MLB Free Agents 2012: Every Team's Most Overrated Free Agent

While we are in the midst of the 2012 MLB free-agency period, who is every team's most overrated free agent?

During every offseason, there are a multitude of players who are signed to unwarranted contracts due to the lack of available talent in the market. This causes teams to overpay for their players, and it will be no different throughout the duration of this free agency.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Aaron Hill

Aaron Hill is only two years removed from his 36 home run, 108 RBI season with the Blue Jays, but we haven't seen much of him since. Sure, he smacked 26 home runs just one year later, but his .205 batting average put an asterisk next to his 2010 campaign.

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded for the struggling Hill before the 2011 trade deadline in hopes of having him recapture his success from 2009, and his .315 batting average during the second half of the season could warrant a return to the club.

Update: Hill has agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Atlanta Braves: Alex Gonzalez

Due to a thin shortstop market in the 2012 free-agency period, Alex Gonzalez will receive more interest than he deserves. He can hit for some pop and make some spectacular plays in the field, but that's about all you'll get from him. His .642 OPS in 2011 wasn't anything to write home about.

Baltimore Orioles: Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero was a player past his prime in 2010 whose numbers greatly benefited from batting in the hitter-friendly ballpark in Arlington. Guerrero was brought back to reality in 2011 after a less than impressive season with the Baltimore Orioles.

Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz

Calling David Ortiz overrated might spur some debate, but if he leaves Boston to go elsewhere, he'll certainly be regarded as such.

Ortiz is nothing more than a DH whose numbers have also benefited—similar to Guerrero in the previous slide—from batting in Fenway Park and having a potent Red Sox lineup surrounding him. The Texas Rangers would be an interesting fit for Ortiz's services, but I see his numbers drastically declining if he goes anywhere else.

Chicago Cubs: Carlos Pena

Carlos Pena is one of the most overrated free agents of the entire class. He'll play excellent defense and hit for some power, but he is a career .239 hitter and has struck out over 100 times in a season on eight separate occasions.

If a solid defender at first base who can hit 30 home runs and bat around .220 is all you need, then Pena is your man.

Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle

After 12 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Mark Buehrle might have pitched his final game with the only major league team he has played for. Teams have figured out that great pitching is the key to success, and that's exactly why Buehrle will be overpaid this offseason.

His 3.59 ERA was impressive last season, but he'll be paid as one of the top free-agent pitchers in the market, which will certainly be too pricey for a pitcher who hasn't won more than 16 games since 2002.

Cincinnati Reds: Ramon Hernandez

In a free-agent class that lacks talent at the catcher position, Ramon Hernandez will be the one who will greatly benefit from it. He is a catcher most known for his bat and not so much for his defense behind the plate. He wasn't even the starting catcher on his own team last year, as Ryan Hanigan played the role as primarily the everyday catcher.

Update: Hernandez has agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Cleveland Indians: Grady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore has the potential to be one of the biggest low-risk, high-reward free agents of the 2012 class, but that's dependent on if he'll be able to stay healthy for the entire season.

His injury track record was nonexistent from 2004-2007, but things have drastically changed since then. In 2008, Sizemore played 106 games and then 33 and 71 in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Colorado Rockies: Kevin Millwood

The Colorado Rockies are in a fortunate position, and that's because they'll only be losing a few players to free agency. One of those players might be Kevin Millwood, who pitched exceptionally for the Rockies during his nine games with the club.

Millwood isn't half the pitcher he used to be, but he'll likely jump on a team and become its fifth starter.

Detroit Tigers: Brad Penny

No one can quite figure out Brad Penny at this point of his career. In the first half of the 2009 season with the Boston Red Sox, Penny posted a 5.61 ERA and ended up pitching himself out of town.

He was picked up by the San Francisco Giants later that year and accumulated a 2.59 ERA down the stretch. Then in 2011, he had a 5.30 ERA for the Detroit Tigers and probably won't be brought back in 2012.

Some team will likely sign Penny to a fifth-starter contract, but it will be unknown which Penny they will pay for.

Florida Marlins: Javier Vazquez

The 2011 season for Javier Vazquez was one of the best seasons in his career. It didn't top his 2009 season with the Atlanta Braves, but he certainly pitched himself into a decent contract for this upcoming year.

He signed a one-year contract with the Florida Marlins for 2011 in hopes of reigniting his career, and he did just that by posting a 3.69 ERA. Some team in desperate need of pitching will overpay for the 34-year-old pitcher coming off a contract year.

Houston Astros: Clint Barmes

For some odd reason, people are talking about signing Clint Barmes to be their everyday starting shortstop in hopes of finding this year's Yuniesky Betancourt: a rent-a-player who can temporarily fill a team's hole at SS.

But Barmes won't be able to fill those type of shoes. He'll always be a below-average middle infielder who hit 23 home runs in 2009 thanks to 550 at-bats and hitting in Coors Field. Any team who signs Barmes to be its everyday middle infielder will be in for a rude awakening.

Update: Barmes has agreed to a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kansas City Royals: Jeff Francis

It has been since, well, the year he was drafted that Jeff Francis has had any relevance in the baseball world.

The former top-10 pick of the 2002 draft never lived up to expectations in Colorado and didn't do much to change our minds in his one year with the Kansas City Royals. Francis has yet to have a season where he finished with an ERA below four.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Joel Pineiro

Joel Pineiro was fantastic for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009, and not much changed during his first year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2010. Pineiro regressed in 2011, though, and his 5.13 ERA during his contract year was not good timing.

However, Pineiro will be considered a serviceable starter to some teams in desperate need of pitching and will likely be paid more based on his seasons prior to 2011.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Jonathan Broxton

Jonathan Broxton is simply not the same pitcher he used to be. In 2009, he was one of the best young closers in baseball, but his career has been in a landslide ever since.

Broxton had arthroscopic elbow surgery during the offseason, so who knows if he'll ever be able to regain his form from 2009. It'll be interesting to see how he'll get paid, whether it's based on potential or recent productivity.

Update: Jonathan Broxton signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Milwaukee Brewers: Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez's days of closing out baseball games might be coming to a close. He currently holds the record for most saves in a single season with 62, which he recently set during the 2008 season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

However, he was used an awful lot that season, and the Angels were smart to let him walk. The New York Mets signed him to a hefty contract, but he was unable to live up to expectations.

With Scott Boras as his agent, though, you know Boras will be reminding teams that his client is only three years removed from a 60-plus-save season.

Minnesota Twins: Michael Cuddyer

Michael Cuddyer is one of my favorite free agents on the market, but I'm afraid that some team will overpay for his services.

He had a solid year in 2011 and was really the only player on the Minnesota Twins who played consistently well throughout the season. He was squaring up every ball he hit and hit it hard to all different sides of the field.

However, he undoubtedly won't be worth the $40 million he'll be receiving as the market's best "under the radar" free agent. His career high in batting average is .284, and he has hit over 20 home runs in just three separate seasons. He's a good free-agent target, but certainly overrated.

New York Mets: Jose Reyes

There aren't many other free agents from the Mets organization in 2011 who warrant an "overrated" tag, so this is why Reyes will be that guy. There is no denying his talent. Reyes is one of the best shortstops in baseball and should be considered one of the premier leadoff hitters as well.

But we're talking about a guy who hasn't played an entire season since 2008 and whose elite speed will only be around for so much longer.

If Reyes gets the six-year, $100 million contract he's likely holding out for, he'll be somewhat worth the money during the first half of his contract and an expensive disappointment for the remainder of it.

New York Yankees: Bartolo Colon

Who would've thought that Bartolo Colon would have made his list? I mean, he's been out of baseball since 2009, and you likely didn't know he was back in the show this past season with the New York Yankees until you saw his name on the bottom scroll of ESPN and wondered if it was a typo.

But since his rediscovery was largely due in part to the flaxseed oil he used to treat his elbow injury, who knows how it'll hold up at age 38?

Oakland Athletics: Josh Willingham

When you look at Josh Willingham's stats and see 29 home runs and 98 RBI, overrated isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

However, once you look deeper into the issue, you realize that his .246 batting average and 150 strikeouts insinuates that he's nothing more than a power hitter who likes to swing for the fences and doesn't mind racking up a few strikeouts in the process.

The power will attract certain clubs that are looking for a power hitter, and Willingham is one of the best in the market in that category.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins will be the most overpaid player during this free-agency period. Virtually every team out there is in need of a shortstop and will be willing to pay a king's ransom in order to acquire the second-best one on the market.

He's already four years removed from his MVP season in 2007 and has struggled to carry over his success since then. After his offseason, Rollins will likely be paid as a top-five shortstop in MLB, which is a title he lost a couple of years ago.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derrek Lee

Few players have fallen off the face of the earth faster than Derrek Lee did from the 2009 to 2010 season. After batting .306 with 35 home runs and 111 RBI, he batted just .260 the following year with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves.

It didn't get much better for Lee in 2011, as he batted a combined .267 with the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.

I believe the jury is still out on whether or not Lee is done yet. He is only two years removed from being regarded as one of MLB's better all-around first basemen. However, there will be a team looking to fill its void at first base and willing to take a chance with Lee being its everyday starter.

San Diego Padres: Aaron Harang

We have still yet to see the type of pitcher that Aaron Harang truly is, and he's pitched in the majors for nine seasons already. During his time with the Cincinnati Reds, he pitched in a hitter-friendly ballpark, which probably cost him quite a few wins when it was all said and done.

However, Harang was a smart man and decided to sign with the San Diego Padres, who play in Petco Park, a place that makes decent pitchers look dominant. Harang only won 14 games with the Padres in 2011 despite being backed with an average of 7.11 runs per nine innings every start.

San Francisco Giants: Cody Ross

The only reason you might've heard of Cody Ross before, unless you are a Florida Marlins fan, is from the 2010 playoffs. He went on an absolute tear, which resulted in five home runs and 10 RBI. Two of those home runs came in the NLCS against Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay.

However, the law of averages balanced things out in 2011, as Ross hit a lowly .240 and failed to get things going all year. It's unlikely the Giants will being Ross back in 2012 due to their crowded outfield, but he'll surely find a home elsewhere.

Seattle Mariners: David Aardsma

After missing the entire 2011 season due to injuries, David Aardsma will hit the open market as the Seattle Mariners' best free agent.

He had back-to-back 30-plus-save seasons in 2009 and 2010, and a team looking to bolster its bullpen will certainly take a flier on Aardsma. However, whether you get the 2010 Aardsma or the 2011 version will be the million-dollar question.

St. Louis Cardinals: Rafael Furcal

Rafael Furcal was once one of the best shortstops in baseball, but every aspect of his game has regressed over the past couple of years, excluding his arm strength. He's lost a step both on the basepaths and on the field and only managed to bat .231 during the 2011 campaign.

However, there will be a team out there that is in need of a rental player at the shortstop position, so he'll get paid a decent amount of money to be half the player he once was.

Tampa Bay Rays: Johnny Damon

Johnny Damon is considered by some to be one of the most overrated players in baseball, so it only makes sense for him to make this list.

The numbers don't lie either: Damon was coming off a .271 season in 2010, but his agent, Scott Boras, managed to get him a $5.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays the following year.

At this age, Damon doesn't bring much to the table besides the uncanny ability to slap-hit for base hits. But just like every other offseason, Damon will still gather interest from a multitude of clubs.

Texas Rangers: C.J. Wilson

In any other situation, C.J. Wilson wouldn't be considered an overrated player. However, he will be the the top pitching commodity this offseason and will be paid like it as well. Although he is a solid No. 2 pitcher on many starting staffs, he certainly isn't an ace, which is exactly how he'll be paid.

Toronto Blue Jays: Kelly Johnson

Kelly Johnson isn't your prototypical second baseman. He's tall and hits for a ton of power for his position, but that's about all you get from him.

In 2010, he started to open some eyes after hitting 26 home runs and driving in 71, all while batting above .270. However, he's always been susceptible to striking out, and it became a glaring problem in 2011 after fanning over 160 times.

Washington Nationals: Ivan Rodriguez

Ivan Rodriguez will go down as one of the best catchers to ever play the game, but there's no denying the fact that he's well past his prime at this point in his career.

With the lack of adequate catchers hitting the market in 2012, there will likely be some teams interested in Rodriguez's services, at least for being a part-time catcher. At almost 40 years old, Rodriguez has no business being on the field every day.