Early ranking of next winter's top 20 MLB free agents
As the market for free agents continues to thin out ahead of spring training, here's an early look at the top 20 players slated to hit the open market next winter ahead of the 2027 campaign.
1. Tarik Skubal
Position: SP
2026 team: Tigers
Age during 2026 season: 29
Career fWAR: 19.3
Skubal is the top prize in a pitching-rich crop of free agents next winter. The left-hander has been the major's best starter the past two seasons, winning back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards, thanks to a combined 2.30 ERA and 10.9 K/9. He turns 30 in November, but his age shouldn't dissuade teams from signing him to the largest ever deal for a pitcher, especially considering his durability (427 innings thrown the past two campaigns, including the playoffs).
2. Bo Bichette
Position: 2B/SS/3B
2026 team: Mets
Age during 2026 season: 28
Career fWAR: 20.0
Bichette set himself up to re-enter free agency after the 2026 campaign thanks to a pair of opt-outs in his deal with the Mets. If the infielder, who will man third base for New York, plays to his career norms and stays healthy he'll be the top position player available in a weak class. Along with an elite bat (career 121 OPS+), he'll potentially enter next winter as someone who can play any one of second base, shortstop, or third base, only further adding to value.
3. Corbin Burnes
Position: SP
2026 team: Diamondbacks
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 22.3
Burnes missed most of the 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June and isn't expected to return until the All-Star break. If he pitches as well as he did before the surgery, Burnes could set himself up for another lucrative long-term deal by opting out of his contract. The former Cy Young winner would leave $146 million on the table, and he'd have a lot of competition for work, so an opt-out feels unlikely.
4. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Position: 2B
2026 team: Yankees
Age during 2026 season: 28
Career fWAR: 14.5
Chisholm enters free agency for the first time as one of the top position players on the market. He's posted back-to-back four-win seasons and put together his first 30-30 campaign in 2025. While his best defensive position is second base, Chisholm has shown he can also play the hot corner or outfield if necessary.
5. Freddy Peralta
Position: SP
2026 team: Mets
Age during 2026 season: 30
Career fWAR: 17.8
Peralta didn't get a lot of spotlight pitching for the small-market Brewers, but things are about to change now that he's with the Mets. He's been one of the top pitchers in the bigs since transitioning to a full-time starter in 2021. During that span, the right-hander sits 19th in fWAR among pitchers and owns a 3.30 ERA, 3.65 FIP, and 10.9 K/9. His arsenal is also one of the best in the league, with opposing hitters batting .209 or below against all four of his offerings.
6. Jesús Luzardo
Position: SP
2026 team: Phillies
Age during 2026 season: 28
Career fWAR: 13.1
Luzardo has always had good strikeout stuff, but he took his game to another level for the Phillies last season. The southpaw posted career highs in innings, strikeouts, and FIP, leading to a seventh-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. If Luzardo has a similarly impressive 2026 in his second campaign with Philadelphia, he should set himself up for a substantial payday.
7. Kevin Gausman
Position: SP
2026 team: Blue Jays
Age during 2026 season: 35
Career fWAR: 37.8
Over the past five seasons - one with the Giants and four with the Blue Jays - Gausman has proved he's a top starter in the big leagues. Since 2021, he ranks fourth in innings pitched and fWAR while continuing to dominate opposing hitters with an elite splitter. Although he'll be approaching his age-36 season next winter, Gausman posts every fifth day and is showing no signs of slowing down.
8. Michael King
Position: SP
2026 team: Padres
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 9.5
King was limited to 15 starts last season due to shoulder and knee issues, but that didn't stop the Padres from re-signing him to a three-year, $75-million deal. The right-hander can opt out after 2026, which is a strong possibility if he pitches to his 2024 form. He finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting that year, thanks to a 2.95 ERA and 10.4 K/9 in 173 2/3 innings.
9. Randy Arozarena
Position: OF
2026 team: Mariners
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 15.5
Arozarena put together his strongest campaign since 2021, acting as a spark plug for the Mariners. The Cuban hit a career-high 27 homers while adding 32 doubles, 76 RBIs, and 31 steals. He's a shaky defender, but his multifaceted game and ability to hit the ball hard - 90th percentile last season - makes him an appealing option for teams in need of an impact outfielder.
10. Nico Hoerner
Position: 2B
2026 team: Cubs
Age during 2026 season: 29
Career fWAR: 20.0
Hoerner will enter free agency as one of the best gloves on the market after amassing 43 defensive runs saved and winning two Gold Gloves since 2019. He's more than just a premium defender though. Horner posted the highest offensive rating of his career last season, slashing .297/.345/.394 while adding 61 RBIs and 29 steals. He was also terrific against lefties (.935 OPS) and rarely strikes out.
11. Trevor Rogers
Position: SP
2026 team: Orioles
Age during 2026 season: 28
Career fWAR: 10.1
After an abysmal start to his Orioles tenure in 2024, Rogers turned a corner in a big way last season. The southpaw pitched like an ace for Baltimore, allowing just 22 runs in 109 2/3 innings and went 15 straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer. He's been inconsistent throughout his career, but if Rogers has figured something out and pitches similarly this coming campaign, he should do well in free agency.
12. Trent Grisham
Position: OF
2026 team: Yankees
Age during 2026 season: 29
Career fWAR: 12.7
Grisham got an opportunity to shine in New York, and he delivered. The outfielder posted career highs in hits, runs, homers, RBIs, and OPS after barely playing in 2024. While the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium appeared to elevate his home run totals, Grisham deserves credit for chasing less and drawing more walks. One potential red flag comes on the defensive end, where the normally reliable center fielder finished near the bottom of the league in defensive runs saved and outs above average at his position.
13. Nick Pivetta
Position: SP
2026 team: Padres
Age during 2026 season: 33
Career fWAR: 15.5
Pivetta had a standout campaign for the Padres in 2025, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting due to a career-best 2.87 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. He can opt out of his contract following the 2026 World Series, which seems like a possibility, considering he's owed $33.5 million. He may also choose to continue pitching in the friendly confines of Petco Park, where he went 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 103 innings last season.
14. Ian Happ
Position: OF
2026 team: Cubs
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 20.6
Happ has been a solid contributor to the Cubs and one of the most underrated outfielders in the game since debuting in 2017. During that span, he's amassed the 18th-most fWAR among outfielders and put up around 20 homers, 70-80 RBIs, and close to an .800 OPS annually while playing terrific defense. He won't be the star of the show, but he'll provide a club with a lot of value.
15. Daulton Varsho
Position: OF
2026 team: Blue Jays
Age during 2026 season: 30
Career fWAR: 13.4
Varsho hit 20 homers and added 55 RBIs in just 271 plate appearances for the Blue Jays last season, but his true value comes on defense, where he's proven to be one of the best center fielders in baseball. Since 2022, Varsho's 49 defensive runs saved ranks second among outfielders and fifth overall. He's also a gifted baserunner.
16. Seiya Suzuki
Position: OF
2026 team: Cubs
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 11.1
Suzuki has turned into a quality player since coming to the majors from Japan in 2022. In four seasons, he's hit 87 home runs with 296 RBIs, 111 doubles, and 36 steals. He seems to be on an upward trajectory, with last year's 32 homers and 103 RBIs being career highs. He spent more time as a DH last season than during any other part of his career, which could diminish his value, but Suzuki is capable of playing the outfield at a league-average level when asked.
17. Taylor Ward
Position: OF
2026 team: Orioles
Age during 2026 season: 32
Career fWAR: 11.0
Ward will play his final season before hitting free agency at a new home in Baltimore, where he should continue putting up big power numbers now that the left-field fence at Camden Yards has been moved in. The outfielder's 61 round-trippers over the past two seasons rank fifth in the AL, while his 178 RBIs sit 10th.
18. Gleyber Torres
Position: 2B
2026 team: Tigers
Age during 2026 season: 29
Career fWAR: 18.5
Torres put together a solid campaign during his first season in Detroit, posting a career-high .358 on-base percentage, while lowering his strikeouts, and walking more than the year prior. He accepted a qualifying offer, giving him one more season to position himself for a big payday.
19. David Bednar
Position: RP
2026 team: Yankees
Age during 2026 season: 31
Career fWAR: 6.7
Bednar rebounded from an awful 2024 campaign by putting up some of the best numbers of his career last season. The veteran right-hander posted a 2.30 ERA, 2.18 FIP, and 12.4 K/9 in 62 2/3 innings as a closer for the Pirates and Yankees. He'll head into spring training with New York's closer role and projects to enter next winter as the top reliever on the market.
20. Tatsuya Imai
Position: SP
2026 team: Astros
Age during 2026 season: 28
Career fWAR: N/A
By next winter, Imai could be much higher on this list. The Japanese right-hander enters 2026 as a wild card for the Astros after inking a three-year, $54-million deal despite never pitching in the majors. He's got nasty stuff, including a mid-90s fastball that touches 99, which he joins with a slider and a deceptive changeup/splitter combo. But he's still unproven at the big-league level. Imai can opt out after his first big-league campaign.