Regular-season performance will largely dictate how front-office executives view this year’s crop of free agents, most of whom have already rested their case with Sunday’s season finales.
For those impending free agents who are fortunate enough to find themselves in the postseason, however, they now have an opportunity to impress the rest of the league on the biggest stage the game offers.
Let’s take a look at 22 of this winter’s free agents (listed alphabetically) who will have a chance to shine in October before hitting the open market.
Arraez failed to hit .300 for only the second time in his career, but his 181 hits still led the National League in 2025. With only 21 strikeouts in 675 plate appearances, Arraez remains one of the best pure hitters in the game, though it hasn’t translated to the postseason in his first four trips to October, as he carries a .232 average in 14 career playoff games. Arraez hasn’t had an extra-base hit in the postseason since 2019, but he’ll have another chance to show he can get it done under the brightest lights before becoming a free agent.
Bassitt finished the season on the injured list with back inflammation, but is targeting a return for the AL Division Series. After going 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 32 appearances (31 starts), the 36-year-old should be an appealing free agent this offseason, but his last trip to the postseason went poorly, as he allowed three runs over four innings for the Mets in an NL Wild Card loss to the Padres in 2022.
Bellinger is no stranger to October, having been to the postseason with the Dodgers in each of his first six years in the Majors, winning a World Series ring in 2020. He hasn’t played in the playoffs since 2022, and after bouncing back with a strong 2025 season, a big October could push him closer to the long-term deal that evaded him in free agency two years ago.
After finishing second in the AL in hits (181) this season, Bichette has done more than enough to reestablish his value as he heads to free agency for the first time. This will be Bichette’s fourth trip to the postseason, where he is 6-for-22 (.273) with only one extra-base hit and a .638 OPS in six games — all Blue Jays losses.
Bieber has been fairly solid in his return from elbow surgery, posting a 3.57 ERA in seven starts with Toronto. The 30-year-old has a $16 million option with a $4 million buyout, so a strong postseason could prompt Bieber to test the market in search of a better deal.
Bregman is no stranger to the postseason, having been there in each of the first nine years of his career. A World Series champion with the Astros in 2017 and 2022, Bregman has 19 home runs, 54 RBI and a .789 OPS in 99 career postseason games, and after posting solid numbers (18 homers, 62 RBIs, .822 OPS) in 114 games this season, the 31-year-old will have to decide whether to opt out of the final two years of his contract to test free agency for a second straight season.
Cease chose a bad time to have a down season, going 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts in his final year before free agency. The 29-year-old hasn’t thrown more than six innings in a start since June 21, though six innings would be a marked improvement from his three career postseason starts, in which he’s recorded a total of 23 outs while posting a 12.91 ERA.
Conforto has had a nightmarish year for the Dodgers, who inked him to a one-year, $17 million deal last offseason. The 32-year-old hit .199 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .638 OPS in 138 games this season, but he could use his second career postseason — his first since 2015 — to author a happier ending. Conforto hit three home runs with six RBIs and a .735 OPS in 12 games during the Mets’ run to the 2015 World Series.
Slated to start a potential Game 3 against the Yankees, Giolito won’t be on the AL Wild Card Series roster because of an elbow issue. The 31-year-old has made two career postseason starts, both with the White Sox. He beat the Athletics in an AL Wild Card Game in 2020 with seven innings of one-run ball, then gave up four runs in 4 1/3 innings in an ALDS loss to the Astros.
It’s difficult to imagine that Grisham could use October boost his free-agent stock any more than he has over the past six months, having set career bests in home runs (34), RBIs (74) and OPS (.812), but shining under the bright lights in the Bronx can only help. This will be Grisham’s fourth time in the playoffs, where he has three homers, seven RBIs and a .622 OPS in 19 games.
Hoskins missed two months with a thumb injury, limiting him to only 90 games this season. The 32-year-old hit 12 home runs with 43 RBIs and a .748 OPS, and while his postseason résumé isn’t great – he has six home runs, 13 RBIs and a .578 OPS in 20 career games — he did have a big NLCS for the Phillies in 2022, belting four homers with seven RBIs and a 1.189 OPS in five games against the Padres. Hoskins has an $18 million mutual option ($4 million buyout) that is expected to be declined by the Brewers.
Junis has reinvented himself as a reliever in recent years, posting a 2.97 ERA in 57 appearances for Cleveland in 2025, his second straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA. The 33-year-old will be making the first postseason appearance of his career, giving him an opportunity to show his stuff on the big stage.
King’s contract year was interrupted by a pair of stints on the injured list, limiting him to only 15 starts, though the 30-year-old pitched well (3.44 ERA) when he was healthy. King tossed seven scoreless innings against the Braves in his first postseason start last year, but now he’ll have an opportunity to wipe away the memory of his second outing last October, a five-inning, five-run loss to the Dodgers in the NLDS.
Martinez took the $21.05 million qualifying offer last winter, and while that means he won’t be eligible for one this year, he also had his highest ERA (4.45) since he returned to the Majors from Japan in 2022. Martinez did record a career-high 165 2/3 innings this season, but he’ll be making his first career playoff start this week, having made seven relief appearances for San Diego in his lone postseason back in 2022.
Pagán wasn’t supposed to be the Reds’ closer this season, but the 34-year-old grabbed the job and ran with it, posting a 2.88 ERA and 32 saves in his second year with Cincinnati. Pagán has pitched well in his three previous postseasons (1.80 ERA in 11 appearances between 2019-23), but he’s never been tasked with closing duties in October before.
Polanco has a $6 million player option with a $750,000 buyout for next season, but after a 26-homer season with an .821 OPS, the infielder/DH could decide to test the market. Polanco has been to the playoffs four times, but the last two trips have not been productive for him (.589 OPS), giving him plenty of incentive this October.
Realmuto’s offensive output has declined in each of the past three seasons, and at age 34, the catcher could use a strong October to boost his free-agent value. Realmuto hit 12 home runs with 52 RBIs and a .699 OPS in 134 games this season, while his defensive Statcast numbers have been weak in terms of framing and blocking and strong in his ability to control the running game. Realmuto has been to the postseason in each of the past three seasons, hitting six homers with 19 RBIs and a .695 OPS in 34 games.
Schwarber did all he needed to this season to make himself one of the most attractive free agents on the market, belting 56 home runs with 132 RBIs and a .928 OPS while playing in all 162 games. This will be Schwarber’s 10th trip to the postseason, where he has 21 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .906 OPS in 69 career games.
After making his first All-Star team in 2024, Suárez followed that up by posting a career-best season in 2025, going 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts. The left-hander has saved his best for October over the past few years, going 3-1 with a 1.43 ERA in 10 postseason outings (eight starts), giving him a chance to put an exclamation point on his platform season.
Suarez is likely to decline his player option to test the market after posting his second straight All-Star season as the Padres closer. Suarez led the National League with 40 saves while posting a 2.97 ERA, but a solid performance in the postseason would add to his recent track record. This will be Suarez’s third career postseason, where he’s pitched to a 2.19 ERA over 10 appearances with San Diego.
Torres made his third career All-Star team this season, posting a .812 OPS with nine home runs and 45 RBIs in 84 games before the break. He hasn’t been as productive in the second half with a .659 OPS over 61 games, so he may need to perform well in the postseason to put himself on the radar of potential suitors. Torres went to the postseason six times with the Yankees between 2018-24, hitting seven home runs with 25 RBIs and a .795 OPS in 45 games.
Tucker’s contract year didn’t produce monster numbers, so while he remains the No. 1 free agent hitting the market this offseason, a big October would help him as he seeks a deal worth north of $400 million. Tucker hit 22 home runs with 73 RBIs and an .841 OPS in 136 games in 2025, but he doesn’t have a strong track record in his six postseasons, hitting eight homers with a .685 OPS in 64 games.
