Ranking the top MLB Free Agents For the 2025 Offseason

One of the best power hitters in MLB, Pete Alonso finds himself in a weird place entering what will be a confusing free agency saga. Despite hitting 34 home runs this season and 46 home runs last season, his numbers have regressed from his best seasons with the Mets. His WAR and wRC+ in 2023 and 2024 were the two lowest marks he’s had in a full-162-game season, and his defense hit a new low this past season as he set a career low in Fielding Run Value (-6) and Outs Above Average (-8).

Teams will be weary about his age beyond 2024, as he’ll be 30 at the start of Spring Training next year and is already declining from his peak seasons.

With 44 home runs and a 129 wRC+, Anthony Santander had a monstrous season at the plate as he was a launch pad for longballs with the Baltimore Orioles. Over the last three seasons, he has the sixth-most home runs in baseball (105) and a .478 SLG%, but teams will hold reservations about his value outside of the ability to take the ball out of the yard. Santander struggles to get on base and is a below-average defender and baserunner, making him more of a 2-3 WAR player than a true star.

Any team that can plug him into the middle of their lineup will be delighted with the power they get, but they should know that it’s likely all he can provide to a team.

Christian Walker is the best defensive first baseman in the game, leading the position in Outs Above Average (39) since 2022 while packing some serious power. His 95 homers over that stretch trails only Pete Alonso and Matt Olson, who don’t have nearly the defensive impact that Walker has on the field. Entering his age-34 season, there’s worry about how he’ll age moving forward, but a team who can land him on a short-term deal should get at least another peak year or two out of him where he provides All-Star caliber production.

He barreled a career-high 13.3% of batted balls last season, and plenty of teams would be eager to add his right-handed power to their lineup.

Few pitchers are better at run prevention than Max Fried, and after making 29 starts with a 3.25 ERA this past season, he should be a hot commodity on the free-agent market. A bonafide ace, he has the lowest ERA for any starter since 2020 with at least 500 IP (2.81), and that’s thanks to his excellent damage prevention to go alongside solid strikeout-to-walk rates. Over that stretch, Fried is third in groundball rate (54.2%) and his fastball velocity has only crept up over the last few seasons.

The only concern with Max Fried is that he’s only surpassed the 180-inning threshold once in his MLB career, which might end up limiting his total contract this winter.

After betting on himself and taking a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Teoscar Hernandez smashed 33 home runs with a 3.5 fWAR, and he could be one of the most highly sought-after bats on the market. He profiles better for a right field spot than a left field spot, as his defensive skills leave a lot to be desired, but his power is remarkable and he has excellent sprint speed as well, and the Dodgers helped him improve his baserunning woes from the year prior.

Entering his age-32 seasons, teams may avoid a longer-term deal with him, but the short-term benefit is there with his 30+ home run power.

Willy Adames smashed 32 home runs with a 4.8 fWAR, the most of his career on both fronts, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Sure, his defensive abilities regressed a bit, but he stole more bases than he ever has at any other point in his career (21) and teams across MLB will likely show up in droves to try and sign him this offseason. He could also shift to second base or third base based on a team’s needs, opening up his market even more.

Teams could offer upwards of $200 million for his services, especially given the market that other shortstops have had in previous winters.

A key part of the Houston Astros for nearly a decade, Alex Bregman posted a 118 wRC+ and 4.1 fWAR in what was another solid season for the star third baseman. There are some concerns about his declining sprint speed and how his power would play outside of Houston, but his postseason experience alongside his steady track record of excellent play should make him a coveted player on the market. Among MLB third basemen, he is third in fWAR (14.0) and seventh in wRC+ (127).

Entering his age-31 season next year, Alex Bregman should have an interesting yet bountiful free-agent market.

After winning the NL Cy Young last season, Blake Snell signed late in the offseason and struggled to get things going for the first half of the season. Then, after returning from the IL, the left-hander decided to take it up a notch by posting a 1.23 ERA with 114 strikeouts over his 80.1 innings. His stuff is remarkable, Snell’s fastball has improved in terms of command and effectiveness, and his secondary stuff is borderline unhittable with a curveball, slider, and changeup to boot.

Teams won’t forget that he’s never exceeded 180.2 innings pitched in his career, but Blake Snell left a lasting impression on teams over his last two seasons.

A true workhorse who can anchor any rotation, Corbin Burnes cut his ERA down from 2023 while improving his underlying metrics as well. While his declining strikeout rate is something to keep note of, he also has the third-most innings pitched since 2022 and has a 3.08 ERA over that stretch. Teams could have him utilize his sweeper more if they want to induce more swing-and-miss, but they’ll have to pay a hefty price to get a chance at rostering him.

There are few pitchers in the sport who can outduel Corbin Burnes, and he’s the best pitcher in this free agent class.

You could reasonably debate who ranks where on this list, but this top spot should not be remotely debated as Juan Soto is clearly the top player on the market. His new contract will indicate the same thing, as Soto mashed a career-high 41 home runs and helped the Yankees capture their first pennant in 15 years. Entering his age-26 season, the star outfielder is truly one of the best players MLB has to offer, trailing just Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in fWAR since the 2020 season.

A once-in-a-generation talent at the plate, the question isn’t whether he’ll make $500 million anymore, but rather if he can surpass the $700 million mark.