We have seen a couple of notable free agents — Japanese stars Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto — agree to deals in the first few days of 2026. But with only about five weeks left before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, a lot of quality players remain on the open market.
Let’s use this space to quickly run through the top free agents still available, separating them into six categories.
Bichette enjoyed a rebound year in 2025, batting .311 with an .840 OPS and 18 home runs after an injury-marred 2024. The Blue Jays have been linked to him throughout the winter, but Toronto’s deal with Okamoto may make a reunion less likely. The Red Sox can’t be ruled out for Bichette, but their pursuit might hinge on whether or not they re-sign Bregman. Boston has reportedly made an “aggressive offer” to Bregman, who registered an .822 OPS over 495 plate appearances and was lauded for his leadership during his first season with the Red Sox.
Imai’s signing likely signifies the end of Valdez’s tenure in Houston. The left-handed workhorse ranks second in the Majors since 2022 with 767 2/3 innings. He owns a solid 127 ERA+ over that span. Valdez’s 3.66 ERA last year was his worst in a qualified season, but few starters induce more ground balls than the 32-year-old, who had a 59.4% grounder rate in 2025 and 62.5% for his eight-year career.
Gallen’s 734 innings since the beginning of 2022 sit right behind Valdez for third-most in the bigs. Last season was a largely forgettable one for the 2023 NL Cy Young Award finalist. However, Gallen looked more like his old self over the final two months, recording a 3.32 ERA and a 3.95 FIP over his last 11 starts. He served up eight home runs during that 65-inning stretch, which was a big improvement from his first 127 innings (23 homers allowed).
Although Suárez doesn’t often break 90 mph on the radar gun, he has been one of the better starters in the game over the past two years, logging a 129 ERA+ across 308 innings. Armed with a six-pitch mix that induces a lot of soft contact, Suárez may be more appealing than fellow southpaw Valdez to some teams since the former is two years younger.
Just below those marquee position players reside a group of free agents that has something for any club.
Realmuto’s bat was below league average (91 OPS+) for the first time in a decade in 2025. His blocking and framing skills have declined in recent years, but the 34-year-old catcher, who has spent the past seven seasons with the Phillies, is still quite effective at cutting down opposing baserunners.
Suárez is the best pure power bat left on the market. He’s coming off a year split between the D-backs and Mariners in which he crushed 49 homers, although 36 of them came before he was traded to Seattle on July 31. From that point, Suárez batted just .189 with a .683 OPS and an unsightly 35.9% strikeout rate. Whiffs have always been a big part of his game, but Suárez has hit at least 30 home runs in six of the past seven non-shortened seasons.
Bader was a surprising standout at the plate with the Phillies during the final two months of 2025, slashing .305/.361/.463. But superb outfield defense is his calling card, and he recorded seven outs above average last year. A 2021 Gold Glover, Bader ranked third in outfield OAA over the past four seasons.
Both three-time Cy Young Award winners, Verlander and Scherzer showed last season that they have something left in the tank. Verlander, who will turn 43 on Feb. 20, produced a 3.85 ERA across 152 innings and 29 starts for the Giants. Scherzer, 41, threw just 85 regular-season innings for the Blue Jays as he was sidelined for nearly three months by right thumb inflammation. But he had a 3.60 ERA through his first 11 starts and ended the year by starting Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers, allowing one run over 4 1/3 frames.
Goldschmidt was fantastic for the Yankees in the early months of 2025. He entered June with a .338 average and an .889 OPS. But from there, the 38-year-old first baseman turned in a .226/.277/.333 slash line over 302 plate appearances. He hit 10 home runs on the year and is 28 dingers shy of 400 for his career.
It seems like it’s Pittsburgh or bust for McCutchen at this point in his decorated career. The Pirates legend has signed one-year deals with the club in each of the past three offseasons. The active leader in games played (2,262), the 39-year-old launched 13 homers and had a .700 OPS in 135 games last season while spending most of his time at designated hitter.
There are some reliable veterans in this tier of starting pitchers. Quintana and Littell each have a sub-4.00 ERA while throwing more than 300 innings since the beginning of 2024. Bassitt finished last season with a 3.96 ERA and has exceeded 170 innings in each of the previous four seasons.
There are also a couple of wild cards here in Buehler and Montgomery. The 31-year-old Buehler isn’t that far removed from being a frontline hurler, but his 2025 season with Boston was so bad that he was released in August after recording a 5.45 ERA over 112 1/3 innings.
Last time we saw Montgomery, he had a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP for the D-backs in 2024. He then missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. He should be able to get back on the mound in the early portion of 2026 and will look to recapture the form that made him a postseason hero with the World Series champion Rangers in 2023.
Kopech was limited to only 11 innings with the Dodgers because of right shoulder and right knee injuries. But the 29-year-old fireballer allowed only six hits (all singles) in 40 at-bats. Speaking of 40, Robertson produced a 4.08 ERA in his age-40 campaign with Texas last year. Next season would be his 18th in the big leagues.
