2010 MLB Free Agents: Cliff Lee Leads Crop Of Starting Pitchers On The Market

Cliff Lee: the crown jewel of the offseason free agent market, Lee is coming off a year in which he posted the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in baseball history, and the 32 year old southpaw is sure to pitch like an ace for whichever team ends up with the winning contract over.

Carl Pavano: though a famous bust with the Yankees, Pavano has posted a 4.39 ERA these last two years over 65 starts with the Indians and Twins, and he offers a desirable blend of command and durability.

Hiroki Kuroda: all Kuroda's done since coming over from Japan is get hitters out, and while he's 35 years old, his fastball/slider/splitter combo is good enough to work in most any environment.

Jon Garland: though hardly a sexy name, Garland's been a successful innings-eater from the time he broke into the league, and as he's still just 31, he could end up signing a contract that keeps him in place for two or three years.

Jake Westbrook: it looks like the sinker-baller is going to stay put in St. Louis, but nothing's official, and now that he's a year and 33 starts removed from Tommy John surgery, Westbrook seems like a guy who could help any rotation.

Javier Vazquez: a year ago, Vazquez was one of the top starters on the planet. Then he went to New York, lost his fastball, and came apart. Vazquez will be an interesting gamble for someone looking to recapture the talent that he's had everywhere except with the Yankees.

Jeff Francis: Francis had major shoulder surgery in 2009, but rebounded nicely in 2010, throwing a lot of strikes while getting his fastball up to pre-surgery levels. Armed with a very good changeup, Francis could be of a lot of help as someone's #4.

Brad Penny: before his year was stopped early by a shoulder strain, Penny was having an excellent 2010, with strikes and a bunch of groundballs. No one's idea of durable, he still throws hard, and he should still be able to land a good amount of money.

Vicente Padilla: despite some injuries that cut his season in half, Padilla was very strong with the Dodgers for 95 innings, and could help an NL team that wants a veteran with good stuff in the back of its rotation.

Worth noting: Andy Pettitte (who will likely either retire or return to the Yankees), Kevin Millwood, Aaron Harang, Freddy Garcia, Doug Davis, Bruce Chen, Jeremy Bonderman.