The champagne is scarcely dry in the visitor's clubhouse at Citi Field, and already the MLB hot stove is crackling to life.
While the Kansas City Royals and their fans bathe in bubbly and confetti, 29 other squads are looking eagerly to the offseason and the raft of available free agents, many of whom will switch uniforms in the coming months.
Yes, the annual winter meetings are still several weeks away, and a number of marquee names won't cut deals until the new year.
But it's never too early to speculate. That's what makes this long, cold slog between actual baseball action bearable.
To that end, let's examine the top 10 free agents of the 2015-16 class and search for clues as to where they might sign.
The first few names are obvious, but some of the list is open to debate (and please do exactly that in the comments). In curating a top 10, we considered a number of factors, including recent track record, FanGraphs' WAR calculation, relative value of position and skill set (power hitters are at a premium, for example), and postseason performance where applicable.
You might swap out a player here or there, or disagree with the ranking order, but the point is these are all top-tier talents who will be hotly pursued by multiple suitors and should make a significant impact wherever they end up.
If you're interested, and of course you are, the MLB Players Association released a full list of the 139 free agents who are ripe for the inking beginning Sat. Nov. 7. Note that a couple of the names on our list—Zack Greinke and Alex Gordon—aren't in the MLBPAA release because they have player options that they're widely expected to decline.
Things are obviously fluid at this early stage, and there will be plenty of unexpected twists between now and spring training. But based on current rumors and a sprinkling of educated guesswork, here's where 10 of the offseason's most coveted prizes could land.
Sidle up to the hot stove, and proceed when ready.
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