With the Trade Deadline behind us, many pending free agents are now entering the final months with their teams. While some of those soon-to-be free-agents ended up getting moved at the Deadline, some remained with their current clubs.
As we enter the dog days of summer and the 2025 pennant race, we are inching ever closer to the offseason and Hot Stove. With that in mind, we took a look at each team’s most significant player that is set to become a free agent over the offseason, while factoring in the likelihood of any options or opt-out clauses being exercised.
The following numbers are entering Saturday’s games.
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette
2026 seasonal age: 28
What a resurgent season it’s been for Bichette. After a career-worst and injury-marred 2024 season — he posted a .598 OPS in 81 games — Bichette has returned to his career norms this season with an .815 OPS and 3.0 Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs) in 114 games. The 27-year-old’s 146 hits lead the Majors by a huge margin, and he’s set himself up for a big payday this offseason.
Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin
2026 seasonal age: 32
It has been a rough season for many Orioles and it’s been no different for Eflin. The veteran right-hander has been limited to 14 starts with recurring injuries and when he’s been on the mound, he’s posted a 5.93 ERA with pedestrian underlying numbers. Still, Eflin pitched like a dependable No. 2 starter in 2023-24 with the Orioles and Rays and there’s no reason to think he can’t return to a similar level beyond this season.
Rays: RHP Adrian Houser
2026 seasonal age: 33
Houser has only made one start with the Rays after Tampa Bay acquired him from the White Sox, so it’s weird to include him on this list. Then again, the Rays constantly operate with a long-term view in mind, and therefore never have many high-quality players that reach free agency. Houser, though, has been a dependable starter this season with a 2.54 ERA and solid underlying numbers across 12 starts.
Red Sox: 3B Alex Bregman
2026 seasonal age: 32
Bregman’s three-year, $120 million deal with Boston includes opt-outs after both 2025 and 2026, so there’s a chance the star third baseman chooses to leave for another club this offseason. Batting .295 with a .901 OPS, Bregman is in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons of his career, and keeping him in the fold for the next two seasons will be crucial for the Red Sox.
Yankees: RHP Luke Weaver
2025 seasonal age: 32
It’s been a rough go for the Yankees bullpen this year, making Weaver’s potential departure in free agency an even bigger concern. Since breaking out last season, Weaver has a 2.87 ERA in 105 appearances while striking out 149 batters across 128 2/3 innings. The Yankees acquired a plethora of relievers at this year’s Trade Deadline (David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird), all of whom are under control through next season and could help weather the storm of Weaver departing.
Guardians: 1B Carlos Santana
2026 seasonal age: 40
Cleveland operates in similar fashion as Tampa Bay in that the Guardians rarely let quality players leave in free agency — they’re either extended or traded when their value is highest. That means there aren’t many options to choose from on the Guardians roster. Santana has taken a step back after a few resurgent seasons from 2023-24, posting a .663 OPS with 11 home runs in 107 games.
Royals: OF Mike Yastrzemski
2026 seasonal age: 35
The Royals just acquired Yastrzemski from the Giants at the Trade Deadline, and they’d presumably like to bring him back for 2026. The outfielder has been worth at least 1.3 fWAR in all seven MLB seasons, providing consistent production for San Francisco and now for Kansas City. Making $9.25 million this season, Yastrzemski should be in line for a similar payday this winter.
Tigers: 2B Gleyber Torres
2026 seasonal age: 29
Batting .271 with a career-high .368 on-base percentage and 13 home runs, Torres has had quite the bounceback year since joining Detroit on a one-year, $15 million deal. He appears to be a good long-term fit for the first-place Tigers, but he’s likely to seek a multiyear contract that probably won’t be cheap. Plenty of other clubs could use a good second baseman, so it won’t be easy for the Tigers to keep Torres, but they’ll probably try.
Twins: C Christian Vázquez
2026 seasonal age: 35
After their Trade Deadline teardown, the Twins don’t have many players on expiring contracts. Only Vázquez and relievers Erasmo Ramírez and Justin Topa fit that description. Vázquez’s offensive numbers have declined over the past few seasons, so the Twins might choose to move on from the veteran backstop. Still, Vázquez is an above-average blocker and thrower from behind the plate, so he could stick around in a backup role, either for Minnesota or for another club.
White Sox: RHP Aaron Civale
2026 seasonal age: 31
Traded to Chicago from Milwaukee in June for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, Civale has a 4.91 ERA in 10 starts for the White Sox. The veteran of the South Siders’ young rotation, Civale could be helpful depth for the White Sox as they continue their rebuild — or for any team in need of a starting-caliber arm with experience.
Angels: RHP Kenley Jansen
2026 seasonal age: 38
Jansen is something of an ageless wonder and is still going strong at age 37 and in his 16th MLB season. The veteran closer just won American League Reliever of the Month for July and has a 2.79 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 42 innings. With 467 career saves, Jansen is inching closer to the 500 benchmark and based on how he’s going, he could realistically get there in 2026 or ‘27.
Astros: LHP Framber Valdez
2026 seasonal age: 32
Valdez has been a major cog in Houston’s machine since becoming a full-time starter for the Astros in 2020. Since that point, Valdez has run a 3.08 ERA across 921 innings and is a top five starter by WAR (20.1), while finishing top 10 in Cy Young Award voting three times (he also finished 11th in 2020). The Astros are one of the best pitching developers in baseball but there’s no denying that losing Valdez to free agency would really hurt.
A’s: INF Luis Urías
2026 seasonal age: 29
Most of the A’s best players are under club control for quite a while so there aren’t many quality players reaching free agency this offseason. Urías has been a perfectly fine role player for most of his career and he’s somehow only 28 years old despite debuting in 2018. In 85 games this season, Urías has a .680 OPS and eight home runs.
Mariners: 3B Eugenio Suárez
2026 seasonal age: 34
What a year it’s been for Suárez. Seattle acquired the former Mariner at the Deadline and for good reason — Suárez has an .856 OPS and 37 home runs in 111 games and will be a serious boon for Seattle’s offense during the stretch run. Around the All-Star break in the 2024 season, it looked like Suárez might be entering the decline phase of his career. Instead, it looks like he has an impressive second act as one of the premier power hitters in baseball.
Rangers: RHP Merrill Kelly
2026 seasonal age: 37
Kelly was acquired by Texas to provide some needed rotation stability behind Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi for the stretch run. The 36-year-old has been a quality starter since returning to the Majors in 2019 but he’s been even better this year, with a 3.38 ERA and 2.3 WAR across 24 starts. Tyler Mahle would’ve been an obvious choice here earlier in the season, but he hasn’t pitched since June 10 due to shoulder fatigue.
Braves: DH Marcell Ozuna
2026 seasonal age: 35
There was talk of Ozuna being moved at the 2025 Trade Deadline, but the Braves held onto the veteran slugger for the time being. Ozuna is set to be a free agent for the first time since re-signing with Atlanta during the 2020-21 offseason, and he could command a solid payday on the open market, even after battling a hip injury during a down year. The Braves have said Ozuna won’t be playing as much during the latter part of 2025, which could point to the impending end of his tenure with the club.
Marlins: RHP Cal Quantrill
2026 seasonal age: 31
As the lone impending free agent on Miami’s roster, Quantrill earns this distinction by default. The Marlins traded away outfielder Jesús Sánchez and catcher Nick Fortes at the Deadline, but both players had multiple years of control remaining, as does everyone else on the club. Quantrill is in his third straight season with an ERA around 5, but he has stayed healthy and could be a back-end rotation option for the Marlins if they choose to bring him back.
Mets: 1B Pete Alonso
2026 seasonal age: 31
Alonso is eligible to opt out after 2025, the first season of a two-year, $54 million deal he signed in February to return to the Mets. The slugging first baseman bet on himself and has held up his end of the bargain, batting .262 with 25 homers, 91 RBIs and an .851 OPS. If Alonso does opt out, he could be looking at a deal north of $30 million per year. Will the Mets step up again to keep him around?
Nationals: DH Josh Bell
2026 seasonal age: 33
The Nats will be losing a few veteran pieces to free agency, with Bell, shortstop Paul DeJong and reliever Derek Law slated to hit the open market this offseason. Bell’s bat has fallen to roughly league-average levels over the past three years, but his switch-hitting ability and veteran presence are still valuable.
Phillies: DH Kyle Schwarber
2026 seasonal age: 33
Schwarber is on an absolute tear in 2025 with an NL-high 41 homers and a .967 OPS, proving his vital importance to a first-place Phillies team. With catcher J.T. Realmuto, starter Ranger Suárez and much of the bullpen set to hit free agency as well this offseason, Philadelphia might not be able to afford to bring back everyone. But Schwarber will be a priority, although he’ll be in high demand.
Brewers: RHP Brandon Woodruff
2026 seasonal age: 33
Woodruff will receive a $10 million buyout to become a free agent if either he or the Brewers decline his $20 million mutual option for 2026. The right-hander has been excellent since returning from a shoulder injury that cost him almost two years, posting a 2.29 ERA in six starts. The Brewers have plenty of rotation depth, but with Woodruff, Freddy Peralta (club option) and Jose Quintana (mutual option) all set to hit free agency, they’ll have to make some tough decisions.
Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas
2026 seasonal age: 37
It’s been a while since Mikolas’ best stretch, when he posted a 3.46 ERA and was named an All-Star twice from 2018-22. He’s been a familiar face in St. Louis, with this season being his seventh with the Cardinals, but over the past three, he has struggled to a 5.06 ERA. While his walk rate remains excellent (4.3% over that span), his strikeout rate remains pedestrian (16.3%) and he’ll be entering his age-37 campaign in 2026. Still, he’s proven durable and an innings eater, averaging 167 innings per season from 2018-24. That makes him someone who should find a place if he’s healthy next year.
Cubs: OF Kyle Tucker
2026 seasonal age: 29
Although he’s been struggling since the All-Star break, Tucker is putting together another typically prolific season at the plate. And given that he’ll be on the younger side of the age spectrum in free agency, he’ll likely be one of the most sought-after players on the market if the Cubs don’t sign him to an extension. A quick peek at his Baseball Savant page shows why — there’s a lot of red on there for a pure hitter who is patient at the plate, doesn’t swing and miss often and can hit to all fields with power.
Pirates: SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2026 seasonal age: 31
A glove-first utilityman, Kiner-Falefa has consistently been a useful player during most of his eight-year MLB career, in which he has a batting average above .260 but doesn’t hit for power. Heading toward his age-31 season, he should be a useful candidate for a roster who can be plugged in at shortstop, third base or in the outfield.
Reds: RHP Zack Littell
2026 seasonal age: 30
Acquired in a Deadline deal from the Rays this year, Littell has quietly been one of the best starting pitchers from a run prevention standpoint since last season, as his 3.35 ERA is nearly a top-30 figure among pitchers with at least 200 innings in that time. The underlying numbers don’t quite agree that he’s that good, but Littell throws a ton of strikes and misses enough bats to get by, although the home run issues are notable (his 27 home runs this season lead all pitchers).
D-backs: RHP Zac Gallen
2026 seasonal age: 30
Had Gallen reached free agency last offseason instead, we very well could have been talking about a deal upwards of $100 million. After posting a 3.41 ERA (and an equal 3.41 FIP to boot) across 663 1/3 innings from 2019-24, Gallen has had a career-worst season across the board in 2025, with a 5.31 ERA and 4.56 FIP in 24 starts. When Gallen reaches free agency, many teams will likely try to recapture his previous form on a “show me” deal.
Dodgers: RHP Michael Kopech
2026 seasonal age: 30
Kopech has been a part of the revolving door that is the Dodgers bullpen over the last calendar year. Similar to other Dodgers relievers, Kopech has been highly effective when healthy but he has also missed significant time this year, including his current stint on the injured list after undergoing a right knee meniscectomy. With just seven innings this season, Kopech might need a pillow contract to prove his worth again next season.
Giants: RHP Justin Verlander
2026 seasonal age: 43
Upon signing with the Giants this past offseason, Verlander said he wants to pitch until he’s 45 or even beyond that. Whether he can prolong his career to that point remains to be seen, but one thing seems certain — it’s only a matter of time before he’s giving a speech in Cooperstown. As for 2026, health will obviously be a major factor, but if the right-hander is in good shape, he could certainly be a solid rotation option for a club in need — and, as they say, you can never have too much pitching.
Padres: RHP Michael King
2026 seasonal age: 31
Over the past two seasons, King has become one of the best starters in the National League, posting a 2.86 ERA over 229 1/3 innings since the Padres acquired him from the Yankees. The right-hander missed more than two months with a shoulder injury, but made his return to the mound on Saturday against the Red Sox. Given how he’s blossomed into a great starter after appearing mostly as a reliever in five seasons with the Yanks, he should be in high demand as a free agent.
Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez
2026 seasonal age: 31
Márquez’s career 4.53 ERA may look a bit unsightly, but making your living pitching half your games at Coors Field isn’t easy. In fact, Márquez has a career ERA+ of 108, indicating that he’s been above average when accounting for park factors. He’s definitely had tough stretches on the mound, but he was an All-Star in 2021 and has shown glimpses of that form recently — over his last 11 starts, he owns a 3.55 ERA. Assuming he returns healthy after tendinitis in his right biceps, he could be an attractive option for a club looking to see what he can do when pitching closer to sea level.
