Whom might you like?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Potential Free Agents for 2012
The following players have contracts expiring or should have the six years of service necessary to become free agents after the 2011 season.

* - player whose current contract includes 2012 option
[a few of the players listed below have signed extensions beyond 2011 since this article was posted]

Player Club
First Basemen
Prince Fielder MIL
Ross Gload PHI
Adrian Gonzalez SD
Todd Helton COL *
Ryan Howard PHI
Casey Kotchman SEA
Albert Pujols STL

Second Basemen
Clint Barmes COL
Robinson Cano NYY *
Jamey Carroll LAD
Luis Castillo NYM
Aaron Hill TOR *
Kelly Johnson ARZ
Brandon Phillips CIN *
Freddy Sanchez SF
Dan Uggla FLA
Rickie Weeks MIL

Shortstops
Jason Bartlett TB
Yuniesky Betancourt KC *
Rafael Furcal LAD
J.J. Hardy MIN
John McDonald TOR
Augie Ojeda ARZ
Ramon Santiago DET
Marco Scutaro BOS *
Jack Wilson SEA

Third Basemen
Casey Blake LAD *
Mark DeRosa SF
Greg Dobbs PHI
Edwin Encarnacion TOR
Aramis Ramirez CHC

Catchers
Jason Kendall KC
Yadier Molina STL *
Dionar Navarro TB
Jorge Posada NYY
Ivan Rodriguez WAS
Brian Schneider PHI
Kelly Shoppach TB *
Chris Snyder PIT *

Outfielders
Bobby Abreu LAA *
Jose Bautista TOR
Carlos Beltran NYM
Milton Bradley SEA
Mike Cameron BOS
Ronny Cedeno PIT
Ryan Church PIT
Jack Cust OAK
David DeJesus KC
Matt Diaz ATL
J.D. Drew BOS
Jeff Francoeur TEX
Jonny Gomes CIN
Gabe Gross OAK
Carlos Guillen DET
Corey Hart MIL
Raul Ibanez PHI
Conor Jackson ARZ
Ryan Ludwick SD
Nate McLouth ATL *
Juan Pierre CWS
Juan Rivera LAA
Cody Ross SF
Grady Sizemore CLE *
Nick Swisher NYY *
Josh Willingham WAS

Starting Pitchers
Mark Buehrle CWS
Chris Carpenter STL *
Aaron Cook COL *
Kyle Davies KC
Zach Duke PIT
Edwin Jackson CWS
Scott Kazmir LAA *
Brandon McCarthy TEX
John Maine NYM
Paul Maholm PIT
Jason Marquis WAS
Gil Meche KC
Scott Olsen WAS
Roy Oswalt PHI *
Oliver Perez NYM
Joel Pineiro LAA
Wandy Rodriguez HOU
Brian Tallet TOR
Tim Wakefield BOS
Chien-Ming Wang WAS
C.J. Wilson TEX

Relief Pitchers
Danys Baez PHI
Matt Belisle COL
Heath Bell SD
Rafael Betancourt COL
Jonathan Broxton LAD
Brian Bruney WAS
Tim Byrdak HOU
Shawn Camp TOR
Matt Capps MIN
Todd Coffey MIL
Clay Condrey MIN
Francisco Cordero CIN *
Lance Cormier TB
Ryan Franklin STL
Mike Gonzalez BAL
John Grabow CHC
LaTroy Hawkins MIL
Bobby Jenks CWS
Brad Lidge PHI *
Scott Linebrink CWS
Javier Lopez PIT
Ryan Madson PHI
Damaso Marte NYY *
Sergio Mitre NYY
Joe Nathan MIN *
Jonathan Papelbon BOS
Chris Ray TEX
Francisco Rodriguez NYM *
Takashi Saito ATL
George Sherrill LAD
Carlos Silva CHC *
Jose Valverde DET
Tyler Walker WAS
Michael Wuertz OAK
Joel Zumaya DET

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2001/04/potential-free-agents-for-2012.html

[Guest The Second Spitter]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Potential Free Agents for 2012 The following players have contracts expiring or should have the six years of service necessary to become free agents after the 2011 season. * - player whose current contract includes 2012 option [a few of the players listed below have signed extensions beyond 2011 since this article was posted] Player Club Second Basemen Luis Castillo NYM Catchers Brian Schneider PHI Outfielders Jeff Francoeur TEX Starting Pitchers Oliver Perez NYM Relief Pitchers Francisco Rodriguez NYM *

Cheers!

[seawolf17]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Potential Free Agents for 2012 First Basemen Albert Pujols STL

Sorry, Ike.

[ashie62]

I'm holding out for a 2010-11 signing.

[MFS62]

The Second Spitter wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Potential Free Agents for 2012 The following players have contracts expiring or should have the six years of service necessary to become free agents after the 2011 season. * - player whose current contract includes 2012 option [a few of the players listed below have signed extensions beyond 2011 since this article was posted] Player Club Second Basemen Luis Castillo NYM Catchers Brian Schneider PHI Outfielders Jeff Francoeur TEX Starting Pitchers Oliver Perez NYM Relief Pitchers Francisco Rodriguez NYM * Cheers!

When I read the first (longer) list, my first reaction was that it looks like teams are locking up the really good players with longer term contracts.
And then, this shorter list brought me back to reality.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

There's a bunch of guys whom I wouldn't kick out of my dugout for spitting tobacky.

It bears noting, Trade-Reyesians, that none of them play shortstop. (Or third, really.)

Should the Fighting Aldersons deign to spend on a first baseman next offseason, as a decent athlete with a great arm (low-to-mid-90s fastball in college), Ike's a possibility for right. (Possibility, I says.)

[Gwreck]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Potential Free Agents for 2012

Call me crazy but I'm not seeing a lot of "impact" players on this list who are going to be available (I don't see Cano or Pujols coming our way).

[Guest Edgy DC]

Talk to me after we're done with the 2011 champagne.

[Gwreck]

Fair enough, but if the free agent class is so much more valuable this year than next, doesn't it merit at least some basic consideration to spending a little extra $$ now (unless Fred + Jeff really are tapped out) versus not having anything worth spending the $$ on next year?

I couldn't think of a better possible replacement for Carlos Beltran than Carl Crawford. Yes, we'd be paying both of them in 2011 but if we don't sign Crawford now, there's no chance he becomes available for the 2012 season.

I realize this is not a traditional operating strategy, has no room for Angel Pagan and requires a huge additional influx of cash into the operating budget. But I would at least consider it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

No, it's been done before, like when the Mets signed Carlos Beltran.

I don't necessarily understand being more aggressive this year because of a thinner market. Values are supposed to depress when the market is flooded, and go up (see Jayson Werth) when a market is thin.

[Gwreck]

Except my point is that I see an even thinner market in 2012 than there is in 2011.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Gwreck wrote: Except my point is that I see an even thinner market in 2012 than there is in 2011.

Well, then... you need your eyes checked. Even if the Canos and Pujolses aren't around, you've got Phillipses and Fielders and Sizemores and Ugglas and Bautistas and Wandys and Oswalts and Carpenters.

If a 32-year-old Jayson Werth off a career year is a top-3 prize in your market... you can make brasciole with said market. This is precisely the sort of market in which you DON'T go nuts. It's the reason WHY Werth and Lee and Crawford will make more than they'll likely be worth.

[Gwreck]

I see your point, but will note that none (except the aforementioned Pujols or Cano -- or perhaps a healthy Sizemore) of those players are of the same caliber as Crawford or Lee.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And neither Crawford nor Lee is as valuable a commodity as Pujols*, Cano, or a healthy Sizemore.

*To be fair, you'd be hard pressed putting two players together to equal Pujols.