There is a ton of excitement around baseball for the looming arrival of MLB free agency, with a pool of talent that includes All-Star hitters, front-line starters and some emerging superstars from Japan. With so many big names available, a number of teams around the league will come away with at least one big splash this winter.
Let’s dive into our preliminary MLB free agency predictions, projecting landing spots for the top 10 MLB free agents. Next week, we’ll release our predictions for players 11 through 20 in MLB free agency rankings.
Kyle Tucker, Outfielder: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants have made a few splashes within the last year, signing Willy Adames and then acquiring Rafael Devers. However, there’s still a glaring need in the outfield for a team whose outfielders finished 20th in OPS (.701), with that mark dropping to .679 after the trade deadline. Our belief is that San Francisco will trade for a starting pitcher, saving its money to come out on top of a bidding war for Kyle Tucker. It’s a risk, given his durability issues, but a healthy Tucker could mean four members of the Giants lineup hitting 25-plus home runs next season.
Related: Most Overrated MLB Free Agents 2025-26
Bo Bichette, Middle Infielder: Toronto Blue Jays
There’s something special in coming up with an organization, spending your early career experiencing the ups and downs of development and growth alongside an All-Star teammate, and then helping your team reach the World Series. All of this is to say that it feels like a matter of when, not if, Bo Bichette re-signs with the Toronto Blue Jays. That didn’t always feel like a given, but Bichette playing through a knee injury in the World Series and nearly being the biggest reason why the team won a championship carries a lot of weight. Toronto made the long-term commitment to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and it truly feels like the Jays will keep the duo together.
Related: 2025 MLB Free Agency Rankings
Dylan Cease, Starting Pitcher: Chicago Cubs
With the Chicago Cubs losing Kyle Tucker in our MLB free agency predictions and Shota Imanaga hitting the open market, there’s money to spend on a front-line starter. Dylan Cease posted a 4.55 ERA and 1.33 WHIP last season in San Diego, but his 89th percentile strikeout rate, 95th percentile Whiff rate (33.4 percent), and a 3.43 expected ERA demonstrate why he’s a much better pitcher than that. The 6-foot-2 righty returns to the team that drafted him over one decade ago, finally becoming a front-line starter in the Cubs rotation.
Kyle Schwarber, Designated Hitter: Philadelphia Phillies
While he’s now played with four franchises in his major-league career, Kyle Schwarber feels synonymous with the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s certainly earned the right to get paid after hitting 56 home runs with a .928 OPS in a contract year, often providing a spark when other hitters in the Phillies lineup were slumping. Philadelphia also really can’t afford to lose one of the few bats who has been productive (.930 OPS) for this team in October. We’d be shocked if Schwarber isn’t a part of the Phillies lineup next season and for two to three years beyond.
Munetaka Murakami, Corner Infielder: New York Mets
Many MLB free agency predictions have Japanese superstar Munetaka Murakami landing with a club like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Seattle Mariners. However, the Dodgers are set at first base/designated hitter, and the Mariners seem destined to re-sign Josh Naylor. No one should realistically be viewing Murakami as a third baseman, either. We do, however, expect Pete Alonso to leave Citi Field behind. In his place, Steve Cohen strikes and adds Japan’s top 25-year-old power hitter to a lucrative contract to make him the New York Mets‘ first baseman for the next eight-plus years.
Read More: Top Offseason MLB Trade Candidates, Potential Landing Spots
Alex Bregman, Third Baseman: Boston Red Sox
Given what happened with Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts, letting Alex Bregman depart in MLB free agency feels inexcusable for the Boston Red Sox. Other teams will certainly get involved, especially the Detroit Tigers, but Bregman has been pretty open about his desire to remain in Boston. Other clubs will drive the ultimate contract price up, but the Red Sox keep their All-Star third baseman, and Bregman finishes his career playing at Fenway Park.
Framber Valdez, Starting Pitcher: Toronto Blue Jays
Shane Bieber helped the Blue Jays out this offseason, exercising his $16 million option to remain with the team. Even with our expectation that Bichette re-signs with the team, there remains some long-term financial flexibility to make one more big addition. That comes with Framber Valdez. Entering his age-32 season, the two-time All-Star selection gives Toronto an additional premium playoff starter to pair with Bieber, Kevin Gausman, and Trey Yesavage.
Cody Bellinger, Outfielder/First Base: New York Yankees
Cody Bellinger seemed to find a home with the New York Yankees, and he might have had a 30-homer season with 100 RBI if he played in a few more games. There are some enticing first basemen available this offseason, but they don’t also offer Bellinger’s ability to play the outfield, and he already proved to be a great fit in the Yankees clubhouse. Instead of overpaying for a Pete Alonso or limiting the lineup flexibility by adding Murakami, New York keeps that versatility as an option for Aaron Boone by re-signing Bellinger.
Ranger Suarez, Starting Pitcher: Baltimore Orioles
It’s time for the Baltimore Orioles to splurge on the open market, rather than just throwing darts at bargain-bin starters and major gambles with limited upside. Ranger Suarez might not be the best starting pitcher in MLB free agency, but the 30-year-old southpaw is excellent when he takes the mound. Over the last two seasons, he compiled a 3.33 ERA with just a 0.8 HR/9 and a 1.21 WHIP across 308 innings of work. This is the winter Baltimore finally spends big money on a front-line starter.
Edwin Diaz, Closer: Los Angeles Dodgers
The popular pick is to have the Dodgers sign Kyle Tucker. Outfield is a need for the team, but it wasn’t their biggest weakness late in the season, and there are plenty of trade options to bolster the position. Instead, we expect Los Angeles to entice Edwin Diaz to leave New York. Diaz came pretty close to replicating his numbers from 2022, posting a 1.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts and a 0.87 WHIP across 66.1 innings pitched this season. He can take over as the Dodgers closer, allowing the team to see if Roki Sasaki can be stretched out into a starter.
