10 Best Free Agents Available for the 2024-2025 Cycle
Show me the money!!!
1) Juan Soto, OF (age: 26)
Soto is built differently. The fact that he is only 26 years old, yet accomplished so much already is astonishing. Soto should get paid whatever the free market is willing to give him, he has no doubt earned every penny. My gut tells me he is staying in New York, regardless of this season’s outcome. Let’s face it, that lefty swing and that short right-field porch were destined to be together forever.
4x All-Star
2x All-MLB First Team
World Series Champion
4x Silver Slugger
1x NL batting champion
Career Stats: 35.9 WAR | .285 AVG | .535 SLG | .957 OPS | 197 HR | 578 RBI | 55 SBÂ
Potential fits: Yankees, Mets, Giants, Mariners, Nationals 👀 (honestly any team that is willing to spend the money should throw their hat in the ring)
2) Corbin Burnes, RHP (age: 30)
Burnes is an ace and those are not easy to come by. Any team who plans to contend for the next 4-6 years and needs pitching should pay this man. Burnes is a Milwaukee product and they moved him as they didn’t want to be the ones who have to pay him. Who is going to be the team to make them regret that decision? My guess is Daddy Cohen opens up his wallet and pays Burnes to come and pitch in Queens, NY.
4x All-Star
1x NL Cy Young Award
1x NL strikeout leader
1x NL ERA leader
Career Stats: Career Stats: 16.3 WAR | 3.26 ERA | 868.2 IP | 1.068 WHIP | 1016 K
Potential fits: Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, Orioles, Red Sox (again…same story as Soto, if you have the $$$ go and get yourself a front-line starter)
3) Blake Snell, LHP (age: 32)Â
Snellzilla baby! This dude keeps finding ways to impress me, even at the age of 32. There are so many Snell haters out there, even after winning 2x Cy Young awards and I don’t get it. So what, he walks some batters. Snell is an elite arm to add to any rotation. Boston needs to go and grab hom
1x All-Star
2x Cy Young Award (NL & AL)
2x ERA leader (NL & AL)
Career Stats: Career Stats: 22.4 WAR | 3.24 ERA | 1071.2Â IP | 1.226 WHIP | 1329 K
Potential Fits: Giants, Red Sox, Padres, Rangers, Yankees
4) Max Fried, LHP (age: 31)
There is no such thing as too much pitching these days. Fried is our 3rd starter on the list and 4th overall for a good reason. He instantly adds a reliable arm to any rotation and like Snell, is left-handed. Fried has been with Atlanta his entire career but it seems his services might be too expensive for the Braves to take on moving forward. Fried will for sure add value right away to any team willing to sign a check. The north side of Chicago would be a perfect fit for Fried!
2x All-Star
World Series Champion
1x All-MLB First Team
Career Stats: Career Stats: 23Â WAR | 3.10 ERA | 843.2Â IP | 1.170 WHIP | 823 K
Potential fits: Rangers, Cubs, Mets, Padres
5) Pete Alonso, 1B (age: 30)
The Polar Bear is a massive bat to add to any lineup in baseball. He can play first base even though defense is not his specialty. That is fine as Alonso is already 30 years old and can easily transition into a DH as he gets into his later years (strictly speaking baseball). Alonso is on his way to another 30+ HR year. He has not hit less than 30 home runs in a season in his career outside of the 2020 Covid year where he had 16 in 57 games. You do the math. For some reason, Houston feels like a real player here.
4x All-Star
1x MLB home run leader
1x NL RBI leader
1x All-MLB First Team
Career Stats: Career Stats: 19.5 WAR | .250 AVG | .518 SLG | .858 OPS | 220 HR | 570 RBI | 17 SB
Potential fits: Mets, Astros, Cubs, Cardinals, Mariners
6) Alex Bregman, 3B (age: 31)
Just like the Pistons, the Bad Boys eventually have to break up. My guess is Bregman is going where the money is and Houston might not be able to offer him top dollar. Bregman is an elite player and has veteran playoff experience heading into his mid-thirties. I can see him signing with the Yankees and even made it my hot take on the podcast a couple of weeks ago. I am going to stick with my gut and predict Bregman to New York to join Soto and Judge next season.
2x All-Star
2x World Series Champion
1x Silver Slugger
Career Stats: Career Stats: 38.5 WAR | .272 AVG | .482 SLG | .848 OPS | 186 HR | 649 RBI | 42 SBÂ
Potential fits: Mariners, Yankees, Astros, Angels, Mets
7) Jack Flaherty, RHP (age: 29)Â
The curious case of Jack Flaherty. Flaherty has been great in some seasons and miserable in others. Currently, he is pitching his way to a solid payday. The Dodgers went out and traded for him from Detroit at the deadline and for a good cause. He is delivering some of his best stuff right now and can improve any rotation in baseball when he is on. I can see a reunion with Baltimore happen but I can also see Daddy Cohen entering a bidding war. Flaherty will be a New York Met next season.
Career Stats: Career Stats: 13.2Â WAR | 3.63 ERA | 802.2Â IP | 1.179 WHIP | 915 K
Potential fits: Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, Rangers, Twins
8) Anthony Santander, OF (age: 30)
The Orioles have been historically cheap and unwilling to resign players. That being said, there is new ownership so this one is a toss-up on where Santander will land. Santander is having a massive season with 38 bombs (the most hit in a single season for Santander), and there are teams all over the place looking for pop. If he doesn’t stay in Baltimore, I can see Minnesota adding him to their lineup for 2025.Â
1x All-Star
Career Stats: Career Stats: 10.7 WAR | .246 AVG | .469 SLG | .775 OPS | 149 HR | 419 RBI | 10 SBÂ
Potential fits: Twins, Cardinals, Angels, Mariners
9) Teoscar Hernandez (age: 31)
Hernandez has been a man on a mission this season in Los Angeles. He will finish the 2024 campaign with north of 30 bombs (2nd time accomplished in his career). He has not hit less than 20 in a season (outside of the wretched Covid 2020 season) since 2018. This is a bat that brings pop into the lineup right away and plays a solid corner outfield. The Astros could make a lot of sense if they let Bregman walk as they will have some money to play around with.Â
Career Stats: Career Stats: 15.8 WAR | .261 AVG | .485 SLG | .803 OPS | 186 HR | 557 RBI | 50 SBÂ
Potential fits: Astros, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Braves
10) Willy Adames, SS (age: 29)
One of the most slept-on players in all of baseball. Let’s be real. Milwaukee is not paying this man. He has been too productive for them to afford his services. Remember when we all laughed because he complained about underperforming with Tampa Bay due to the ceiling? Who is laughing now? It will be Willy Adames on his way to the bank because the dude has done nothing but hit since joining Milwaukee. The Dodgers could use some middle infield help but my guess is wild. I think he stays in the division and heads to Pittsburgh. They might be able to pay him and just moved Cruz to the outfield. Who knows? I think it would be fun to see him in the Yellow and Black.
Career Stats: Career Stats: 20.9 WAR | .248 AVG | .442 SLG | .765 OPS | 142 HR | 448 RBI | 44 SBÂ
Potential fits: Dodgers, Giants, Pirates