Though the 2012 postseason isn’t over yet, 27 of 30 major league teams are already considering what moves they’ll make during the offseason.
The 2012-2013 free-agent class is certainly not the strongest of all time. Stars are few and far between and question marks abound.
The following are the best of the bunch—players who can make a major impact by signing with new clubs or by sticking with their present employers.
Some of these projected salaries may seem high. But if there’s one thing we can rely on from baseball teams, it’s their ability to throw around money.
There’s never been an offseason that concluded with anyone surprised by how little free agents received. With baseball recording record profits, even mediocre players can expect gobs of cash when they reach the open market.
This list does not include players with team options for 2013 that are likely to be or have already been picked up. Some of those are David Wright ($16 million), Robinson Cano ($15 million), Curtis Granderson ($15 million), Dan Haren ($15 million), Brian McCann ($12 million), Joakim Soria ($8 million), Jhonny Peralta ($6 million) and R.A. Dickey ($5 million).
It also doesn’t include Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, who are locks to either retire or stay with their current team.