Top MLB Free Agents

That's right folks, next year officially starts today.

That being said, General Managers all around baseball need to get back to work today, as players can now officially file for free agency and incumbent teams have the first 15 days to sign their own. But let's be honest with one another shall we; this year's free agent pool is lackluster to say the least. There will be no rush on players and there likely won't be any long-term deals anywhere near the one that the Yankees shelled out last season.

So which players are going to receive the most attention? Well, there are 10 players on the following list that you'll be hearing a lot about in the coming weeks, and after that, the drop off is pretty steep. Keep in mind, this list assumes that Manny Ramirez won't be stupid enough to turn down his player option and hit the market again.

So with that out of the way, here are the top ten players who will be screaming "Buy Me" in the coming months:

1.) Matt Holliday - LF - St. Louis Cardinals

2009 Stats - .313 AVG, 24 HR, 109 RBI, 14 SB

Holliday is the cream of this year's crop, but he is far from the perfect product. While his numbers look somewhat impressive, they were primarily built up after a trading deadline deal to St. Louis where he hit .353 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI in 63 games with the Cardinals. This may hurt his appeal to some degree when it comes to American League teams, although a more comfortable hitting park than Oakland may solve that as well. While St. Louis has every intention of retaining him, one must remember that he is also a Scott Boras client, so he'll be testing the free agent waters quite liberally.

2.) Jason Bay - LF - Boston Red Sox

2009 Stats - .267 AVG, 36 HR, 119 RBI, 13 SB

Bay's season in Boston was a funny one. For the first half of the year, he was the rock that carried the ship while Ortiz and other bats struggled to consistently drive in runs. However, once those bats warmed up, he cooled off and went into prolonged slumps, despite playing most half of his games in one of the best hitter's parks for right-handed batters. Still, he gave them everything they needed out of him as a replacement for Manny Ramirez, and the Red Sox are going to do their best to bring him back. He'll also draw interest from a number of teams that fall short in the Matt Holliday chase or deem him a cheaper option.

3.) Brandon Webb - SP - Arizona Diamondbacks

2009 Stats - 0-0, 13.50 ERA, 2 SO

2009 was a lost season for Webb, as he left his first start of the season with arm soreness and never made it back to the field, eventually having surgery at the end of the season. That being said, it will be an interesting decision that the D-Backs need to make regarding Webb. The club holds an $8.5 million option on the pitcher, but Arizona is also frugal and after disappointing last season, may choose to rebuild a bit. However, they also don't have another arm to pair up with Dan Haren at the top of the rotation either. Despite the injury, Webb is still coming off of 3 straight years having finished in the top 2 of the NL Cy Young voting, so clubs will still rate him high if Arizona lets him walk.

4.) John Lackey - SP - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2009 Stats - 11-8, 3.83 ERA, 139 SO

Lackey's last few years have not been quite up to par, as he's battled a couple of minor injuries. Still, he can be a dominant starter at the top of a rotation and will command a solid offer from numerous clubs looking to upgrade the rotation. The Angels, like Arizona, aren't likely to let him walk away without making a strong effort to retain him. Aside from Jared Weaver, there is no sure thing in their rotation and losing Lackey would likely set them back. However, given that they also have to deal with Vlad Guerrero and Bobby Abreu's free agencies as well, someone has to slip through. Lackey will draw a lot of attention in a thin pitching market, especially if Arizona picks up Webb's option.

5.) Vlad Guerrero - RF - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2009 Stats - .295 AVG, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 2 SB

2009 was finally the year where the man who swings at everything came up short. Guerrero looked lost for a good portion of the season before hitting the DL and then returning strong. Still, he's a known commodity whose best days may well be behind him, as balky knees and sketchy defense may mean his future lies as a DH for an American League team. He'll likely rebound from a lackluster effort this season, but age may have something to say about what kind of deal he gets.

6.) Carl Crawford - LF - Tampa Bay Rays

2009 Stats - .305 AVG, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 60 SB

Here's another player with a hefty club option playing for a perennially frugal team that may or may not hit the market, with Tampa holding the choice to pick him up for a the moderate price of $10 million or pay him $1.25 million to sign with another team. Crawford is coming off another fantastic season and at 28, he's likely far from done. However, at this stage, its fair to say that we know what to expect from him and a lot of teams would be more than happy to pick up a guy that can hit 15 out of the yard, steal 50-60 bases a season, score 100 runs, and play solid outfield defense. The ball is in your court Tampa.

7.) Hideki Matsui - LF/DH - New York Yankees

2009 Stats - .274 AVG, 28 HR, 90 RBI

Coming of an injury plagued year, Matsui found himself in the DH spot more often than not, but given the line-up he was in, it's hard to argue with what it did for him. Now entering free agency after winning a World Series MVP, Matsui will get some serious consideration from other teams, although given his desire to play in New York, he'll likely work out a deal with the Yankees, even if it means taking a cut in pay. If he does manage to hit the open market, it'll be interesting to see what kind of market develops for him with the question of if he can still play the field are raised.

8.) Bobby Abreu - LF/RF - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2009 Stats - .293 AVG, 15 HR, 103 RBI, 30 SB

How smart was it for Abreu to take a cut rate deal last year in order to hit the market this year when it was decidedly weaker? What he gave the Angels was the typical Bobby Abreu year, but what he shocked people with was his leadership in the clubhouse, as it was obvious that his hitting approach made its mark on a notoriously free swinging team. It's highly likely that he'll try to work out a deal to stay in California, as both he and the team have made a point about him returning. However, it'll need to be a multi-year deal or he'll find it somewhere else.

9.) Mark DeRosa - 3B - St. Louis Cardinals

2009 Stats - .250 AVG, 23 HR, 78 RBI, 3 SB

DeRosa actually faired better in Cleveland prior to his trade to St. Louis, but he'll draw a lot of attention from clubs this winter. DeRosa isn't a prototypical corner infielder mainly because his power numbers are mediocre, but he's going to give you 20 knocks a season, and he'll also give you the luxury of being able to fill in around the diamond without losing any production, offensively or defensively. He's another player the Cardinals would like to retain, but it would be tough to bring both DeRosa and Holliday back next season. While he's far down on this list, expect a competitive market for DeRosa.

10.) Aroldis Chapman - SP - Cuba

2009 Stats - Cuban Defectee

And our final player is an unknown quantity to a lot of fans, but nonetheless, every team in the league is going to put their respective toes in the water for this one. A 22-year-old veteran of the Cuban National Team, Chapman is said to have a 102-MPH fastball, which is something to be said for a left-handed starter. While his potential is immeasurable, he still has some growing to do, as he's also known to be wild on the mound. Already, he's had preliminary visits with the Red Sox, Tigers, Cardinals, and Oriels to name a few, and with New York's season now over, it's likely that the Yankees will be involved as well. Keep an eye on this one.

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