MLB Free Agency: 5 Teams That Should Be Vying for Coco Crisp

The market for center fielders is very slim in the 2012 MLB offseason, and that has made former Oakland Athletic Coco Crisp a hot commodity.

In 2010, Crisp signed a two-year deal with the A's. In those two years, he helped reverse the A's mentality about stolen bases, and he has been an offensive spark plug for Oakland. As Crisp went, so did the A's.

After an injury-filled 2010, Crisp had a resurgent 2011 posting a .264 batting average with 54 RBI, 49 stolen bases and a .314 OBP. In addition to that, his Wins Above Replacement stood at a 2.2.

Here are the five teams who should be vying for Coco Crisp's services in 2012 and beyond. 

Oakland Athletics

Coco Crisp is a proven commodity in Oakland so why shouldn't they look into re-signing him?

He looked good last year, particularly during the second half of the season when he was able to raise his on-base percentage and number of walks.

He already has a spot in the A's batting order and he can help guide second baseman Jemile Weeks, another player who is a terror on the basepaths. Giving center field back to Crisp would also give the A's talented outfield prospects more time to develop.

Re-signing Coco Crisp would be a safe move for the A's.

New York Mets

The New York Mets traded away their starting center fielder Carlos Beltran (pictured) at the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline. The Mets are now left with a hole in their defense.

New York's Citi Field has one of the biggest outfields in baseball and the Mets need a player who can easily cover that ground. Crisp has shown an ability to do so during his past two seasons with the A's in their spacious O.co Coliseum.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals started Rick Ankiel (pictured) at center field for most of 2011 where he hit .239 with 37 RBI and a 1.4 WAR.

They would love to get an upgrade in center and Coco Crisp could be exactly the guy.

Crisp had better stats than Ankiel up and down the board in 2011, highlighted by Crisp's blazing speed. Last year, the A's center fielder had 49 stolen bases compared to Ankiel's 10.

Surprisingly, Crisp also had more walks than Ankiel, 44 to 29.

Los Angeles Dodgers

While Matt Kemp has center field locked up in Los Angeles, left field is a completely different story.

Last season, Tony Gwynn Jr. (pictured) played in left for most of the season. While he is great defensively, he isn't a very good hitter.

Coco Crisp would be a great guy to become the everyday starter in Los Angeles. He brings more to the table offensively and he is just as good a fielder as Gwynn. He could provide depth at center field for Kemp when the potential MVP gets a day off.

Crisp would also be a great man to bat second behind the Dodgers' young and speedy shortstop Dee Gordon.

However, the re-signing of Juan Rivera could mean the Dodgers have already filled out their 2012 outfield.

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore (pictured) is officially a free agent. Should the Indians choose not to bring back the injury-prone Sizemore, they need to look elsewhere for his replacement.

Former Indians center fielder Coco Crisp would be a very good replacement. 

He is already familiar with the city and fans and is someone the Indians want on their team—they tried to deal for him at the trade deadline.