That deal took a notable name off the board, but there are still some big-time arms available as teams get ready to head to Orlando, Fla., next week for the annual Winter Meetings.
Let’s take a look at five of the most prominent starting pitchers still available on the free-agent market and what their futures might look like.
Suárez doesn’t have the same lengthy track record of some of his free-agent peers, but the left-hander offers a postseason record superior to the rest of the pack.
The 30-year-old threw a career-high 157 1/3 innings in 2025, only the third time he has topped the 150-inning mark during his career. But Suárez has appeared in the postseason with the Phillies in each of the past four seasons, going 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 11 appearances (eight starts).
A number of clubs have been attached to Suárez in recent weeks, with sources tabbing the Astros, Cubs and Orioles as the most serious threats to sign him away from the Phillies. The Mets and Tigers are also in the mix, per sources.
Philadelphia hasn’t closed the door on a reunion, especially given the uncertainty around Zack Wheeler’s health. But with No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter knocking on the door and other priorities — namely the return of Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto — to deal with this winter, the likely scenario is Suárez signing elsewhere.
Imai, 27, had a 1.92 ERA in 163 2/3 innings for the Lions in 2025, striking out 178 batters. He has a 2.18 ERA over the past three seasons, using a wide arsenal of pitches that includes a fastball that can get up to 99 mph.
Unlike Roki Sasaki a year ago, Imai won’t be limited to international bonus pool restrictions because he’s over 25 years old and has played at least six seasons in a professional foreign league.
Imai recently said he would prefer to beat the Dodgers than join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Sasaki, though it appears that won’t be with the rival Giants, who don’t seem inclined to spend what it will take to land the right-hander.
The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies and Cubs are believed to be the most interested clubs, while the Orioles could also become a factor if Baltimore decides to go big-fish hunting. Both the Red Sox and Yankees have experience with big-name Japanese pitchers, signing Daisuke Matsuzaka (December 2006) and Masahiro Tanaka (January 2014), respectively.
The Cubs have dipped into the Japanese market in recent years with the signings of Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga. Yu Darvish also pitched for Chicago for three seasons, signing a free-agent deal in February 2018 after spending his first six years in the Majors with the Rangers and Dodgers.
The Athletic reported that Imai is expected to make some visits to teams after the Winter Meetings, making it unlikely that he will sign before things break up next week in Orlando.
Valdez’s résumé differs from Suárez in that he has been a workhorse during the regular season; he’s 73-44 with a 3.23 ERA in 154 games since becoming a full-time starter in 2020, topping the 190-inning mark in three of the past four seasons. The postseason has been a different story, as Valdez is 7-6 with a 4.34 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) during the past five years. He excelled in both ’20 and ’22 — an argument can be made that he should have been the World Series MVP in ’22 — but he hasn’t completed five innings in seven of his nine starts over the other three postseasons in which he’s pitched.
There have also been some character questions after a highly publicized cross-up incident in which he drilled his catcher in the chest with a fastball after giving up a grand slam. Valdez went to the GM Meetings to sit down with clubs, presumably to allay fears about that situation. The lefty also struggled down the stretch in 2025, going 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA in his final 10 starts.
Those issues aside, Valdez — who, at 32, is the oldest of the top free-agent starters — is drawing interest from a number of pitching-needy teams. The Mets and Orioles are among the favorites according to sources, as both of the decision-makers at those clubs have a history with Valdez. Baltimore GM Mike Elias was in Houston’s front office during Valdez’s first four seasons in the organization, while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was the Astros’ assistant GM when Valdez signed.
One talent evaluator recently said that King “may be the most talented starter on the market,” though his injury-riddled 2025 season is certainly on the minds of clubs seeking rotation help.
A pair of injuries — a nerve issue that impacted his throwing shoulder and left knee inflammation — limited King to 73 1/3 innings over 15 starts in 2025, as he posted a 3.44 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning. In ’24, King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, fanning 201 batters in a career-high 173 2/3 innings, ranking near the top of the league in both exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
Sources tab the Yankees, Cubs, Mets and Tigers as the most interested clubs, though others including the Orioles, Angels, Padres and Marlins are also in the mix for King.
A top-five finisher in NL Cy Young voting in 2022 (fifth) and ’23 (third), Gallen had a down year in his platform season, posting a career-high 4.83 ERA and a career-low 89 ERA+ over 192 innings. His Statcast numbers tell much of the story; Gallen was in the lower half of the league in most categories, taking a dip in nearly every area.
Still, Gallen’s overall track record might give potential suitors the belief that 2025 was more of a blip than the new normal. From 2020-24, Gallen was one of the most consistent starters in the league, going 50-31 with a 3.34 ERA over 128 starts. He looked more like his old self over the final two months of ’25, going 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA in his final 11 starts after Aug. 1.
The Angels, Giants and Tigers are among the teams in on Gallen, sources said, with the Orioles, Cubs and Braves also looking at the 30-year-old. If the price tag on starters such as Suárez, Imai and Valdez feel too high for some clubs, Gallen could be a strong alternative.
