2025-26 Free Agent Watch: Top Starting Pitchers On the Open Market

Here are the top starting pitchers on the open market in 2026 — complete with stats, salaries, and ages.

By Ryan Finkelstein, Joey Peterson | |
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 27: Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch in the top of the first inning during the MLB game between the New York Mets and Houston Astros on March 27, 2025 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If there is one thing that every team is looking for in free agency each year, it’s starting pitching. Not all teams shop at the top of the market for aces, or even for middle-of-the-rotation arms, but every team is at least looking for the depth to survive the marathon of 162.

When assessing the 2026 MLB free-agent class, there are some high-impact starting pitchers who could make a big impact next season. From an ace like Framber Valdez, to a solid mid-rotation starter in Merrill Kelly, or even a future Hall of Famer like Max Scherzer, teams will have plenty of options to choose from in free agency.

We have divided the 2026 free agents into a few different tiers: aces, mid-rotation arms, and back-of-the-rotation starters. We also look into a few pitchers who are coming off surgeries, looking to rehab and get back on the mound in 2026.

Now that the 2025 season has come to a close, all stats have been updated, but if you want a fuller picture of the players’ numbers over the years, we have linked their Baseball Reference pages as well.

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2026 Free Agent Starting Pitchers: Already Signed

Listed below are the free-agent starters who have already signed contracts this offseason.

Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres – Signed with Toronto Blue Jays

  • Age in 2026: 30
  • 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 168 IP, 4.55 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 11.52 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $13.75 million

Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays. He joins Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber at the top of the rotation in Toronto as they look to defend their AL pennant.

Merrill Kelly, Texas Rangers – Signed with Arizona Diamondbacks

  • Age in 2026: 37
  • 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 184 IP, 3.52 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.11 WHIP, 8.17 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $7 million

Who doesn’t love a good reunion in Major League Baseball? Merrill Kelly returns to the place where it all began, signing a two-year, $40 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly spent the first six years of his big-league career in Arizona before being traded to the Texas Rangers at the 2025 deadline.

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Michael King, San Diego Padres – Re-Signed with San Diego Padres

  • Age in 2026: 31
  • 2025 Stats: 15 GS, 73.1 IP, 3.44 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 9.33 K/9
  • 2026 Salary: $15 million mutual option for 2026, $3.75 million buyout

In a massive turn of events, Michael King re-upped with the San Diego Padres on a three-year, $75 million contract. The deal comes with player options for 2027 and 2028. Simply put, it will be worth $22 million for one year, $45 million for two years, or $75 million for three years, should King exercise both player options. It’s an enormous get for San Diego, who retains King to be the ace of their rotation.

Other Noteworthy Signings:

2026 Free Agent Starting Pitchers: Potential Aces

We want to take a minute to highlight the word “potential” in our heading above, because this list could be a lot shorter if we simply focused on production in 2025. This season, only Framber Valdez has been an ace for his team wire-to-wire.

With that said, there are few pitchers who have either fought through injuries this season, or have been working their way back from major injuries who could jump right back into being a full-season ace in 2026.

Finally, we have a few pitchers on this list who have great stuff, who have failed to meet expectations in a contract year. Without further ado, let’s look at the pitchers who have ace potential that are still on the open market.

Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

  • Age in 2026: 32
  • 2025 Stats: 31 GS, 192 P, 3.66 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 8.77 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $18 million

Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks

  • Age in 2026: 30
  • 2025 Stats: 33 GS, 192 IP, 4.83 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 8.20 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $13.5 million

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2026 Free Agent Starting Pitchers: Mid-Rotation Arms

An ace is not a title to be given lightly, making the top tier of the free-agent market a selective group. Still, if we have learned anything from recent free-agent markets, it is that every quality MLB starting pitcher is going to get paid.

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We have seen No. 2 to No. 4-starter types getting paid well more than $10 million per season, with some non-aces still exceeding $20 million per season (especially on a shorter-term deal). Teams are looking for innings in free agency, and some of the guys on this list are among the best at providing their teams with quality ones every fifth day over the course of the season.

Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies

  • Age in 2026: 30
  • 2025 Stats: 26 GS, 157.1 IP, 3.20 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 8.64 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $8.8 million

Lucas Giolito, Boston Red Sox

  • Age in 2026: 31
  • 2025 Stats: 26 GS, 145 IP, 3.41 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 7.51 K/9
  • 2026 Salary: $19 million, vesting 2026 player option for hitting 140 IP, $1 million buyout

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Chris Bassitt, Toronto Blue Jays

  • Age in 2026: 37
  • 2025 Stats: 36 GS, 170.1 IP, 3.96 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 8.77 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $22 million

Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers

  • Age in 2026: 31
  • 2025 Stats: 16 GS, 77 IP, 2.18 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 6.85 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $16.5 million

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Jose Quintana, Milwaukee Brewers

  • Age in 2026: 37
  • 2025 Stats: 24 GS, 131.2 IP, 3.96 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 6.08 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $4.25 million

Zach Eflin, Baltimore Orioles

  • Age in 2026: 32
  • 2025 Stats: 14 GS, 71.1 IP, 5.93 ERA, 5.62 FIP, 1.42 WHIP, 6.31 K/9
  • 2025 Salary: $18 million

2026 Free Agent Starting Pitchers: Back of the Rotation

The following list of free agents can be classified as more of your back-of-the-rotation arms. This list of names ranges from future Hall of Famers who are on their last legs, to guys coming off injury, to pitchers who simply had a bad year.

Each player’s Baseball Reference has been linked so you can check to see the production of some of the arms on this list, who will likely be looking for one-year deals to prove themselves and extend their careers in 2026.

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