MLB free agency Top 50: Ranking the best players available this winter, starting with Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta

Buckle up, friends. A very odd free-agent season is coming.

With the sport hurtling toward an elongated work stoppage and labor battle, the upcoming offseason projects to be disjointed, chaotic and boring all at the same time. When the existing collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, MLB will lurch into a transactional dead period. As team owners and the MLBPA bargain over the game's future , general managers, agents and players will, for the most part, be twiddling their thumbs and waiting around. That oncoming storm should precipitate a flurry of moves in the days and hours leading up to that Dec. 1 deadline, which is how things went five years ago during the 2021-22 lockout.

This free-agent class, however, is notably light on top-tier talent. That's particularly true on the position-player side, where, for the first time in a decade, no hitter is expected to receive a nine-figure contract. Still, there are a bevy of corner outfielders and more every-day second basemen than we can ever remember seeing on the open market. There's also a lot of starting pitching; 12 hurlers who started a postseason game in 2026 are set to become free agents.

The lack of impact bats could spark a friskier than normal trade market, though the lockout will surely stunt that to a certain degree. Nobody really knows how the labor showdown is going to play out. Opening Day could happen on schedule. We could miss months of the 2027 season. It's a total mystery.

If you're looking for certainty, please direct your attention to the following list of free agents, ranked meticulously in the inarguably correct order.

Note: This list does not include any players whose team or player options are overwhelmingly expected to be exercised, thus preventing them from becoming free agents. Ages listed are for the 2026 season (age on June 30, 2026). You can find a full list of pending free agents here .

A man in his own tier. No matter how you slice it, no matter whom you ask, the two-time Cy Young winner is the premier prize of this class, and it's not particularly close.

Skubal entered the season on track to challenge for the single largest free-agent contract ever handed out to a pitcher, a record currently held by Yoshinobu Yamamoto at $325 million. But in early May, things got squirrely in a hurry when the then-Tigers southpaw missed a start due to elbow discomfort. Thankfully, scans revealed no ligament damage. Instead, Skubal underwent an innovative, new procedure to remove bone chips in his elbow. He was back on a big-league mound by June 13. It was a remarkably quick comeback.

As the Tigers continued to wallow on the outer fringes of the AL wild-card race, attention turned toward Skubal as a trade chip. Just a few days before the deadline, the two-time defending champion Dodgers pounced, sending a trio of prospects to Detroit for the all-world southpaw and sending much of the baseball world into yet another round of anti-Dodgers agita.

In L.A., Skubal blocked out the noise and kept on carving, working to a 2.61 ERA across 10 regular-season starts. He threw twice during the club's abbreviated October run, in 100-degree heat against the Braves in NLDS Game 1 and against the NL champion Brewers in NLCS Game 1 . Both of those outings were shorter than he or the Dodgers would've liked, but for the most part, Skubal looked like Skubal.

So while 2026 wasn't the smooth, problem-free walk year that Skubal might've hoped for, he now enters free agency with a rosy outlook that should propel him to a record-breaking deal. The final contract figure almost certainly starts with a three, if not a four. Given the uncertainty surrounding the impending lockout and the new financial landscape that might emerge, folks around the industry think Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, will move quickly to secure a deal before the baseball world goes dark on Dec. 1.

This October, "Fastball Freddy" looked completely rejuvenated with the Rays after a bizarrely bad, abbreviated stint with the Mets. His velocity has climbed back up to career-best levels, and his nasty changeup has played up as a result, making him nearly untouchable down the stretch and into the postseason, where his remarkable trajectory was reviewed on national broadcasts as he pitched his way to ALCS MVP honors .

When Peralta arrived at Mets spring training in February, there was little questioning his status as the second-best free-agent-pitcher-to-be after Skubal. The question now is how much damage did he do to his stock while wearing blue and orange? Based on his larger track record, those few months sure look like an untimely outlier. And given that he looked as good as ever as a Ray, there's restored optimism that the right-hander could land the nine-figure deal that seemed to be slipping away in the season's first half. Wherever the final number ends up, the team that lands Peralta can feel a lot more confident that they are adding an impact pitcher capable of being a difference-maker when the stakes are highest.

Suzuki made good on the five-year, $85 million deal he signed with the Cubs when he came stateside after starring in Japan's NPB, and now he hits the open market again with a chance to exceed that first MLB contract as arguably the top free-agent hitter. While Suzuki's relative youth enhanced his earning power five years ago, he now has a half-decade of proven big-league production that should enamor teams seeking an impact bat.

The 2026 season featured a few interesting developments in Suzuki's profile: a big step forward with his outfield defense and a notable decline in his underlying batted-ball metrics (career-low hard-hit and barrel rates), while his surface-level stats (26 HR, .841 OPS) remained quite strong and he walked at a career-high 12.4% clip. That Suzuki seems to have restored his stock as an every-day right fielder, rather than one trending toward DH-only, is a pretty big deal and part of why he gets a slight edge in our rankings over a similar bat but worse defender in Randy Arozarena. The subtle declines in Suzuki's offensive game are worth considering as he enters his mid-30s, but this is still a terrific right-handed slugger who would upgrade any lineup. Expect him to get paid accordingly.

Since bursting on the scene with a legendary hot streak with the Rays in the 2020 postseason, Arozarena has been one of the most reliably entertaining and productive position players in MLB. He was one of the few bright spots amid an otherwise disastrous Mariners campaign in 2026, delivering his best regular season at the best possible time and setting career highs in batting average (.281), on-base percentage (.381), slugging percentage (.484) and fWAR (5.5). As always, Arozarena racked up some gaudy counting stats along the way: He joined Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Bobby Abreu and Willie Mays as the fifth player ever to record six consecutive seasons with 20-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases.

That's the kind of stunning fun fact that Boras, Arozarena's agent, is likely to seize on as he tries to sell teams on the outfielder as the best bat in this free-agent class. However, Arozarena is not without his flaws, and his longstanding reputation as a poor (and sometimes lackadaisical) glove at a position already far down the defensive spectrum (left field) is going to scare off some teams forecast a downtick in offensive output coming sooner rather than later; after all, his underlying metrics don't jump out as much as his surface-level stats. Still, in this shallow class, it would hardly be surprising if Boras can convince a club to splurge on a player with Arozarena's steady track record and unique star power.

5. Michael King, SP, 32 ($28 million player option)

If King tests the open market, that probably says more about the market than it does the $58 million King would be forgoing. However, the affable righty was incredibly effective this season, reaching 185 innings for the first time in his career with a crisp 3.21 ERA. The peripherals were a bit less friendly, but this is definitely a guy you can feel comfortable starting in Game 1 of a playoff series. King's willingness to work out of the bullpen in the NLDS only added to his reputation.

Relying on a sinker-changeup combo means King is also relatively platoon-neutral; in fact, he was actually better against lefties than righties this season. That mix, the athleticism, the playoff pedigree, the improved durability; it all comes together to make an enticing package. King is squarely the third-best starter available.

The clear headliner among this offseason's wave of players making the jump from Japan's NPB is Sato, a left-handed slugger with titanic raw power who has taken his game to new heights over the past couple of years. A solid power bat with the Hanshin Tigers earlier in his career, Sato's stock exploded in 2025, when he hit .277/.345 .579 with 40 homers in 139 games. That made him look like Babe Ruth during the dead-ball era, as Sato's stupendous slugging stood out at a time when offense in NPB has been notably down; just one other hitter hit more than 23 home runs in 2025 (Franmil Reyes with 32). Sato's breakout raised expectations for 2026, and somehow he exceeded them, slashing .306/.383/.609 with 39 homers in 143 games.

Stylistically, it's tempting to compare Sato to last winter's prodigious Japanese lefty slugger, Munetaka Murakami. Murakami's profile was fiercely debated until the White Sox signed him to a smaller deal than expected, and he proceeded to have a largely successful but predictably volatile rookie campaign. From a raw power standpoint, Sato and Murakami are roughly on the same level, with Murakami having the slight edge though both are capable of punishing balls with exit velocities in excess of 115 mph. Sato's strikeout rate has hovered around 27% the past two seasons, while Murakami's was closer to 30%.

The crucial distinction between the two players' plate discipline profiles is that while Sato whiffs less (especially in-zone) than Murakami, he chases significantly more pitches outside the strike zone. So while Sato might not strike out as often as Murakami, he might have a much tougher time offsetting those strikeouts with walks. The other element tilting in Sato's favor is his defensive outlook. He is not a definitive lock to stay at third base, but he has the athleticism to warrant a longer look at the hot corner than Murakami, who was immediately moved to first. Sato and his strong arm could also profile well in a corner outfield spot. Of course, it's still all about the bat, and if a team believes he can fully translate his special slugging potential, Sato is going to get paid handsomely.

The long-time Padre is one of the more compelling characters available this winter. He ranked third in 2026 in innings pitched by relievers (86), which lends credence to a team being interested in stretching Morejón out into a starter. A sturdy four-pitch mix (sinker, changeup, slider, four-seam) is another indicator that the stout Cuban could make the leap to a rotation. And even if nobody bites on that transition, Morejón is still the most enticing bullpen arm on the market. He is one of just four relievers with more than 60 innings pitched and an ERA under 3.00 in each of the past three seasons (Mason Miller, Tyler Rogers, Cade Smith). Layer on his age — Morejón doesn't turn 28 until February — and you've got the makings of a four-year deal.

Very few pitchers over the past few seasons have oscillated between dominance and disaster as frequently and as drastically as the former Oriole. Rogers came to Baltimore at the 2024 trade deadline and was downright unviable for the remainder of that season, earning him a demotion to Triple-A. Then he reappeared in the Show mid-May 2025 and put together 18 magnificent starts, earning him downballot Cy Young votes. The 2026 season was Jekyll mixed with Hyde. Rogers had a seven-start stretch with a 10.01 ERA and a seven-start stretch with a 1.69 ERA. His final season numbers were a reflection of that inconsistency, though a 3.45 FIP points toward brighter days.

So why is Rogers ranked this high? Pitchers rarely hit the open market this young, coming off a 160-plus-inning season and having, at some point, showcased this level of impact. Some team is going to see a frontline starter lurking beneath the surface here and pay up accordingly.

Milwaukee's cleanup hitter is more than just a sensational October hero story ; Bauers raked all season. And somehow, the underlying metrics are even more bullish. Only two qualified hitters this season finished in the top 10th percentile in hard-hit rate, launch-angle sweet spot rate and barrel percentage: Bauers and AL MVP front-runner Yordan Alvarez. Impressively, Bauers also ran a higher walk rate than Alvarez, though he struck out significantly more.

There are holes in his game, to be sure. Besides the strikeouts, Bauers is a poor defensive first baseman who can fake it in the outfield but probably shouldn't. There's also such a small track record of production at this level that some teams will be scared off. Still, given the dearth of difference-making bats on the market, Bauers should be in line for a real payday. We think three years is in play.

Jeffers was enjoying a career year when a left hamate fracture in May sidelined him for two months, an untimely sequence, as he never quite restored his top-tier form down the stretch before reaching free agency. Still, there's a lot to like about Jeffers' game that separates him as the clear-cut top free-agent backstop available and earns him a lofty spot in our rankings. Catchers with his combo of contact skills and solid power are rare; his 119 wRC+ over the past four seasons ranks eighth among his qualified positional peers . The glovework is just OK at best, but it's sufficient enough to warrant serious consideration from clubs seeking fresh blood behind the dish. It's also worth noting that after Skubal, Jeffers is one of Scott Boras' top clients in this year's class.

Lowe's one season in Pittsburgh — he was traded there from Tampa Bay last winter — was probably the most productive and complete of his career. The nine-year vet appeared in a career-best 150 games, clobbered 35 long balls and turned himself into a legitimately great second-base defender. Health has always been the biggest bugaboo for the former Maryland Terrapin, but whenever he plays more than 110 games, he reaches the 30-homer mark. Not a bad schtick in our opinion. There's enough here, particularly with the defensive breakout, to think a team would commit to Lowe for three seasons.

Before the 2026 season, Chisholm boldly proclaimed that he intended to clock 50 homers and steal 50 bags, something accomplished only by Shohei Ohtani in 2024. Instead, Chisholm delivered a womp-womp of a walk year, finishing the campaign with a roughly league-average batting line, 19 homers and 41 steals. That's a productive player but not the franchise-altering force many thought Chisholm could become. It was also a big step back from his encouraging 2025, in which Chisholm went 30/30, posted an OPS over .800, made the All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger Award.

One can spend ample time dissecting what Chisholm isn't, but it's also worth pointing out what he is. The gregarious Bahamian is one of the most valuable baserunners in the sport, a speedster with great feel for life on the bases. His glove, too, grades out phenomenally well at the keystone. That creates a really high floor, one that might convince teams to take a risk on the other, more mercurial pieces of the puzzle. If it ever fully clicks, Chisholm could compete for an MVP. If he can replicate his 2025, he's an immensely valuable player. But is anybody willing to pay to find out?

13. Sonny Gray, SP, 37 ($30 million mutual option)

Pitchers this old rarely get multi-year deals, but Gray could be an exception. His one season in Boston was a smashing success, even if the peripherals were a tad more pessimistic than the surface-level stats. The durability (age aside) is also a calling card; Gray is one of just nine starters who have surpassed 160 innings in each of the past three seasons (Tanner Bibee, Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Freddy Peralta, Cristopher Sánchez, Framber Valdez, Michael Wacha, Logan Webb). Veteran playoff starters don't grow on trees.

Speaking of veteran playoff starters, Mahle cemented his resurgent second half in Atlanta with two stellar postseason outings. Traded from the Giants to the Braves at the deadline, he was even more valuable on a run-prevention basis than Tarik Skubal. Atlanta upped the usage on his split-finger, which led to a nice bump in chase rate and ground-ball rate. Mahle then surrendered just two earned runs across 13 1/3 playoff innings against two very dangerous lineups (Philly and Los Angeles). Admittedly, it's a small, recent sample of effectiveness. But that's enough nowadays. It felt like Mahle was earning himself another million with each postseason punchout. We think he gets three years.

We think Adrian Morejón will get paid like a converted starter, which is why Bednar gets the "best reliever available" label. The Pittsburgh-raised closer ranks fifth in saves since the start of 2025, with 62, and is one of just six relievers with 60 innings pitched and an ERA under 3.00 in each of the past two seasons (Miller, Morejón, Rogers, Smith, Louis Varland). Given all the buzz and weight and noise, being The Closer for the New York Yankees does indeed carry an added level of pressure, pressure that Bednar handled with aplomb. With his even-keeled comportment and a dialed three-pitch mix (even split of splitters and four-seamers with some curveballs scattered in), Bednar will be paid by a contender to handle the ninth.

For nearly a half-decade, Happ was the paragon of consistency, one of just eight players to appear in at least 150 games and post an OPS+ above 115 every season from 2022 to 2025 (Pete Alonso, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Francisco Lindor, Matt Olson, José Ramírez, Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto). But the 10-year Cubbie endured a relative down year at a bummer of a time, with career lows in a swath of important categories in 2026. Still, there are myriad reasons to believe in Happ's profile moving forward. The switch-hitter still walks a ton, rarely chases, plays great outfield defense and knocks the ball into the seats. A reunion with either Happ or Suzuki feels like a reasonable course of action for the Cubs, but this is one of the free-agent situations where the impending lockout could make things complicated.

Arraez spent most of 2026 debunking the league-wide doubts that lingered over his free agency last winter before he landed with the Giants on a one-year, $12 million deal. He made his fourth career All-Star Game, dramatically improved as a defender at second base and spent most of the year battling for a batting title. But his performance post-trade with Philadelphia wasn't great, and an ankle injury in September rendered him unavailable for the Phillies' brief postseason run. That sends Arraez back into free agency on a less inspiring note than he seemed to be trending toward. His lack of power remains an inescapable limiting factor for teams considering giving Arraez a multiyear deal, but his transformation with the glove should strengthen his market relative to what he experienced last year.

After accepting the qualifying offer from Detroit last winter, Torres made two trips to the injured list during the 2026 season due to a left oblique strain, which resulted in his fewest games ever played (96) in a full major-league season. But while the sample (420 plate appearances) was smaller due to the missed time, Torres' .364 OBP in 2026 was a career high. Less encouraging was a career-low .363 slugging percentage. He's a negative on defense and on the basepaths, but Torres' advanced on-base skills should appeal to teams trying to lengthen their lineups. A healthier version of Torres probably slugs a bit more, too.

Simply put, big-league pitchers are not built like Taira. At 5-foot-8 and roughly 220 pounds, Taira's only physical comparison on a major-league pitching staff is late-blooming Baltimore bullpen arm Rico Garcia (5-foot-9, 215 lbs.). That complete lack of parallels — along with the fact that Taira has spent only two of his nine seasons with the Seibu Lions in the rotation (2023 and 2026) — is why there is skepticism that Taira can hold up as a starter stateside. In 2026, there were only three full-time starters (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga, Sonny Gray) listed at 5-foot-10, and only three more pitchers of any role were listed shorter than that (Garcia and Sam Moll at 5-foot-9, plus Yuki Matsui at 5-foot-8).

This is one basic precedent that Taira will need to overcome in his quest to land a sizable free-agent contract, but he's got plenty else going for him. We probably should've mentioned already that Taira's career ERA in 592 NPB innings is 1.78, including a league-best 1.36 across 146 frames in 2026 as he transitioned back to the rotation in anticipation of making the jump to MLB this offseason. His return to a starting role allowed him to showcase his diverse repertoire beyond his headlining heater that averages 96 mph; he also attacked with an 83-mph slider (20%), a 91-mph cutter (18%), an 88-mph changeup (11%) and an 85-mph splitter (9%). At the very least, Taira's having thrived as a reliever earlier in his career should give MLB clubs confidence in a fallback plan if his quest to stick in a major-league rotation doesn't go well. Taira is a special talent — and quite young for a free-agent pitcher — so his transition to the majors will be monitored with great curiosity no matter where he lands and how much he signs for.

20. Clay Holmes, SP, 34 ($12 million player option)

Holmes' transition from All-Star reliever to rock-solid rotation option has been impressive. Is there another gear for him to reach as a starter, even in his mid-30s, or is the cement dry on his profile as an extreme groundball artist with minimal whiff potential and a sturdy floor as a regular-season innings-eater? At the very least, whichever team scoops up Holmes will want to have a stellar infield defense behind him.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick looked to finally be living up to his draft status with a terrific first half (2.79 ERA in 77 ⅓ innings) that earned him his first All-Star invite. But the right-hander was downright dismal (7.46 ERA in 44 ⅔ innings) after being traded to San Diego and finished the season on the injured list due to an ankle sprain. His limited track record of top-notch run prevention and his troubling injury history might scare off some clubs, but it's not hard to imagine a team with a strong pitching infrastructure looking at Mize's ingredients and seeing a midrotation starter, potentially at a relative discount.

22. Michael Soroka, SP, 29 ($10 million mutual option)

It has been a long and bumpy road for Soroka, who finished sixth in Cy Young voting as a 21-year-old with the Braves way back in 2019. Three Achilles surgeries derailed his ascent, pushing him firmly into "remember that guy?" territory. But Soroka signed a one-year deal with the Nats in 2025 and pitched well enough to earn a midseason trade to the Cubs and another one-year pact, this time for $7.5 million with Arizona. Soroka had a few injury stuttersteps with the D-backs but generally put together a productive season, showcasing enough meaningful changes (lower arm slot, added a cutter) to convince a team to give him multiple years.

The Rays signed Martinez to a one-year deal just before spring training this season with modest hopes that he could provide the pitching staff with some stability and the clubhouse with veteran leadership and good vibes. The well-traveled right-hander far exceeded expectations on and off the field, as he quickly emerged as everyone's favorite teammate while thriving in the rotation, making his first All-Star Game and finishing with a 3.10 ERA that ranked sixth among qualified AL starters. Exceptional command and a fantastic changeup enable Martinez to stifle opponents despite having one of the lowest strikeout rates in the league (15.1%). It'll be fascinating to see if his outstanding clubhouse reputation and late-career breakout earn him a multiyear deal.

With nearly 500 major-league innings under his belt, we've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Imanaga. He throws a boatload of strikes and can get a healthy amount of whiffs despite below-average velocity, but he is one of the most homer-prone pitchers in the league. No pitcher has allowed more dingers than Imanaga (93!) over the past three seasons, which makes his run prevention rather volatile. That Imanaga has served up that many long balls and still has a 3.45 career ERA speaks to his terrific pitchability, and he has been largely durable since arriving stateside, so there's real value to be had here — especially if he lands in the right ballpark.

25. Nick Pivetta, SP, 34 ($14 million team option)

This is a funky one. San Diego has a $14 million option on Pivetta for 2027, but if the Padres activate it, Pivetta gets an $18 million player option for 2028. Essentially, the Padres would be committing two years and $32 million to a starter who was just limited to 34 ⅔ regular-season innings. We think that's a bit of a dice roll for San Diego, and that's why Pivetta makes this list for now. It helps that Pivetta looked like himself upon his return from injury, working to a 2.86 ERA and 1.01 FIP across eight regular-season starts. The fastball velocity and carry were both there, granting Pivetta a ton of chase above the zone. When healthy, Pivetta is the type of character qualified to handle a postseason start. We're just a bit iffy on the health part.

What a story. The former first-rounder refurbished his career across three seasons in Japan, then made his stateside return last winter, inking a one-year deal with the Nationals. Griffin quickly blossomed into Washington's best hurler, thanks to great command and a kitchen-sink mix. D.C. dealt him to Cleveland at the deadline, and Griffin regressed a tick but generally comported himself well. There's enough here, between the durability and the left-handedness, to command two years. If some team can conjure more velocity out of Griffin, though, he goes from a nice rotation piece to a real playoff starter.

A year ago, France looked dangerously close to the end. He'd latched on with the 2025 Blue Jays but earned just one start and four plate appearances in that World Series. Then France snagged a minor-league deal with San Diego in spring training and proceeded to author the most productive season of his career. He popped 21 bombs, finished sixth in the NL with a .295 average and added outstanding defense at first base. Whether that's enough to earn him a two-year deal remains to be seen, but remember: It takes only one team to believe in the bounce-back.

What a tumultuous and eventful tenure it was for Bohm in the City of Brotherly Love: an All-Star selection, five trips to October, three seasons with a batting average .280 or higher. He is flawed, infuriating, inspiring and occasionally productive. Bohm's go-ahead big fly in wild-card Game 2 felt like an appropriate capper to his time in Philadelphia.

So what kind of player is this guy moving forward? Bohm doesn't chase that much, rarely strikes out and squares the ball up a ton. Despite his size, that contact isn't always firm and definitely isn't at optimal angles. Defensively, he's a bad but playable third baseman who looked better than expected after a midseason move to first. He should sign with the Rockies, hang out with his old friend Mickey Moniak and win a batting title in Coors Field's expansive pastures.

Did you know that from Aug. 1 on, Bohm had a higher wRC+ than Junior Caminero?

Young center fielders coming off down years

Varsho was a key cog for a 2025 Blue Jays club that came within inches of a parade. Go watch his left-on-left homer against Blake Snell from Game 1. Sadly, the stocky Wisconsinite's bat regressed in '26 and got even worse after a deadline deal to the Astros. Varsho's calling card — a phenomenal outfield glove — held firm, giving his profile a slightly higher floor than the two center fielders listed below him. Offensively, though, there are red flags everywhere. His foot speed, bat speed and barrel rate all declined precipitously. Then again, it's a weak market for center fielders, and Varsho can definitely still play the position.

30. Luis Robert Jr., CF, 29 ($20 million team option)

The Mets acquired the tantalizing, injury-plagued toolshed last winter as part of their roster reshuffle. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) Robert missed two-and-a-half months due to a spooky-sounding ailment: lumbar spine disc herniation. He came back two weeks before the deadline and raked, but not enough for anybody to take a chance on him. New York offloaded him at the waiver deadline to the Orioles, who were trying to make a late playoff push. But after three games with the Birds, Robert got injured once more, this time with a hamstring issue.

Baltimore holds his $20 million option for 2027, an option we predict they'll decline. There's just too much uncertainty — with Robert and with the CBA — to make that hefty a gamble.

Robert, when healthy, has a relatively high floor, given his skills in center. Theoretically, that should give him the leeway from a playing time perspective to get his bat right. The issue with that approach is that if Robert hits the shelf, it throws the whole thing sideways. We predict a one-year deal that allows him the opportunity to rebuild his value.

Grisham was primed to hit the open market coming off a career year last winter, but then the Yankees extended him the qualifying offer. He gleefully accepted, then proceeded to deliver a frustrating and odd 2026. We'll get to the offensive profile in a second, but the headline on Grisham is that he's no longer a viable defender in center. Among the 29 players who logged at least 500 innings in center this season, Grisham ranked dead last in both Fielding Run Value (FRV) and Outs Above Average (OAA). He also rated as the second-slowest every-day center fielder. The eye test, as Yankees fans know, backed up that data.

That development pokes a massive hole in Grisham's profile, even though there's still a lot to like about his bat. He never chases, rarely whiffs, walks a ton and squares the ball up a lot. But Grisham's patience often borders on passivity, which is why his batting average so often tickles the Mendoza Line. His motor and focus also came into question at various times throughout his Yankees tenure.

For Grisham to get multiple years, one of two things needs to happen: Either a club has to believe, for some reason, that it can refurbish Grisham's athleticism and squeeze a few more viable years out of him in center. Or a team has to be particularly bullish on Grisham's bat, viewing him as productive enough to carry an every-day corner outfield spot, despite his shortcomings against left-handed pitching.

Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman are often grouped together as the ultimate triumvirate of millennial closers, and rightfully so. But the similarly aged Iglesias has also been a spectacular game-ender for nearly a decade now without much fanfare, exemplified by his making his first All-Star Game at age 36. He's back on the open market after another year of handling ninth innings with aplomb, and he would represent an upgrade at closer for plenty of teams. The downward velocity trend is concerning — Iglesias' heater averaged 94 mph in 2026, down from the 96-97 range he resided in a few years ago — but his secondary stuff supports a profile worthy of high-leverage opportunities.

The first season of Pederson's two-year deal with Texas was a downright disaster (77 wRC+), but the second was quietly stellar (128 wRC+), albeit primarily in a platoon role. Considering Pederson's complete incompetence against lefty arms and nearly nonexistent defensive value — in 2026, he appeared in just 13 games at first base and four in right field with the Rangers — this ranking might be a bit generous. But Pederson still crushes right-handed pitching and is a highly regarded clubhouse presence who should draw interest from contenders.

Many, including Stephenson himself, expected the longtime Reds backstop to be dealt at the trade deadline, but Stephenson stayed put for the second half to (likely) finish his lengthy stint in the organization after being drafted out of high school in 2015. Stephenson has been an above-average hitter the past three seasons (107 wRC+), providing some solid pop and drawing a healthy number of walks. His defensive profile is a bit more split, as he rates as an excellent blocker but a poor framer and does not control the running game well. There are flaws here, but for teams seeking an every-day catcher, Stephenson's plus makeup and solid bat make him an intriguing free-agent alternative to Jeffers.

35. Carson Kelly, C, 32 ($7.5 million mutual option)

Blocked by Yadier Molina in St. Louis early in his career, Kelly enjoyed a lengthy stint as the D-backs' primary backup before bouncing to the Tigers, Rangers and Cubs. He found a new gear offensively with Chicago, posting a career-best 115 wRC+ in 2025 and recording a career-high 425 plate appearances in 2026. While injuries and inconsistency have cut into his playing time over the years and his defense is more good than great, Kelly's bat has trended favorably and would be welcomed in a lot of lineups.

36. Kevin Gausman, SP, 36 37. Robbie Ray, SP, 35

In the days leading up to the previous MLB lockout, Gausman and Ray each inked five-year free-agent contracts — Gausman with the Blue Jays for $110 million and Ray with the Mariners for $115 million. Gausman didn't miss a start and became a fan favorite in Toronto before being dealt to the Cubs at this year's trade deadline, while Ray underwent Tommy John surgery and was traded twice during his deal. It's clear with hindsight which contract worked out better, but this duo now reenter the market with similar value as veteran workhorses who could be quite useful to a bunch of teams during the regular season but probably shouldn't be counted on to start postseason games anymore.

An oft-injured backend arm earlier in his career, Boyd has hit his stride in his mid-30s as a crafty southpaw starter who is ultra-tough on lefty bats. His excellent changeup headlines a repertoire light on velocity but deep enough to keep hitters guessing. As a competent left-hander and stellar clubhouse presence — two traits all teams covet — Boyd should have plenty of suitors.

May's unsightly 4.70 ERA in 2026 might mean he'll need to settle for another prove-it deal like he did last winter (1 year, $12.5 million with St. Louis), but we're more optimistic about his chances of commanding more dollars this time around after he set career highs in starts (31) and innings pitched (145 ⅔) while restoring his velocity to the 96-97-mph range. It's concerning that multiple organizations renowned for pitching development (Dodgers, Red Sox, Brewers) have struggled to get the most out of May, but this is still a relatively young pitcher with intriguing raw stuff.

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters developed two of the best Japanese players to ever come stateside in Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani. In 2025, Itoh became the first Fighters pitcher since Darvish in 2007 to win the Sawamura Award for best starting pitcher in NPB, leading the league in innings pitched (196 ⅔ across 27 starts) by a wide margin (second-most was 175 ⅓) with a 2.75 ERA. He regressed across the board in 2026, however, somewhat damaging his stock in advance of an expected posting and jump to MLB. At 5-foot-9, 187 pounds, Itoh is not exactly an imposing physical presence, and his velocity is well below average for a right-hander. Still, talent evaluators are enamored with Itoh's pitchability and deep pitch mix, so he could net a multiyear deal from a team seeking rotation upgrades.

A reliable utilityman and bat off the bench, Sosa never eclipsed 300 plate appearances in his five years in Philly. Might another team view him as a starter and pay him accordingly? Perhaps, but we think a contender wins the bidding here. Sosa is a chase-happy walk-hater, but he can really pick it and has good feel for the barrel. He's also a winning player, one who could serve as the weak side of an infield platoon in the right situation.

Dubón emerging as a legitimately good defensive shortstop after eight seasons of admirable utility work qualifies as one of the more surprising, under-the-radar developments of 2026. The affable Honduran also had a nice year with the bat, leaning heavily into a high-contact, low-whiff approach. We have him behind Sosa because (1) he's older, (2) there's less offensive juice, and (3) we're skeptical the industry views him as a no-doubt, elite option at short. Still, this is a really helpful piece, one the Braves might well bring back on a low-AAV, multiyear deal.

From 2022 to 2025, Abreu was one of the most valuable relievers in the big leagues, a bona fide strikeout machine whose wicked fastball-slider combo overwhelmed hitters with regularity. Had he sustained that level of performance in his platform season, he might be 10-15 spots higher on this list. Instead, his velocity dipped and his control evaporated in 2026. His walk rate ballooned to an untenable 15.3%, and his ERA climbed to 3.73, a big jump from the 2.30 he posted over the prior four seasons. The stuff is still quite nasty, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Abreu net a multiyear contract, but there's work to be done here.

44. Alex Vesia, RP, 30 45. JoJo Romero, RP, 30

Only four southpaw relievers threw at least 50 innings with an ERA under 3.50 in each of the past three seasons: Morejón, Braves fireman Dylan Lee and these two. Vesia gets the edge over Romero just because he has done it in big spots for a juggernaut Dodgers team year after year after year. Vesia elicits a ton of whiffs and chases with his high-ride four-seamer, but he loses the zone too often to consider him in the upper echelon of relievers.

Romero, meanwhile, etched his name into October history with three scoreless innings against the Dodgers in the NLCS, including a two-inning outing in the Game 4 clincher . Romero is also something of a Shohei Ohtani kryptonite; the four-time MVP is 1-for-10 against the southpaw.

A pair of arm injuries (rotator cuff, Tommy John) robbed Phillips of a year and a half, but he returned this season and looked like his typical effective self. He strikes out a lot of dudes and hardly walks anybody — probably the two most important things a reliever can do. Phillips is downright nails against righties, thanks to a mindbending sweeper that had a .059 average against this season. The medical history is less than encouraging, but Phillips seems to be past that now, as much as any hurler can be. A two-year pact is in play.

Ward appeared as high as No. 8 on our in-season free-agent rankings , but he plummeted down the list amid a horrific second half. After a deadline deal sent the righty-swinging outfielder from Baltimore to Seattle, Ward went a disastrous 11-for-88 with no doubles, no homers and just one triple. His substandard defense didn't help matters. For whatever reason, Ward completely altered his profile in 2026, trading power (dude hit 36 homers in 2025) for patience (no qualified hitter chased less in 2026). That makes him a total mystery moving forward, and the first question from any interested ballclub has to be "Uh, Taylor, what kind of hitter are you, exactly?"

Like fine wine. The 2022 NL MVP's second act as a southpaw-destroyer has been quite the development. Goldschmidt finished 2026 in the top 10th percentile in nearly every meaningful rate category against left-handed pitching. That's why, one month after his 39th birthday, the seven-time All-Star led off for the Yankees in Game 1 of the wild-card round against the Red Sox. Given his age and specific role, nobody is giving Goldy multiple years, but this is still a very helpful player. New York's trade-deadline acquisition of Luis Garcia Jr. and the potential impending return of Giancarlo Stanton might leave Goldschmidt without a spot in the Bronx, but other contenders that could make use of a righty 1B/DH include Atlanta, San Diego, Arizona and Seattle.

There's little that's overwhelming or sexy about Bell's profile at this point. He's a platoon-neutral, switch-hitting DH who doesn't do anything at an elite level. But if you need someone to put together professional at-bats and end the season with a league-average line, this is your dude. You won't win a World Series or reach October because of Bell, but you can certainly do it with him. After he logged a productive 2026 in Minnesota, expect another fringe contender of that ilk to settle for Bell. They could do a whole lot worse.

Retirement, for the veteran slugger, is certainly in play. After a renaissance with Toronto in 2025, Springer came crashing back to Earth, and his final week of 2026 was handled as if the cleats might be hung up. If the four-time All-Star wants to keep going, though, he should be able to find a gig as a bench bat and part-time DH. Springer is just a year removed from a seventh-place MVP finish, after all.

51. J.P. Crawford, SS, 32 52. Ramon Laureano, OF, 32 53. Tyrone Taylor, OF, 32 54. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, 31 55. Eric Lauer, SP, 32 56. AJ Minter, RP, 33 57. Gregory Soto, RP, 32 58. Antonio Senzatela, RP, 32 ($14 million club option) 59. David Peterson, SP, 31 60. Jack Flaherty, SP, 31