MLB Free Agents 2012: 5 Players Not Worth Their "Market Value"

What's too high? What's too low? 

Establishing a player's "market value" is one of the more important aspects of the free-agent process. Simply put, like in any business, team's want to get the most bang for their buck. 

Many free agents are off the table, and some of the remaining ones, especially the big names, are likely still available because they are looking for contracts that teams are comfortable to hand out.

In other words, their market value is too high.

Here are five players not worth their market value. 

Ryan Madson

Ryan Madson is the best reliever available, but he's also 31.

Madson is seeking three to four years at $10 million a season, which is a little on the pricey side for a guy his age.

Madson's true value, over a three or four-year deal, is probably around $7 to $8 million.

With the high demand for closers, however, Madson will likely get something near his high market value.

Yu Darvish

All signs point to Yu Darvish being a very good MLB pitcher, however, he's going to cost the Rangers a pretty penny. 

The posting fee for Darvish was $51.7 million.

That kind of money can get you two years from CC Sabathia—the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

Edwin Jackson

Edwin Jackson is another pitcher with a market value that's off the mark. Or at least it figures to be. In many ways, the market for Jackson has yet to be set.

ESPN.com's Jim Bowden, however, speculates that Jackson should net roughly $10 million a year.

This seems high for a guy who figures to be nothing more than a solid No. 3 pitcher at best.

Prince Fielder

Scott Boras seems hellbent on getting Prince Fielder a 10-year deal like Albert Pujols did. Fat chance.

Despite Fielder's splendid résumé, there's no way any team will lock in for a full decade on him. 

Fielder is certainly a very talented player and unquestionably the best bat still on the market.

But, as is so often the case with Boras' clients, Fielder's market value right now is too high.

Yoenis Céspedes

Yup, I'm picking on another foreign player.

Cuban defector Yoennis Céspedes is widely expected to sign with an MLB team this winter.

No top suitors have emerged yet, but CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler suspects that Céspedes might command as much as $40 million, which seems like an awful lot of money to commit to a young player who's never played one game in the majors.