10 reunions we'd like to see in free agency

One of the warmest sights in baseball these past two seasons has been seeing Andrew McCutchen back in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform -- it just looked right, didn’t it?

When someone returns to their old team, it can make you feel like everything is coming full circle and all is right in the world. Sometimes, you just want to see an old friend back in that familiar uniform.

There are still many, many free agents on the market, and looking through the list, you can find some fun potential reunions between notable players and one of their former teams. Here are 10 that we would love to see happen for 2025. (Players are listed in alphabetical order.)

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks
Eight seasons with AZ (2011-18)
Goldschmidt was the face of the Diamondbacks for nearly a decade, to the point that if he does end up with a plaque in Cooperstown someday, the plaque is likely going to have a D-backs logo on it. Six seasons after his departure, he still ranks as the franchise’s all-time leader in several offensive categories, including position player WAR (39.9, per Baseball-Reference).

So why not go full circle and come back for one last go-round? If Christian Walker -- the guy who took over first base in Arizona after Goldschmidt was traded to St. Louis -- does end up leaving as a free agent, Goldschmidt could be a reasonable one-year fill-in. His numbers are way down from his career highs, but it’s not unreasonable to think he’d get a boost back in his old stomping grounds. The cheers he’d get his first game back would almost be worth it on their own.

Teoscar Hernández, OF, Blue Jays
Six seasons with TOR (2017-22)
There are reports that the Dodgers have been moving toward bringing Hernández back -- at the same moment the Blue Jays are pushing so hard on Juan Soto no less -- so this pick could be moot any minute now. But Hernández always felt like a perfect fit with Toronto, once finishing as high as 11th in AL MVP voting. If they don’t get Soto, the Blue Jays could do a lot worse than getting him back in his old jersey. Of course, the Dodgers could say the exact same thing.

Jason Heyward, OF, Braves
Five seasons with ATL (2010-14)
C’mon, how do you not love this one? Heyward, a Georgia native, was once considered the next Braves superstar; remember when Hank Aaron was there for his MLB debut (a game in which Heyward homered, no less)? Heyward’s career didn’t quite turn out the way many had hoped, but he still is an accomplished 15-year veteran who has played for some terrific teams (and was part of a World Series championship over a century in the making). The Braves need some outfield help, and Heyward could still provide it. He enjoyed a fine rebound season for the Dodgers in 2023, and after he was squeezed off their roster this August, performed well for the Astros in 24 games down the stretch. It’s been a long time since Heyward was a Brave, but the journey back would be a worthy one.

Kenley Jansen, RP, Dodgers
12 seasons with LAD (2010-21)
Jansen’s cutter may have been the most dominant pitch in baseball for nearly a decade at Chavez Ravine. While he has enjoyed further success since then with the Braves and Red Sox, it’s safe to say his glory years were in Dodger Blue. The Dodgers always need bullpen arms, and they’ve shown an ability to get the best out of veterans and young pitchers alike. Jansen is still an outstanding pitcher, and we know the Dodgers could always, always use one of those.

Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves
Five seasons with ATL (2010-14)
Speaking of closers coming home, it feels like Kimbrel was with the Braves longer than five years, doesn’t it? Kimbrel has pitched for seven teams since he left Atlanta, and while he has had some terrific seasons -- finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2017 while a member of the Red Sox -- there has been an undeniable downturn in recent seasons, particularly toward the end of the year. Could he hang on for one more year with the team for which he once nailed down 185 saves over just a four-year stretch?

Charlie Morton, SP, Pirates
Seven seasons with PIT (2009-15)
Morton actually broke through with Atlanta back in 2008 before being traded, along with two other players, for Nate McLouth. (Remember Nate McLouth?) Morton has become a much different pitcher since leaving the Pirates; the notoriously reliable innings-eater never actually made more than 30 starts in a season in Pittsburgh. That would be the expectation for a team that has a lot of young talent already in the rotation or on the way, but not a lot of experience and reliability. Morton could fill that role, even in his age-41 season.

Jurickson Profar, OF/IF, Rangers
Five seasons with TEX (2012-13, 2016-18)
Young people, you might not believe me when I say this, but seriously, Jurickson Profar used to be the most electrifying young prospect in the game. Honest! It never worked out for him in Texas, in part due to injuries that helped keep him out of the Majors for all of 2014-15. Profar had a career 87 OPS+ with the Rangers, but he has reinvented himself late in his career by becoming an extremely useful utilityman, someone who makes whatever team he’s on better in myriad ways. In 2024, he enjoyed a career year for the Padres, playing in his first All-Star Game (in Texas, coincidentally), and transforming into one of the better hitters in the NL. What better way to come full circle than to return and produce at the place where he once showed so much promise?

David Robertson, RP, Yankees
Nine seasons with NYY (2008-14, 2017-18)
How far back does Robertson go with the Yankees? He was the pitcher with the unfortunate assignment of taking over as closer from Mariano Rivera. He did a great job with it, too, saving 39 games in 2014. Robertson already returned to the Bronx once, as a Trade Deadline acquisition from the White Sox in 2017. Could he do so again? The Yankees clearly need bullpen help, and Robertson remains a highly effective reliever even as he approaches his 40th birthday in April.

Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Padres
One season with SD (2011)
OK, so I tried really hard to figure out a match between Rizzo and the Cubs, for whom he played 10 seasons, one of which memorably ended with him holding the final out of the Cubs’ first World Series title in more than 100 years in his glove. But with Michael Busch around, the fit just isn’t there. So, hey: How about the team Rizzo came in with, the team that traded him for … Andrew Cashner? (The Padres were actually Rizzo’s second organization; he was in the Red Sox system originally.) Putting Rizzo at first would allow the Padres to use Luis Arraez mainly at DH -- probably his best position -- and hey, Rizzo looked good in that uniform for those 49 games!

Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers
13 seasons with DET (2005-17)
This is the obvious one, right? The guy who won an MVP, Cy Young and a Rookie of the Year in Detroit would seem a perfect fit to come back home, with the Tigers now a playoff team, in need of rotation help and likely with money to spend. It would be a wonderful way for Verlander to keep his quest for 300 wins going -- he’s still 38 away -- and don’t forget: Kate Upton is originally from Michigan, too!