Free agents broken down by tiers, with one alone at the top
For the second year in a row, the free-agent class is topped by a clear-cut No. 1 player, with Juan Soto expected to land a record-setting contract in the coming weeks.
But the class overall is rather deep, with a number of top starting pitchers and position players seeking nine-figure deals.
Below is a list of 125 available players and where they rank in the hierarchy of this year’s free-agent crop. Players are listed alphabetically within each tier, and ages listed are their 2025 seasonal age.
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Tier 1
Juan Soto, OF, age 26
When a free agent is expected to land a contract worth approximately twice as much as any other deal this winter, he gets his own tier. Soto is a generational hitter who will instantly make any lineup better, and at 26, he’s only entering the prime of his career.
Tier 2
Willy Adames, SS, age 29
The best shortstop on the market by a mile, Adames is fresh off a career year in which he set personal bests with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs. His reputation as a clubhouse leader has also caught the attention of executives, setting him up for a nine-figure deal.
Pete Alonso, 1B, age 30
Alonso has been one of the premier power hitters of the decade, slugging 226 home runs since he debuted in 2019. He has posted at least 4.0 bWAR in three of his five full seasons, while his big postseason moments last month added another line on his free-agent résumé.
Alex Bregman, 3B, age 31
Following a slow start in 2024, Bregman looked like his old self beginning in mid-May, hitting 25 home runs with 62 RBIs and an .845 OPS over his final 108 games. If you’re looking for a third baseman, Bregman is the cream of the crop.
Corbin Burnes, RHP, age 30
The top starting pitcher available in a deep market, Burnes is a proven workhorse who has thrown at least 190 innings in each of the past three seasons. The right-hander owns a 52-31 record with a 2.88 ERA and 816 2/3 innings pitched since the start of 2020, trailing only Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler in the latter category during that time.
Max Fried, LHP, age 31
An All-Star in two of the past three seasons, Fried has been one of the most consistent starters in the league when healthy. He’s topped the 160-inning mark in four of his past five full seasons, going 54-25 with a 2.81 ERA in 112 starts since the beginning of 2020.
Teoscar Hernández, OF, age 32
Hernández settled for a one-year, $23.5 million deal with the Dodgers last winter, but his career-high 33-homer season – in which he made his second career All-Star team – should set him up for a multi-year contract.
Anthony Santander, OF, age 30
Santander had a monster 2024 season, belting 44 home runs with 102 RBIs and an .814 OPS while making the first All-Star team of his career. He’s also played in at least 152 games in each of the past three seasons, something that should be appealing to interested clubs.
Roki Sasaki, RHP, age 23
The most intriguing free agent of the offseason, Sasaki offers the most upside at the young age of 23. More importantly, his status as an international amateur player means that teams won’t have to break the bank to sign him – they just need to convince him that they’re the team he should join.
Blake Snell, LHP, age 32
Free agency didn’t go as planned last year for the two-time Cy Young winner, who settled for a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants. A stellar second half (5-0, 1.23 ERA over his final 14 starts) should set up Snell for the long-term deal that evaded him last winter.
Tier 3
Shane Bieber, RHP, age 30
The 2020 AL Cy Young winner had two dominant starts to open his 2024 season, striking out 20 while issuing only one walk over 12 shutout innings. But Tommy John surgery ended his season in mid-April, a procedure that will likely keep him out for the start of 2025. An incentive-based deal could be in play, as could a two-year deal with a smaller base salary in year one.
Walker Buehler, RHP, age 30
Buehler struggled in his return from his second Tommy John surgery, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts last season, but the right-hander salvaged his season in October, throwing 10 scoreless innings over his final two starts and a relief appearance, saving the Dodgers’ World Series clincher.
Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, age 35
Eovaldi declined a $20 million vesting option following another strong season, his fifth straight with a sub-4.00 ERA. The right-hander – who has two World Series rings and a strong postseason résumé – would be a solid No. 3 option in a contender’s rotation.
Carlos Estévez, RHP, age 32
A strong first half with the Angels made Estévez one of the most sought-after relievers at the Trade Deadline, and the Phillies dealt a pair of their top pitching prospects for the closer. The former All-Star pitched well after the trade and should garner significant interest this winter.
Jack Flaherty, RHP, age 29
Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers last winter, pitched well during the first half and was traded to the Dodgers before the Trade Deadline. With no Draft-pick compensation attached to him, the right-hander should be able to parlay his strong season into a multi-year deal.
Jeff Hoffman, RHP, age 32
Hoffman bounced between the rotation and bullpen during the first seven years of his career in Colorado and Cincinnati, but he settled into a late-inning role with the Phillies in 2023, posting back-to-back stellar seasons (2.28 ERA, 184 ERA+), while making his first All-Star team in 2024.
Clay Holmes, RHP, age 32
An All-Star in 2022 and 2024, Holmes has had a superb run since being traded to the Yankees in 2021. The righty has a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves over 220 appearances, though his second-half struggles last season forced the Yankees to remove him from the closer role down the stretch. Holmes rebounded in October, getting important outs during New York’s run to the World Series.
Max Kepler, OF, age 32
It’s been five years since Kepler’s breakout 2019 season, during which he set career highs with 36 home runs and 90 RBIs. He might have to settle for a one-year pillow deal to reestablish his value, but Kepler remains a solid defender with 25-home run power, making him a solid risk-reward candidate.
Yusei Kikuchi, LHP, age 34
Kikuchi excelled following a midseason trade to the Astros, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA for Houston in 10 starts. He’s averaged more than 170 innings over the past two seasons and has made at least 29 starts in four of his five full seasons in the Majors, giving teams a chance to add a steady mid-rotation presence.
Ha-Seong Kim, INF, age 29
Even after undergoing shoulder surgery in September, Kim is the second-best shortstop on this year’s market behind Adames. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to start the season, but at 29 years old, the former Gold Glove winner should be able to land a multi-year contract.
Sean Manaea, LHP, age 33
After opting out of the final year of his contract and turning down the qualifying offer, Manaea will have Draft-pick compensation attached to him. The left-hander had an outstanding season in his first year with the Mets, putting him in position to land a far bigger deal than the two-year, $28 million contract he signed with New York last winter.
Tyler O’Neill, OF, age 30
O’Neill’s breakout 2021 season with the Cardinals saw him post a 6.1 bWAR with 34 home runs and a .912 OPS, but the outfielder wasn’t able to have similar success in either 2022 or 2023. A change of scenery did wonders for O’Neill, who belted 31 homers with an .847 OPS in 113 games for the Red Sox, setting him up for a nice free-agent deal.
Joc Pederson, DH, age 33
Pederson remains one of the most lethal bats in the league against right-handed pitching, bashing 22 home runs with a .923 OPS in 407 such plate appearances last season. His overall .908 OPS at age-32 was a career-best, though his DH-only status will likely force him to sign another one-year deal.
Nick Pivetta, RHP, age 32
Pivetta was a surprising recipient of the qualifying offer, which he declined, but the right-hander has been a steady presence in the Boston rotation for the past four years. He has posted an above-average ERA+ in three of those four full seasons, and while he isn’t a No. 1 or 2 starter for most clubs, he can help stabilize almost any rotation.
Jurickson Profar, OF, age 32
Profar posted a career year at the age of 31, making his first All-Star team with the Padres in 2024. Profar had career highs in home runs (24), RBIs (85), OPS (.839) and bWAR (3.7) after signing a one-year, $1 million contract last winter, but he should command a multi-year deal this offseason.
Tanner Scott, LHP, age 30
Scott was one of the best relievers in the league last season, posting a 1.18 ERA with 18 saves for the Marlins before being dealt to the Padres prior to the Trade Deadline. He pitched well in a setup role for San Diego, but in a market short on proven closers, the 30-year-old should have a number of suitors.
Luis Severino, RHP, age 31
Severino rebounded from a disastrous 2023 season, going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA after signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets. Severino declined a qualifying offer, so he’ll have Draft-pick compensation attached to him this winter, but the right-hander should have a healthy market.
Gleyber Torres, 2B, age 28
An All-Star in his first two seasons in the Majors, Torres has been an enigma during the past five years. He hasn’t come close to matching his career-high 38-homer season of 2019, but Torres hit 49 home runs from 2022-2023 before dropping to 15 last season. A change of scenery could help Torres, who has been a polarizing presence in the Yankees’ lineup in recent years.
Christian Walker, 1B, age 34
Walker has blossomed into one of the best all-around first basemen in the game, winning a Gold Glove Award in each of the past three seasons. Since the start of 2022, he has an .813 OPS while averaging 32 home runs and 94 RBIs per season. He’s likely looking at a three-year deal due to his age, but Walker will be in high demand.
Tier 4
Shawn Armstrong, RHP, age 34
Matthew Boyd, LHP, age 34
Alex Cobb, RHP, age 37
Michael Conforto, OF, age 32
Paul DeJong, INF, age 31
Dylan Floro, RHP, age 34
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, age 37
Andrew Heaney, LHP, age 34
Kyle Higashioka, C, age 35
Jose Iglesias, INF, age 35
Clayton Kershaw, LHP, age 37
Hye-Seong Kim, 2B, age 26
Michael Lorenzen, RHP, age 33
J.D. Martinez, DH, age 37
Frankie Montas, RHP, age 32
Martín Pérez, LHP, age 34
Jorge Polanco, 2B, age 31
Jose Quintana, LHP, age 36
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, age 35
David Robertson, RHP, age 40
Joe Ross, RHP, age 32
Carlos Santana, 1B/DH, age 39
Max Scherzer, RHP, age 40
Blake Treinen, RHP, age 37
Justin Turner, INF/DH, age 40
Alex Verdugo, OF, age 29
Justin Verlander, RHP, age 42
Jesse Winker, OF, age 31
Kirby Yates, RHP, age 38
Tier 5
Scott Alexander, LHP, age 35
Harrison Bader, OF, age 31
Scott Barlow, RHP, age 32
Jalen Beeks, LHP, age 31
Josh Bell, 1B, age 32
Mark Canha, OF, age 36
Andrew Chafin, LHP, age 35
Aroldis Chapman, LHP, age 37
Mike Clevinger, RHP, age 34
Patrick Corbin, LHP, age 35
Danny Coulombe, LHP, age 35
J.D. Davis, 3B, age 32
Elías Díaz, C, age 34
Buck Farmer, RHP, age 34
Kyle Farmer, INF, age 34
Caleb Ferguson, LHP, age 28
Chris Flexen, RHP, age 30
Joey Gallo, 1B, age 31
Yimi García, RHP, age 34
Kyle Gibson, RHP, age 37
Trevor Gott, RHP, age 32
Yasmani Grandal, C, age 36
Kendall Graveman, RHP, age 34
Randal Grichuk, OF, age 33
Garrett Hampson, OF, age 30
Kiké Hernández, INF/OF, age 33
Jason Heyward, OF, age 35
Tim Hill, LHP, age 35
Adrian Houser, RHP, age 32
Danny Jansen, C, age 30
Kenley Jansen, RHP, age 37
Jakob Junis, RHP, age 32
Tommy Kahnle, RHP, age 34
Carson Kelly, C, age 30
Joe Kelly, RHP, age 37
Craig Kimbrel, RHP, age 37
Andrew Kittredge, RHP, age 35
José Leclerc, RHP, age 31
Jorge López, RHP, age 32
Nicky Lopez, INF, age 30
Lance Lynn, RHP, age 38
Chris Martin, RHP, age 39
Phil Maton, RHP, age 32
Andrew McCutchen, OF/DH, age 38
Whit Merrifield, INF/OF, age 36
A.J. Minter, LHP, age 31
Yoán Moncada, INF, age 30
Charlie Morton, RHP, age 41
Héctor Neris, RHP, age 36
David Peralta, OF, age 37
Tommy Pham, OF, age 37
Brooks Raley, LHP, age 37
Colin Rea, RHP, age 34
Amed Rosario, INF/OF, age 29
Gary Sánchez, C, age 32
Paul Sewald, RHP, age 35
Lucas Sims, RHP, age 31
Will Smith, LHP, age 35
Drew Smyly, LHP, age 36
Donovan Solano, INF, age 37
Ryne Stanek, RHP, age 33
Hunter Strickland, RHP, age 36
Michael A. Taylor, OF, age 34
Spencer Turnbull, RHP, age 32
Gio Urshela, INF, age 33
Trevor Williams, RHP, age 33
Ryan Yarbrough, LHP, age 33