Since most of the notable names have been taken off the board for the upcoming season, we'll fast forward to 2014 and take a look at the best players who could be swapping uniforms when it's time.
1. Robinson Cano, 2B
Conceivably one of the top 5 overall players in baseball, Robinson Cano has made a name for himself on a team loaded with names over the years. Called up from the minors in May of 2005, Cano instantly blew up, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year race and giving himself a permanent position on the right side of the Yankee infield. He has seemingly improved every year in the big leagues, and owns a career .308/.351/.503 slash line. His power has been on the rise every season, and he topped off with a career high of 33 home runs in 2012. Cano is also one of the most natural hitters in baseball in recent memory, as he consistently hits for average and is among the league leaders in both average and extra base hits every year.
He's also a naturally gifted fielder, as he owns two Gold Gloves to accompany the four Silver Sluggers on his mantel. Many people, and Yankee haters, say that Cano is far too lax in his approach to baseball, as he makes stellar plays look effortless. But it's obvious the numbers speak for themselves over his career.
Cano has said he will be looking for a 10 year deal, and won't be giving the Yankees any hometown discounts. He probably won't wind up with those 10 years, but with Scott Boras as an agent you know he'll be going home with a good chunk of change in his pocket. If the Yankees are too stern in their approach to lower their salary, and let Cano walk to another contender, fans will be calling for the heads of those in the front office. Ultimately I think the Yanks cough it up and keep their superstar in pinstripes for the rest of his career.Projection: Yankees, ~8 years, $200 million
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
The big issue with Ellsbury is his health. If he stays healthy, we all saw what he is capable of doing because of what he did in 2011. Finishing 2nd in the AL MVP race, Ellsbury had career highs in games played (158), home runs (32), RBI (105), and slash line (.321/.376/.552). Unfortunately for Ellsbury, and Sox fans, he can hardly ever stay healthy. Whether it's by running into walls, running into Adrian Beltre, or running into Reid Brignac, Ellsbury has had a rough go of it when it comes to staying on the field.
When he is on the field, he's a lightning rod at the top of any lineup. He can fly around the basepaths, as he's twice lead the league in stolen bases and once in triples, and he can hit for average and power in most situations. He's also a phenomenal defender in center field, as he can track down just about any ball in his vicinity and can make circus catches preserved for the likes of the Sportscenter Top 10.
2013 will prove to be a huge year for Ellsbury, because if he can stay healthy and produce he'll be in for a hefty payday following the season. If not, he could find himself shipped out of Boston in a trade and signing for minimal years come 2014.
Projection: Cubs, ~4 years, $60 million
3. Curtis Granderson, CF
Currently the Yankees everyday centerfielder, you'll be hard-pressed to say the same statement come 2014. Granderson is a decent fielder, as his speed makes up for some of his ambiguous routes, and a potent power hitter, topping 40 HR's each of the last two seasons. Granderson has also gotten markedly better at hitting left-handed pitching, as he was a liability for Detroit in this aspect, but has become a machine against lefties for the Bronx Bombers. Considering the Yankees want to drop their payroll considerably, and the increasing likelihood that Granderson will be demanding big money thanks to his play, and his reputation as being an all-around great guy and teammate, he will likely be roaming the outfield for another team in 2014.
His power and defense will be greatly appreciated on just about any team, but his playoff woes and steadily declining batting average may hinder what other teams are willing to give him. Fortunately for him, unlike Ellsbury, Granderson has no injury history to speak of and you can ultimately rely on him being ready for game day at all times.
Projection: Rangers, ~5 years, $100 million
4. Tim Lincecum, RHP
Big-time Timmy Jim was far from a big time pitcher in 2012, to the surprise of just about everyone. After 4 straight years of finishing in the top 10 of Cy Young voting, including winning the award in back-to-back years, Lincecum fell off the face of the Earth in 2012. He posted a hideous 5.18 ERA, allowing career highs in earned runs (107), walks (90), and home runs (23). Lincecum also posted a career worst K/BB ratio with a 2.11. It got so bad that Lincecum was demoted to the bullpen late in the season, and saw most of his playoff action from inside the 'pen as well.If "The Freak" can channel his inner freak, and bounce back to form in 2013, he'll definitely be in line for a solid payday. Whether or not he stays in the city by the bay also depends on his performance in '13, as having another rough year will almost certainly make SF inclined to let him walk. If he improves upon his 2012 season, it'll be hard for the Giants to let him walk and see him fall back to form in another city.
Projection: Giants, ~5 years, $75 million
5. Roy Halladay, RHP
A two-time Cy Young winner himself, Doc Halladay is the model of consistency when it comes to starting pitchers. Although he'll be 37 come 2014, Halladay will likely still see another hearty contract barring something unforeseen. He most certainly had his worst year in a long time in 2012, but a lot of that can be attributed to being injured, and the all around inefficiency of the Phillies.
Typically Halladay can be chalked up for at least 17 wins and an ERA below 3.00 with about 200 strikeouts, but 2012 was an aberration from those numbers. The Phillies struggled, and so did Doc. A strained shoulder undoubtedly capped his effectiveness, and it clearly had a role in how he was able to pitch.
As one of 2 pitchers to pitch a no-hitter in the postseason, and the first since 1973 to hurl multiple no-hitters in a season, Halladay will be in line for bidders crawling over themselves for his services. Again, despite some unforeseen hindrance, Halladay will likely be fetching close to $20 mill annually and I'd be surprised if it doesn't come from Philly.
Projection: Phillies, ~3 years, $50 million
6. James Shields, RHP
Over the last 5 years, James Shields has been as durable as they come in the MLB. Starting exactly 33 games in each of those season, Shields has been especially effective in the latter two. In 2011, Shields tossed 11 complete games, by far the most in the MLB, and lead the Rays to a wild card berth in the postseason. He head their rotation once again in 2012, this time sans Matt Garza, and was a very respectable 15-10 with a 3.52 ERA and 223 strikeouts.
Unfortunately for Shields, the Rays sent him packing in a deal with the Royals that saw #1 prospect Wil Myers go to Tampa. He'll be the ace of Kansas City's rotation in 2013, but I'd be surprised to see him stick around KC much longer than this season. If he is once again effective, he'll be in for a good contract come 2014, but if he looks like he did in 2010 (leading the league in hits allowed, earned runs allowed, and HR allowed) then he'll be sorely disappointed come free agency.
Projection: Yankees, Red Sox, or Angels, ~5 years, $60 million
7. Carlos Beltran, OF
Yes, Beltran will be 37 come Opening Day 2014, but he's still a borderline Hall of Famer and his numbers support that. He enjoyed a very nice 2012 campaign in which he slugged 32 home runs to accompany his 97 RBI and mediocre .269 average. The Cardinals had a huge void to fill in the middle of their lineup with the departure of Albert Pujols, and Beltran did what he could to help replace some of those missing numbers.
Of course no one can replace the production of Pujols, but Beltran did a respectable job and complimented Matt Holliday rather nicely. Arguably one of the 10 greatest switch hitters of all-time, Beltran also has an extremely impressive postseason resume for any team hoping to add him come 2014.
If Beltran can replicate his production from 2012 as he continues to get older, he could still prove to be very valuable in the middle of any lineup to provide some pop and veteran experience.
Projection: Cardinals or Braves, ~2 years, $25 million
8. Matt Garza, RHP
Garza has been one of the more consistent starters in the MLB over the last several years. Since his rookie season in 2006, Garza has yet to have an ERA over 4.00 or strikeout fewer than 125 batters. After being shipped to the Cubs in 2011 and having another standout year, Garza only managed to pitch half the season in 2012 due to an elbow injury.
For his career, Garza is under .500 at 57-61, but that can mostly be thanks to being on poor offensive teams. He has always managed to keep his teams in games, and he is the owner of a solid 2.46 K/BB ratio. Garza will certainly be an attractive piece for a contending team come 2014, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him traded from the North Siders in the midst of 2013 season and sign an extension with his new team. But until that point, Garza is definitely among the most intriguing pitching free agent options of 2014. If he reaches free agency, I'd expect Garza to garner something in a similar vicinity of his former teammate, James Shields.
Projection: Blue Jays, Yankees, or Red Sox, ~4 years, $44 million
9. Jon Lester, LHP
As an above-average left handed starter, Lester will be highly sought after come 2014. It won't be any thanks to his subpar 2012 season, but thats somewhat excusable due to the circus surrounding the Boston Red Sox lately. Sure, he could've played his part a little better and stepped up when his team needed him, but its hard to be a dominant pitcher on a team that has no other dominating aspects to it. His ERA was a shade under 5.00 at 4.82, and he allowed a paltry 110 earned runs to go with 25 long balls.
On the flip side, Lester is just two years removed from being a 19-game winner and he will still be just 31 at the onset of the 2014 season. He's also rather durable, pitching at least 190 innings in each of the past 5 seasons and has averaged 190 strikeouts in those years. In a league where starting pitching is always at a premium, a good season from Lester in 2013 should certainly net him a good chunk of change when he's set to become a free agent. It'd likely be wise for the Sox to lock him up.
Projection: Red Sox, ~5 years, $80 million
10. Derek Jeter, SS
"The Captain" as he is so commonly referred to, Derek Jeter has spent his entire 17 year career in pinstripes and theres no reason to think that will change. Jeter, who will be 40 come 2014, has an $8M option for '14 which could jump to $17M based on certain incentives. If this number sniffs $17M, it'd be likely that Jeter accepts that option and perhaps plays one final year in Yankee Stadium. If it stays at $8M then Jeter will likely opt out and hope for a 2-year extension from the Yanks, assuming he wants to play that long. But the way he speaks, it doesn't seem like he plans on going away anytime soon.
And why should he? Yes he's coming off a badly broken ankle from the 2012 ALCS, but he had one of his most productive seasons in years. He lead the league in hits with 216 to go with his .316 average and 15 HR's, his most since 2005.
If Jeter does anything it'll be either sign with NYY or retire, but it's extremely unlikely that he tries to squeeze out one final year with someone outside of the Bronx. So yes, he may only have one season left come 2014 and will likely stay in New York, but this list is about the best potential free agents. And Jeter can still play ball, so he's certainly fitting to round out this top 10.
Projection: Yankees, ~1 year, $15 million
Other Notable Free Agents: Nelson Cruz, (OF), Brian McCann (C), Hunter Pence (OF), Carlos Ruiz (C), Michael Young (DH/3B), Michael Morse (OF), Shin Soo-Choo (OF), Josh Johnson (RHP)
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