by McKenna Graham

This year’s free agent market is something we haven’t seen in quite some time now. It will be starring very talented players who may be worth the contracts they sign. Here’s the value of the top free agents. Adrian Beltre has been a great consistent player since 1999. 2004 and 2010 were both walk years for him. His “comeback” last year was about his improvement in strikeout rate, putting more balls in the air, and his batting and slugging averages on balls in play. He is likely on landing spots on teams that have shown a willingness to sign elder players, who have money to waste and a hole at third base. These teams include; the Angles, Giants, and his 2010 team, the Red Sox. Just like Beltre, Carl Crawford has been a very consistent player who has also improved in excellent defense. Crawford has received two points in MVP voting in his career, back in 2006, he’s never posted a .320 BA, .370 OBP or .500 SLG. He will most likely end up with one of the big-money, high profile teams, with the Angels the favorite, and the Red Sox and Yankees in behind them. Jorge De la Rosa, the 29 year old hits the market off a disappointing season by traditional metrics: 8-7, 4.22 ERA, just 121 2/3 innings in 20 starts after missing two months because of a finger injury. He could blow out the field by having three years at $8 million each and get the greatest deal offseason, with teams such as; the Twins, Tigers, and Brewers. Adam Dunn wasted the last two years playing for the Nationals while so many contending teams missed the postseason for want of a big bat. Dunn plays every day, averaging 159 games a season since 2004. Dunn is a 1B/DH, not an outfielder. His best fits are AL teams that are trying to upgrade their offense, especially their OBP, by any means: Blue Jays, Indians, White Sox, A’s, Mariners. Cliff Lee hits the market at 31, with ERAs in his last two years of 3.22 and 3.18, and back problems in the latter year limited him to 28 starts. His strikeout rates are very good, and have been increasing for the last two years; they’re the product of throwing tons of strikes rather than being to overpowering. The Rangers will end up winning Lee with something a bit more generous that any off of five years and $105 million. Jayson Werth has been qualified for the batting title twice and been a star for just two seasons, mostly because he couldn’t stay on the field in his 20’s. Werth hit the market off his two best seasons, and can fairly compare himself to Jason Bay at the low end and Matt Holliday at the high and Werth would be better off saving his money. Be sure to keep track of this year’s top free agents.