yet. 

He'll be the most highly sought after free-agent target this offseason, although most teams realistically won't have the funds necessary to sway him away from St. Louis.

The three-time MVP will be 32 before the season starts but will most certainly warrant anywhere from $25-30 million per year when he does ultimately sign.

Felix Hernandez

This year, Felix Hernandez took a small step backward (at least in the stat line) from his 2010 Cy Young award-winning season in which he compiled an impressive 2.27 ERA and pitched 250 innings.

Still, he's one of the most dominating pitching talents in the league, and at 25 years of age, he'll only be 28 when he enters free agency after the 2014 season.

Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp has been a staple of durability in recent seasons, playing in at least 155 games per season since 2008.

His statistics would indicate he's not wearing down either. Kemp has averaged over 100 RBI and 30 HR in each of the last three seasons while slugging over .500.

With one year of arbitration left, he's set to enter free agency after the upcoming 2012 season, meaning that the Dodgers may look to trade him next summer if they can't afford to pay the massive salary that the 27-year-old outfielder will no doubt get.

C.C. Sabathia

As soon as the free agency period opens after the World Series, all eyes will definitely be on C.C. Sabathia as he ponders whether or not to opt out of his current contract with the Yankees.

As it stands right now Sabathia is set to make $23 million annually through 2015, however, if he opts out, he could potentially find a suitor willing to sweeten the pot.

The move by Sabathia may be an effort to get the Yankees to up their commitment to their ace, but no matter where he ends up, he'll certainly get paidand paid well.

Joey Votto

In his first four full seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto has finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, made two All-Star appearances and won an MVP trophy last season.

To put it lightly, the .313 career hitter has accomplished quite a bit before the age of 30.

He'll be 30 when he next enters free agency after the 2013 season which could make him a little old for a highly-valued, long-term contract, but if his productivity continues to increase as he matures as a player, he could very well warrant a deal nearing and possibly surpassing $100 million.

Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum came out of the gates running as he won two Cy Young Awards in his first three seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

His yearly strikeouts have declined slightly from the 265 punchouts he had in 2008, but he's still among league leaders.

With two seasons left before reaching free agency, arguably one of the game's best pitchers will have plenty of time to ramp up his production in time to earn a significant payday.

Robinson Cano

As an offensive leader on one of baseball's best offensive teams, Robinson Cano plays an integral role in the success of the New York Yankees.

Cano has been one of the most consistent contributors in recent years, playing in at least 159 games in each of the last five seasons and batting over .300 during that span while averaging over 20 home runs per seasons during the same span.

With Scott Boras representing him, you'd have to believe he'll sign for every penny possible when the time comes (Yankees have team options on Cano for 2012 and 2013).

Stephen Strasburg

As a friend of mine says, "There are only two types of pitchers out there, those who have had Tommy John surgery and those who will have Tommy John surgery."

While it may not be entirely true, Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg got his procedure out of the way early, paving the way for what could very well be a long and prosperous career.

Before shutting down in 2010, Strasburg stole the spotlight as he struck out 92 batters in just 12 starts while walking less than three batters per nine innings.

He isn't slated to enter free agency until after the 2016 season, but if he continues to emerge as a player in a league of his own, he'll likely get one of the richest contracts ever handed out to a pitcher.

Prince Fielder

It's not really any secret that Prince Fielder is planning on testing the free-agent waters to the fullest this offseason as he seeks out what will be a gigantic contract.

He's driven in over 340 runs over the last three seasons and has shown that he has the power to go deep at any time as he's averaged 40 home runs per season since 2007.

His name has been thrown around a few different franchises, and with him likely being one of the first major signings of the upcoming free-agency period we likely won't need to wait long to find out where he'll end up calling home for the foreseeable future.