1. Josh Hamilton - By far the main attraction in this year's free agent class, Hamilton presents an interesting dilemma to any team looking to sign him. He's only 31, has won an ALCS MVP and regular season MVP in the past 3 years, he's taken the Rangers to their first two World Series in franchise history, he had a 4-homer game earlier this year and is by far one of the purest hitters in today's game. However, he's often injured, he tends to fade down the stretch (.304 average in the first half compared to .259 in the second half of 2012), and there's the ever-looming shadow that drug and alcohol addiction has cast over his career, let alone his life. He's looking for a 5 to 6-year contract, one that would cover the remaining years of his prime and just a little more, something that his stats alone would absolutely merit. Hell, it certainly couldn't hurt giving Hamilton that many years; if Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez can get 10-year deals at 32, why not give Hamilton 5 at 31? All eyes are turned to Arlington, where the Rangers are expected to give Josh a contract offer that will supposedly kick off the bidding war. They know him best, so whatever they offer will be a good indication of what other teams should expect to spend on him. TBF'S PREDICTION: RANGERS.
2. Zack Greinke - Before Cole Hamels signed his extension in the middle of this past season, the 29 year old Greinke was considered to be the second best pitcher available in this year's crop of free agent hurlers. He proved himself in the National League, going 25-9 with a 3.63 ERA and 323 strikeouts over the past year and a half with the Brewers, and his track record in the American League also speaks for itself, as he won the 2009 Cy Young while with the Royals. He gave the Angels a needed boost after being traded midseason, going 6-2 for the Halos while recording the lowest WHIP (1.19) of his career since his award-winning season. Greinke can easily fit into any team's rotation, but he's expected to pass on many big-market teams, due to his social anxiety disorder. However, he continues to make it clear that he wants to play on a contender, so teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies will almost definitely make him an offer he may not be able to refuse. TBF'S PREDICTION: DODGERS.
3. Mike Napoli - Aside from A.J. Pierzynski, Napoli is the most prolific free agent catcher this season. Ever since he joined the Rangers following a round of trades that sent him from the Angels to the Blue Jays, then almost immediately to Texas, Napoli has established himself as a power-hitting catcher, a rare commodity in today's game. He's also shown versatility, playing a few games at first base and showing prowess at being a designated hitter. His defensive capabilities behind the plate leaves a lot to be desired, but he's short and stocky, just the right build for a backstop. While the Rangers would be better off resigning him, he seems likely to ask for more money than they'll be willing to give. The Braves might seem like a good fit, if they decide Brian McCann is no longer the future of their franchise. Either Los Angeles team would be happy to have him (Anaheim would just be happy to have him back after seeing how he destroyed their pitching since he left). As always, you can't count out the Yankees, who didn't extend a qualifying offer to Russell Martin and may instead go after Napoli or Pierzynski in an attempt to boost the lineup. TBF'S PREDICTION: YANKEES.
6. Shane Victorino - To round out the three center fielders, we picked the Flyin' Hawaiian, who actually spent the last half of this past season patrolling left instead of center. 2012 saw him post the lowest batting average (.255) of his career, but the 31 year old still projects as a top defender and base-stealing threat due to his running abilities. The two teams most likely to make a push for Victorino are the two he split time between in 2012, the Phillies and Dodgers. He played for the Phils from 2004 until this past July, when they traded him to Los Angeles during the Dodgers' shopping spree. The Phillies might make a little more sense, as the Dodgers have their outfield set for nearly the rest of the decade between Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford, but they haven't counted themselves out with Victorino. His longtime rival Braves might surprise everyone by making him an offer, and the Rangers may check in on him as a possible, affordable replacement should they fail to resign Hamilton. However, one would guess that if the Phillies don't sign Upton or even Bourn, they'll do anything they can to have Victorino return. TBF'S PREDICTION: BRAVES.
7. Melky Cabrera - A fall from grace isn't expected to hurt Cabrera's free agent chances much, but teams will certainly think twice before negotiating with the outfielder. He had a .346 average, which led the National League, and he even won All-Star Game MVP honors that would eventually help his Giants team win their second championship title in 3 years. Unfortunately, due to his failed drug test and resulting 50-game suspension, he was unable to revel in the glory with his teammates. Still, he showed promise beyond what PEDs could do for him, and the 28 year old outfielder has experience at every non-infield position, versatility that plenty of teams will jump at the chance to have. He may not be the consistent producer with a little pop, but his presence off the bench might make the difference to someone. A reunion with the Giants isn't out of the question, as the team might look to replace Angel Pagan, and all the other teams he's spent time with (the Royals, Braves and Yankees) may speak with him, if not offer him a deal. TBF'S PREDICTION: GIANTS.
8. Edwin Jackson - Entering free agency for the second time in the past calendar year, Jackson projects to be a hot commodity in a thin starter market. He signed a one-year pact with Washington after winning the World Series with the Cardinals, and while his basic stats (10-11 record with a 4.03 ERA and 168 strikeouts) don't paint the prettiest picture, the sabermetrics show that Jackson is a solid number 2 or 3 starter, and would help shore up any rotation, if not make it a little scarier. Plus, he's still 29, and it would appear that his best years are still ahead of him. He threw a no-hitter against the Rays while with the Diamondbacks in 2010, and some of his lowest ERAs have come in years that he's pitched in the AL. However, he's spent the majority of his career in the NL, and that's where he'll most likely stay. A multi-year deal isn't out of the question, wherever he signs, but the dollars he wants and the dollars teams will offer may not easily match up. The Nationals could look to resign him, and the Pirates, Yankees and Astros could all be interested in his services. TBF'S PREDICTION: PIRATES.
9. Kyle Lohse - Another free agent pitcher that will benefit from many top-of-the-line starters not being in the same year as him, Lohse could be in line for a big payday. He went 16-6 for the Cardinals this year while pitching to a 2.86 ERA, the lowest of his career and 5th in the NL. At 34, a deal past 4 years wouldn't be smart for most teams, as pitchers tend to see their effectiveness nosedive much quicker than batters do, but Lohse could probably find a team that would love to give him 5 years. The Cardinals would do well to resign him, and keep him in a rotation as a number 3 starter behind Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, but he could find opportunities as a number 2 on other teams, and maybe as a number 1 for a team like the Twins, who he played for a few years ago and who need more reliable, but affordable, starting pitching. A reunion between the two seems most likely. TBF'S PREDICTION: TWINS.
10. Rafael Soriano - Opting out of his contract, like many expected him to do, puts Soriano in a very good position, especially in a year where the reliever free agent class is relatively weak. He converted 42 saves out of 46 opportunities in his first year as the closer for the Yankees, a position nobody other than Mariano Rivera has regularly occupied since the 1990s. Filling in for the greatest closer in history would make anybody tremble, but Soriano handled it expertly. Seeing as Rivera, also a free agent, has explicitly stated that he wants to come back to the Yankees, and Soriano now re-establishing himself as a closer rather than a set up man, Rafael is expected to seek a long-term deal to pitch the 9th inning, rather than go back to pitching the 7th or 8th. At 32, this might be his last chance to do so. The White Sox and Astros both don't have a true shutdown closer, and the Red Sox may also find themselves in play. He'll most likely be too expensive to return to the Rays, whom he played with in 2010, but the Marlins may make a surprise push to sign him. TBF'S PREDICTIONS: WHITE SOX.
11. Torii Hunter - Hunter is a special case in this year's free agents position players. He hit .313 at age 37 (the highest batting average of his long career), with 16 long balls and 92 RBI. He became a friend and mentor to this year's hottest thing in baseball, Mike Trout, and even ceded his natural position of center field to the young phenom. He's actually been more valuable in right field than in center since 2009, posting a positive dWAR in right field this year, with the highest zone rating (12. 326) of his career. While he has stated multiple times that he'd like to finish his career with the Angels, and he still has the desire to win a World Series with him, there are a few teams that are chomping at the bit to sign him to a short-term deal, which just makes sense for someone his age. The Rangers may speak with him just to drive up the price if the Angels do decide to keep him, but the smart money is on him staying in Anaheim. TBF'S PREDICTION: ANGELS.
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