The 2024 MLB season might be over, but the baseball calendar stops for no one. Players on expiring contracts will become free agents the morning after the World Series ends, and they can start signing with new teams five days later.
Of course, free agency rarely plays out that quickly. The bulk of the action tends to occur around the Winter Meetings in December, while some free agents hold out into the new year for the right deal. The arms race for 2025 should be exciting, and there are some big names on the market this year.
No one will command more attention than Juan Soto, who is coming off a dominant season with the Yankees. A return to the Bronx would surprise no one, but Soto might just follow the money — and he's going to get a massive amount of it.
Who else is hitting the open market? Here's a look at the 25 headliners of the free agent class.
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MLB free agents 2024
A handful of notable players could become free agents, pending decisions on their options for 2025, including Cody Bellinger, Ha-Seong Kim, and Michael Wacha. Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki could also be posted this offseason, but that decision hasn't been made yet.
Here are the top 25 players guaranteed to head to free agency:
1. Juan Soto, OF, Yankees
Soto is one of the most valuable free agents in MLB history, between his Hall of Fame-caliber skillset, youth, and durability. An on-base machine, Soto blasted a career-high 41 home runs in 2024 and is set to receive at least the second-largest contract in league history in terms of total value.
2. Corbin Burnes, SP, Orioles
Burnes won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award with the Brewers and pitched like an ace for the Orioles after landing in Baltimore via trade in February. While the final weeks of his season weren't ideal, there's little doubt Burnes will be able to cash in on the open market.
3. Max Fried, SP, Braves
Fried has been one of the steadiest starters in baseball since 2020, carrying a 2.81 ERA over that span and winning a World Series with the Braves in 2021. The left-hander's 3.25 ERA in 2024 was his highest since 2019, but that says more about how consistent Fried has been even while missing time with minor injuries.
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4. Willy Adames, SS, Brewers
Adames put together a career year offensively at the right time, posting a career-high 32 home runs and 112 RBIs as an anchor of the Brewers' lineup in 2024. While his defense wasn't what it was in past years, Adames is well-rounded enough at a valuable position that he is likely to command a nine-figure deal this winter.
5. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
Bregman got off to a slow start in 2024 but was quietly very productive as the year went on, finishing with a .260 average and 26 home runs in addition to strong defense at third base. A severe dip in on-base percentage might worry teams, but Bregman is still only 30 and can reliably hit 20-30 home runs per season going forward.
6. Blake Snell, SP, Giants
After winning his second Cy Young Award, Snell held out until March in free agency last season before settling for a deal with the Giants. He looked rusty early on but was one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport down the stretch, carrying a 1.30 ERA and 99 strikeouts over his final 11 starts. Even as he approaches 32, there's no reason Snell shouldn't cash in this time around.
7. Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets
Alonso is one of baseball's best raw power hitters, but will that be enough to land him the mega deal he's looking for? His OPS has declined in each of the past two seasons, and it's hard to find much value outside of his power at a position that has plenty of power to go around. Still, a few teams will undoubtedly be interested in plugging Alonso's 40-HR potential into their lineup.
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8. Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Dodgers
Hernandez had one of his best seasons in his first year with the Dodgers. Now, he's set to cash in on a multi-year deal as one of the top power bats on the market.
9. Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles
Like Alonso, Santander doesn't offer too much value outside of his power, but the power is going to be enough to get him a sizable deal. The Orioles outfielder hit a career-high 44 home runs in 2024, posting the highest full-season OPS of his career.
10. Jack Flaherty, SP, Dodgers
Flaherty settled for a cheap one-year deal with the Tigers last winter and took full advantage, posting a 3.17 ERA over 28 starts to put a rough two-year stretch behind him. Now walking fewer batters than he ever has before, the Dodgers starter should join his teammate Hernandez in securing the multi-year deal Flaherty has been seeking.
11. Tanner Scott, RP, Padres
Scott is the top reliever on the open market after a dominant season split between the Marlins and Padres. The former Orioles left-hander broke through with a sneaky great 2023 season, emerging as Miami's closer late in the year, and he had a 1.75 ERA in 2024.
12. Sean Manaea, SP, Mets
Manaea, like Flaherty, is finally going to secure the contract he's been looking for after a resurgent season. The former A's starter bounced back from a tough couple of years in the NL West by posting a 3.47 ERA over 32 starts with the Mets. Manaea should be appealing to teams who aren't willing to spend big for someone like Burnes or Fried.
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13. Shane Bieber, SP, Guardians
Bieber is a major wild card in free agency, as he was looking dominant over two starts in 2024 before learning he needed Tommy John surgery. He might miss the first month or two of 2025 as he finishes up his recovery, but the former Cy Young Award winner should be in line for a multi-year deal.
14. Christian Walker, 1B, Diamondbacks
Walker has quietly been one of the best offensive corner infielders in baseball over the last three seasons, posting an OPS north of .800 each year and hitting more than 30 home runs twice. After batting .251 with 26 home runs in 2024 despite missing a month, Walker should be able to land a multi-year deal even ahead of his age-33 season.
15. Carlos Estevez, CL, Phillies
Estevez couldn't help the Phillies fulfill their postseason goals after a midseason trade with the Angels, but a 2.45 ERA, 26 saves, and a 0.91 WHIP will draw plenty of attention on the open market.
16. Yusei Kikuchi, SP, Astros
The Astros were widely panned for the haul they sent to Toronto for Kikuchi ahead of the trade deadline, but the deal worked out well for them if you ignore their Wild Card round exit. Kikuchi had a 2.70 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine over 10 starts in Houston, proving that his strong peripheral numbers were telling the truth and putting him firmly in this second wave of free-agent starting pitchers.
17. Tomoyuki Sugano, SP, Japan
Sugano has long been one of Japan's best starting pitchers, going 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA over 156.2 innings for the Yomiuri Giants in 2024. He's 35, which is why he won't be getting anything resembling what Yoshinobu Yamamoto received from the Dodgers, but Sugano offers enough upside over the next three or four years that he should do well as an unrestricted free agent.
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18. Tyler O'Neill, OF, Red Sox
MLB teams love consistent bats. O'Neill is quite the opposite. He had a whopping seven multi-home run games with the Red Sox in 2023, which is actually two more than Aaron Judge, but when he was off, he was way off. Still, 31 home runs and an .847 OPS will make O'Neill an attractive option for teams that miss on Hernandez and Santander.
19. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Yankees
Torres had a down year in 2024, only starting to show signs of life late in the season, but he's young enough and has a strong enough track record to draw considerable interest this winter. Torres hit .273 with 25 home runs and an .800 OPS in 2023, so a team could take a chance on him in hopes of a resurgent year at the plate given he's just about to turn 28.
20. Jose Quintana, SP. Mets
Quintana gave the Mets exactly what they were asking for in 2024, posting a 3.75 ERA over a full 31 starts. While his peripherals weren't quite as strong, Quintana has been doing this long enough that teams know they're getting a solid mid-rotation arm if they hand him a short-term deal.
21. Jurickson Profar, OF, Padres
Profar had an All-Star season out of nowhere in 2024. Knowing that kind of production likely isn't sustainable and he doesn't offer real defensive value, it's tough to see him breaking the bank this offseason. However, Profar has shown enough to command a solid short-term deal, whether back in San Diego or elsewhere.
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22. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals
Does Goldschmidt have one more All-Star caliber year in him? He will only be three years removed from an MVP season in 2025, but he took a major step back with 22 home runs and a .716 OPS in 2024. At 37, Goldschmidt isn't going to break the bank this winter, but he could have something left in the tank if he lands in a better environment.
23. Kirby Yates, CL, Rangers
Yates will be 38 on Opening Day and might not be the player all fan bases want their team to pursue, but how can you argue with what he did in 2024? A 1.17 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 33 saves made Yates an All-Star after some injury-riddled years, and it's enough to land him a prominent role in someone's bullpen next season.
24. Luis Severino, SP, Mets
Severino was up-and-down in 2024, looking brilliant some nights and getting punched in the mouth by opposing offenses on other occasions. The overall result was a respectable 3.91 ERA and 4.21 FIP over a full 31 starts, much improved from an ugly 2023 with the Yankees. If a team can keep moving Severino's confidence in the right direction, he can be a strong mid-rotation option in 2024.
25. Max Scherzer, SP, Rangers
Scherzer is a complete gamble in free agency, as the team that signs him just won't be able to count on him pitching a full season. The last three seasons have been marred by minor injury after minor injury for the former Cy Young winner, and that trend isn't likely to improve at age 40. Still, Scherzer has a 3.16 ERA since 2022 and could interest contenders looking for another arm.
