Guessing where top five free agents will land

Most of the major free agents remaining on the open market must be signed at some point, don’t they?

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona next week and many high-profile players remain without teams. The circumstances seemingly dictate there will be a surprise signing or two with a player landing with a team no one would have expected when the offseason began.

Let’s take a guess --- and it’s only a guess in this strange winter --- on what uniforms five players will be wearing on opening day:

Yu Darvish

A lot of teams have been linked to the right-hander but he really wants to return to the Texas Rangers or Los Angeles Dodgers. However, neither team is willing to agree to a long-term deal. The Chicago Cubs covet Darvish and seem most likely to land him, though he won’t get the $150-million contract he expected.

J.D. Martinez

The Boston Red Sox have not come off their five-year, $125-million offer to the outfielder/designated hitter for weeks and have no reason to up the ante. Agent Scott Boras is the master of getting “mystery teams” involved in negotiations but no one else wants to go five years on a 32-year-old one-tool player.

Eric Hosmer

The Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres have been locked in a small-market stare down with the first baseman for over a month. Hosmer has spent his entire career with the Royals and that is where he is going to end up unless the Padres substantially --- and surprisingly --- increase their nine-figure offer.

Jake Arrieta

Many baseball people thought the right-hander was stretching it when he sought a seven-year contract at the outset of the winter. They were right. Arrieta isn’t likely to get more than four years and the gut feeling is the Milwaukee Brewers will sign him, both to bolster a young starting rotation and tweak the Cubs, their National League Central rivals.

Mike Moustakas

The music has stopped yet the slugging third baseman is without a chair. The Royals have decided to move on and give Cheslor Cuthbert an opportunity to play third base. Though the Atlanta Braves haven’t been mentioned much as a suitor, they make a sense as a landing spot on a one-year contract that would enable Moustakas to try free agency again next offseason.