MLB: Ranking the top 5 free agent first basemen

It’s a new week which means in today’s column I’m moving onto a new set of free agents: first baseman. There are quite a few really good candidates in this year’s free agent class at first base.

In you either didn’t read my rankings of the Top 5 free agent starting pitchers or the Top 5 free agent catchers, here’s a little reminder about this series of columns. I’m going around the field starting with the position one (the pitcher) to position nine (the right fielder) plus a tenth column ranking the top five free agent relief pitchers.

The day after the World Series all eligible players become free agents and teams have five days to either exercise their option on a player or give them a qualifying offer. If no agreement is made within the five day time period then players can sign with any team in the league and the “Hot Stove” season officially begins.

The Hot Stove season is the name for all the goings on between players and teams over the off-season and all the fans who are talking about it. Imagine fans decades ago standing around a “hot stove” talking about all the different options their favorite teams had and speculating on which player will end up where. There you have it the Hot Stove season.

Bidding can go sky high on free agents as last year we learned when Robinson Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners for ten years and $240 million.

Players who still have options will be considered unrestricted free agents, for all intents and purposes in these columns, as their options have not been exercised by their current teams. Their names will be marked with an asterisk should they make the following list of the top five free agent first baseman out there.