Top 100 MLB Free Agents

About a month ago, we listed the Top Free Agents by position.  Our opinions haven't changed much in the past month, but here we are going to try and rank the whole group.  Go grab a drink and settle in, here we go...

No. Player

I kind of feel like Lee is
going to stay in Texas.

1.) Cliff Lee
2.) Carl Crawford
3.) Jayson Werth
4.) Adrian Beltre
5.) Victor Martinez
6.) Adam Dunn

There's very little doubt that the six players above are the most coveted free agents on the market.  The trade market can obviously complicate the decision to heavily invest in any of these players.  For example, how much is Adrian Beltre worth, if you can cheaply trade for Aramiz Ramirez?  Do you want to give Adam Dunn upwards of $40 million if you want to get into the Adrian Gonzalez Sweepstakes?  Cliff Lee may be signed very soon to a HUGE deal from the Rangers or Yankees, but it's interesting when managing a budget to consider that the money going to Cliff Lee may be better spent after trading for Zack Greinke or during next offseason's Yu Darvish Derby.

7.) Jorge de la Rosa
8.) Rafael Soriano
9.) Andy Pettitte
10.) Jake Westbrook
11.) Orlando Hudson

I like the upside in Jorge de la Rosa's left arm, but the other guys in the 7-11 group are mostly known commodities who will provide close to their 2011 projections.

Joaquin is ready to get PAID

12.) Joaquin Benoit
13.) Aubrey Huff
14.) Hisashi Iwakuma

Joaquin Benoit may be the next big thing for relief pitchers.  His 2010 numbers were staggering: in 60.3 innings, he gave up 30 hits, 11 walks, and struck out 75.

15.) Lance Berkman
16.) Paul Konerko
17.) Manny Ramirez

Once again, we're
Bullish on Big Puma

Aging sluggers, probably competing for DH roles, but Berkman and Konerko can don a first baseman's glove on occasion.  I'm very bullish on Berkman and expect a nice year, if he can be healthy.  Konerko had an outstanding season, but I don't see why he's a surer bet to have a better year than Big Puma.  ManRam can probably only be worth the hassle if he signs a 1-year deal, on a good team, and he has about 3 months where he catches fire.  He probably cannot be counted on for 5 or 6 good months anymore.

Putz had a bounceback
year with the White Sox

18.) J.J. Putz
19.) Carlos Pena

If I could do the little arrow graphics, with a green arrow pointing up and a red arrow pointing down, I'd have the Up one with Putz and the Down one with Pena.

20.) Javier Vazquez
21.) Carl Pavano
22.) Kerry Wood
23.) Scott Downs
24.) Grant Balfour
25.) Jeff Francis
26.) Hiroki Kuroda
27.) Brad Penny

If this were a draft board, we could look for a run on pitchers at the end of the first round.  Some of these players are coming off good years (Pavano, Wood), others are not (Vazquez).  Who will bounce back in 2011.  If I were one of these guys, I would really hope that Jed Hoyer, Sandy Alderson, or Jim Hendry called.

28.) Juan Uribe
29.) Adam LaRoche
30.) Vladimir Guerrero
31.) Jim Thome

It seems like we are going to have about 15 or 20 hitters looking to fill about 6 or 7 DH spots in the American League every year.

The rest of the list is essentially a bunch of old hitters and oldish pitchers for Major League teams to gamble on.  The market has been in flux the past several years, and it'll be interesting if veteran contracts are easier or harder to come by this year, after the Giants showed you can win the whole bleeping thing by building a terrific pitching staff and basically throwing together a hodgepodge, veteran lineup.

It feels like Harang will either
be outstanding or terrible.

32.) Brian Fuentes
33.) Koji Uehara
34.) Aaron Harang
35.) Pat Burrell
36.) Johnny Damon
37.) Frank Francisco
38.) Jason Frasor
39.) Derrek Lee
40.) Hisanori Takahashi
41.) Miguel Olivo
42.) Magglio Ordonez
43.) Jon Rauch
44.) Hideki Matsui
45.) Nick Johnson
46.) Rich Harden

We like Takahashi for a few more years.

47.) John Buck
48.) Bill Hall
49.) Jesse Crain
50.) Ramon Hernandez
51.) Troy Glaus
52.) Matt Guerrier
53.) Jose Contreras
54.) Miguel Tejada
55.) Dan Wheeler
56.) Jon Garland
57.) Pedro Feliciano
58.) Marcus Thames
59.) Brad Hawpe
60.) Jorge Cantu

Capuano looks like a good
buy low candidate.

61.) Xavier Nady
62.) Russell Branyan
63.) Yorvit Torrealba
64.) Chris Capuano
65.) Randy Choate
66.) Eric Hinske
67.) Reed Johnson
68.) Kevin Millwood
69.) Arthur Rhodes
70.) Octavio Dotel
71.) Dennys Reyes
72.) Chan Ho Park
73.) Corey Patterson
74.) Austin Kearns

I may be the last Corey Patterson fan.

75.) Bruce Chen
76.) A.J. Pierzynski
77.) Ty Wigginton
78.) Andruw Jones
79.) Nick Punto
80.) Vicente Padilla
81.) Lyle Overbay
82.) Guillermo Mora
83.) Elmer Dessens
84.) Kyle Farsnworth
85.) Jeremy Bonderman

Webb's fastball lives in the mid-80's.
How heavy can he make his sinker
at batting practice speeds?

86.) Brandon Webb
87.) Chris Young
88.) J.C. Romero
89.) Joe Beimel
90.) Orlando Cabrera
91.) Jerry Hairston
92.) Jarrod Washburn
93.) Melvin Mora
94.) Chad Qualls
95.) Justin Duchscherer
96.) Erik Bedard
97.) Kelvim Escobar
98.) Edgar Renteria
99.) Rocco Baldelli
100.) Willie Harris

Honorable Mention: Cesar Izturis, Gregg Zaun, Jason Giambi, Chad Durbin, Miguel Cairo, Henry Blanco, Kevin Gregg, Rick Ankiel, Matt Stairs, Mark Hendrickson, Omar Vizquel, Melky Cabrera, Will Ohman, and Craig Counsell.