2012 MLB Free Agent Projections/Signings
The 2012 Free Agency fun has really begun now. The Angels opened the Disney vault for Pujols and Wilson, while the Marlins make headlines on the other coast. Teams listed for Unsigned players are projections for 2012. The chart is updated daily. Some salary figures are rounded and all salary numbers are in millions.
Updated Dec. 8, 5:00p
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Rank |
| Player | Team | Years | Total | 2011 Salary |
| Comment |
1 |
| Albert Pujols | Angels | 10 | 254.00 | 14.50 |
| Angels must put together a team to win now, because in six years this contract will be an albatross. |
2 |
| Jose Reyes | Marlins | 6 | 106.00 | 11.00 |
| Exciting offensive catalyst and flashy defender must prove he can play every day. |
3 |
| CJ Wilson | Angels | 5 | 77.50 | 7.00 |
| Stealth Angels reeled in their slugger and pitcher. |
6 |
| Mark Buehrle | Marlins | 4 | 58.00 | 14.00 |
| As consistent as anyone, the lefty will be reunited with manager Ozzie Guillen. |
9 |
| Jonathan Papelbon | Phillies | 4 | 50.00 | 12.00 |
| Closing games wasn't a problem for the Phillies in 2011, and shouldn't be in 2012. |
15 |
| Heath Bell | Marlins | 3 | 27.00 | 7.50 |
| Marlins begin buildking process from back of bullpen. |
20 |
| Mark Ellis | Dodgers | 2 | 7.75 | 6.00 |
| Brings solid defense, but has played in 135 games just twice. |
21 |
| Aaron Hill | Diamondbacks | 2 | 11.00 | 5.00 |
| Serendipity at the trade deadline for Hill leaving Toronto for first-place Arizona. |
22 |
| Clint Barmes | Pirates | 2 | 10.50 | 3.93 |
| Good money for Barmes; Pirates active in secondary market. |
25 |
| Bruce Chen | Royals | 2 | 9.00 | 2.00 |
| Chen has led the Royals in wins the last two seasons. |
38 |
| Ramon Hernandez | Rockies | 2 | 6.50 | 2.95 |
| Part-time catcher offers intangibles and veteran presence. |
39 |
| Ryan Doumit | Twins | 1 | 3.00 | 5.20 |
| His bat and defense suggest he belongs in American League. |
41 |
| Ramon Santiago | Tigers | 2 | 4.20 | 1.35 |
| Utility infielder stays put in Detroit. |
44 |
| Rod Barajas | Pirates | 1 | 4.00 | 3.25 |
| Pirates needed a catcher, Barajas needed a job. |
47 |
| Aaron Harang | Dodgers | 2 | 12.00 | 3.50 |
| Always seems to be underrated, but not worth this investment. |
49 |
| Jerry Hairston | Dodgers | 2 | 6.00 | 2.00 |
| Should have an opportunity to play at second and third. |
51 |
| Alex Gonzalez | Brewers |
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| 2.50 |
| Shortstop market getting a bit thin and Brewers actually improved this position. |
52 |
| David DeJesus | Cubs | 2 | 10.00 | 6.00 |
| Just your typical $4.25 mil outfielder. Total includes a $1.5 mil buyout if $6.5 mil option isn't picked up. |
53 |
| Willie Bloomquist | Diamondbacks | 2 | 3.80 | .90 |
| Goes from full-time shortstop to utility role. |
63 |
| Jamey Carroll | Twins | 2 | 6.50 | 2.29 |
| Twins may not like this deal when they see Carroll's range at short. |
65 |
| Frank Francisco | Mets | 2 | 12.00 | 4.00 |
| Mets' bullpen getting a total makeover. |
69 |
| Grady Sizemore | Indians | 1 | 5.00 | 7.67 |
| Indians declined $9 million option, then added $4.5 million in incentives to this deal. |
71 |
| Juan Rivera | Dodgers | 1 | 4.00 | 5.25 |
| Inexpensive complement to Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp in L.A. outfield. |
72 |
| Jim Thome | Phillies | 1 | 1.25 | 3.00 |
| Will keep the position warm until Ryan Howard return from Achilles injury. |
73 |
| Joe Nathan | Rangers | 2 | 14.50 | 11.25 |
| Is there anything left in his rebuilt arm? |
75 |
| Henry Blanco | Diamondbacks | 1 | 1.20 | 1.00 |
| Blanco, who turns 41 in August, has nabbed 44% of base stealers since 2008. |
76 |
| Matt Capps | Twins | 1 | 4.75 | 7.15 |
| Will once again have the opportunity to close. |
82 |
| Jonathan Broxton | Royals | 1 | .80 | 7.00 |
| Does he still have it? We think so. Will set up for Royals then get traded at deadline. |
83 |
| Chien-Ming Wang | Nationals | 1 | 4.00 | 1.20 |
| If fully healthy, he'll be the best bargain of the winter. |
85 |
| Jose Molina | Rays | 1 | 1.50 | 1.20 |
| Should fits Rays' system very well. |
86 |
| John McDonald | Diamondbacks | 2 | 3.00 | 1.50 |
| I guess you never have too many middle infielders if you're Arizona. |
88 |
| Mark Kotsay | Padres | 1 | 1.25 | .80 |
| Had three of his best seasons in San Diego from 2001-03, but he was in his mid-20s. |
91 |
| Gerald Laird | Tigers | 1 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Solid backup to giet Alex Avila badly needed rest. |
96 |
| Nate McLouth | Pirates | 1 | 1.75 | 7.00 |
| Returns to only city where he found success. |
97 |
| Laynce Nix | Phillies | 2 |
| .70 |
| After four years of minor league contracts, Nix finally gets a guaranteed deal. |
103 |
| Adam Kennedy | Dodgers | 1 | .80 | .75 |
| Veteran infielder landed a major league deal with Dodgers. |
112 |
| Matt Treanor | Dodgers | 1 | .85 | .85 |
| Still not as accomplished (or attractive) as his wife. |
153 |
| Brian Schneider | Phillies | 1 | .80 | 1.63 |
| Offense was woeful last season, defense was sub-par. |
NR |
| Chris Capuano | Dodgers | 2 | 10.00 | 1.50 |
| Two-time Tommy John patient should love pitching at Dodgers Stadium. |
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Rank |
| Player | Team | Years | Total | 2011 Salary |
| Comment |
4 |
| Prince Fielder | Cubs | 5 | 100.00 | 15.50 |
| Fielder will become the fresh Prince of Chicago. |
5 |
| Carlos Beltran | Giants | 2 | 20.00 | 19.30 |
| Injuries and spotty production will scare off most would-be suitors. |
7 |
| Aramis Ramirez | Diamondbacks | 4 | 60.00 | 14.60 |
| What a year for a third baseman, especially a good one, to hit the market. |
8 |
| David Ortiz | Red Sox | 2 | 24.00 | 12.50 |
| Can Big Papi actually leave Boston? |
10 |
| Hiroki Kuroda | Dodgers | 2 | 27.00 | 11.77 |
| Best fit would be West Coast ballparks and should feel at home in L.A. |
11 |
| Jimmy Rollins | Phillies | 3 | 35.00 | 8.50 |
| J-Roll is asking for five years, but he'll likely get only three. |
12 |
| Roy Oswalt | Nationals | 2 | 22.00 | 16.00 |
| Would love to pitch for St. Louis, but Cardinals rotation has no vacancy. |
13 |
| Yu Darvish | Yankees | 4 | 35.00 |
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| Shouldn't expect a posting fee anywhere close to $51 million for Dice-K. |
14 |
| Ryan Madson | Reds | 4 | 40.00 | 4.83 |
| Thought he had a deal with Philadelphia, but Cincinnati needs a closer as well. |
16 |
| Francisco Rodriguez | Orioles | 3 | 25.00 | 12.17 |
| Many teams may be nervous to commit to K-Rod as closer, but O's won't mind. |
17 |
| Johnny Damon | Rays | 1 | 7.00 | 5.25 |
| Questions of Hall of Fame worthiness begin as his career winds down. |
18 |
| Edwin Jackson | Mets | 3 | 27.00 | 8.75 |
| Ultra-talented Jackson always seems to slip below expectations. |
19 |
| Javier Vazquez | Marlins | 1 | 8.00 | 7.00 |
| Retire, or go one more year in Miami? |
23 |
| Kosuke Fukudome | Indians | 2 | 15.00 | 14.50 |
| With Grady Sizemore gone, Fukudome could become Tribe's full-time CF. |
24 |
| Francisco Cordero | Blue Jays | 2 | 18.00 | 12.13 |
| Cordero has averaged 39 saves over the last five seasons. |
26 |
| Michael Cuddyer | Braves | 3 | 27.00 | 10.50 |
| Only bright spot for Minnesota last season appears to be a good fit in Atlanta. |
27 |
| Freddy Garcia | Rangers | 1 | 7.00 | 1.50 |
| Garcia out to prove last season was no fluke in New York. |
28 |
| Carlos Pena | Rangers | 1 | 8.00 | 9.96 |
| The Ballpark at Arlington should suit Pena well. |
29 |
| Yoenis Cespedes | Marlins | 5 | 30.00 |
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| Escaping the Marlins' grasp would be a major surprise. |
30 |
| Koji Uehara | Rays | 2 | 14.00 | 3.00 |
| Koji had an incredible 23.0 SO/BB ratio, but allowed 2.5 homers per nine innings. |
31 |
| Casey Kotchman | Rays | 1 | 6.00 |
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| In successive years, he was traded for Mark Teixeira, Adam LaRoche and Bill Hall. |
32 |
| Josh Willingham | Orioles | 2 | 15.00 | 6.00 |
| Willingham would love hitting at Camden Yards. |
33 |
| Kelly Johnson | Rockies | 2 | 11.00 | 5.85 |
| Johnson would love hitting in Colorado, the question but could Rox stomach all those Ks? |
34 |
| Paul Maholm | Twins | 1 | 6.00 | 6.25 |
| Needs a one-year deal to prove himself worthy of more. |
35 |
| JD Drew | Nationals | 1 | 5.20 | 14.00 |
| Nats could be latest team to be duped by Drew's "talent." |
36 |
| Coco Crisp | Tigers | 1 | 4.80 | 5.75 |
| Tigers needs a leadoff hitter and Crisp swiped 49 bases last season. |
37 |
| Rick Ankiel | Reds | 1 | 4.50 | 1.50 |
| Consummate fourth outfielder brings speed, defense and occasional pop. |
40 |
| Joel Peralta | Red Sox | 2 | 13.00 | .93 |
| Another good arm who "found it" in Tampa Bay. |
42 |
| Chris Young | Nationals | 1 | 3.20 | 1.00 |
| Needs a one-year deal to prove himself. |
43 |
| Rafael Furcal | Brewers | 1 | 3.80 | 13.00 |
| His defense is unquestioned, but his health and offense are uncertain. |
45 |
| Jeff Francis | Angels | 1 | 4.40 | 2.00 |
| Could benefit from starting over out west. |
46 |
| Jason Kubel | Orioles | 2 | 8.20 | 5.25 |
| Lots of pop for Camden Yards. |
48 |
| LaTroy Hawkins | Dodgers | 1 | 4.30 | 4.25 |
| Stuff of a closer, mindset of a setup man. |
50 |
| Derrek Lee | Nationals | 2 | 7.00 | 7.25 |
| Nationals will finish fourth or fifth in first baseman derby. |
54 |
| Jon Garland | Royals | 2 | 6.00 | 4.44 |
| Can he resurrect his career? |
55 |
| Wilson Betemit | Royals | 1 | 2.80 | 1.00 |
| Role will be a super utility man in K.C. |
56 |
| Brad Lidge | Twins | 1 | 4.00 | 12.00 |
| Lidge still wants to be a closer; little pressure in Minnesota in 2012. |
57 |
| Octavio Dotel | Cardinals | 2 | 7.00 | 3.00 |
| Meant too much to Redbirds' late-season surge not to be re-signed. |
58 |
| Darren Oliver | Rangers | 1 | 4.50 | 3.25 |
| Another season in Texas for the ageless lefty. |
59 |
| Kevin Millwood | Padres | 1 | 3.20 |
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| Will find a job by spring training. |
60 |
| Andruw Jones | Yankees | 1 | 2.10 | 1.50 |
| Yankees actually like him in the clubhouse. |
61 |
| Cody Ross | Twins | 1 | 2.50 | 6.30 |
| His 45 days of fame in San Francisco in 2010 now a distant memory. |
62 |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | Phillies | 2 | 7.50 | 4.30 |
| Not as much of a downgrade at short as you might think for Phils. |
64 |
| Jack Wilson | Braves | 1 | 2.00 | 5.00 |
| Still has something to offer as an everyday player. |
66 |
| Jamey Wright | Cardinals | 1 | 2.00 | .90 |
| Relishes the opportunity to reunite with Mike Matheny. |
67 |
| Vladimir Guerrero | Blue Jays | 1 | 3.00 | 7.60 |
| Vlad's return to Canada could be his final stop. |
68 |
| Ivan Rodriguez | Cardinals | 1 | 1.50 | 3.00 |
| Pudge and Yadier would be fun to watch. |
70 |
| Chris Snyder | White Sox | 1 | 2.50 | 6.25 |
| Made $11.5 mil over the last two years, won't get near that in 2012-13. |
74 |
| Kerry Wood | Rays | 2 | 5.50 | 1.50 |
| Maybe the new regime in Chicago can convince him to stay. |
77 |
| Nick Punto | Cardinals | 1 | 2.00 | .75 |
| Must find a team in need of utility role and must accept the role. |
78 |
| Kelly Shoppach | Indians | 1 | 1.30 | 3.00 |
| He'll find a job as a backup somewhere, like in AL. |
79 |
| George Sherrill | Rays | 1 | 2.00 | 1.20 |
| Nice lefty setup man for Joe Maddon? |
80 |
| Ryan Ludwick | Blue Jays | 1 | 1.50 | 6.78 |
| Still living off one magical season in St. Louis. |
81 |
| Edgar Renteria | Brewers | 1 | 1.50 | 2.00 |
| Would be a nice complement to Furcal in Milwaukee. |
84 |
| Marcus Thames | — | 1 | ML | 1.00 |
| Will have to make a team in spring training. |
87 |
| Hideki Matsui | Yankees | 1 | 2.00 | 4.25 |
| Return to Gotham? |
89 |
| Mike Gonzalez | Cubs | 1 | .90 | 6.00 |
| Can be an effective situational guy. |
90 |
| Rich Harden | Cardinals | 1 | 1.00 | 1.50 |
| Dave Duncan's next reclamation project? |
92 |
| Aaron Miles | Dodgers | 1 | 1.00 | .50 |
| Likely return to L.A. |
93 |
| David Aardsma | Mariners | 1 | .80 | 4.50 |
| After Tommy John Surgery in July, he's not likely to pitch until late in the season. |
94 |
| Ronny Cedeno | Phillies | 1 | .90 | 1.85 |
| Some team could use a veteran backup infielder. |
95 |
| Austin Kearns | — | 1 | ML | 1.30 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
98 |
| Jonny Gomes | A's | 1 | 1.00 | 1.75 |
| Can still drive in runs. |
99 |
| Cesar Izturis | — | 1 | ML | 1.50 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
100 |
| Brandon Webb | — | 1 | ML |
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| Wouldn't surprise to see him sign a rich, incentive-laden deal. |
101 |
| Casey Blake | — | 1 | ML | 5.50 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
102 |
| Lyle Overbay | Padres | 1 | 1.20 | 5.00 |
| Padres could use a cheap veteran pinch-hitter/first baseman. |
104 |
| Ramon Castro | — | 1 | ML | 1.20 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
105 |
| Jason Marquis | — | 1 | ML | .75 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
106 |
| Juan Cruz | — | 1 | ML | .85 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
107 |
| Jon Rauch | — | 1 | ML | 3.50 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
108 |
| Mark DeRosa | Phillies | 1 | 1.00 | 6.00 |
| Can be a valuable piece if completely healthy. |
109 |
| Nori Aoki | Dodgers | 2 | 1.90 |
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| Japanese star should debut on West Coast. |
110 |
| Carlos Guillen | — | 1 | ML | 12.90 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
111 |
| Raul Ibanez | Indians | 1 | 1.00 | 12.17 |
| Will never see $12 million per season again. |
113 |
| Jason Varitek | Rockies | 1 | .90 | 2.00 |
| Rox could use a mentor like Varitek. |
114 |
| Brad Penny | — | 1 | ML | 3.00 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
115 |
| Juan Pierre | — | 1 | ML | 8.50 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
116 |
| Arthur Rhodes | — | 1 | ML | 3.90 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
117 |
| Livan Hernandez | — | 1 | ML | 1.25 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
118 |
| Todd Coffey | — | 1 | ML | 1.35 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
119 |
| Pat Burrell | — | 1 | RET | 1.00 |
| Retirement seems to be in order. |
120 |
| Scott Linebrink | — | 1 | ML | 5.50 |
| Minor league contract with invite to spring training. |
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