Top 10 Free Agents This Off Season

With the 2024 MLB season coming to an end with the Dodgers taking the grandest of prizes in the World Series, attention now turns to the offseason and where players will end up. The 2024 class of free agents has some incredible talent and there will be plenty of competition for many of the players. Here are the top 10 free agents this off season. 

1. LF, Juan Soto (age 26) 

No surprise who is first on this list with the individual who is the most coveted free agent in 2024-2025 and there will be plenty of competition for his signature. Soto took the MLB by storm at just 19 years of age with a breakout rookie year hitting .292/ .406/ .517 at an age where most top prospects are still in college or the minor leagues. Since his debut in 2018, Soto leads MLB with a .422 on-base percentage and a 154 wRC+. Although his defense is slightly limited, he is in for a big pay day this offseason wherever he lands. Soto famously rejected a 14-year, $440 million contract from the Nationals and bet on himself before being traded to the Padres. This will likely pay off as Soto needs only a $370 million or more contract to make this bet worth it. Some candidates for Soto’s signature include resigning with the Yankees, the Mets and the Giants.

2. SP, Corbin Burnes (age 30) RHP 

Despite a tough start to his MLB career, the top prospect Corbin Burnes has lived up to his hype in the majors. In seven MLB seasons, Burnes has 60 wins, 36 losses, a 3.19 ERA, 1,051 strikeouts, four All-Star appearances including a start in 2024 and a 2021 Cy Young winner award. Additionally Burnes finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young rankings for the previous four seasons and is likely to again. In 2024, Burnes held a 15-9 record for the Orioles with a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 181 strikeouts. Burnes will most likely be the most sought-after starting pitcher in free agency this year. Possible landing spots for Burnes includes staying with the Orioles or going to the Mets or the Red Sox. 

3. SP, Blake Snell (age 31) LHP

Snell was also a free agent last year, eventually signing with the Giants and he will once again look for a better contract after opting out of his current Giants contract. Last season Snell arguably had a better chance of an improved contract on the back of his Cy Young season with the Padres. Snell’s Giants contract was a two-year one for $62 million. The veteran struggled somewhat in an injury plagued start to the season as he went 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA in six starts during the first half of the 2024 season. He came back well though after his return, finishing the season out 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14 starts- which should increase his stock for this free agency window. In his career, Snell has a 76-58 record in 211 games and starts, holding a 3.19 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. Possible suitors for Snell include resigning on a better contract with the Giants or heading to the Padres or Rangers. 

4. SP, Roki Sasaki (age 23) RHP

Yoshinobu Yamamoto caused a bidding war last season for his services after he made the move from Japan. A similar frenzy could be seen if Roki Sasaki makes the move this season, however, his age will mean he is subject to the MLB international amateur singing bonus pool rules- capping his contract. The rule applies if a player is under the age of 25 or has played less than six seasons. In the Nippon Professional Baseball League- the top league in Japan, Sasaki holds a 29-15 record in 2024, with an ERA of 2.02 and on average 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines. Sasaki's pitch repertoire includes a four-seam fastball with elite movement and velocity, an elite split-finger fastball and an average slider. Sasaki could end up landing on the Dodgers, Yankees or the Padres and even potentially another team. 

5. 3B, Alex Bregman (age 31)

During his time in Houston, Bregman has won the division seven times alongside four AL pennants and two World Series titles. He became a free agent after eight seasons in Texas. The Astros could have seen Bregman hit the market in 2022-2023, however, they offered him a five-year $100 million extension. While Bregman’s numbers are not quite at the levels of his MVP-caliber 2018-2019 he still averaged .260/.315/.453 in 2024, overcoming a slow start to eventually help the Astros to the postseason again. One thing that may work against Bregman’s stock, however, is his less appealing batted-ball profile. Bregman does not strike out a lot though, having never whiffed over 15.5% and he has walked at 12.6% of the time in his career. Bregman may still end up staying with Houston but could also see a move to the Kansas City Royals or Detroit Tigers and even another franchise too. 

6. 1B, Pete Alonso (age 29)

Mr. Met himself launched 34 homers with a .788 OPS in 2024 and played in all 162 games for the Mets in the regular season. Since his debut in 2019, Alonso has 226 homers, second only to Aaron Judge in that time. Alonso also has an All-MLB team from 2019 where he won First team honors setting the record for home runs by a rookie with 53. His power also does not come at a cost of striking out too much as his K percentage is only 20.7%. However, the downside is he hits a lot of fly-balls, is not a terribly good base-hitter and has sub-par defense. Despite this, Alonso will be a much desired signing for any franchise this off season. While the Mets are likely the best candidate to keep him, Alonso may test the waters with a move across the city to the Yankees or to a different city like the Seattle Mariners or to the Chicago Cubs. 

7. SP, Max Fried (age 30) LHP

Max Fried was part of a starting rotation that was a major reason why the Atlanta Braves ended up making the 2024 playoffs. Fried started in 29 games for Atlanta in 2024 holding a 3.25 ERA with an 11-10 record and a 1.16 WHIP. In his career, Fried is even better with a 3.07 ERA, a 73-36 overall record and a 1.16 WHIP. With such an emphasis on starting pitching, there will be a battle to sign the south-paw. Fried is also an All Star from both 2022 and 2024 and managed two complete games this past season alongside one shutout. After getting paid $15 million by the Braves in 2024 he will be seeking a longer-term contract. Current teams in the mix for Fried include the Braves, the Red Sox and the Orioles and the Blue Jays. 

8. RF, Anthony Santander (age 30) 

Right-fielder Anthony Santander has played his entire career to date with the Baltimore Orioles, however, he is set to hit free agency this season. Santander this past season was named to his first All-Star team of his career, hammering 44 home runs-third overall in MLB behind only Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, contributing to 102 RBI. Santander slashed .235/ .308/ .506 with an OPS of .814. His power-heavy style sacrifices his batting average, however, for a power hitter he does not strike out too much- with a rate of 19.4%. Santander will have a lot of competition for his services and the teams currently at the top of the list include the Phillies, Yankees, Giants, Nationals and the Astros. 

9. SS, Willy Adames (age 29)

After spending the first three years of his career in Tampa Bay, the Rays traded Adames to the Milwaukee Brewers back in May of 2021. In 2024, Adames slashed .251/ .331/ .462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI’s and 153 hits alongside 21 stolen bases. Adames was one of the top rated defensive players in 2022 and 2023 with a combined DRS of 17 in those two seasons, however, in 2024 he struggled on defense somewhat with a -16 DRS. Despite this, Adames defensive potential and highly-touted offense will attract a lot of attention this off season. Rumored interested teams include Dodgers, Braves, Giants and Red Sox amongst others. 

10. RP, Tanner Scott (age 30) LHP

For the Padres in 2024, Tanner Scott picked up 22 saves- joint 19th in the league- boasting an ERA of 1.75 with a WHIP of 1.13 with 84 strikeouts after acquiring him from the Miami Marlins back in July of 2023. Over the last two seasons, he holds a 2.04 ERA and a 2.53 FIP with a 4.5 WAR- the best amongst relievers since 2023. Scott will likely be the most popular reliever/ closer in the 2024 off season with competitive teams looking to bolster their bullpen arms with his fastball/ slider combination that has given him a lot of recent success. Scott is also a left-handed pitcher- making him all the more desired with teams looking for something a bit different out of the pen. Interested teams reportedly include the Nationals, Red Sox, Phillies and Yankees.