"I think it will be a difficult offseason," veteran agent Tom Reich says. "A lot of clubs hope to help themselves through trade rather than free agency."

There are only a handful of free agents that teams are openly coveting, with pitcher John Lackey and outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay highlighting the class. Nobody is expected to come close to eclipsing the $150 million barrier, as New York Yankees Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia did a year ago.

The Chicago White Sox, who acquired starter Jake Peavy and outfielder Alex Rios over the summer, are staying away from free agency, White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf says. They already are close to their 2010 budget, Reinsdorf says, particularly after adding $117.3 million worth of contracts in the two players.

"We signed our free agent already," Reinsdorf says. "His name is Jake Peavy."

The Detroit Tigers, whose payroll ballooned past $125 million this summer, perhaps exemplify the philosophical change by some teams. For the first time in years, general manager Dave Dombrowski says, they are considering offers for their players rather than seeking reinforcements.

They have entertained offers for center fielder Curtis Granderson and starter Edwin Jackson, whose 2010 salaries will be more palatable for other clubs to absorb.

"This is a different mind-set than we've had in recent years," says Dombrowski, whose team sustained a 25% drop in attendance. "This isn't a fire sale, but we are willing to listen to anything out there."

Enlarge By Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images John Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA for the Angels in 2009. A model of consistency, the right-hander has won 10 or more games in 7 of his 8 major league seasons.