Where Are the Free Agents Going?

Well, the hot stove has certainly started burning, hasn't it?  The Blue Jays and Marlins.  Wow!  It's like 1998 all over again.  Anybody on the Marlins who makes any money is now on the Blue Jays.  And the Blue Jays suddenly made themselves very relevant in the AL East again.  Josh Johnson AND Mark Buehrle?!  And Jose Reyes?! 

I think that with this trade, Toronto's now officially out of the sweepstakes for any significant free agent, of which there are many.  So, where are those guys going to go?  Here are some of the biggest names hitting the open market this offseason, and the teams that I think would be the best fit/the most likely place they'll sign:

Josh Hamilton-Hamilton's obviously the biggest prize out there.  He's told the Rangers they won't get a hometown discount, although Texas does figure to be in the mix to retain his services.  Outside of the Rangers, there aren't many teams that'll be able to afford Hamilton.  Regardless, they're preparing for life without Hamilton, but that might simply be a Plan B so that they don't wind up in the same situation as the Cardinals last year after Albert left.  I can also see teams wanting him to move to left field.  Like the Red Sox, but I doubt they'll shell out the money for him.  I can see the White Sox being a player.  Same thing with the Brewers.  Both of those teams would probably keep him in center.  And if Michael Bourn leaves Atlanta, I can see the Braves getting involved in the Hamilton sweepstakes.  Ultimately, though I think he stays in Texas.

Michael Bourn-Speaking of Michael Bourn, the Braves would be fools if they didn't try to re-sign him.  He's the perfect guy for that team, and exactly what the Braves need.  But you know where else he'd be a perfect fit?  Washington.  The Nationals don't want Bryce Harper in center.  They don't want Jayson Werth leading off, either.  Michael Bourn would solve both those problems.  If Angel Pagan leaves San Francisco, Bourn could be a really good fit for the Giants, too.  Or for the Phillies.  Same thing about the Rangers if Hamilton leaves.  Or Milwaukee.  In other words, there are a lot of teams that would love to have Michael Bourn.  But only one can.  I'm saying it'll be the Nationals.

B.J. Upton-This much we know...B.J. Upton won't be a Ray in 2013.  Ultimately where he goes could be determined by where Hamilton and Bourn end up.  While I don't think it's likely, I don't think Milwaukee's out of the question.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mets make a run at him, but again, I don't see that happening.  I do think he lands in the NL East, though.  The Phillies have a lot of money to spend and outfield holes to fill after getting rid of Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence.  And B.J. Upton would be the perfect Victorino replacement.  He might be too similar to Jimmy Rollins, though.  He'd also be the perfect replacement for Michael Bourn should Bourn leave Atlanta.  It'll be one of the two.  Let's go with the Phillies.

Nick Swisher/Ichiro-These two are a package deal because the Yankees will keep one, but not the other.  They both have their pros and they both have their cons.  Swisher's younger, a switch hitter and can also play first base.  But he might've worn out his welcome and certainly sounded like a guy with one foot out the door during the ALCS.  Ichiro, on the other hand, was the Ichiro of old after he got traded to the Yankees.  Other than Brett Gardner, they don't have anybody in the lineup like him, and it showed.  If they're smart, they realize that's something that won't be easily replicated.  But Ichiro's 38 years old.  Do you want another expensive veteran?  I'm playing a gut here, but I say Ichiro's the one that stays with the Yankees, while Swisher signs with the Phillies.

Shane Victorino-He's not going back to the Dodgers to be the fourth outfielder behind Matt Kemp, Andre Etiher and Carl Crawford.  That's for sure.  So where's Victorino going?  I don't think a return to the Phillies is completely out of the question, but I do see it as highly unlikely.  Would he move north and play center field for the World Champion Giants?  That depends on Angel Pagan, but I can definitely see it.  Same thing about Atlanta, although I think that'd be a long shot.  The Rangers if Hamilton leaves?  That's intriguing to think about, isn't it?  I can see a smaller-market American League team getting involved for Victorino, too.  Somebody like a Cleveland or a Tampa Bay.  And let's not forget, Houston's in the American League now, too.  Do the Astros make a run and make Victorino their franchise player as they usher in a new era?  Probably not, but it's something to think about.  It's also not that far-fetched to see Victorino staying in Southern California next season.  Wearing red and playing right field.  This is a tough one, but I can see Victorino playing in Anaheim.

Mike Napoli-I'm not sure why I'm including Napoli on this list.  He pretty much already signed with the Red Sox.  Boston seems to be making him a priority, and it looks like they're going to put him at first base.  Not a horrible call, but you still need to let him catch once or twice a week.  Although, they probably won't have the option to DH him, since David Ortiz purchases a glove for interleague road games and interleague road games only.  But make no mistake, Napoli's going to Boston.

Adam LaRoche-If the Nationals sign Bourn or Upton, which I think is likely, that means Harper moves to left and Michael Morse moves to first.  That makes Adam LaRoche the odd man out.  He likely wouldn't be out of a job for long, though.  If the Napoli thing doesn't pan out (which it will), LaRoche could be a target of the Red Sox.  Milwaukee's always an option, too.  And it doesn't look like Tampa Bay's going to bring back Carlos Pena, so LaRoche on the Rays isn't a stretch.  Especially since he'd be pretty cheap.  In fact, I can't just see that.  I think it's going to happen.  LaRoche to Tampa Bay.

Zack Greinke-Greinke is by far the best starting pitcher on the market.  Which means virtually any team you can think of is going to be after him.  The Dodgers are going to want him.  The Rangers are going to want him.  The Red Sox and Yankees are probably both going to want him.  There are probably a bunch of other teams I can't think of right now taht are going to want him.  But most of all, the Angles want to retain him.  Especially now that Ervin Santana's gone, I see the Angels making a big push and throwing a lot of money at keeping that rotation in tact.  I think they give him enough incentive to stay.  Greinke's back with the Angels.

Rafael Soriano-Mariano Rivera's coming back next season.  This news surprised exactly no one.  As a result, Rafael Soriano exercised his opt-out.  This also surprised a grand total of no one.  Soriano's the best closer on the market, and he'll have plenty of suitors.  I'm sure there are those teams that believe the closer position is overrated and will stay away from Soriano and the salary he'll command, but there are a few that will be willing to pay for his services.  The two most likely options: Detroit, which has officially given up on Jose Valverde, and the Dodgers, who are going to be serious players next season.  Since I can't picture him in the National League for some reason, I'll say it'll be the Tigers.

That's just a small sample of the many big names that are likely to switch teams via free agency this offseason.  I didn't even mention Torii Hunter and Angel Pagan, two other intriguing options for a number of teams.  As is usually the case in free agency, as one domino falls, so go the others.  And let's not forget this...Prince Fielder didn't sign with the Tigers until January.  And that's the move that turned Detroit into a World Series team.