MLB Trade Rumors has a nice list of all the 1010 free agents out there.  They have also done a pretty good job of letting you know who will be Type A free agents ( which when signed by another team will grant their former team with two draft picks) and Type B free agents ( which will grant the player’s former team with a single extra draft pick).  For an explanation of free agency and arbitration, take a look at Ryan T. Campbell’s Front Office article.

Here are the Key Free Agents that you will be hearing about for the next few months:

1. Matt Holliday.  He’s a Scott Boras client, so don’t expect him to sign anytime soon.  Boras will work to make sure he knows exactly where the market stands for Holliday, and will make sure he has eeked out every bit of money he can.  Fortunately for Holliday, with the expected loss of Johnny Damon, there is plenty of need for Holliday- which means this won’t get settled quickly, and the Yankees payroll won’t be going down.

2.Jason Bay- Really Bay should be listed third, but his fate will have a lot to do with Holliday.  Bay’s agent will want to let Holliday set the market, otherwise a team will want to look to Bobby Abreu’s contract for that this off-season.  Bay’s defense this past season was not that of a year ago, but the market is better.  The Red Sox should want to resign him, especially since they now have Jeremy Hermida waiting in the wings.  Hermida might mean the Bay contract won’t be as long as Bay (and his agent) would like- which gives other teams a chance.

3. John Lackey- He is the best starting pitcher on the market by far, and he is sort of Roger Clemens light. Some I have heard speculate that his arguing to stay in the game during the playoffs might hurt him, but most teams want the guy who will fight to keep the ball even when he is in trouble.  Expect Lackey to be overpaid- just be surprised if its by the Yankees or the Red Sox.  The Orioles should consider it, but I bet he ends up either in LA or with the Cubs.

After those three its pretty thin, and very specific to team needs.  Randy Wolf is the next best pitcher and a great #3.  Chone Figgins and Orlando Hudson will suit those looking for infielders or utility, Figgins helping himself out as a lead-off hitter.  Andy Pettitte will only re-sign with the Yankees I would think.  And the Yanks might give him one more one-year or two-year deal.

There are a lot of interesting story lines to follow.  What will Billy Wagner do?  Where will Vlad end up?  But overall, this off-season is going to be about the little moves or the trade market.

And the team that ends up with Adrian Gonzalez will be the big winner.