Last offseason Shohei Ohtani was arguably the top free agent available of all time, ultimately signing a record deal with the Dodgers. The Ohtani chase generated a lot of coverage and speculation about where he was going to land – both literally and figuratively, as people tracked which plane he was flying on to see which teams he was visiting.
Another generational talent will be up for grabs this offseason as Juan Soto looks to ink a record long-term deal of his own. The 2024-2025 free-agent class also features some top starting pitching talent and a surprising amount of relief help. There are also some impact bats available for those teams looking for some power.
Let’s take a closer look at the list of the top 35 free agents of this offseason.
Top 35 Free Agents
1. Juan Soto
Age: 26
2024 WAR: 7.9
2024 season statistics:
.288 AVG | .419 OBP | .569 SLG | 41 HR | 109 RBI | 7 SB
Soto is the overwhelming crown jewel of this year’s free agent class and could attract a deal in the Ohtani-range of $500 million+. He just turned 26 years old, an age when most players are just entering their prime, but Soto broke into the majors at age-19 and has already accumulated over 200 career home runs. He had a solid debut season in New York, notching career-highs in hits (166), home runs (41), and finishing one RBI short of a career-high. Soto also led the AL in runs scored with 128.
The four-time All-Star boasts a career slash line of .285/.421/.532, and he is currently ranked 19th all-time in OBP, just ahead of Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Frank Thomas, and Stan Musial.
The big question is – will Soto return to the Big Apple to team back up with Aaron Judge? A player as good as Soto typically doesn’t hit the market as often as he has. Only time will tell if he chooses a new franchise or decides to lock up long-term with the Yankees.
Update 12/9: It is official – Juan Soto is a New York Met. After all of the speculation, Soto signed a staggering 15-year deal worth a record $765 million, making him the highest paid player of all-time. Mets Owner Steve Cohen once again showed he will spend whatever it takes to get the player that he wants. The Mets will already a pretty good team in 2024. After sneaking into the playoffs, they took the Dodgers to six games in the NLCS. Soto swaps out Aaron Judge and now will pair up with Francisco Lindor to form a strong one-two punch for the Mets.
2. Gerrit Cole*
Age: 34
2024 WAR: 3.4; PLV: 5.20
2024 season statistics:
95.0 IP| 8-5 W-L | 3.41 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 199 K
Cole can opt out of the remaining four years and $144 million that he is owed on his current contract with the Yankees, so is included on this list with an official asterisk. He can hit the free agent market if New York decides not to add a 10th year to his current contract which would be at a $36 million cost. When healthy, Cole is still in the conversation for best pitcher in the game, but he made only 17 starts in 2024 as he spent time on the IL during the first few months of the season with elbow discomfort. In his Yankees career, Cole has racked up a 59-28 record with a 3.12 ERA and 915 strikeouts in 759 IP. He has three All-Star game appearances and three top-five Cy Young finishes, including capturing the 2023 award. The big question is whether or not the Yankees can afford to bring back both Cole and Soto or if they will be forced to choose only one.
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 2.0; PLV: 5.22
2024 season statistics:
194.1 IP | 15-9 W-L | 2.92 ERA | 1.10 WHIP | 181 K
Corbin Burnes made the transition to the American League look easy after coming over from the Brewers last offseason. He shined in his first season in Baltimore making 32 starts and compiling a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star game while serving as the rotation ace for the up-and-coming Orioles and has been a model of consistency over the past four seasons, compiling a 48-30 record with a 2.94 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. The right-hander is one of the top pitching talents on the market and is younger than Cole and Blake Snell so he could fetch a massive contract. He is a Scott Boras client so it will be interesting to see how the pitching market plays out for him this offseason.
4. Blake Snell*
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 2.1; PLV: 5.26
2024 season statistics:
104.0 IP | 5-3 W-L | 3.12 ERA | 1.05 WHIP | 145 K
Snell has a player option for 2025 to return to the Giants but is expected to opt out and hit the open market, so is also included with an asterisk on our list. Snell struggled in San Francisco over the first half of 2024, as he went 0-3 with a 6.31 ERA in eight starts. After the All-Star break, he turned things around, likely calming any fears from prospective teams. From July 22 onward, Snell went 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA and 103 strikeouts in only 68.1 IP. His cumulative season WHIP of 1.05 was the second-best of his career, and a significant drop from his Cy Young Award season last year when he had a 1.19.
Update 11/30: The rich get richer, as the freshly minted World Series champions lock up two-time Cy Young Award winner Snell for the next five years at a total of $182 million. Snell has started seven career games in Dodger Stadium, where he has compiled a 2.03 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP through 31.0 innings, so he is clearly comfortable there.
5. Max Fried
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 3.5; PLV: 5.19
2024 season statistics:
174.1 IP | 11-10 W-L | 3.25 ERA | 1.16 WHIP | 166 K
After making only 14 starts in 2023, Max Fried doubled his output with the Braves this season, finishing with an 11-10 record in 29 starts. The highlights of Fried’s season were two complete games he threw, including a complete game shutout against the against the Marlins in April. He showed his durability by making eight other starts of seven innings or more, including his last start of the season, when he narrowly missed a third complete game after throwing 8.2 innings. Fried’s strikeouts-per-nine rate dropped a bit in 2024 (from 9.3 to 8.6), but he instead found success by inducing groundballs. With his four-seamer, he forced hitters into groundballs 55.3% of the time, which put him in the 99th percentile in all of baseball.
Update 12/12: The Yankees missed out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but they end up handing out a big free agent contract to the tune of 8 years and $218 million. The recipient of said contract: 30-year-old Braves lefthander Max Fried, who owns a career record of 73-37 and an ERA of 3.07. It was the most guaranteed money to a lefthanded pitcher in MLB history.
6. Pete Alonso
Age: 29
2024 WAR: 2.6
2024 season statistics:
.240 AVG | .329 OBP | .459 SLG | 34 HR | 88 RBI | 3 SB
Pete Alonso has clubbed 226 home runs over his six seasons in New York, which puts him third all-time in franchise history and only 26 away from Darryl Strawberry for the top spot on the list. He has certainly cemented himself in Mets history, ever since he burst onto the scene as a rookie, hitting 53 home runs while being named an All-Star and capturing the NL Rookie of the Year. After the Mets were knocked out of the playoffs by the Dodgers, Alonso talked about how much he has enjoyed his time in New York, but that he is unsure about his future. As another Scott Boras client, the “Polar Bear” could earn a hefty paycheck for a new team looking for a slugger. If Alonso is indeed done with his Mets career, he went out with a bang, leading New York on a surprise run to the NLCS. He also provided an all-time moment in the Wild Card series when he hit a home run in the ninth inning to lead the Mets over the Brewers.
7. Alex Bregman
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 4.1
2024 season statistics:
.260 AVG | .315 OBP | .453 SLG | 26 HR | 75 RBI | 3 SB
It seems like Alex Bregman has been around forever, but he is still only 30 years old. He has manned the hot corner for the Astros for the past nine seasons, serving as a franchise stalwart on some dominant Houston teams. Over that timeframe, Bregman played in four World Series and won two championships. He is a two-time All-Star and has hit 191 home runs during his career while also providing stellar defense in the field. Bregman led the AL in third-base fielding percentage in 2017 and 2024 and his career fielding percentage mark of .968 is good for 20th all-time.
8. Willy Adames
Age: 29
2024 WAR: 3.1
2024 season statistics:
.251 AVG | .331 OBP | .462 SLG | 32 HR | 112 RBI | 21 SB
Perhaps no one on this list raised their profile and their chance at a nice payday as much in 2024 as Willy Adames. Adames hit an abysmal .217 in 2023 but responded with a monster year in 2024. He raised his slash line to .251/.331/.462 (much closer to his career numbers of .248/.322/.444) and was a model of consistency for Milwaukee, playing in 161 games. He was also second in the NL in RBI with 112, and 10th in runs scored with 93. At the end of August/beginning of September, Adames homered in five straight games and ended the season with a total of 32 home runs, breaking his own franchise record for most home runs by a shortstop.
Update 12/9: Adames moves to the NL West and signs with the San Francisco Giants. The deal is worth $182 million over seven years and includes a $22 million bonus. He will fill a need for the Giants at shortstop as the team looks to improve their 80-82 record from last season. The Giants’ last winning season was in 2021 and since then have gone a pedestrian 81-81, 79-83, and 80-82.
Age: 29
2024 WAR: 3.1; PLV: 5.11
2024 season statistics:
162.0 IP | 13-7 W-L | 3.17 ERA | 1.07 WHIP | 194 K
Jack Flaherty debuted in the majors with the Cardinals back in 2017 and broke through with a great season in 2019. He went 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA and led the NL in WHIP with a mark of 0.97. In the following seasons, Flaherty was solid but inconsistent as he racked up a 23-15 record with a 4.42 ERA in 2020-2023. After a brief run with the Orioles, Flaherty signed a one-year $14 million deal with the Tigers last off-season. In Detroit, Flaherty was rejuvenated and again looked like the pitcher he was in 2019. The right-hander made 18 starts for the Tigers, compiling a 7-5 record and 2.95 ERA before the Dodgers traded for him at the trade deadline this season. In Los Angeles, he went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA, for a total record of 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 2024.
Flaherty looked inconsistent once again during the NLDS and NLCS as he sandwiched a great start (7.0 innings, no earned runs, six strikeouts) between two subpar outings. In Game 5 of the NLCS, he lasted only three innings while surrendering eight runs on eight hits. Despite the struggles, he remains one of the top arms on the market this offseason. If I had to guess I would bet that Flaherty decides to leave LA and signs a long-term contract with a different contender.
Age: 32
2024 WAR: 4.3
2024 season statistics:
.272 AVG | .339 OBP | .501 SLG | 33 HR | 99 RBI | 12 SB
Teoscar Hernández was named an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2024, his first season with the Dodgers. He hit a new career high in home runs and had the second-highest RBI output season of his career. Hernández also won the All-Star Game Home Run Derby and afterward, remained unphased by the slump that some derby winners find themselves facing. He actually raised his slash line from .261/.327/.475 in the first half to .289/.360/.542 after the All-Star break. Hernández was especially clutch in September and early October hitting .329 with five home runs and 12 RBI over the last month of the regular season. Despite the potential for a longer-term deal last offseason, Hernández signed a one-year deal with LA before this season. He has now played his way to a longer deal, whether it is with the Dodgers or elsewhere.
11. Tanner Scott
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 4.0; PLV: 5.45
2024 season statistics:
72 IP | 9-6 W-L | 1.75 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 84 K
Scott had the best season of his career in 2023 going 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA and 12 saves. He followed that up with nearly a carbon copy season of success in 2024, notching a 9-6 record but with a better ERA (1.75) and more saves (22). Scott was particularly filthy in the first half of the season for the Marlins. He had 18 saves with a 1.18 ERA and 1.01 ERA in 45.2 IP before going to the Padres at the All-Star break. He mostly served in setup duty for San Diego, notching 10 holds and four saves the rest of the way. With his strong last two seasons, Scott will be one of the most sought-after relief arms on the market.
12. Yusei Kikuchi
Age: 33
2024 WAR: 1.4; PLV: 5.34
2024 season statistics:
175.2 IP | 9-10 W-L | 4.05 ERA | 1.20 WHIP | 206 K
Kikuchi has been a serviceable, yet unspectacular, mid-rotation starter throughout his MLB career. His career numbers going into this season: 32-37, 4.71 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 634 career strikeouts in 631 innings. Then he was traded to Houston at the All-Star break and looked like an ace. Kikuchi went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA and posted individual games of 11 strikeouts and 12 strikeouts. Most impressively, his WHIP with the Astros was just 0.93, down significantly from his career average of 1.34. The Astros re-worked his pitch mix and asked him to throw his changeup and slider more often to strong results. His slider’s PLV of 5.56 put it in the top 10th percentile in baseball.
Update 11/26: The first top free agent signing of the offseason surprisingly belongs to the Angels as Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million contract. The Angels probably weren’t on the list of obvious fits for Kikuchi, but they showed they are willing to make a splash after nine straight losing seasons.
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 3.4
2024 season statistics:
.235 AVG | .308 OBP | .506 SLG | 44 HR | 102 RBI | 2 SB
“Tony Taters” had a standout year in 2024, setting career highs in home runs (44, previous high of 28) and RBI (102, previous high of 95). He was also named to the All-Star team for the first time in his eight-year career. He was an important veteran contributor for Baltimore this season but is older than the rest of the Orioles’ young core of stars. The Orioles will have to decide if he is in the same time window as the rest of the lineup. Baltimore does have Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser who could slot in at right field should Santander leave.
14. Christian Walker
Age: 33
2024 WAR: 2.6
2024 season statistics:
.251 AVG | .335 OBP | .468 SLG | 26 HR | 84 RBI | 2 SB
Walker is one of the game’s underrated players, a power hitter who also plays stellar defense at first base. He is a bit of a late bloomer but was a key piece of the Diamondbacks run to the World Series and had his best season in 2023, hitting 33 home runs and 103 RBI. Walker was again on the same pace this past season before being slowed down by an oblique injury. He finished with 26 home runs and 84 RBI in 130 games and is still in line for a potential third consecutive Gold Glove. I would guess he does not return to the Diamondbacks, who may be hesitant to shell out a multi-year contract for a player entering his mid-30s. Josh Bell did fill in admirably last season, and there are cheaper free-agent options out there. Arizona will have to decide if they can afford to keep Walker a part of their up-and-coming squad.
15. Luis Severino
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 1.6; PLV: 5.10
2024 season statistics:
182.0 IP | 11-7 W-L | 3.91 ERA | 1.24 WHIP | 161 K
Severino had a solid, but not spectacular, season in 2024, his first with the Mets. It was solid enough to likely earn him a multi-year deal this offseason. The most important thing is that he showed durability with 182.0 innings, the most action since 2018. His 31 starts were only one off his career high. The highlight of his season was a complete game shutout over the Marlins, during which he had eight strikeouts and gave up four hits with one walk. His four-seamer averaged 96.2 MPH which put him in the top 10th percentile in baseball, so there’s still plenty left in the tank.
Update 12/9: A surprising signing as Severino joins the A’s on a three-year $67 million contract. It is the largest contract ever given out by the franchise. Still only 30 years old and a two-time All-Star, Severino will look to continue his career after his bounce back season for the Mets in 2024.
16. Jurickson Profar
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 3.6
2024 season statistics:
.280 AVG | .380 OBP | .459 SLG | 24 HR | 85 RBI | 10 SB
Profar was a first-time All-Star for the Padres last season, his 11th in the big leagues. He had career-high numbers across the board, including in home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. His batting average of .280 was an almost 40-point jump from 2023. He’ll likely fetch multi-year contract offers; although, I would be surprised if he can ever match the season he had in 2024.
17. Max Scherzer
Age: 40
2024 WAR: 0.4; PLV: 5.13
2024 season statistics:
43.1 IP | 2-4 W-L | 3.95 ERA | 1.15 WHIP | 40 K
At age 40, the future Hall of Famer couldn’t get healthy in 2024 and made only nine starts for the Rangers. He’s now played 17 years in the majors, and his career record stands at 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. If he can get his body right this offseason, there’s reason to believe he could still help out a playoff contender looking for a veteran arm.
18. Gleyber Torres
Age: 27
2024 WAR: 1.8
2024 season statistics:
.257 AVG | .330 OBP | .378 SLG | 15 HR | 63 RBI | 4 SB
Torres started his Yankees career with back-to-back All-Star appearances and he looked like a future superstar back in 2019. That season he posted 38 home runs and 90 RBI with a .278/.337/.535 slash line and seemed to be locked into the Yankees’ middle infield for the foreseeable future.
19. Charlie Morton
Age: 40
2024 WAR: 1.1; PLV: 4.99
2024 season statistics:
165.1 IP | 8-10 W-L | 4.19 ERA | 1.33 WHIP | 167 K
Morton supposedly wants to return in 2025, which would be his 18th season in the majors. He’s been consistent, pitching 160 IP+ and 30+ starts in each of the past four seasons for Atlanta. Last season he finished with a below .500 record for the first time since 2014.
20. Clay Holmes
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 0.7; PLV: 5.22
2024 season statistics:
63.0 IP | 3-5 W-L | 3.14 ERA | 1.30 WHIP | 68 K
There was a time not that long ago when Holmes was locked in as the closer in New York and it looked like he wouldn’t be giving that spot up for a while. In June 2022, he broke the Yankees franchise record for most consecutive scoreless appearances (29) and was named an All-Star. He finished the season with a 2.54 ERA and 20 saves. In 2023 he compiled a 2.66 ERA and notched 24 saves. Then he got off to a hot start in 2024, not allowing an earned run until his 21st appearance of the season. However, Holmes struggled as the season progressed. In the month of June, he had a 5.59 ERA and by early September, he had blown his 11th save of the season, the most in the majors. After that, he was pulled from the closer role. At 31 years old, there’s still plenty left in the tank. He could benefit from a fresh start in a new home in free agency.
Update 12/9: You may have heard that the Mets signed another Yankees player recently, but they also lured Clay Holmes to Queens. The Mets want to convert Holmes into a starting pitcher after he has served as the Yankees closer and a reliever over the past handful of seasons. The 31-year-old Holmes joins the Mets on a three-year $38 million deal. Time will tell if he’ll be throwing out of the bullpen or as a member of the starting rotation.
21. Paul Goldschmidt
Age: 37
2024 WAR: 1.3
2024 season statistics:
.245 AVG | .302 OBP | .414 SLG | 22 HR | 65 RBI | 11 SB
Goldy has spoiled us by being so good throughout his career, but he finally looked human in 2024. His slash line was down across the board (.245/.302/.414) compared to 2023 (.268/.363/.447) and his 22 home runs were his lowest output since 2014 (excluding 2020’s shortened season). If his time is done with the Cardinals, he left his mark. During his six seasons in St. Louis, he averaged 26 home runs, 80 RBI, and eight steals. Could he reunite with the Diamondbacks to finish out his career?
22. Carlos Estévez
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 2.1; PLV: 5.29
2024 season statistics:
55.0 IP | 4-5 W-L | 2.45 ERA | 0.91 WHIP | 50 K
Estévez had a nice first half of 2023 but faltered down the stretch leading to concerns if he could match the same level of quality in 2024. He was up for the challenge, lowering his ERA to 2.45 with a tiny 0.91 WHIP. He notched 20 saves for the Angels before being traded to the Phillies where he added six more saves. Depending on where he ends up, he may not be in a full-time closer role, but he has shown he can be an important contributor on a good team.
23. J.D. Martinez
Age: 37
2024 WAR: 0.5
2024 season statistics:
.235 AVG | .320 OBP | .406 SLG | 16 HR | 69 RBI | 46 R
Similar to Goldschmidt, Martinez finally looked his age in 2024. His batting average dropped to .235 and he added only 16 home runs, a drop from his typical power numbers. He also didn’t make an All-Star team, breaking his streak of three consecutive appearances. Despite the drop in numbers, Martinez is a good enough player that he’ll get another look in 2025. He still has pop and could help a contender, even in a part-time role.
24. A.J. Minter
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 1.1; PLV: 5.23
2024 season statistics:
34.1 IP | 5-4 W-L | 2.62 ERA | 1.02 WHIP | 35 K
Minter has been one of the best setup arms in baseball over the past few seasons for the Braves. In 2022, he had a 2.06 ERA and 0.91 WHIP and in 2023, he filled in at closer and nabbed 10 saves. In 2024, he compiled a 5-4 record with a 2.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, but his season ended in August with surgery on his left hip. Coming off an injury, it’s likely he would want to return to familiarity with the Braves.
25. Kenley Jansen
Age: 37
2024 WAR: 1.3; PLV: 5.01
2024 season statistics:
54.2 IP | 4-2 W-L | 3.29 ERA | 1.06 WHIP | 62 K
Jansen now has the fourth most saves of all time, trailing the great Lee Smith by 31 for 3rd place. He could end up there after next season as he has notched 27 and 29 saves in each of the past two seasons. Jansen landed on the 15-day IL at the conclusion of the season and ended up leaving Boston to fly home before the last series, instead of watching and cheering his team on. This didn’t sit well with teammates, and he will probably be playing somewhere else in 2025.
26. Martín Pérez
Age: 33
2024 WAR: 0.9; PLV: 4.9o
2024 season statistics:
135.0 IP | 5-6 W-L | 4.53 ERA | 1.48 WHIP | 107 K
Pérez is similar to the other starting pitcher arms in the middle-to-end of this list. He’s a veteran, he’s not flashy, but if you have a rotation spot open, he could be a potential fit. At age 33, Pérez has a career record of 90-87 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.
27. Andrew Kittredge
Age: 34
2024 WAR: 1.5; PLV: 5.36
2024 season statistics:
70.2 IP | 5-5 W-L | 2.80 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 67 K
Andrew Kittredge showed the same skills during in first season in St. Louis that he showed during his time in Tampa Bay. He went 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP while serving as one of the best setup arms in baseball. Kittredge was able to stay healthy and he pitched the most innings he had in three seasons.
28. Blake Treinen
Age: 36
2024 WAR: 1.4; PLV: 5.23
2024 season statistics:
46.2 IP | 7-3 W-L | 1.93 ERA | 0.94 WHIP | 56 K
Treinen has had runs where he looks like one of the best relievers in baseball. In 2018 when he was 9-2 and had a sparkling ERA of 0.78. In 2021 when he had 32 holds and went 6-5 with a 1.99 ERA. Then this season when he finished with a microscopic 1.93 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Those are the pluses for Treinen’s free agency case. The factors working against Treinen’s free agency case would be his age and injury history. He missed the entire 2023 season and most of the 2022 season due to injury. He will be one of the most talented relievers available.
Update 12/9: Treinen is back with the Dodgers on a two-year, $22 million deal giving the World Series champions stability in the bullpen. Treinen missed the 2023 season due to injury but when healthy has been one of the best reliever arms for LA since joining the franchise in 2021. He had a filthy 1.93 ERA in 2024. His career ERA is a sparkling 2.78.
29. Aroldis Chapman
Age: 36
2024 WAR: 0.4; PLV: 5.19
2024 season statistics:
61.2 IP | 5-5 W-L | 3.79 ERA | 1.35 WHIP | 98 K
Last season, his 15th in the league, and at age 36, Chapman was still striking people out at incredibly high rates. He had 98 whiffs in 61.2 innings, good for a 14.3 strikeouts-per-nine rate. He also notched 14 more saves last year and is now up to 335 in his career, which is 16th all-time. Chapman signed a one-year $10.5 million deal prior to 2024 and will be looking at a similar situation for 2025.
Update 12/4: Chapman joins his seventh career team as he signs a one-year $10.75 million deal with the Red Sox. As Kenley Jansen is likely heading to a new team of his own this offseason, Chapman is definitely in the mix for save opportunities in 2025. The left-hander can still routinely touch triple digits on the radar gun and confound hitters with his four-seamer and sinker. He gives Boston a veteran with 335 saves to his name (good for 16th all-time).
30. Jose Quintana
Age: 35
2024 WAR: 2.5; PLV: 4.97
2024 season statistics:
170.1 IP | 10-10 W-L | 3.75 ERA | 1.25 WHIP | 135 K
Quintana was the Mets’ best pitcher toward the end of the season and helped propel them into the playoffs with three consecutive shutout quality starts in September. Against the Phillies on September 13, Quintana went seven innings and gave up only three hits and no runs, and against the Nationals on September 18, Quintana again threw seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks. In his career, he is 102-103 with a 3.74 ERA. He’s not the most exciting option but can still be a solid piece of a rotation.
31. Tomoyuki Sugano
Age: 35
2024 season statistics (NPB):
156.2 IP | 15-3 W-L | 1.67 ERA | 0.95 WHIP | 111 K
Sugano has a career record of 136-74 in 12 NPB seasons and is looking to move to the big leagues in 2025. He’s not the fastest thrower, with a four-seamer averaging around 92 MPH, but has excellent control averaging only 1.7 walks per nine innings. At 35 years old, he likely has a few additional strong seasons in the tank.
32. José Leclerc
Age: 30
2024 WAR: 0.0; PLV: 5.04
2024 season statistics:
66.2 IP | 6-5 W-L | 4.32 ERA | 1.32 WHIP | 89 K
Last season, José Leclerc’s ERA rose to 4.32 from 2.68 in 2023 and the 2.83 mark he had in 2022. He’s definitely not flashy, but a worthy veteran arm that could bolster a bullpen. He struck out 89 in 66.2 innings this season.
33. Alex Verdugo
Age: 28
2024 WAR: 0.8
2024 season statistics:
.233 AVG | .291 OBP | .356 SLG | 13 HR | 61 RBI | 2 SB
In his first season with the Yankees, Verdugo’s home runs and RBI totals were in line with his career numbers, but his batting average fell more than 30 points from 2023. He has expressed his hope to return to New York, but it’s unknown if that will happen with “the Martian” Jasson Domínguez waiting in the wings.
34. Shane Bieber
Age: 29
2024 WAR: 0.7; PLV: 5.19
2024 season statistics:
12.0 IP | 2-0 W-L | 0.00 ERA | 0.92 WHIP | 20 K
The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, Shane Bieber, looked like he was fully back from injury during his first two starts of 2024, throwing two consecutive quality starts to start the season. He spun a gem on opening day against the A’s with 11 strikeouts and only one walk. Unfortunately, for fantasy owners, Bieber was shut down for the season and underwent Tommy John surgery. He likely won’t be able to return to game action until after the 2025 season starts and is definitely a risk due to his injury history. However, he is still only 29 years old and holds a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 so there will be some teams willing to take the risk.
Update 12/9: Bieber returns to Cleveland on a one-year deal worth $10 million. It also includes a $16 million player option for the 2026 season. Bieber won’t be ready for the beginning of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. His talent is not in question, but his durability is a concern. It makes sense that he would return to the Guardians rather than move to a new team as he works his way back.
35. Jorge López
Age: 31
2024 WAR: 0.9; PLV: 5.16
2024 season statistics:
53.0 IP | 2-3 W-L | 2.89 ERA | 1.23 WHIP | 50 K
Lopez has had a wild ride over the past three seasons. From 2022-2024, he played for five teams, had one season where he was an All-Star, and had another season where had a 5.95 ERA. After that All-Star season in 2022 for Baltimore, when he had a 1.68 ERA and 19 saves before the All-Star break, he stumbled in 2023 splitting time with the Twins, Marlins, and Baltimore. He finally found some success again in 2024. He finished the season with a 2.89 ERA, and that included a 2.03 ERA for the Cubs.
Top Free Agents with Opt-Outs & Team/Player Options
- Cody Bellinger (opt-out)
- Lucas Giolito (opt-out)
- Sean Manaea (opt-out)
- Nick Martinez (opt-out)
- Nathan Eovaldi (player option)
- Clayton Kershaw (player option)
- Jordan Montgomery (player option)
- Jorge Alcala (team option)
- Seranthony Domínguez (team option)
Juan Soto Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire | Pete Alonso Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire | Designed by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
Where is Pivetta?
Yes, there is definitely a case for him to be included!