Ranking the Best 25 Free Agents in the 2024-2025 Class

Update: With the Winter Meetings taking place in Dallas, Texas this week, the offseason hot stove is only going to get hotter. Eight of our top 25 free agents have already signed, and more deals are sure to come together in the next few days. This article has been updated to include the latest contract details for Just Baseball’s top free agents.

Original: October has turned into November, and the 2024-25 MLB offseason is officially upon us. The qualifying offers have been handed out. Every team, player, and mutual option has been picked up or declined. And as of Monday evening, free agents are eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 teams.

This year’s free agent crop isn’t quite as loaded at the top or quite as deep throughout as last year’s class, but there are still talented players up for grabs at every position. No matter what your favorite team is looking for, there are options to address every area of weakness.

So, without further delay, here is the Just Baseball editorial staff’s ranking of the top 25 MLB free agents for the 2024-25 offseason.

Note: Free agents are ranked in the order in which we value them, and not (necessarily) by how much money we think they’ll sign for.

Other Notable Free Agents

In no particular order

• Aging Superstars: Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Paul Goldschmidt
• Quality Starters: Nick Pivetta, Frankie Montas, Jose Quintana, Andrew Heaney
• The Wild Card: Shane Bieber
• Potential Closers: Carlos Estévez, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen

Honorable Mention: Roki Sasaki

Outside of MLB free agency, a sweepstakes will unfold this winter surrounding an international amateur free agent: Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old phenom will be posted by his NBP club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, prior to serving six full seasons in Japan. That means he can’t sign anything more than a minor league deal with a limited signing bonus.

Since his price tag will be so low, all 30 teams can get in on the bidding for Sasaki’s services; they are limited to spending only their international bonus pool money to sign him. If Sasaki were an unrestricted MLB free agent, he could see a bidding war similar to what we saw unfold with Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year.

25. Clay Holmes, RP

Holmes may have cost himself millions with 13 blown saves in 2024, but even in a year in which he lost his job as the Yankees’ closer, Holmes was one of the better relievers in baseball. He finished the regular season with a 3.14 ERA and 3.22 xERA in 67 games and topped that off with a 2.25 ERA over 13 appearances in October.

Actual Contract: Three years, $38 million with the New York Mets on 12/06/2024

24. Walker Buehler, SP

How much extra cash can a player earn from a terrific postseason performance? Buehler is about to find out. By tossing five scoreless innings against the Yankees in Game 3 and securing the final three outs to win the World Series in Game 5, Buehler reminded us all why he’s a two-time All-Star with a pair of top-10 Cy Young finishes under his belt.

After missing parts of the past three seasons with injuries, Buehler is a good candidate to sign a one-year prove-it deal.

23. Joc Pederson, DH

Pederson was one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball last season – against right-handed pitching. Being a platoon DH severely limits his value, but he can be a game-changing bat in the middle of a lineup.

22. Gleyber Torres, 2B

Torres is coming off a mediocre season (104 wRC+, 1.7 fWAR), but he gets a boost as the only true starting second baseman on the market. It also helps that he’s one of the younger free agents in the class; he won’t turn 28 until December.

If Torres can bounce back to his 2023 form (120 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR), he’ll make his next team very happy.

21. Luis Severino, SP

Severino pitched to a 3.91 ERA and a 3.88 xERA over 31 starts this past year – his first full season since 2018. He’s no longer the Cy Young-caliber pitcher he was back then, but if he could land a one-year, $13 million guarantee last winter coming off a difficult 2023 season, he’s due for a much better deal this time around.

Actual Contract: Three years, $67 million with the Athletics on 12/05/2024

20. Tyler O’Neill, OF

O’Neill hit 31 home runs in 113 games this past season. Extrapolated over 162 contests, that’s 44 long balls. That should tell you everything you need to know about his upside. The downside is that he has struggled more than he has succeeded throughout his career, with both injuries and an inconsistent bat.

He may never again be the five-tool player he looked like in his incredible 2021 season, but O’Neill has the power to be a special hitter when he’s healthy.

Actual Contract: Three years, $49.5 million with the Baltimore Orioles on 12/07/2024

19. Jeff Hoffman, RP

You could make a pretty strong case that Hoffman was the best reliever in the National League this past season – until he wasn’t. The right-hander let the Phillies down in the playoffs, but his 2.28 ERA in 118.2 IP over the past two years speaks much louder than his 40.50 ERA over 1.1 innings in the NLDS.

A short track record will keep Hoffman from earning star closer money, but he should be the highest-paid right-handed reliever of the offseason.

18. Nick Martinez, SP/RP

You might be surprised to see Martinez this high on the list, but take a look at his 2024 numbers, and you’ll have difficulty disagreeing with his ranking. Only 11 pitchers threw more innings with a lower ERA than Martinez in 2024. Only six pitchers threw more innings with a lower xERA.

For the third consecutive season, Martinez thrived as a swingman, making 42 appearances and 16 starts. He also turned into one of the best control artists in the game, walking just 3.2% of batters he faced. The righty turned down a $12MM player option for the 2025 season and now stands to earn more than the $21.05MM qualifying offer on a multi-year deal.

Actual Contract: Accepted qualifying offer (one year, $21.05 million) from the Cincinnati Reds on 11/19/2024

17. Tanner Scott, RP

As the best free agent reliever and the only surefire closer on the market, Scott stands to command good money this winter.

The southpaw followed up a breakout campaign in 2023 by putting up a 1.75 ERA and 2.92 xERA across 72 innings in 2024. He’s also younger than many of the other top free agent relievers (he won’t turn 31 until next July) which should help him land a longer-term deal.

16. Ha-Seong Kim, SS

The 110-wRC+ version of Kim we saw in 2023 might have been a mirage, and the real Kim might not be anything more than a league-average hitter. However, that’s still valuable coming from a plus baserunner and a talented defensive shortstop.

Kim would be higher on this list if it weren’t for the shoulder surgery that could push back the start of his 2025 season.

15. Jurickson Profar, OF

Oh, what to make of Jurickson Profar? After the season he just had, you could argue he’s a top-10 free agent. But considering the rest of his career up until this season, you could argue he doesn’t belong on this list at all.

Profar’s market this offseason will depend on how many teams believe his 2024 performance was truly sustainable.

14. Christian Walker, 1B

Walker is a consistent power bat and one of the only first basemen in the league whose glove is genuinely an asset at the less-hot corner. Over the past three years, he has quietly been a top-20 position player in the National League. Unfortunately for Walker, he’s reaching free agency ahead of his age-34 season, and the qualifying offer could seriously shrink his market.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Walker struggles to land a contract this winter only to put up an All-Star campaign in 2025.

13. Yusei Kikuchi, SP

Plenty of people were shocked by the trade package the Astros sent the Blue Jays in exchange for Kikuchi at the deadline. However, that trade package tells us two things: (1) the Astros valued Kikuchi enough to part with all those talented young players, and (2) the Blue Jays weren’t going to give him up for anything less.

If that’s any indication of how teams around the league view Kikuchi, the veteran left-hander could be in for a hefty payday this winter. 

Actual Deal: Three years, $63 million with the Los Angeles Angels on 11/25/2024

12. Nathan Eovaldi, SP

Eovaldi triggered an opt-out clause in his contract when he reached 156 innings in 2024. The fact that he passed that inning threshold also demonstrates why he opted out.

A pitcher who can qualify for the ERA title, give his team close to six innings per start, and finish with an ERA in the mid-to-late 3.00s is going to get paid in free agency. That’s especially true for a two-time All-Star with a sparkling reputation in October.

11. Sean Manaea, SP

What makes Manaea so appealing as a free agent is that he has such a high floor. His 2024 season was arguably the best of his career, and it’s fair to worry he might not be able to fully replicate that success going forward.

However, Manaea ranks among the top 20 pitchers in innings over the past five years, and his 4.17 ERA in that time is perfectly respectable for a mid-rotation starter.

10. Jack Flaherty, SP

Even more than Manaea, Flaherty boosted his stock this season by proving himself to be a top-of-the-rotation option once again.

A long history of injuries, poor performance, and inconsistency will give potential suitors pause. Still, Flaherty was excellent all year long in 2024, and there are going to be far more teams in need of starting pitching than there are top-tier starters available on the market.

9. Teoscar Hernández, OF

It’s unclear if Hernández received any multi-year offers last winter, but if he did, he was smart to bet on himself by signing a one-year deal instead.

Fresh off a terrific season batting behind Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman, Hernández is set to sign a much more lucrative contract this offseason than he could have commanded last year. His age is the only thing keeping him behind Anthony Santander on this list.

8. Anthony Santander, OF

Santander raised his stock dramatically with a 40-something home run performance in 2024. He doesn’t quite have the track record of Pete Alonso, but he’s another option for a team that’s looking to add a dangerous power bat to the middle of the lineup.

7. Pete Alonso, 1B

Unlike Santander, Alonso certainly didn’t have the walk year he was hoping for in 2024. However, a strong postseason performance means he’s entering free agency on a high note. The slugging first baseman is beloved in Queens, but will he find a more enticing offer elsewhere?

6. Max Fried, SP

Fried has been an excellent pitcher year in and year out since his first full season in 2019. The only thing that stops him from being a true ace is the fact that he rarely pitches deep into games, but it’s not as if he’s ever had trouble qualifying for the ERA title.

He might sign for significantly less money than Corbin Burnes or Blake Snell, but if he does, Fried could turn out to be the bargain of the offseason.

5. Blake Snell, SP

The arguments against Snell are obvious. The market was unkind to him last winter, and now he’s another year older and coming off an injury-marred campaign.

Then again, the arguments in his favor are obvious, too. Snell is a two-time Cy Young winner. At his best, he’s one of the most unhittable pitchers in the league. Snell is a year older than Fried and not quite as consistent, but the fact that he won’t be attached to a qualifying offer this offseason ultimately gives him the edge over his fellow left-hander.

Actual Contract: Five years, $182 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers on 11/26/2024

4. Alex Bregman, 3B

Bregman hasn’t been an MVP contender for several years now, but he remains a terrific hitter and an excellent defensive third baseman. Adames is younger and plays a more valuable defensive position, but he and Bregman are practically 3a and 3b. Both of these star infielders are going to sign lucrative long-term deals.

3. Willy Adames, SS

Adames isn’t as big of a star as some of the guys ranked behind him, including Bregman, Snell, Fried, or Alonso. Heck, he’s never even been an All-Star. Regardless, there is little doubt Adames is going to get paid like a star this offseason. He’s a young, multitalented shortstop, and this year’s market is thin on middle infielders 

Actual Contract: Seven years, $182 million with the San Francisco Giants on 12/07/2024

2. Corbin Burnes, SP

The 2021 NL Cy Young winner just wrapped up another Cy Young-caliber season. Of all the top starting pitchers available on this year’s market, Burnes comes with the fewest question marks and as much upside as anyone. 

1. Juan Soto, OF

There was never any question as to who was going to take the top spot on this list. Soto is a generational talent coming off the best season of his career, and he’s still only 26 years old. Don’t be surprised if he signs for more guaranteed money than Burnes, Adames, and Bregman combined.

Actual Contract: 15 years, $765 million with the New York Mets on 12/08/2024