Free agent outfielder Michael Bourn was thought to be the best natural center fielder in a market deep with center field talent. Projections had him finding a deal likely in the range of five years and $100 million. With just three shopping days left before Christmas, however, Bourn and his agent, Boras, have been left on the sidelines watching as team after team filled their center field needs with trades and signings to acquire less expensive options.

August 13, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Bourn (24) makes a diving catch in third inning against the San Diego Padres at Turner field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not unusual for a Boras client to wait to sign a big contract, but Bourn is an unusual player. Typically, power gets the big dollars and players relying on speed, like Bourn, are viewed more cautiously in longer-term deals. While Bourn is an elite defender in center field and routinely steals 40-50 bases per season, he doesn’t bring the presence that a middle-of-the-order bat would bring.

And though he’s drawn interest from several teams this season, the only one that seems legitimately interested is the Seattle Mariners, and even their interest is tempered by the sting of their last speedy free agent signing, Chone Figgins; a deal that went horribly bad for the M’s.

Boras and Bourn had been counting on the Phillies or the Nationals, or maybe the Braves to step up and start a bidding war to see which of them would get to sign the player. Instead, Bourn’s most recent employer, Atlanta, opted for B.J. Upton, a younger and cheaper center fielder who offers more power but lacks lead-off skills. Philly landed Ben Revere to fill their center field void and Washington traded for another Twin, Denard Span.

Meanwhile, Shane Victorino got $13 million per year from Boston, Angel Pagan landed a four-year contract with the Giants, and Bourn continued to wait.

It’s the same situation that faced Boras and his client, Prince Fielder, last Winter. By the time January rolled around, Fielder was still on the market, but there didn’t appear to be a big contract coming his way. All the supposedly interested parties had moved on and obtained other players to fill their first base openings. The price tag for Fielder was too high. He’d be forced to take a one-year deal and try his luck on the market again the following year.

All of a sudden, Victor Martinez came up with an injured knee and the Detroit Tigers had a hole in the middle of their order. Before long, Fielder was the owner of a nine-year, $214 million contract to play in Motown. Prior to VMart’s injury, Detroit wasn’t even interested in adding Fielder. Boras waited for an opportunity arose and he got a little lucky with a big market team suddenly having a desperate need for a power bat.

In order to get bourn the contract he wants, Boras will have to get a little lucky again.

This time, the big market Texas Rangers suddenly have a desperate need for offense after missing out on Justin Upton, and losing Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton to free agency. According to Jon Heyman, the Rangers have begun to show preliminary interest in the free agent center fielder. They had not previously been linked to Bourn.

Texas has met with Cody Ross as well and they’ve been rumored to in on Nick Swisher. Both of those players fit the needs of the Rangers a bit more than Bourn does in terms of a middle-of-the-order bat. Texas also lacks an established center fielder, however, and the addition of a guy like Bourn could allow Ian Kinsler to hit deeper in the order.

He’s not the same type of player as Hamilton, but Bourn could provide the Rangers enough of a boost to keep pace in the AL West. Meanwhile, the Rangers sudden interest might just mean another face-saving contract for Boras late in the off-season and maintain his reputation as the best agent in baseball.

There is an ever-present feeling that if the Texas Rangers wanted to re-sign Josh Hamilton, they could have done so by now.

Upton may be the key to deciding where both Greinke and Hamilton land. Image: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers, it seems, are holding up the entire free agent market as they try to figure out a way to get everything they want this Winter. That wish list includes one pitcher and one hitter. All indications are, however, that they cannot sign both Hamilton and Greinke. It has to be one or the other.

From the looks of things, the Rangers would prefer Greinke and another hitter to Hamilton and another pitcher. Texas has been working hard to land Arizona’s Justin Upton, but thus far have been unwilling to part with shortstop Elvis Andrus in order to complete the deal. Instead, the Rangers have been recruiting additional teams to try to appease the Diamondbacks’ desire for a shortstop.

All the while, Greinke waits for the Rangers. The Dodgers wait for Greinke. Hamilton waits for the Rangers. Seattle waits for Hamilton.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan told reporters yesterday that signing both Greinke and Hamilton was not out of the question, but the additional money would have to be approved by ownership. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have an unlimited supply of funds and plan not only to sign Greinke, but to add another starting pitcher as well, perhaps even Anibal Sanchez, who is likely to get a five or six year deal worth $75-90 million himself.

Seattle, according to reports this morning, have made significant progress toward a deal with Hamilton, but the former MVP has agreed to allow the Rangers an opportunity to match before he signs elsewhere. Texas won’t make such a decision without first knowing what Greinke will do and they don’t appear ready to offer Greinke a deal he’ll accept until they have a decision on Upton.

If the Rangers want to, the feeling is that they can get the balls rolling in short order. All it would seemingly take is a willingness to let go of Andrus. The longer they wait, the better the odds that they wind up missing out on both Hamilton and Greinke. Eventually, someone will blink.

#SFGiants might be tight squeeze to get swish due to $. #orioles out, #redsox likely out (barring trade). m’s, #indians in

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 6, 2012

Sep 20, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher (33) hits a grand slam during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners and Indians are the most likely destinations for the switch-hitting corner outfielder and my guess is that the Ohio State product would be open to playing in Cleveland under new manager Terry Francona, who has been recruiting the former Yankee. Seattle’s interest is real as well, but they probably cannot afford to add both Swisher and Josh Hamilton, whom they are still pursuing.

Swisher has consistently produced better than 20 home runs per season and has an excellent approach at the plate. He’s a solid defender who can also play first base if needed and, by all accounts, an asset in the clubhouse. While the Orioles don’t view him as the middle-of-the-order bat they seek, he would provide an instant upgrade to the offenses of either the Indians or Mariners.

The best fit for him, however, lies in San Francisco. Adding a quality hitter like Swisher to the Giants’ lineup would be a big step toward keeping the Dodgers at bay in the NL West. San Francisco cannot outspend Los Angeles, so they need to make smart decisions with their money. While Swisher would stretch the budget perhaps beyond its limit in 2013, the Giants have over $40 million coming off the books at the end of the 2013 season when both Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito are eligible for free agency.

Swisher has eight consecutive seasons of 20 home runs or more. Image: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

Swisher made headlines late in the regular season when it was reported that he would be seeking “Jayson Werth money” on the open market. It’s highly unlikely his price will get anywhere near those figures, especially with the Yankees and Red Sox out of the running, but Swisher could still land a nice pay day.

According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, Swisher spoke directly with managers from two different clubs on Tuesday and his agent, Dan Lozano, met with as many as four different teams. Buster Olney added that Swisher’s representatives met with the Baltimore Orioles, but it’s unclear whether or not the O’s were one of the four clubs Brown referenced.

AL source: Orioles met today with the representatives for Nick Swisher.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 5, 2012

Swisher has drawn some level of interest from the Giants and could be of interest to teams like Philadelphia and Cleveland. The Seattle Mariners are considered by some to be the front runners for his services, as they appear to have the biggest need and willingness to spend money. I could also see Swisher making sense in Milwaukee or Cincinnati, but with either of those two teams, the market would almost have to fall apart and Swisher would need to be open to a shorter term deal.

Once the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes are settled, Swisher becomes the next biggest fish on the corner outfield market. He’ll make a nice consolation prize for some club, and he’ll likely still get a fairly sizable deal, probably in the four year range.

Bay was limited to 70 games in 2012. Image: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Bay was bought out by the New York Mets earlier in the off-season after an extremely disappointing season and an underwhelming run in the Big Apple. He’s from British Columbia, so Seattle is about as close to home as he can possibly play and stay in the big leagues. He also attended college at Gonzaga.

It makes sense for Seattle given their dire need for offense and it won’t be much of a risk given that Bay is getting $21 million yet from the Mets. He figures to be a cheap sign.

Bay had been drawing at least some level of interest from a few other teams including the Boston Red Sox. He also made sense for teams like Cleveland and Detroit, who both need a right handed bat in left field.

That’s what ESPN’s Buster Olney says about where the current bidding on free agent infielder Marco Scutaro has gone.

Bidding on Marco Scutaro said to have reached something in the range of 3 years, $24 million; SF viewed as frontrunner by source involved.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 4, 2012

Scutaro produced an .859 OPS in 61 games with the Gianst last season. Image: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

For a 37-year-old player who didn’t become an everyday player until his early thirties, this seems excessive. Even for a guy who was so valuable to the World Champion San Francisco Giants down the stretch.

Scutaro can play second, third, or short effectively and on an everyday basis and he brings a professional approach at the plate. Nicknamed “Blockbuster” by his Giants teammates after being acquired from Colorado, Scutaro was immensely popular with in the clubhouse. According to Jon Morosi, he’s just as popular at the Winter Meetings.

We know about the Cardinals’ interest and the Giants are working hard to re-sign Scutaro. Most consider the Giants the favorites to finalize a deal with their second baseman. The Yankees could be involved as well, while the Phillies and White Sox have needs at third base that Scutaro could potentially fill.

He’s a very solid player, but he is unspectacular both at the plate and in the field. There certainly is a value in having no significant flaws in your game, even if your game is also without any significant “plus” tools. Is that value $8 million per season for three years? For a 37-year-old utility man?

That much sounds crazy.

So why is Bourn one of the last remaining center fielders standing around when nearly all of the available seats have already been filled?

Bourn was supposed to be the best center fielder on the market, so why is he one of the last ones without a job? Image: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have been seeking a center fielder, but they came up a reported $20 million behind Atlanta in their bid for B.J. Upton. They also were outbid by San Francisco for Angel Pagan. The Nationals were looking for someone to patrol center, but they added Denard Span via trade with the Twins.

Meanwhile, Bourn continues to sit out there on the market. He’s an outstanding defender, a true lead-off man, and a threat to steal 40+ bases every season.

There do remain some teams that could certainly use his services, but none that seem to want to pay the kind of money that Bourn is looking to get. If Upton got better than $15 million per season, most figured that Bourn could command close to $20 million. At this point, he has to be wondering where that money is going to come from.

The traditional big spenders don’t seem to have room either in their budget or in their outfield for Bourn. The Yankees have scrolled back spending and Boston has Jacoby Ellsbury in place. The Dodgers have all three of their outfielders locked up long term. The Texas Rangers could be a possibility, but that only happens if they fail to re-sign Josh Hamilton and fail to swing a deal for Arizona’s Justin Upton. If Bourn is waiting to be the Rangers third option, he may be waiting a while.

The Mets need an outfielder, but there are questions about how much money the Wilpon family can commit to the payroll. You’d like to think that the teams that lose out on the Hamilton sweepstakes could view Bourn as the next best option, but they are so dissimilar as players that the market really isn’t the same.

Boras has played chicken with the market before and he usually wins. Sometimes it takes a stroke of luck, like last year when Victor Martinez tore up his knee in December, opening the door for Price Fielder’s giant contract in Detroit. Again though, Bourn isn’t the cleanup hitter how can mash 40 homers in a season like Fielder or Hamilton. He likely won’t be viewed as the same type of game changer, though he does have a great impact on the offense and defense.

The Cincinnati Reds are probably the best fit for Bourn, but that’s money they won’t spend. If the market falls apart and he has to settle for a one or two year deal, I could see the Reds being in play but more than likely when the season begins, Bourn will be elsewhere. The Mariners need offense of any kind and while they have an elite defensive center fielder already in Franklin Gutierrez, Bourn is a much better all around player and would fit well in the expansive outfield at SafeCo Park, even if the fences are coming in.

The one club that has the money and could use a guy like Bourn that no one is talking about is the Chicago Cubs. They like Brett Jackson a lot, but he’s still very young and has a lot of problems making contact at the plate. Chicago has already made a handful of shrewd moves that will bolster their rotation and allow this club to get significantly better. I’m certain that Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein would love to build from within, but if a player like Bourn is available he’s the type of guy that can speed up the timeline toward contention.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants are six other teams involved in the sweepstakes to add one of the top free agents in the 2012 offseason.

Despite a down year, Victorino was still worth 3.3 WAR due to his continued excellence on defense and on the basepaths. He was one steal away from 40 and played good defense in center field (never easy to do), and that trumps a .321 OBP. He’ll bounce back at the plate, because his BABIP was down from his usual totals. His numbers were actually not bad for a center fielder, but they were still a bit below-average (94 wRC+).

Victorino could even sign before the end of the Winter Meetings given all the interest surrounding him, and it is interesting to hear that the Indians have serious interest in Victorino. We’ll see how things move during the next few days for both sides, and the star outfielder certainly has plenty of options and plenty of money to be gained this offseason.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners have expressed interested in signing McLouth, per Fox Sports MLB insider extraordinaire Jon Paul Morosi. It’s interesting to hear that the M’s have interest in signing McLouth, because I don’t see him as an ideal fit for this team especially given McLouth’s inconsistent play over the past three seasons.

2012 was the best year of the three for the former Pittsburgh Pirates star, but he was still worth under 1 WAR (0.8). He did do an excellent job during the end of the season for the Orioles, but I feel like he’s riding high on a strong postseason appearance that carries far more weight than it should. McLouth had an OBP of .314, and his best option at this point is to re-sign with the Orioles.

To be honest, the Mariners need to be investing their time and money with an outfielder who can play at a high-level of around 4 WAR or so, or even at least about a 3 WAR level. McLouth is a subpar player, and the only team that has a legitimate hand in signing him is Baltimore at this point in time.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Much of Lohse’s recent success can be attributed to his improved command. Image: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Heyman notes that Boston has prioritized finding offense, as evidenced by the recent signing of Mike Napoli, but they remain in the market for pitching as well. Heyman also says that Boston inquired on fellow right hander Anibal Sanchez, but found the asking price off-putting.

Lohse is considered the third or fourth best starter on the open market and the Red Sox have a few vacancies in their rotation. Reports have also connected them to NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, who is being shopped in trade talks by the New York Mets.

Boston has plenty of money to spend, but Lohse won’t command the same price as Sanchez or Zack Greinke. At 34, he’s a touch younger than Ryan Dempster but Lohse is represented by Scott Boras, which probably negates any favorable edge he had in that comparison.

Over the past couple of seasons, Lohse has pitched to a 3.11 ERA in 399.1 innings and has won 30 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. Lohse was given a qualifying offer by the Redbirds, which he declined, so any team that signs him will forfeit a draft pick in order to do so.

Lohse has also drawn interest from the Dodgers and Angels.