With teams once again treating compensatory draft picks like gold and regarding some free agents with compensation attached like they’re toxic, sometimes a free agent’s true shot at the jackpot has to wait a year or two.
And so this class will be great buttressed by two players who signed opt-out deals one winter ago, and another finally aligned for his first nine-figure payday.
USA TODAY Sports breaks down the top 79 free agents, from the most desired to those reasonably expected to sign a major league contract. Rankings based on projected future performance and perceived market value:
Ages on April 1, 2026
1. Kyle Tucker (29, OF, Cubs)
He brings not the international superstar vibes that top free agents Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani took to the market in previous winters. He’s also never hit more than 30 homers in a season (he did it twice) and was limited to 78 and 136 games by injury the past two seasons. Yet he’s the one legitimate aircraft carrier in this class, and will benefit from a likely bicoastal bidding war.
2. Bo Bichette (28, SS, Blue Jays)
Bichette’s sterling World Series performance on, essentially, one leg spoke to both his grit and significant skill set. Posted a .311/.357/.483 line before getting hurt. And if he’s better suited to second base in the future, consider that he’s hitting the market two years earlier than Marcus Semien, and that worked out OK for Texas.
3. Alex Bregman (31, 3B, Red Sox)
Run free, child, unencumbered by all qualifying offers. It’s no coincidence the Red Sox made the playoffs for the first time in four years with Bregman aboard, and he can take that “winner” brand along with an .821 OPS back to the market. Will suitors be mildly scared off by his 114 games played? Or intrigued by the 3.5 WAR he racked up in that time?
4. Framber Valdez (32, LHP, Astros)
Not sure if he’ll sniff the Max Fried rent district for lefty starters but it never hurst when you’re literally one of two on the market. Valdez is consistently right around 200 innings, has a championship pedigree and suppresses the home run ball. Not an ideal conclusion to his Houston era, but it’s also easy enough to hand him the ball and set your alarm clock for September.
5. Pete Alonso (31, 1B/DH, Mets)
Stop us if you’ve seen these next two guys on the market before. Alonso lacks the positional value of his Scott Boras Rerun Prizes, but he’s missed just eight games the past four seasons and has posted home run totals of 34 to 53 in his six full seasons.
6. Cody Bellinger (30, OF/1B, Yankees)
Bellinger topped the 150-game mark for the first time since 2019 and had an excellent season his one year in the Bronx – producing 5.1 WAR, hitting 29 homers and playing typically sound defense. Given his health history, there will be some risk wagering on a hale Bellinger for the next five-plus years – but his overall skill set will be difficult to ignore.
7. Kyle Schwarber (33, DH, Phillies)
Whither Schwarbs? He hit a career-best and NL-leading 56 homers and drove in a major league-high 132 runs, the glue for a superstar-studded team – and he’s now online for a big-time payday. What form that takes remains to be seen. The fit in Philly is obvious, but a longer-term deal might lock down the DH spot through a period they may want to ease other high-priced stars through there. A shorter-term, massive annual value deal makes sense, but this is likely his last big bite at the apple.
8. Dylan Cease (30, RHP, Padres)
Ah, the dreaded track record vs. recency conundrum. Cease has made at least 32 starts and struck out at least 200 batters five consecutive seasons, and led the majors with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2025. The slippage: His WHIP has floated upward, to at least 1.33 in two of the past three seasons, and his 94 adjusted ERA was the worst of his career. But stuff pays, as does scarcity, and Cease will be paid like an ace by a team convinced it can return him to that form.
9. Zac Gallen (30, RHP, Diamondbacks)
Kind of the poor man’s Cease, in a sense: He led the NL in WHIP (0.91) and the majors in fewest hits per nine innings (5.9) in 2022, but regressed to 1.26 and 8.3/8.1 the past two seasons. He was much better once the trade deadline passed, posting a 3.32 ERA in his last 11 starts. Citizens Bank Park seems a natural fit for the suburban Philly kid.
10. Edwin Diaz (32, RHP, Mets)
Seven years can really fly by, eh? In case you’ve been sleeping on Diaz since the days Timmy Trumpet was a thing, he’s roared back from that grim ACL injury two springs ago, striking out 13.7 batters per nine and converting 83% of his saves the past two seasons.
11. Ranger Suárez (30, LHP, Phillies)
If you have designs on making a playoff run, Suárez can be an invaluable cog. He’s never approached 200 innings as a starter and doesn’t miss bats the way they like nowadays. Yet in 11 postseason appearances, he’s posted a 1.48 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while serving as starter, bulk guy and anything else.
12. Josh Naylor (28, 1B, Mariners)
What a playoff platform for the lefty-swinging Naylor, who’d already hit 20 homers, batted .295 and posted an .816 OPS before banging out 16 hits and three homers in a dozen postseason games. At 28, he’s younger than almost any position-player free agent and brings both skills and savvy to the market.
13. Shota Imanaga (30, LHP, Cubs)
A bit surprising – perhaps telling? – that the Cubs declined to pick up the three-year, $57 million club option on Imanaga, who then opted for free agency. An All-Star in 2024, Imanaga hit the wall in the second half of 2025, posting a 5.17 ERA in his final dozen starts. Still, a club that can manage Imanaga’s workload and leverage his skills optimally can find a rotation piece that doesn’t necessarily break the bank.
14. Lucas Giolito (31, RHP, Red Sox)
Giolito finally turned the page on a pair of injury-ravaged seasons to make 26 starts and post a 3.41 ERA, enough to comfortably decline his $19 million player option. Giolito completed at least six innings in 15 of his 26 starts, though he missed a playoff outing with elbow soreness.
15. Trent Grisham (29, OF, Yankees)
Interesting one here. Grisham belted a career-high 34 homers in his walk year, and helped the Yankees machine run on both sides of the ball – as a leadoff hitter batting in front of Aaron Judge, and as a capable center fielder enabling Judge and Bellinger to save their bodies in the corner spots. He received a qualifying offer, and it might be tough to turn down.
16. Eugenio Suarez (34, 3B, Mariners)
Forty-nine home runs at age 34: What kind of a price to you put on that? Suarez, a free agent for the first time in his career, is about to find out. Suitors know what they’re getting: Punishing power, a ton of strikeouts, suboptimal defense at third but off the charts on the clubhouse affability index.
17. Chris Bassitt (37, RHP, Blue Jays)
A little high for the reliable righty? Well, consider that there are so few Chris Bassitts out there and this one just completed a three-year, $63 million deal with numbing consistency: 32 starts a year, a 3.89 ERA, nearly six innings per start. He topped that off with a selfless stint in the playoff bullpen, where he gave up one earned run in seven appearances.
18. Merrill Kelly (37, RHP, Rangers)
Unlike his old Arizona rotation mate Gallen, Kelly won’t be subject to a qualifying offer, since he was traded to Texas this season. Though age isn’t on his side, consistency is, with at least 30 starts in three of the past four seasons and a solid 117 adjusted ERA this year.
19. Ha-Seong Kim (30, SS, Braves)
Quite a journey for Kim, who began 2025 on a make-good deal with Tampa Bay after a shoulder injury, got jettisoned to Atlanta and then held down shortstop so well that he decided to decline a $16 million player option for ’26. He will be a starting shortstop for somebody, and probably a pretty good one.
20. Robert Suarez (34, RHP, Padres)
He maintained closer duties in San Diego even after Mason Miller’s acquisition and nailed down 40 saves in 45 chances, an 89% conversion rate. Doesn’t miss bats like he did in 2022, when he struck out 11.5 per nine innings, but equaled a career best with a 0.90 WHIP.
21. Max Scherzer (41, RHP, Blue Jays)
He indicated after World Series Game 7 that he hadn’t thrown his final pitch, and he posted often enough in 2025 that the standard one year, $15.5 million deal should still be waiting for him.
22. Gleyber Torres (29, INF, Tigers)
Showed well in his one year in Detroit, with a career-best .358 OBP and a predictable slide in slugging in a home park punishing to right-handers. Should improve on his one-year, $15 million deal and find a home for multiple years.
23. Justin Verlander (43, RHP, Giants)
Those videos of Verlander and Scherzer playing bridge in the nursing home are gonna be wild 40 or so years from now. For now, though, they’ve got innings in their arms and for Verlander’s sake, hopefully he can find a home that’s both pitcher-friendly but also not totally lacking in run support: His 3.85 ERA resulted in a 4-11 record as he sits on 266 wins.
24. Michael King (30, RHP, Padres)
Another fascinating case. King has been outstanding more often than not as a starter, and when healthy, for the Padres, posting a 3.10 ERA in 45 starts. But injuries at the start and end of this season limited him to 15 starts. Someone will be getting a very good pitcher, just with a few unknowns attached.
25. JT Realmuto (35, C, Phillies)
What’s the going rate for a highly skilled glue guy these days? Realmuto has been integral to the Phillies’ success in recent years, but he’s now a decade into a career as a big league catcher. His OPS and adjusted OPS sagged to career-worst marks of .700 and 91 last season, even as he caught a major-league high 132 games. Seems likely player and team will find a price agreeable to both.
26. Raisel Iglesias (35, RHP, Braves)
Atlanta’s demise didn’t revolve around Iglesias, who saved 29 games, finished an NL-high 57 and posted a 0.99 WHIP. Still an OK option for clubs who prefer a capital-C closer.
27. Luis Arráez (28, INF/DH, Padres)
Let the Arráez Rorshach tests begin. Do you see a singles hitter with a league average OPS? Or a magician with elite bat-to-ball skills? A three-time batting champion with three teams? Or a guy who can never justify his lack of slug despite all those one-baggers. Be interesting to see what the market thinks.
28. Nick Martinez (35, RHP, Reds)
More invaluable than his peripherals indicate, Martinez took the ball 82 times over two years in Cincy, including 42 starts, and amassed 6.3 WAR and a steady 3.83 ERA.
29. Jose Quintana (37, LHP, Brewers)
Can we at least spare this man the indignity of nosing around for a job in March?
30. Paul Goldschmidt (38, 1B, Yankees)
Until further notice, he remains a decent right-handed platoon option at first, the Yankees eminently pleased at the 1.2 WAR and clubhouse gravitas he provided.
31. Kenley Jansen (38, RHP, Angels)
Don’t look now, but this dude is 24 saves from 500. He racked up 29 in 30 chances for a bad Angels team, which’ll play quite nicely in most markets.
32. Mike Yastrzemski (35, OF, Royals)
Kinda wild the Giants rehabbed his career and held onto him for nearly a full six-year term before dealing him to Kansas City. Still a nice piece: Power from the left side, relatively excellent defense.
33. Devin Williams (31, RHP, Yankees)
Williams had two good months and four pretty bad ones for the Yankees, losing his closer role, battling back into a leverage spot and then slipping again. Young enough and with a track record (two All-Star nods, career 1.05 WHIP) that someone can successfully bet they can get him right.
34. Emilio Pagán (34, RHP, Reds)
A dawg’s dawg, if you will, Pagán never says no to the ball, pitching in a career-high 70 games and saving 32 this year for Cincinnati.
35. Tyler Mahle (31, RHP, Rangers)
Mahle nearly made very good on the second year of his deal in Texas coming off Tommy John surgery, but his ’25 campaign was interrupted by a three-month IL stint with shoulder fatigue. But he was very good in the 16 starts he did make, posting a 2.18 ERA and 2.2 WAR.
36. Harrison Bader (31, OF, Phillies)
The man simply seems to get better and more valuable with age. He received $6.25 million from Minnesota last winter, and after a July trade to Philadelphia was perhaps their most valuable player down the stretch.
37. Rhys Hoskins (33, 1B/DH, Brewers)
A bumpy couple of years in Milwaukee, where injuries and the emergence of Andrew Vaughn cut Hoskins out of the fun this past season. He struck out more than once per game as a Brewer but did salvage league-average OPS thanks to his power.
38. Tyler Rogers (34, RHP, Mets)
He and a cavalry of relievers at the trade deadline couldn’t rescue the Mets, but Rogers posted a 0.94 WHIP across a majors-high 81 appearances this season. Have rubber arm, will travel.
39. Jorge Polanco (32, INF, Mariners)
After posting an .821 OPS and 26 homers in 524 plate appearances, Polanco added 10 more hits and three more homers in a clutch postseason and declined his $6 million player option for 2026. The homer and OPS totals were his highest since 2021, leaving suitors to gamble on a repeat.
40. Ryan O’Hearn (32, 1B/OF, Padres)
O’Hearn earned his first All-Star nod and then kept hitting after a trade from Baltimore to San Diego, racking up career highs in hits (133) and homers (17). A reliable platoon bat and positive clubhouse presence.
41. Zack Littell (30, RHP, Reds)
Littell completed the transition from swingman to full-fledged starter the past two seasons and this year reached 186 ⅔ innings with Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Just 130 strikeouts might give suitors pause to believe he can repeat it, but Littell has proven himself as a reliable innings-eater.
42. Kyle Finnegan (34, RHP, Tigers)
Almost strictly a closer in Washington, where he saved 108 games in six seasons, Finnegan was tossed into almost any fire the Tigers needed doused down the stretch drive. He responded well, with a 1.50 ERA and allowing just three of nine inherited runners to score. He also found more punch in Motown, bumping his strikeouts per nine to a career-best 11.5.
43. Seranthony Dominguez (31, RHP, Blue Jays)
Durable and relatively dependable, Dominguez cut his home runs per nine in half this year (1.5 to .7) and landed a high-leverage spot in a playoff bullpen after a trade to Toronto.
44. Tomoyuki Sugano (36, RHP, Orioles)
A tale of three seasons for Sugano, who started strongly, faded badly and then made a mini-comeback to land almost exactly on the definition of “quality start”: A 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA. Probably did enough to land another job stateside in 2026.
45. Brad Keller (30, RHP, Cubs)
The finest campaign of his eight-year career, Keller posted a 2.07 ERA over 68 appearances and boosting his strikeouts per nine to a career-best 9.7. One of several decisions Chicago must make about its bullpen.
46. Michael Conforto (33, OF, Dodgers)
Will that beautiful left-handed swing again prove irresistible to a suitor? The Dodgers gambled $17 million that they could turn him into a weapon and he batted .199 and did not make the playoff rosters.
47. Steven Matz (34, LHP, Red Sox)
Found a nice little niche as a general bullpen stopgap guy with the Cardinals and then the Red Sox, though he gave up four homers in 21 innings in Boston.
48. Ryan Helsley (31, RHP, Mets)
Long expected to be trade bait with the rebuilding Cardinals, St. Louis finally pulled the trigger and shipped him to the Mets, where he crumbled, with a 7.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 20 innings. But the track record – a 49-save season as recently as 2024 – and the high-velo package will get him paid.
49. Drew Pomeranz (37, LHP, Cubs)
What a comeback for Pomeranz, who hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022 and then performed almost every role for the Cubs over his 49 appearances. Followed up a 1.06 WHIP campaign by giving up just one hit and one run in six playoff games.
50. Michael Lorenzen (34, RHP, Royals)
A bit of a backslide for Lorenzen, whose ERA rose from 3.31 to 4.64, even as his strikeout rate rose to 8.1. Coming off three consecutive years with at least 26 starts.
51. Marcell Ozuna (35, DH, Braves)
Last call for the full-time DH? The Braves couldn’t get rid of Ozuna at the trade deadline and now he’ll take his 21 homers to the market. Hit 40 and 39 homers in 2023-24, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting in ’24.
52. Danny Jansen (30, C, Brewers)
A proven commodity: League-average production, roughly 15 homers and steady work behind the plate, which is why Milwaukee acquired him from Tampa Bay for its playoff run.
53. Phil Maton (33, RHP, Rangers)
Bit of a dip after a deadline deal from St. Louis (176 adjusted ERA in St. Louis, 105 in Texas) but Maton has developed into a reliable bullpen piece since a mid-2024 deal to the Mets.
54. Josh Bell (33, 1B/DH, Nationals)
Can still punish a baseball on occasion, with 22 homers and a 110 adjusted OPS last season.
55. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31, INF, Blue Jays)
Simple though his role may be, there’s simply not many IKFs out there, tasked with catching the ball, running the bases well and possessing the ability to fill in anywhere on the infield.
56. Caleb Thielbar (39, LHP, Cubs)
Hard to believe this guy is pushing 40 already – and coming off his best season ever. He maintained a 2.64 ERA over 67 appearances – a 147 adjusted mark – with a 56-13 strikeout-walk ratio.
57. Austin Hays (30, OF, Reds)
Cincy was a solid fit for Hays, who smacked 15 homers in 380 at-bats. Still adept in a right-handed platoon role.
58. Shawn Armstrong (35, RHP, Rangers)
Set career bests in appearances (71), strikeouts (74 in 74 innings) and adjusted ERA (159).
59. Patrick Corbin (36, LHP, Rangers)
Can still eat innings – 155 of ‘em in 2025 – and now with a little less pain, as he shaved his ERA from 5.62 his final year in Washington to 4.40 in Texas.
60. Luke Weaver (32, RHP, Yankees)
A bit of shine dimmed from his 2024 Cinderella story, when he finished as the Yankees’ most reliable reliever on their World Series run. Weaver’s peripherals weren’t way off from 2024 to ’25, and even if the past year was more in line with who he is, that’s still a fairly reliable bullpen piece.
61. David Robertson (40, RHP, Phillies)
Used to be only Roger Clemens could get away with chilling out for a few months and then hopping aboard a playoff train. Robertson did so to some success in Philly; will he be up for the long haul next spring?
62. Tommy Kahnle (36, RHP, Tigers)
Leaving New York – where he’d posted a 2.38 ERA his past two seasons – was tricky for Kahnle, whose 4.43 ERA was his worst since 2018.
63. Daniel Coulombe (36, LHP, Rangers)
Was better before he got caught up in the Twins fire sale (1.16 ERA in Minnesota, 5.25 in 15 appearances in Texas) but on balance remains one of the most reliable and versatile lefty relief options available.
64. Jakob Junis (33, RHP, Guardians)
All he does is get outs, though the itinerant swingman did see some WHIP inflation (1.230) this past season.
65. Walker Buehler (31, RHP, Phillies)
The arm is too good to give up on, even if the Red Sox had little choice but to do so after posting a 5.45 ERA and 5.89 FIP in 22 starts there. He fared a little better in a two-start look-see with Philadelphia, but he’ll clearly be in a short-term incentive-laden situation in 2025.
66. Jonathan Gray (34, RHP, Rangers)
His 2025 was a wash, as a fractured wrist in spring training and shoulder neuritis limited him to six appearances.
67. Mike Soroka (28, RHP, Cubs)
It was no small victory for Soroka to get to the finish line with the Cubs after an injury-plagued last six seasons. Might be best-used in relief bursts going forward, but proved there’s still life in the arm even as other body parts betrayed him.
68. Tyler Anderson (36, LHP, Angels)
Seemed like a quick three years in Anaheim, mercifully, where Anderson posted a good year, not-so-good and a so-so season. He’s coming off the last of those, the biggest bugaboo a career worst 1.8 homers per nine.
69. Sean Newcomb (32, LHP, Athletics)
A useful campaign with Boston and then in Yolo County, as Newcomb gave up five home runs in 92 ⅓ innings with a 2.73 ERA. Lefty swingmen never die.
70. Miles Mikolas (37, RHP, Cardinals)
A bit of will-he or won’t-he involved with Mikolas, who may retire, though he’s never one to leave any innings on the table. Last year, he ate up 156 ⅓ of them, with a 4.84 ERA.
71. Victor Caratini (32, C, Astros)
A fairly deluxe backup catcher, with a league-average OPS, 12 homers and well-regarded behind the plate.
72. Miguel Andujar (30, INF, Reds)
A nifty revival for the 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up, as he posted an .822 OPS with the A’s and Reds and positioned himself as a versatile righty platoon bat going forward.
73. Justin Wilson (38, LHP, Red Sox)
About as close to a LOOGY as one can get in this three-batter minimum era, as Wilson tossed 48 1/3 innings in 61 appearances, holding lefties to a .212 average.
74. Mitch Garver (35, C/DH, Mariners)
The bat continues to fade, but Garver did catch 43 games backing up the Big Dumper in Seattle.
75. Scott Barlow (33, RHP, Reds)
A throw-til-you-blow guy and well, Barlow hasn’t blown yet, his 75 appearances always a value to a team needing innings.
76. Martin Perez (34, LHP, White Sox)
Declined the player portion of his mutual option after a flexor strain limited him to 10 starts in 2025.
77. Starling Marte (37, OF, Mets)
His four years of meritorious, if injury-plagued, service in Flushing are over. But Marte should still retain some value as an extra outfielder.
78. Andrew McCutchen (39, OF, Pirates)
He’s not so sure about that open invitation to return to Pittsburgh, but has indicated he’ll run it back one more time, somewhere, in 2026.
79. Brent Suter (36, LHP, Reds)
If only for the post-clinch dance moves. For real, though, Suter never pitched more than 3 ⅔ innings last season but appeared in 1 through 9 at some point. Anytime, anywhere.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
