Heyman's Free Agent Predictions

Here's his predictions for the top 9 free agents on the market from SI.com:

The Mega Stars

1. Sabathia. Good for the Brewers and their go-for-the-gusto owner Mark Attanasio to make a serious try at around $100 mil. And while the Dodgers, Angels and others might also make a play, realistically the Yankees can blow everyone away. My call: Yankees, seven years, $160 million.

2. Teixeira. The Angels love Teixeira and badly want to keep him. Other teams expected to be in the hunt include the Orioles, Yankees and Mariners. The Red Sox look like a long shot from here, unless than can unload 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell (not likely after recent hip surgery). My call: Angels, eight years, $150 million.

3. Ramirez. He's not going to like the Dodgers' short-term bid and will play the field. The Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays and Phillies are among those expected to check in. My call: Dodgers, three years, $75 million.

Best of the Rest

4. A.J. Burnett, starting pitcher. Once he exercises his Blue Jays op-out clause, the money should roll in. Timed his best year well. My call: Yankees, five years, $80 million.

5. Francisco Rodriguez, closer. Record-setting reliever lost a few mph but still figures out how to get batters out. My call: Rangers, five years, $75 million.

6. Derek Lowe, starting pitcher. Proved to be clutch again this postseason. Seems to want to go East. My call: Mets, four years, $56 million (but the Yankees will be pitching, too, and Lowe's hometown Tigers could be a dark horse).

7. Ryan Dempster, starting pitcher. He should stay in Chicago, which helped turn him into a successful starter: My Call: Cubs, four years, $56 million.

8. Brian Fuentes, closer. An excellent but cheaper alternative to K-Rod. My call: Mets, $39 million, three years.

9. Ben Sheets, starting pitcher. Health is a question. (If he were surely sound, he'd be close to a $100-million pitcher himself.) As one GM said, "How can anyone give him a long-term deal?'') But they love him in Houston. My call: Astros, $28 million, two years.

7 years $160M for CC, and 5 years $80M for Burnett? Those are huge contracts, both in price and especially in years.

I understand they are going to have to make an offer like that to land CC, so I don't have a major problem with it, although it's probably 10M too much and one year too long.

The Burnett prediction bothers me a little more. 5 years for a guy who can't stay healthy? Scary.

The rest of the article has predictions on the lower level free agents, players on the trading block, as well as much more. Here's what he had to say about Brian Cashman:

6. Brian Cashman, Yankees GM. It's like the winter of 1992-93 all over again, where the Yankees had bags of cash with which to entice big-time free agents. (That time, managing partner Joe Molloy was the point man, and after they lost out on Barry Bonds, Maddux and David Cone, they came back with Jimmy Key and Wade Boggs, and traded for Jim Abbott.) The Yankees will try first and hardest for Sabathia, but also have their sights on Burnett, Lowe and possibly Sheets. They will look into Teixeira and Ramirez for good measure. If they don't get Teixeira, look for Blake as a backup plan.