There are plenty of big-name free agents available after the 2011 season as teams and players jockey for the best deals.
Bookmark this page throughout the offseason for the lists of who has signed and who hasn't, who's available and who isn't, and how big the contracts are as baseball heads into the 2012 season.
By position, the players are ranked in a top-10 or top-five list, then broken down a list of each players available, with their age, 2011 stats and signing status.
Free agent catchers: Not a deep group at all, it's headed by Ramon Hernandez, who puts the ball in play, hits around .270 and can get to double digits in homers. The rest of the group is pretty much a bunch of part-timers.
Free agent first basemen: The best hitter of his generation, Albert Pujols, hits the open market for the first time. No. 2 isn't all that shabby, either, Prince Fielder. Both will get mega-deals this offseason.
Free agent second basemen: Options swallowed up the best three players on the market, making this the weakest of all positions. Two players who were traded for each other in 2011 -- Aaron Hill and Kelly Johnson -- are the top two.
Free agent third basemen: There's one player who will have multiple suitors - Aramis Ramirez - and then there's the rest of a pretty substandard group. Ramirez turned down $16.5 million from the Chicago Cubs to test free agency.
Free agent shortstops: Perhaps no free agent has more raw talent than Jose Reyes, who will likely be too expensive for the Mets to retain. He's only 28, too. Former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins and Rafael Furcal, coming off a championship in St. Louis, are also looking for 2012 homes.
Free agent outfielders: There's a some talent here, although precious few players in the prime of their careers. There's a lot more in the corner outfield spots than in center, too. The list is headed by Carlos Beltran and Josh Willingham, and it also has a couple of interesting players with upside, such as the oft-injured Grady Sizemore.
Free agent designated hitters: There's more Hall of Famers per capita on this list than any other, and that's to be expected. This stellar group of free agents welcomes David Ortiz into their club in 2011, as he'll try to get a new deal coming off a very good 2011. And for the third straight season, Vladimir Guerrero is available.
Free agent starting pitchers: As always, picking up veteran pitchers is a tough business, but it's a good year to restock arms. C.J. Wilson, a lefty just entering the prime of his career, is likely to spark a bidding war. And there are a few bargains to be had on this list, too. Other interesting names include Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda and Mark Buehrle.
Free agent relief pitchers: Current closers, former closers, situational guys - just don't try to find too many lefties. The list of top available relievers is headed by Jonathan Papelbon, who has been as dominant as any closer the past six seasons in Boston. It's a deep group, too, with Heath Bell, Ryan Madson, Francisco Rodriguez and others.
Top 20 Overall Free Agents
- Albert Pujols
- Prince Fielder
- Jose Reyes
- CJ Wilson
- Jonathan Papelbon
- Carlos Beltran
- David Ortiz
- Heath Bell
- Jimmy Rollins
- Aramis Ramirez
- Mark Buehrle
- Ryan Madson
- Michael Cuddyer
- Edwin Jackson
- Hiroki Kuroda
- Roy Oswalt
- Francisco Rodriguez
- Hideki Matsui
- Vladimir Guerrero
- Grady Sizemore
