Ranking The 2011-12 Free Agent Shortstops

The free agent shortstops this season are essentially a party of one, and then a few guys who used to be among the best at their position.

Jose Reyes could make more than the rest of the them combined when the total deals are factored in, considering that the soon-to-be former Mets shortstop had a great bounce-back season.

The second-best player on the list is crystal clear as well, and it's former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins. His best days are behind him, however. The same could be said for Rafael Furcal, who won a title in St. Louis after escaping Los Angeles.

After the top three, there's a couple off-the-bench guys/ marginal starters, but it slides like a cliff after that. Heck, John McDonald is probably in the top 10.

1. Jose Reyes: He's only 28, which means he's just entering his prime as a hitter, but his days as a speedster are likely going to end soon. The Red Sox overpaid for a guy with a similar skill set last season in Cark Crawford, and that could keep his payday a little morelimited..

2. Jimmy Rollins: It will be interesting to see how much the Phillies really want him. His OPS slid all the way to .736 last year, which is decent among shortstops but way off what he used to be. He's still a shortstop who will hit 15 homers or so, and he still stole 30 bases last year at age 32. But players like Rollins tend to take a slide at this point in their careers, and that will keep the bidding low.

3. Rafael Furcal: Still a solid defender with some speed, but his bat has slipped big time since he hit .357 with the Dodgers in 2008. He was more than 120 points worse in an injury-plagued 2011, when he batted a combined .231 in L.A. and St. Louis with eight homers and 28 RBI. He had a nice Game 7, and there's a shot St. Louis might try a short-term deal. At this point in his career, he might be entering Miguel Tejada territory, with a year here and a year there on a contender.

4. Clint Barmes: He had a decent season for the Astros with 12 homers and is a solid fielder. Could also factor into a team's plans at second base, or be a great utility player for a contender. He hit 23 home runs for the Rockies in 2009, so there's some pop in the bat.

5. Yunieky Betancourt: Another shortstop with pop, he hit 13 homers and drove in 68 for the Brewers last season. He's only 30, too. But he's a liability defensively and doesn't get on base consistently enough. One of those guys who has more fantasy value than reality.

Next three: Alex Gonzalez, Jack Wilson, Ronny Cedeno.

Also: Orlando Cabrera is listed as a second baseman, but could be a shortstop as well. Same goes for Ramon Santiago, Nick Punto and Jerry Hairston Jr.

Ages are as of Opening Day 2012.

Free agent shortstops