As 2026 Begins, Who Are the Best Remaining MLB Free Agents?
With the 2026 campaign officially underway, there are several names out there who could help big-league clubs.
| | 
Free agency is one of the most exciting times of a big leaguer’s career. After all the work they’ve put in to get to where they are, teams offer them millions of dollars to don their uniforms.
However, it can also be one of the more frustrating and nerve-wracking periods their lives. If you’re not a surefire upgrade at a position, there’s always a chance of going unsigned.
We’re now a week into the regular season and there are a handful of very solid players currently in that bucket. Surely, they’ll find a home at some point, even if it’s on a minor league deal.
For now, they’ll have to sit back and wait for a team to call them up offering an opportunity.
Lucas Giolito
Giolito is inarguably the most surprising player we find in this group. While he may not be an absolute ace, he’s still an above-average starting pitcher in this league.
After missing all of 2024 with injury, the 31-year-old turned back the clock and posted an under appreciated bounce back season in 2025. After posting ERAs just under 5.00 in both 2022 and 2023, Giolito posted a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings for the Red Sox last season.
Sure, he outperformed several underlying numbers such as his 5.01 xERA or 4.59 xFIP, but that doesn’t take away the 2.0 fWAR provided to Boston, which ended up being his most valuable season since 2021.
There’s no question whether he’ll sign with a team in the near future, but the real question is how much longer does he really have to wait?
Patrick Corbin
It’s no secret that Patrick Corbin didn’t end up being the pitcher the Nationals thought they were getting when they signed him to a six-year, $140 million deal. While he did help them win a World Series in 2019, after that season, he had a real home run issue and struggled to prevent runs at a consistent rate.
On the flip side, despite some elevated ERAs, Corbin has been one of the better innings eaters since he entered the league. His 1940.2 innings since the start of the 2013 season is fifth in Major League Baseball, just behind names like Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Gerrit Cole.
He’s posted north of 150 innings in each of his last five seasons and 2025 was his best ERA since that first season in Washington (4.40 ERA). For any team that simply needs a southpaw to eat innings, Corbin should be the first name called this season.
Nestor Cortes
While 2025 was a forgotten year for Cortes, he was an extremely serviceable starter for the Yankees as recently as 2024. That season, he posted 3.1 fWAR with a 3.77 ERA in 174.1 innings.
He may not dominate hitters or rack up strikeouts, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been a fairly consistent southpaw. Cortes’ 2022 campaign stands out as his most impressive, when he posted a 2.44 ERA in just under 160 innings.
He has dealt with injury throughout his entire career, but if someone brings him in and he happens to be healthy, they could be getting an absolute bargain in the middle of the season.
Jose Iglesias
Similar to Cortes, last year was extremely underwhelming for Iglesias. In 112 games for the Padres, he provided negative value.
While he did move all around the infield, he also wasn’t the defender we’ve grown accustomed to seeing with Iglesias. If a team is willing to take a slight risk, though, they could be getting an extremely solid infielder off the bench.
When the bat clicked along with the above average glove, Iglesias posted 2.5 fWAR while hitting .337. The good news for teams seeking infield depth? That was just over a year ago.
The bad news? Those offensive numbers are a complete outlier when compared to his career norms.
At 36 years old, time could be running out for Iglesias to continue his career in Major League Baseball.
Michael Kopech
Michael Kopech still being unsigned doesn’t make a lot of sense. With several bullpens across the league needing help, he’d be an affordable option with an outstanding amount of upside.
Yes, he’s dealt with several injuries in his career. However, when he’s right, he has the ability to close games on a consistent basis.
In his return to the bullpen with the Dodgers in 2024, Kopech was extremely solid. He struck out nearly 12 hitters per nine innings while posting a 3.46 ERA in 67.2 innings. Not to mention, his arsenal has a Stuff+ rating of 120 between 2024 and 2025.
Kopech is by far the best reliever still available and should be signed in the coming weeks.
Tyler Anderson
Similar to several guys on this list, Anderson is a year removed from being an extremely effective starter in this league. As a matter of fact, his 2024 campaign with the Angels was one of the better seasons of his 10 year career.
His 179 innings that year led the Angels while his 3.81 ERA was second among starters in their rotation. Anderson did return to career norms in 2025 with a 4.56 ERA in just under 140 innings.
However, similar to Corbin, as soon as a team needs a lefty in their rotation to simply provide some innings, Anderson is a prime candidate. With a slight home run problem across the last few seasons, if you put him in a pitcher-friendly environment, you could always be surprised and see run prevention similar to that 2024 campaign.
Honorable Mentions
Jesse Winker – 2025 Stats: 81 PA, .229/.309/.400, 1 HR, -0.1 fWAR
Jon Gray – 2025 Stats: 14.0 IP, 7.71 ERA, 19.0% K%, -0.4 fWAR
Marcus Stroman – 2025 Stats: 39.0 IP, 6.23 ERA, 14.9% K%, 0.1 fWAR
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Michael Monreal got his start in baseball media when he started his own website covering the San Francisco Giants after playing two years of college baseball.…