Athlon's Charlie Miller breaks down each and every free agent signing this offseason.
Updated: Monday Feb. 7, 2:23 P.M.
DH Vladimir Guerrero and the Baltimore Orioles reached a deal this week. Should Guerrero perform close to the way he did last season, he'll be a nice trading chip to a contender by midseason. The best value in the top 10 is clearly Mariano Rivera. The following chart ranks the free agents and projected new teams for unsigned free agents for 2011. Years, $/Year and Totals are our projections for new contracts. Some 2010 Salary figures are rounded and all dollar figures are in millions.
| Signed | ||||||||
| Rank | Player | Team | Years | Total | 2010 Salary | Comment | ||
| 1 | Cliff Lee | Phillies | 5 | 120.00 | 9.00 | Phillies' coup just pushed Cole Hamels to a fourth starter. | ||
| 2 | Carl Crawford | Red Sox | 7 | 142.00 | 10.00 | The prize position player of the free agent class. Crawford will turn 30 next August and scored 110 runs ad drove in 90. | ||
| 3 | Mariano Rivera | Yankees | 2 | 30.00 | 15.00 | Unlike Derek Jeter, Rivera is still performing a premium level. He's a bargain at $15 million. What a classy guy. | ||
| 4 | Jayson Werth | Nationals | 7 | 126.00 | 7.50 | Werth is coming off career highs in slugging and OPS, and turns 32 in May. But Nats will regret this one by 2014. | ||
| 5 | Victor Martinez | Tigers | 4 | 50.00 | 7.70 | Terrific signing for 2011 and 2012, but Tigers will regret the last two years of this deal, especially if they don't win now. | ||
| 6 | Rafael Soriano | Yankees | 3 | 35.00 | 7.25 | Has proven to be an elite closer when healthy. We had him valued at three years, $37 million — as a closer. | ||
| 7 | Adam Dunn | White Sox | 4 | 56.00 | 12.00 | It will be interesting to see how Dunn accepts a full-time DH role. | ||
| 8 | Paul Konerko | White Sox | 3 | 37.50 | 12.00 | Konerko, Dunn and Carlos Quentin won't provide much defense, but they'll be mashing all summer. | ||
| 9 | Adrian Beltre | Rangers | 5 | 80.00 | 9.00 | The career .275 hitter has topped .300 twice: .334 in 2004 and .321 in 2010, both contract years. Rangers beware. | ||
| 10 | Derek Jeter | Yankees | 3 | 51.00 | 22.60 | Jeter is no longer an elite player — offensively or defensively. But these negotiations were all about saving face. | ||
| 11 | Vladimir Guerrero | Orioles | 1 | 8.00 | 5.50 | Looks and acts like he's 39.While $8 million seems above market, $3 million is deferred. | ||
| 12 | Aubrey Huff | Giants | 2 | 22.00 | 3.00 | The poster child for bargains in San Francisco just cashed in big. | ||
| 13 | Carlos Peña | Cubs | 1 | 10.00 | 10.13 | Averaged dipped below the Mendoza Line, but he's excellent defensively and still drives in runs. His average will rebound. | ||
| 14 | Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers | 1 | 12.00 | 15.43 | Seems to lose games even when putting up decent numbers. Will stay on the West Coast. | ||
| 15 | Jake Westbrook | Cardinals | 2 | 16.00 | 11.00 | Pitching coach Dave Duncan has always been enamored with this guy. | ||
| 16 | Carl Pavano | Twins | 2 | 16.50 | 7.00 | After a disaster signing with the Yankees in 2005, Pavano led the AL with seven complete games in 2010. | ||
| 17 | Joaquin Benoit | Tigers | 3 | 16.50 | He was an integral piece in the Rays' bullpen. May end up closing for Detroit. | |||
| 18 | Magglio Ordoñez | Tigers | 1 | 10.00 | 17.80 | Has made just shy of $82 million over the past five years. Now reality will set in. | ||
| 19 | Derrek Lee | Orioles | 1 | 8.00 | 13.25 | All significant offensive numbers dropped in 2010 — except whiffs and grounded into double plays. | ||
| 21 | Orlando Hudson | Padres | 2 | 11.50 | 5.00 | O-Dog was an All-Star and won a Gold Glove for the Dodgers in 2009. But his salary topped out at $6.25 mil in 2008. | ||
| 23 | Manny Ramirez | Rays | 1 | 2.00 | 18.70 | Manny brings a potent bat to the Rays' lineup when his head's on straight. | ||
| 24 | Johnny Damon | Rays | 1 | 5.25 | 8.00 | Damon has a string of 15 seasons of at least 140 games. The Rays were the only team offering steady playing time. | ||
| 25 | Hideki Matsui | A's | 1 | 4.25 | 6.00 | Swing has slowed down and Oakland is not a good park for him. | ||
| 26 | Brad Hawpe | Padres | 1 | 3.00 | 7.50 | From 06-09 he averaged .288-25-93 with a .902 OPS. At 32, he can find his stroke again, but better suited for the AL. | ||
| 27 | John Buck | Marlins | 3 | 18.00 | 2.00 | Swatted 20 homers, but walked just 16 times. Doubtful he can maintain his .281 average. | ||
| 28 | Jorge de la Rosa | Rockies | 2 | 21.50 | 5.60 | Should pitch himself into bigger money in a few years. | ||
| 29 | Juan Uribe | Dodgers | 3 | 21.00 | 3.25 | Although he doesn't look the part, he's above average at three infield positions and is cool in the clutch. | ||
| 30 | Scott Downs | Angels | 3 | 15.00 | 4.00 | Lefties hit .152 last season and righties (.243) weren't much better. | ||
| 31 | Jose Contreras | Phillies | 2 | 5.00 | 1.50 | White Sox and Rockies thought he was done, but Phillies found a role as a setup man. The third year is a team option. | ||
| 32 | Ramon Hernandez | Reds | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 | Both Hernandez and the Reds happy to repeat last year's deal and production. | ||
| 33 | Miguel Tejada | Giants | 1 | 6.50 | 6.00 | Declining skills but showed he could still play a little short. Tejada was Giants' next option after Uribe. | ||
| 34 | Jon Garland | Dodgers | 1 | 5.00 | 4.70 | Provides a veteran presence for the Dodgers' staff. The big ballpark is perfect for him. | ||
| 35 | Jhonny Peralta | Tigers | 2 | 10.75 | 4.85 | Strong second half gave Tigers confidence he can still contribute. The third year is a team option for $6 million. | ||
| 36 | Jim Thome | Twins | 1 | 3.00 | 1.50 | The 40-year-old's OPS of 1.039 was stellar, but almost .400 higher against right-handed pitching. | ||
| 37 | Brian Fuentes | A's | 2 | 10.00 | 9.00 | Pretty good deal for the A's as Billy Beane attepts to bolster his bullpen. | ||
| 39 | Lyle Overbay | Pirates | 1 | 5.00 | 7.95 | Overbay has a three-year average of .259-17-67, which is below average for a first baseman. | ||
| 40 | Jon Rauch | Blue Jays | 1 | 3.50 | 2.90 | May not be a closer, but can be an intimidating presence on the mound. A bargain at $3.5 mil. | ||
| 41 | Austin Kearns | Indians | 1 | 1.30 | 0.75 | Made $8 million in 2009. Doubtful he'll see that number again. | ||
| 43 | Frank Francisco | Rangers | 1 | 3.63 | Accepted arbitration, so negotiations must be close. | |||
| 44 | Arthur Rhodes | Rangers | 1 | 3.90 | 2.00 | Turned 41 in October, but he was instrumental in Reds' division title in 2010. | ||
| 45 | Lance Berkman | Cardinals | 1 | 8.00 | 14.50 | Cardinals' outfield defense could be atrocious. | ||
| 46 | Marcus Thames | Dodgers | 1 | 1.00 | 0.90 | His five-year 162-game average is .254-33-83. He's coming off career highs in average and OBP. | ||
| 47 | Grant Balfour | A's | 2 | 8.00 | 2.05 | The Australian with the unfortunate surname was a key part of both of the Rays' division titles. | ||
| 50 | Matt Guerrier | Dodgers | 3 | 12.00 | 3.15 | Can pitch every day, but three-year deal is risky. | ||
| 51 | Edgar Renteria | Reds | 1 | 2.00 | 10.00 | Talked of retirement. The everyday grind wears on him, but he's a good fit with Paul Janish. | ||
| 52 | Koji Uehara | Orioles | 1 | 3.00 | 5.00 | Performed well in the closer role down the stretch. | ||
| 53 | Pat Burrell | Giants | 1 | 1.00 | 9.00 | Pat the Bat became Pat the Whiff in the postseason, but may be the best value of the offseason. | ||
| 54 | Javier Vazquez | Marlins | 1 | 7.00 | 11.50 | The durable Vazquez started 327 games from 2000-09, winning 128 with more than 2,000 strikeouts. | ||
| 57 | Jesse Crain | White Sox | 3 | 13.00 | 2.00 | It seems half of his appearances have been in extra innings.Sox pen needs a lot of help. | ||
| 58 | Adam LaRoche | Nationals | 2 | 16.00 | 6.00 | Nats must have patience with notorious slow starter. | ||
| 59 | Miguel Olivo | Mariners | 2 | 7.00 | 2.00 | Can throw, is durable and but won't display 20-home run power in Seattle. | ||
| 60 | Pedro Feliciano | Yankees | 2 | 8.00 | 2.90 | Tough on lefties, but can't get righthanders out. | ||
| 61 | Kerry Wood | Cubs | 1 | 1.50 | 10.50 | Wood took a 90% pay cut. | ||
| 62 | Chris Capuano | Mets | 1 | 1.50 | Missed all of 2008-09, but five of six starts in September were solid. Will enjoy pitching at Citi Field. | |||
| 63 | Chris Young | Mets | 1 | 1.50 | 6.38 | He could earn $4.5 million if he meets all his incentives; would be a sweet deal for Mets who desperately need pitching. | ||
| 64 | Kevin Gregg | Orioles | 2 | 10.00 | 2.00 | In four seasons as full-time closer he's averaged 30 saves, closing 82%, with a 1.295 WHIP and 3.79 ERA. | ||
| 66 | Jason Frasor | Blue Jays | 1 | 2.65 | Accepted arbitration and will combine with Rauch and Dotel for setup/closer trio. | |||
| 67 | Jeff Francoeur | Royals | 1 | 2.50 | 5.00 | Kansas City may be the last chance to revive his career. | ||
| 68 | Ty Wigginton | Rockies | 2 | 8.00 | 3.50 | Made 86 starts at first, 36 at second and 19 at third; hit 22 homers. | ||
| 69 | Yorvit Torrealba | Rangers | 2 | 6.25 | 0.75 | Too much gets by him, but he can still throw a little and he hit .271 last season. | ||
| 70 | Bruce Chen | Royals | 1 | 2.00 | Yes, he's still in the league, and it was Chen — not Greinke — who led the Royals with 12 wins. | |||
| 71 | Vicente Padilla | Dodgers | 1 | 2.00 | 5.03 | Started Game 2 and Game 5 for the Dodgers in the 2009 NLCS as well as Opening Day 2010; now he's a sixth starter. | ||
| 73 | Andruw Jones | Yankees | 1 | 2.00 | 0.50 | Anything left in the tank? Ha has another million-plus in incentives, so we say there is. Good deal for Yankees. | ||
| 74 | Jerry Hariston | Nationals | 1 | 2.00 | 2.13 | Nice "intangibles" player. Will help the Nats. | ||
| 75 | Cesar Izturis | Orioles | 1 | 1.50 | 2.60 | Can pick it at short, but gets the bat knocked out of his hands. | ||
| 76 | Dan Wheeler | Red Sox | 1 | 3.00 | 3.50 | With a sub-1.00 WHIP over the past three seasons, the right-handed Wheeler is tough on lefties. | ||
| 77 | Dennys Reyes | Phillies | 1 | 1.10 | 2.00 | Hard to believe he's only 34 in April. A classic lefty-only guy. | ||
| 79 | Rich Harden | A's | 1 | 1.50 | 6.50 | Easy risk for the A's. | ||
| 81 | Jeff Francis | Royals | 1 | 2.00 | 5.75 | Expect an incentive-laden deal. | ||
| 82 | Rick Ankiel | Nationals | 1 | 1.50 | 2.75 | Great arm, athletic, has some pop, but nowhere near an everyday player. | ||
| 83 | Matt Stairs | Nationals | 1 | 1.00 | 0.70 | Minor league deal for aging pinch hitter. | ||
| 84 | Brandon Webb | Rangers | 1 | 3.00 | 8.50 | Offseason reports of velocity and command were not promising, but this is a low-risk venture for the Rangers. | ||
| 85 | Adam Kennedy | Mariners | 1 | ML | 1.25 | Minor league deal. Had .400 OBP in eight September starts, but slugged just .231. | ||
| 87 | Miguel Cairo | Reds | 2 | 2.00 | 0.50 | Great attitude, accepts tough roles. Nice two-year bargain. | ||
| 88 | Kevin Correia | Pirates | 2 | 8.00 | 3.60 | The Pirates are shopping at the bargain stores. | ||
| 89 | A.J. Pierzynski | White Sox | 2 | 8.00 | 6.75 | Aging vet must accept backup role. | ||
| 91 | Brad Penny | Tigers | 1 | 3.00 | 7.50 | Penny could earn another $3 million incentives. | ||
| 92 | Rod Barajas | Dodgers | 1 | 3.25 | 0.50 | Doesn't throw well anymore. At age 35 he expects to be Dodgers' primary catcher. | ||
| 93 | Chan Ho Park | Japan | Closed the season with a strong September. Career in the States may be over. | |||||
| 97 | Jason Giambi | Rockies | 1 | ML | 1.75 | Former MVP didn't draw much interest. | ||
| 100 | J.C. Romero | Phillies | 1 | 1.35 | 4.25 | Just completed a three-year deal that he could only dream about now. | ||
| 102 | Melvin Mora | Diamondbacks | 1 | 2.40 | 1.28 | His 2010 salary was his lowest since 2002, but he earned a slight raise. | ||
| 103 | Aaron Harang | Padres | 1 | 4.00 | 12.50 | Padres hoping a move to Petco Park from Cincinnati will be the medicine his career needs. Doubtful. | ||
| NR | Hisanori Takahashi | Angels | 2 | 8.00 | 1.00 | Released by the Mets in November, the Angels believe they have their lefty specialist. | ||
| NR | J.J. Putz | Diamondbacks | 2 | 10.00 | 3.00 | Worst bullpen in the majors in 2010 in dire need of help. | ||
| NR | Eric Hinske | Braves | 1 | 1.45 | 1.00 | Braves like his veteran presence — and his production. | ||
| NR | Melky Cabrera | Royals | 1 | 1.00 | 3.10 | Incentives could push this as high as $1.25 million. | ||
| NR | Matt Diaz | Pirates | 2 | 4.25 | 2.55 | Braves didn't tender him, so Pirates found a platoon partner with Garret Jones in right field. | ||
| NR | Scott Olsen | Pirates | 1 | 0.50 | 1.00 | With another $2.5 mil incentives and a club option for $4 million in 2012, Olsen should be motivated. | ||
| NR | Jack Cust | Mariners | 1 | 2.50 | 2.65 | Hitting stroke shouldn't play well at Safeco. | ||
| NR | George Sherrill | Braves | 1 | 1.20 | 4.50 | Lefties hit .192 last season; righties .427. | ||
| NR | Gerald Laird | Cardinals | 1 | 1.00 | 3.95 | Will back up Yadier Molina for about 35 games. | ||
| NR | Russell Martin | Yankees | 1 | 4.00 | 5.05 | Expect a resurgence from Martin. | ||
| NR | Henry Blanco | Diamondbacks | 1 | 1.00 | 0.75 | Enters his 14th season by joining his ninth team. Thrown out 43% of base stealers in his career, 50% last season. | ||
| NR | Randy Choate | Marlins | 2 | 2.50 | 0.70 | Tossed 44.2 innings in 85 games; definition of situational lefty. | ||
| NR | Edwin Encarnacion | Blue Jays | 1 | 2.50 | 5.18 | Jays waived him, claimed by A's, non-tendered, now back in Toronto. Just business. | ||
| NR | Xavier Nady | Diamondbacks | 1 | 1.75 | 3.30 | Low budget, low expectations. | ||
| NR | Jeremy Accardo | Orioles | 1 | 1.08 | 1.08 | Injuries limited Accardo to 6.2 innings for Blue Jays in 2010. | ||
| NR | Matt Albers | Red Sox | 1 | 0.88 | 0.68 | Induced 11 double plays in 172 ABs against righthanders last season. | ||
| NR | Tony Gwynn | Dodgers | 1 | 0.42 | 0.68 | Gwynn leaves his dad's old team. | ||
| NR | Dioner Navarro | Dodgers | 1 | 1.00 | 2.10 | Will split time with Barajas. | ||
| NR | Wil Nieves | Brewers | 1 | 0.78 | 0.70 | Coming off a career-high 3 homers, but average dipped to .203. | ||
| NR | Tsuyoshi Nishioka | Twins | 3 | 10.00 | Japan | Nishioka won a batting title in Japan's Central League in '09 and won a Gold Glove at second in 2005 and at short in '07. | ||
| NR | J.P. Howell | Rays | 1 | 1.10 | 1.80 | Missed all of 2010 after May shoulder surgery. | ||
| NR | Joel Peralta | Rays | 1 | 0.93 | Enjoyed a nice summer in Washington with a 0.796 WHIP. | |||
| NR | Matt Treanor | Rangers | 1 | 0.85 | 0.75 | Back for another season as backup in Texas. | ||
| NR | Chin-Ming Wang | Nationals | 1 | 2.00 | 2.00 | Didn't pitch in 2010 after nine bad starts in 2009. | ||
| NR | Bill Hall | Astros | 1 | 3.25 | 8.53 | At 31 there should be something left in the tank, but he's not good defensively at second base. | ||
| NR | Takashi Saito | Brewers | 1 | 3.00 | 3.20 | Just more proof the Brewers want a title now. | ||
| NR | Bobby Jenks | Red Sox | 2 | 12.00 | 7.50 | Saves totals have dropped and WHIP has increased every year since 2007. | ||
| NR | Octavio Dotel | Blue Jays | 1 | 3.50 | 3.25 | Blue Jays will give him every opportunity to close. | ||
| NR | Craig Counsell | Brewers | 1 | 1.40 | 2.10 | Provides a solid veteran presence on Brewers bench for a team trying to win now. | ||
| NR | Kyle Farnsworth | Rays | 1 | 3.25 | 4.50 | This is the Rays' answer to rebuilding their bullpen? | ||
| NR | Dustin Moseley | Padres | 1 | 0.90 | Yankees were 5-4 in his nine starts last season. | |||
| NR | Ryan Rowland-Smith | Astros | 1 | 0.72 | 0.44 | Will Compete for fifth sport in the rotation. Not a good sign for Houston fans. | ||
| NR | Jose Veras | Pirates | 1 | 1.00 | 0.55 | Whiffed 54 in 48 innings, but was non-tendered by the Marlins. | ||
| NR | Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals | 1 | 1.00 | With 0 major league hits, Wang has a Silver Slugger clause in his deal. | |||
| NR | Jay Gibbons | Dodgers | 1 | 0.65 | 0.65 | Played for Newark in Indy league in 2009, but slugged .507 in 80 PAs for Dodgers last season. | ||
| Unsigned | ||||||||
| Rank | Player | Team | Years | Total | 2010 Salary | Comment | ||
| 20 | Andy Pettitte | Retired | — | — | 11.75 | Pettitte announced his retirement. | ||
| 22 | Hisashi Iwakuma | Japan | — | — | Japan | Oakland was unwilling meet Iwakuma's demand for dollars. He'll be back as a free agent next season. | ||
| 38 | Freddy Garcia | Diamondbacks | 2 | 11.00 | 1.00 | Made just 23 starts from 2007-09, but returned from injury to start 28 games and go 12-6 for the White Sox. | ||
| 42 | Russell Branyan | Mariners | 1 | 5.00 | 1.50 | Can still rake. | ||
| 48 | David Eckstein | Royals | 1 | 3.50 | 1.00 | He keeps getting it done and inspiring teammates and fans. | ||
| 49 | Bengie Molina | Orioles | 1 | 3.70 | 4.50 | A lot of teams could use a veteran presence behind the plate. | ||
| 55 | Jermaine Dye | Retired | 1 | 4.80 | DNP | Received inquiries from multiple teams, but no real offers. | ||
| 56 | Kevin Millwood | Diamondbacks | 1 | 4.00 | 12.00 | Days of milk and honey are over as his five-year, $60 million deal expired. | ||
| 65 | Orlando Cabrera | Cardinals | 1 | 2.00 | 2.02 | How much will teams play for solid defense and above-average situational hitting? Mr. Showalter? | ||
| 72 | Chad Durbin | Phillies | 2 | 10.00 | 2.13 | Had 15 holds and blew just one opportunity. At age 33, he's got plenty left. | ||
| 78 | Troy Glaus | Angels | 1 | 1.30 | 1.75 | Should find a suitor at home in SoCal. | ||
| 80 | Reed Johnson | Yankees | 1 | 1.00 | 0.80 | Underrated, could be a terrific fourth outfielder. | ||
| 86 | Joe Beimel | Rockies | 1 | 0.90 | 0.85 | Since 2007 he's logged just 216.2 innings in 296 games. Always a market for lefties. | ||
| 90 | Gregg Zaun | Blue Jays | 1 | 0.60 | 1.90 | Will turn 40 just after Opening Day; old for a catcher. | ||
| 94 | Felipe Lopez | Mariners | 1 | 0.70 | 1.00 | Attitude issues could cost him a job. | ||
| 95 | Brian Bannister | Padres | 1 | 0.70 | 2.30 | Over three seasons, he's 23-40, 5.58 ERA in 81 starts. | ||
| 96 | Justin Duchscherer | Orioles | 1 | 2.00 | After missing all of 2009, he made just five starts last April before being shut down. | |||
| 98 | Erik Bedard | Mets | 1 | 0.50 | Incentives, incentives, incentives. | |||
| 99 | Jarrod Washburn | Angels | 1 | 0.50 | Ditto. | |||
| 101 | Doug Davis | Padres | 1 | 0.70 | 4.25 | Got into the seventh inning just once in eight starts. |
