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Let the bidding begin!  Free agents are now allowed to sign with new teams.

Activity may still be limited this month, however.  55 Type A or B free agents are eligible to be offered arbitration at the November 23rd deadline, based on the Elias rankings.  In many cases, teams will wait to see whether an arbitration offer is made before signing a free agent.  Say the Pirates want to sign Type A free agent Ramon Hernandez.  If they sign him before November 23rd, an arbitration offer becomes assumed, and the Pirates have to give the Reds their second-round pick in the June 2012 draft.  They'll want to see whether the Reds actually offer arbitration, because if not there will be no draft pick compensation. 

This concept matters less for Type B free agents, because the new team doesn't directly give a draft pick to the old one.  Teams still may not want to guarantee their competitors draft picks, though.  If the Red Sox want to sign Type B free agent Freddy Garcia, doing so before November 23rd guarantees the Yankees a supplemental draft pick.

Certain star players will be obviously be offered arbitration, for example Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes.  With these players the November 23rd deadline is not important, but stars usually don't sign in November anyway because they prefer to let the market develop into December or January.

Last year free agents were free to sign with new teams as of November 7th, and the arbitration offer deadline was November 23rd.  Victor Martinez was the only Type A free agent to sign with a new team during that period, while Joaquin Benoit and John Buck were the only Bs.  All three were locks for arbitration offers, so there was no harm in signing them early.  There were several re-signings during that period, including Aubrey Huff, Jake Westbrook, Ramon Hernandez, and Jhonny Peralta.

Every week, MLBTR conducts a live chat with either Tim Dierkes or Ben Nicholson-Smith.  Most of the time, it's me, and the chat is held at 2pm central time on Wednesdays.  That's the plan for today.

All you have to do to participate is visit MLB Trade Rumors at any point during the hour-long chat and click the chat link.  Then you'll have the opportunity to put in your name and submit a question.

With thousands of questions streaming in, I am typically able to answer about 60 of them in an hour.  If you feel like your questions are being ignored, the reason is probably just the sheer volume.  If you'd like to improve your chances of having a question answered, avoid posting it repeatedly, complaining about how your questions or favorite team are being ignored, or asking something that has been well-covered in our articles.  Instead, submit a few interesting questions that can reasonably be answered without research.

To view transcripts of past MLBTR chats, click here.

In the last three years, Twitter has become an essential part of MLB coverage.  Nearly every baseball writer has a Twitter account, and the majority of news is broken through this medium.

Twitter isn't the perfect medium for disseminating baseball news and opinions.  Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so context is often lacking.  Plus, traffic that previously went to the website of a major news outlet now may go primarily to Twitter itself.  One early concern was whether baseball writers would take Twitter seriously and make sure to post only reliable information.  That concern is all but gone as we approach 2012.  In my experience, baseball writers realize they must treat Twitter with the same permanence and seriousness as words printed in a newspaper.

Twitter is free to join; you can do so here.  You can follow us @mlbtraderumors.  Following MLBTR means you'll see a tweet for each new post, including a link to MLBTradeRumors.com.  We also re-tweet information we've added to pre-existing posts, so you know there's been an update.  Retweeting is simply passing along a tweet authored by a baseball writer.

For my personal opinions and the occasional piece of inside information, follow me @timdierkes.  Many MLBTR writers are on Twitter as well.     

The sixth annual MLB Trade Rumors Top 50 Free Agents list is here!  The entire list of available free agents can be found here, and you can filter by position and signing team with our free agent tracker here.

This year, I'm excited to introduce a new contest that will allow you to test your free agent prediction abilities against those of the MLBTR writing team as well as other readers.  After players start signing, we'll have a leaderboard showing the contestants with the best "batting averages" on their picks.  Once everyone has signed, the winners will receive sweet prizes.  Here are the top 50 free agents for which you'll be making predictions, along with my guesses.

1.  Albert Pujols – Cardinals.  The Cubs, Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners, Rangers, Marlins, Nationals, and Dodgers are other potential suitors, but a significant premium would be required to lure away the longtime Cardinal.  $225-230MM over nine years seems a fair compromise for the Cardinals and their superstar first baseman.

2.  Prince Fielder – Mariners.  Fielder has the same potential suitors as Pujols, with the Brewers also a possibility.  The Scott Boras client is a tough free agent to place, as there are good reasons for every team to avoid a potential $150MM+ commitment.  The Mariners and Cubs are the most likely matches for me.  Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik drafted Fielder in '02 with the Brewers, and his team lacks a premium bat.

3.  Jose Reyes – Brewers.  Reyes is another difficult top free agent to predict.  The Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Giants, Pirates, Reds, Twins, Rays, and Cardinals could have a need at shortstop, but not all of those teams can or should spend $100MM+ on Reyes.  The Mets will entertain re-signing Reyes, but the Brewers seem more likely to approach Ryan Braun's speculated $120MM price range.

4.  C.J. Wilson – Nationals.  Wilson's poor postseason may have damaged his stock slightly, but in his defense he racked up 250 innings over 39 starts this season in total and started 37 games in 2010.  $100MM is still possible for Wilson, though 78% of MLBTR readers think he'll fall short.  Front-of-the-rotation starting pitching is a big need for many teams, including the Nationals, Marlins, Royals, Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs.

5.  Yu Darvish – Blue Jays.  Darvish is not technically a free agent, and in fact he hasn't even decided about being posted at this point.  If he does come over from Japan, a $100MM commitment will likely be required.  The Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Nationals, Mariners, and Royals could put in bids, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a few "mystery teams" enter the fray.

6.  Edwin Jackson – Marlins.  Jackson, a Scott Boras client, could also make sense for the Nationals and several other teams looking for a 200-inning starter with upside.  Since Jackson is only 28, Boras could seek a four-year deal.

7.  Jimmy Rollins – Phillies.  Rollins probably won't find the five-year deal he seeks, but the Phillies have the need and the means to reach a new agreement with him.

8.  Aramis Ramirez – Orioles.  Ramirez seeks a multiyear deal, and as the best available free agent third baseman he's justified.  He could give the Orioles a powerful corner bat on a three-year deal.  

9.  Carlos Beltran – Red Sox.  Beltran is a tough player to place, if the Giants are unable to re-sign him.  He's a 34-year-old Scott Boras client who's likely to seek at least three years despite significant injury concerns in 2009-10 and a disinterest in being a designated hitter.  It'll take a team with a right field opening and a tolerance for risk.

10.  Jonathan Papelbon – Red Sox.  I can picture the Red Sox going as high as three years and $39MM to retain Papelbon, though the closer will test the market.  A half-dozen teams could seek closers this winter, but the list is short on big spenders and it's been a while since we've had a $40MM+ reliever.

11.  Michael Cuddyer – Twins.  Cuddyer would fit with the Rockies, Red Sox, or Cubs, but he's spent his entire career with the Twins and may prefer to stay.

12.  Mark Buehrle – White Sox.  Buehrle is another player who is difficult to picture with another club. The lefty finds the National League enticing, however, and he could join Ozzie Guillen in Miami since the Cardinals don't have an opening.

13.  David Ortiz – Blue Jays.  Ortiz backed off from his comments about Red Sox drama, and there's a limited market for an expensive player with no ability to play defense.  Still, he'd give Toronto's offense a nice boost without requiring more than a two-year deal.  That might leave Edwin Encarnacion having to play a significant amount of first base, however.

14.  Ryan Madson – Phillies.  If the Phillies don't re-sign Madson, and the Red Sox keep Papelbon, who would give Madson big money to close?  As a Scott Boras client, Madson could seek a four-year deal with a salary approaching $10MM.

15.  Hiroki Kuroda – Dodgers.  Kuroda doesn't want to play anywhere else, according to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.

16.  Carlos Pena – Pirates.  Pena is a nice fit for the Pirates on another one-year deal, assuming they don't re-sign Derrek Lee.

17.  Francisco Rodriguez – Marlins.  K-Rod, a Scott Boras client, would like to return to the closing role on a three-year deal.  The Marlins would have the opening and the money, if they non-tender Juan Carlos Oviedo.

18.  Roy Oswalt – Rangers.  Oswalt could return to Texas for a winning team, and he'll require a much shorter commitment than C.J. Wilson.

19.  Javier Vazquez – Retirement.  There's a strong sentiment that Vazquez will retire, but he'd be in demand if not after posting a 1.92 ERA and 6.05 K/BB ratio since mid-June.

20.  Heath Bell – Padres.  Bell hopes and expects to return to the Padres, perhaps on the first multiyear deal of his career.

21.  Coco Crisp – Giants.  Though he posted a low on-base percentage in 2011, Crisp could fill the Giants' need for a center fielder and leadoff man.

22.  Hisashi Iwakuma – Twins.  The Twins bid on Iwakuma last year when he was posted, and this year they can simply sign him as a free agent.

23.  Kelly Johnson – Dodgers.  Johnson could provide the Dodgers some offense from second base, though the Blue Jays and Tigers could also be in the mix.

24.  Josh Willingham – Reds.  As one of few affordable right-handed power sources on the market, Willingham could fit with the Reds, Rockies, Indians, and others. 

25.  Paul Maholm – Rockies.  Though Maholm does not appear to be on the Rockies' radar at the moment, he's coming off a decent season and won't require a huge commitment.

26.  Grady Sizemore – Marlins.  Sizemore is a classic risk/reward case, and the Marlins don't seem interested in playing it safe this winter.  

27.  Bartolo Colon – Red Sox.  Colon had an excellent comeback season, but he will still have a hard time finding a two-year deal.  Perhaps he could take an incentive-based contract and remain in the AL East with the Red Sox.

28.  Erik Bedard – Blue Jays.  If the Blue Jays hit on a wild card like Bedard and also land Darvish, they'd have a fearsome rotation.  Bedard is a healthy free agent for the first time, and perhaps he'll lean toward his native Canada.

29.  David DeJesus – Cubs.  DeJesus could be an asset for the Cubs at the outfield corners on a one-year deal.

30.  Jason Kubel – Dodgers.  Kubel could improve the Dodgers' offense as their left fielder, unless they go with Jerry Sands at the position.

31.  Ramon Hernandez – Pirates.  Hernandez would give the Pirates offense out of the catcher spot, though GM Neal Huntington may balk at giving up a second-round pick to sign him.

32.  Jeff Francis – Pirates.  Francis is one of many starting pitchers who could add depth to the Pirates' rotation at a reasonable cost.

33.  Chris Capuano – Mariners.  After subtracting Doug Fister this summer, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik seems likely to add a piece to his rotation.

34.  Tsuyoshi Wada – Orioles.  Wada is expected to come to MLB as a free agent, though one question is his ability to handle a full rotation workload.

35.  Clint Barmes – Twins.  Barmes provided good value this season, and the Twins have a clear middle-infield need.

36.  Casey Kotchman – Rays.  Kotchman posted a fine 2011 season after signing a minor league deal, but his price should remain reasonable as teams wonder whether he can do it again.

37.  Freddy Garcia – Yankees.  Even with Sabathia in the fold, the Yankees will need additional rotation depth.  Another stint with Garcia makes sense if his price remains reasonable.

38.  Aaron Hill – Diamondbacks.  Hill's stellar 142 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks this year provided hope he can bounce back in 2012.

39.  Johnny Damon – Orioles.  Damon probably requires a designated hitter opening, yet his level of offense doesn't justify a full-time spot.  He's a difficult free agent to place.

40.  Aaron Harang – Angels.  Would Harang accept a below-market deal to stay close to home?

41.  Jamey Carroll – Tigers.  The versatile Carroll fits at the top of the Tigers' order, playing mostly second base.

42.  Rafael Furcal – Cardinals.  The Cardinals and Furcal are known to have mutual interest in a new deal; he showed promise in his Cards stint this year.

43.  Juan Pierre – Reds.  Pierre will have to take a more reduced role next year, perhaps under Dusty Baker again.

44.  Frank Francisco – Mariners.  Francisco was homer-prone this year, but he's still an asset in the late innings.

45.  Jason Marquis – Mets.  Marquis may have to take a one-year deal with the Mets to realize his goal of playing in New York.  

46.  Joel Pineiro – Cubs.  Pineiro had great success in '09 in the NL Central, and could be a bargain if he rights the ship.    

47.  Jonathan Broxton – Mets.  Broxton had arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur and loose bodies from his elbow in September and expects to be ready for Spring Training.  Though he may not be the Broxton of old, I expect incentive-laden offers to be plentiful.

48.  Joe Nathan – Twins.  Nathan is excited about free agency, but after so many successful years closing for the Twins he may want to return to the role full-time in 2012.

49.  Kerry Wood – Cubs.  It's Cubs or retirement for Wood, and there's no reason not to bring him back.

50.  Bruce Chen – Royals.  As long as Chen's price tag doesn't get excessive, he's a good fit back with the Royals.

MLBTR has obtained the official Elias rankings for this offseason. The list below includes all unsigned ranked free agents.

Once the regular season ended, the Elias Sports Bureau took all players over the 2010-11 period, divided them into five groups for each league, and ranked them based on various statistics.  Each player was labeled a Type A, B, or none.  Those designations and the possible accompanying arbitration offers determine draft pick compensation.  If a Type A free agent turns down an arbitration offer and signs a Major League deal elsewhere the losing team gets two draft picks, one of them coming from the new team.  If a Type B free agent turns down an arbitration offer and signs a Major League deal elsewhere the losing team gets one draft pick in the supplemental round, and it doesn't come from the new team.  Keep in mind that an arbitration offer is necessary for draft pick compensation.

The numbers beside the players' names represent their rankings. If teams sign more than one Type A free agent, one team gets a top compensation pick and other teams lose out. The team losing the highest-ranked free agent obtains the best pick the signing team can offer and other teams fall in line behind the team that loses the top-ranked player.

Type A

• Albert Pujols, Cardinals – 95.200
• Prince Fielder, Brewers – 91.200
• C.J. Wilson, Rangers – 90.988
• David Ortiz, Red Sox – 86.000
• Ryan Madson, Phillies – 82.948
• Heath Bell, Padres – 81.437
• Carlos Beltran, Giants – 80.879 (cannot be offered arbitration)
• Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox – 80.292
• Ramon Hernandez, Reds – 78.947
• Roy Oswalt, Phillies – 78.350
• Michael Cuddyer, Twins – 77.671
• Josh Willingham, Athletics – 77.534
• Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays – 74.725
• Matt Capps, Twins – 73.788
• Darren Oliver, Rangers – 72.880
• Jose Reyes, Mets – 77.249
• Jimmy Rollins, Phillies – 76.720
• Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers – 75.671
• Octavio Dotel, Cardinals – 70.922
• Takashi Saito, Brewers – 69.627
• Francisco Cordero, Reds – 68.486

Type B

• Aramis Ramirez, Cubs – 71.978
• Mark Ellis, Rockies – 71.429
• Rod Barajas, Dodgers – 70.489
• Vladimir Guerrero, Orioles – 70.000
• Alex Gonzalez, Braves – 69.312
• Mark Buehrle, White Sox – 68.508
• Jason Kubel, Twins – 68.219
• Frank Francisco, Blue Jays – 68.211
• Raul Ibanez, Phillies – 68.022
• Ryan Doumit, Pirates – 67.857
• Bruce Chen, Royals – 67.248
• Hiroki Kuroda, Dodgers – 66.422
• Chris Snyder, Pirates – 65.414
• Brad Lidge, Phillies – 64.477
• David DeJesus, Athletics – 64.384
• Derrek Lee, Pirates – 64.000
• Magglio Ordonez, Tigers – 63.288
• Edwin Jackson, Cardinals – 63.154
• Ryan Ludwick, Pirates – 62.637
• Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks – 62.500
• Yuniesky Betancourt, Brewers – 61.905
• Kerry Wood, Cubs – 61.764
• Freddy Garcia, Yankees – 61.240
• Juan Pierre, White Sox – 61.233
• Jon Rauch, Blue Jays – 61.083
• Dan Wheeler, Red Sox – 60.905
• Cody Ross, Giants – 60.879
• Aaron Harang, Padres – 60.294
• Wilson Betemit, Tigers – 59.740
• Jose Molina, Blue Jays – 59.586
• Carlos Pena, Cubs – 59.200
• Pat Burrell, Giants – 59.121
• Arthur Rhodes, Cardinals – 59.019
• Shawn Camp, Blue Jays – 57.680
• Jason Varitek, Red Sox – 57.143
• Rafael Furcal, Cardinals – 56.085
• Clint Barmes, Astros – 55.556

Eddie Bajek reverse-engineered the Elias rankings for MLBTR and was right on every free agent except for Kelly Johnson and Joel Zumaya.

Congratulations to the Cardinals and World Series MVP David Freese for winning the 11th World Championship in franchise history tonight. Now that they're done playing on the field, all of the off-the-field fun starts.

Major League Baseball and the Players' Association announced earlier this evening that the start of the free agency period will be delayed by 24 hours, and will officially begin at 12:01am ET on Sunday, October 30th. All team/player/mutual option decisions are due by 11:59pm ET on Monday, October 31st. Free agents will be able to sign contracts with new teams starting at 12:01am ET on Thursday, November 3rd. The MLBPA will release a full list of free agents on Sunday, but here is our Free Agent Tracker so you don't have to wait.

Here are some other important offseason dates, courtesy of MLB.com…

• Nov. 23rd: Last day for clubs to offer salary arbitration to Type-A or B free agents in order to receive draft pick compensation. Deadline is midnight ET. Here are the reversed-engineered Elias rankings.
• Dec. 7th: Last day for free agents to accept arbitration, if offered. Deadline is midnight ET.
• Dec. 5th-8th: Winter meetings in Dallas.
• Dec. 12th: Deadline to tender contracts to players with less than six years of service time. Our Arbitration Eligibles series will give you an idea of which players are non-tender candidates.

Some players with more than two and less than three years of service time go to arbitration, while others don't. Going to arbitration an extra time, the right earned by baseball's super two players, is a clear advantage; super twos earn more than others in their service class.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned that 19 players qualified for super two status this year. But what about the others, those who missed the cut by a couple of weeks or a couple of days? Here are the players who narrowly missed super two status in 2011 (I'm only counting those currently on the 40-man roster of an MLB team):

• Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks, 2.145
• Angel Sanchez, Astros, 2.144
• Darnell McDonald, Red Sox, 2.143
• Ramon Troncoso, Dodgers, 2.143
• Scott Mathieson, Philllies, 2.142
• Alfredo Simon, Orioles, 2.142 
• Brian Burres, Pirates, 2.141
• Alejandro de Aza, White Sox, 2.139
• Chris Dickerson, Yankees, 2.138
• Tony Sipp, Indians, 2.138
• Kris Medlen, Braves, 2.137
• Adam Loewen, Blue Jays, 2.135
• Sean Rodriguez, Rays, 2.133
• Bobby Parnell, Mets, 2.132
• Matt Wieters, Orioles, 2.129
• Mitchell Boggs, Cardinals, 2.125
• Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks, 2.124
• Andrew McCutchen, Pirates, 2.123
• Matt Joyce, Rays, 2.123
• Gordon Beckham, White Sox, 2.123
• Tommy Hanson, Braves, 2.120
• Derek Holland, Rangers, 2.120
• Chris Coghlan, Marlins, 2.120

These players are now on track to go to arbitration three times and hit free agency after the 2015 season. However, many will be released and non-tendered over the course of the next four seasons.

Some players on this list bounced between the majors and the minors and just happen to have fallen short. Brian Burres, for example, has not been subject to service time manipulation. Others fell short for a reason. It's not a coincidence that McCutchen, Hanson and Beckham debuted within three days of one another in June, 2009. It's not a crime, either. Teams are operating within the collective bargaining agreement when they call players up strategically and service time is never the lone consideration for clubs.

Early in the 2009 season, before Wieters made his MLB debut, I explained why the Orioles might delay his callup until early June. "He won't accumulate more than 126 days service time. This would likely prevent him from becoming a Super Two and would likely save the Orioles millions of dollars in years ahead." As frustrating as it can be for fans to wait while MLB-ready prospects play in the minors, the Orioles weren't going to contend no matter what in 2009 and they are undoubtedly better off paying Wieters $500K than $3MM in 2012.

It is virtually impossible to think of two more closely-related things than baseball transactions and Halloween. After all, the holiday falls just as the baseball offseason dawns. The wrong moves can haunt an organization for years, even decades. Why, even "Trick or treat" is nothing more than a trade offer turned catchphrase.

Accordingly, it is no surprise that baseball's history of moves is littered with fear-inducing tales of horror. Why, teams have traded for Jerry "Casper the Friendly Ghost" Adair and Rick Helling. Even "Bloody" Jake Evans terrorized four seperate clubs. In recent years, the Cincinnati Reds have drafted both Benjamin Mummy and Michael Monster. But to find the truly frightening, it is necessary to take a closer look at transactions occuring on that dedicated day for mayhem: Halloween itself.

Permit me to tell you a tale of a pitcher, Sterling Hitchcock, the namesake of Hollywood's greatest master of suspense. After the Cardinals acquired him in a midseason swap, he started eight games — but by the end of each, had disappeared. Then, on Halloween 2003, Hitchcock was granted free agency. A fresh start, right? Sure. That's what Scottie thought he'd get in Vertigo, too. Hitchcock joined the San Diego Padres, but was instead haunted by memories of his former team. He would have them dress up in red uniforms, referred to Tony Gwynn as "Stan the Man", and made Fredbird uncomfortable by suggesting "he probably tastes like chicken".

Now dim the lights low and prepare to be unnerved by an even more disturbing Halloween transaction. This time, Halloween 1997 was the time. The trade? Mike Bell from the Texas Rangers to the California Angels for the lethal name of Matt Perisho. For the Rangers in 1998, Perisho was stalked by a devastating walks-per-nine ratio of 14.4 — toxic for any pitcher. As for Mike Bell, merely by virtue of being associated with baseball's second-scariest trade made him a pariah, playing for organization after organization — Diamondbacks, Mets, Reds, Rockies, White Sox, Cardinals, Indians — without ever finding a home.

But the most shriek-inducing baseball transaction of all time has to be the deal (I assume signed in blood) that sent Leo Nunez from the Royals to the Marlins for Mike Jacobs on Halloween 2008. At least, the Marlins thought they were getting Leo Nunez… until things went horribly wrong. In the midst of a season in which he'd save 36 games, Nunez suddenly, without any warning… disappeared. Was it… murder?!? As it turned out, it was identity theft… most foul. Leo Nunez is really Juan Carlos Oviedo. And where is Leo Nunez? Still, to this day… nobody knows.

And things were no better for Mike Jacobs. If my interpretation of this scouting report is correct, Jacobs lost both of his legs in a grisly wheat-threshing accident. (Editor's note: Megdal wildly misintrepreted a scout's comment that Jacobs "simply doesn't walk." MLBTR regrets the error.)

So as Halloween approaches, you may be missing baseball already. You may be impatient to see your favorite team sign or trade for solutions to the problems that plagued the roster in 2011. But if you want my advice: should your team try to tinker with its roster on Halloween itself, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Our 2012 MLB Free Agent Tracker is now available!  The tracker currently allows you to filter free agents by position.  You can also link to who's available at each position.  Once the information becomes available, you'll be able to filter, sort, and link by Type A or B, signed or unsigned, signing team, amount, and years.

If you'd like option and age data on free agents, you can check out our 2012 MLB Free Agents list.  The list is more useful for quickly seeing who's still available once players start signing, but both the tracker and the list will be constantly updated this offseason.

My top 50 free agents list with predictions will be published Monday.