The top 10 free agents this offseason (plus one bonus!)

As we head toward the stretch run of the 2024 season, clubs around the Majors are surely beginning to formulate their plans for the upcoming offseason.

While last year’s Hot Stove was dominated by a pair of players who wound up together in Los Angeles – Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto – this year’s free-agent crop features some high-profile names that will be coveted by a number of clubs.

Free agency won’t get underway until we’ve crowned a 2024 World Series champion, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead to the players who will captivate our attention in November and beyond.

With that in mind, MLB.com takes a look at the top 10 impending free agents who will have the biggest impact on the Hot Stove season, plus one bonus name that could really shake up the market.

Ages listed are each player’s seasonal age for 2025. A “^” indicates a player is ineligible for a qualifying offer. All stats are through Monday's games, unless otherwise noted.

Note: We'll be expanding this list to the Top 25 closer to the start of free agency, then updating it regularly throughout the offseason. A few notable names who just missed the Top 10 include Cody Bellinger (can opt out of his three-year deal this winter), Marcell Ozuna (club option), Shane Bieber, Christian Walker, Nathan Eovaldi (vesting option), Tanner Scott and Teoscar Hernández.

1) Juan Soto, OF (age: 26)

It’s extremely rare for a player of Soto’s caliber to reach free agency before his age-26 season, making the four-time All-Star a bit of a Hot Stove unicorn. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were in similar situations after the 2018 season and each cashed in with free-agent deals worth at least $300 million. Soto’s price tag should be significantly higher, with most industry insiders projecting a deal of at least 10 years and $500 million.

Potential fits: Giants, Mets, Yankees

2) Corbin Burnes, RHP (age: 30)

Burnes has been everything the Orioles could have hoped for in 2024, giving Baltimore the workhorse ace it has been seeking. Burnes had no issue moving to the American League for the first time in his career, and while the Orioles are likely to do everything they can to keep the four-time All-Star and 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, Burnes – who is headed for his fifth straight Top 10 Cy Young finish and could become the eighth pitcher to earn the honor in both leagues – should have a number of clubs competing for his services.

Potential fits: Mets, Orioles, Red Sox

3) Blake Snell, LHP (age: 32) ^

A member of last year’s infamous “Boras Four,” Snell struggled to find the deal he wanted after winning his second career Cy Young Award. He ultimately landed with the Giants for two years and $62 million, though his strong second half – Snell is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA and a no-hitter in eight starts since July 9 – should result in him opting out of the final year of that deal.

Potential fits: Giants, Padres, Rangers

4) Alex Bregman, 3B (age: 31)

Bregman’s breakout seasons in 2018-19 saw him average 36 home runs, 108 RBIs and a .970 OPS, and he finished in the top five of AL MVP voting in both years. He hasn’t reached those levels since then, though he remains one of the more productive third basemen in baseball. Bregman’s platform year got off to a slow start (.206 average, four home runs and a .589 OPS through his first 51 games), but he’s come on since late May, hitting .302 with 15 homers and an .894 OPS over his past 65 games. The Astros have talked about extending Bregman, but with free agency around the corner, he should test the market.

Potential fits: Astros, D-backs, Mariners

5) Max Fried, LHP (age: 31)

Fried is one of the few homegrown Braves who hasn’t signed a long-term extension, putting him on track to test the free-agent market following his second All-Star campaign in three years. The left-hander’s 3.62 ERA through 21 starts is actually his highest since 2019, but Fried – a three-time Gold Glove winner – will be one of the top starting pitchers available this winter.

Potential fits: Cubs, Padres, Rangers

6) Anthony Santander, OF (age: 30)

Santander has been a solid player for several years, but he picked the right time to have a career-best season. A first-time All-Star this year, Santander has already set a career high in home runs (37 through Tuesday) and his .834 OPS would be his highest in a 162-game season. As much as he’s meant to the Orioles, Santander is likely to wind up elsewhere because Baltimore has a wealth of young outfield talent and a number of clubs will be seeking a power-hitting corner outfielder.

Potential fits: Cardinals, Guardians, Phillies

7) Matt Chapman, 3B (age: 32) ^

Chapman struggled to find a deal he liked last offseason before signing a $54 million contract with the Giants, one which includes opt-out clauses after both 2024 and 2025. Chapman got off to a subpar start (he hit .206 with five homers and a .599 OPS through his first 44 games) but he’s excelled in his past 81 games, posting an .877 OPS with 15 homers while playing his usually strong defense at third base. Barring injury or a terrible finish to his year, Chapman seems likely to opt out and test the market again this winter, though a return to San Francisco with a new deal wouldn’t be a surprise.

Potential fits: Astros, Giants, Mariners

8) Pete Alonso, 1B (age: 30)

Alonso will be one of the better power bats on the market, and although Christian Walker is having a stronger season and possesses a better glove at first base, Alonso gets the nod between the two for his age (Walker will play next year at age 34). The Mets slugger has been one of the most reliable power threats since he debuted in 2019, averaging 44 home runs per year in his first four 162-game seasons (he also hit 16 in 57 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign). Alonso has 27 homers in 125 games this season, hitting eight of them to go along with a .901 OPS in 30 games since the break.

Potential fits: Astros, Cardinals, Mets

9) Willy Adames, SS (age: 29)

A number of top shortstops have hit free agency in recent years, with Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson all cashing in with big free-agent deals. Coming off another strong offensive season, Adames will be the top shortstop available this winter, and although his defensive metrics haven’t been as strong in 2024, he remains a solid fielder.

Potential fits: Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants

10) Jack Flaherty, RHP (age: 29) ^

Flaherty’s first dalliance with free agency didn’t go well a year ago, so he bet on himself with a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers. His bet paid off: The right-hander pitched well in 18 starts with Detroit before being dealt to the Dodgers prior to the Trade Deadline. In a relatively thin starting pitching market – albeit a top-heavy one – Flaherty should be able to land the multi-year deal he struggled to find last offseason.

Potential fits: Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox

Bonus: Roki Sasaki, RHP (age: 23)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s move to the Majors caused a bidding war last offseason, and while the potential of Sasaki coming over from Japan would carry the same excitement factor, his age would prevent a similar free-agent frenzy. Players younger than 25 years old who have not reached six years of service in a foreign major league are subject to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pool rules, setting a cap on their contracts. Shohei Ohtani faced a similar situation in 2017, signing with the Angels for $2.315 million. Sasaki, who has a 1.95 ERA over his first four seasons in Japan, would become one of the top available starters if he were posted.

Potential fits: Dodgers, Orioles, Yankees