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These free agents need to find deals as fast as they can

Jose Bautista was a relative bargain on his last contract, but can he score a big deal this offseason? Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

After an initial burst of signings and a few trades, baseball's transaction machine has slowed a bit (hello, Yoenis Cespedes and Jon Jay) as we near the winter meetings. Well, alleged winter meetings given the rumblings of a lockout, which would end more than 20 years of a general cease-fire between the owners and the MLB Players Association.

Further complicating matters is the chance of a 26-man roster, changes to the qualifying offer structure, and now more remotely, an international draft -- all things that could affect a team's approach to its roster. But eventually, the free-agent market will kick into full gear -- and there are several players who have a vested interest in finding a home in 2017 as quickly as possible due to the dynamics of the market.