Which Free Agents Could Return to Where They Won It All?
Could any of these free agents rejoin the teams with whom they won a World Series title?
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“I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.” – Andy Bernard
When players look back on their careers, you can be sure that each of them has those “what if?” moments.
With 2025 behind us, there are still quite a few free agents available on the market searching for “new” homes.
The reason why I had the word new in quotes is that, for some, a return to where they reached ultimate triumph may be the best thing for what could be the remainder of their career.
These are five players for whom it is not out of the question that they will end up back on the teams with which they hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Cody Bellinger – 1B/OF
Los Angeles Dodgers
Despite what you may think of Cody Bellinger and his current value, there is no denying that the best seasons of his career to this point came in the early portions of it while he was wearing Dodger blue.
In the first six seasons of his career, prior to being non-tendered following the 2022 season, Cody Bellinger accumulated 17.4 fWAR, and that includes the -1.0 fWAR he had in the 2021 season.
Highlighted by a National League Rookie of the Year and MVP Award, that stretch by Bellinger anointed him as one of the better hitters in the league.
It all turned around when he tore the labrum in his right shoulder during the World Series run in 2020. It just seemed as if he was never able to bounce back until his first season away from Los Angeles in 2023, when he reverted to a 135 wRC+ and 4.4 fWAR.
Bellinger is coming off a strong season with the Yankees, in which he hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, a 125 wRC+, and 4.9 fWAR. Unluckily enough for him, it was just overshadowed by one of the best hitters in MLB history, Aaron Judge.
The Dodgers are fresh off their back-to-back World Series championships, but their roster does still have needs. Their main need is in the outfield, primarily center field.
Throughout his nine-year career thus far, the majority of the innings that Bellinger has spent on the field have been in center. It should come as no surprise that it’s also where he’s accumulated the most Outs Above Average, with 17 in over 4,300 innings played.
As it currently stands, per RosterResource, the Dodgers have an outfield constructed of Andy Pages, Tommy Edman, and Teoscar Hernández from left to right. While Edman is an admirable defender in center, having him play second base, where Hyeseong Kim is currently slotted, would benefit the Dodgers roster as a whole.
While Kim showed flashes in his first season stateside, having him serve primarily as a bat off the bench would suit him and the team best as they build towards a potential three-peat in 2026.
Justin Verlander – RHP
Houston Astros
Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros during a press conference ahead of Game One of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies at Minute Maid Park on October 27, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
It could be a toss-up as to which team you think of when someone says the name “Justin Verlander.”
While his time in Detroit brought baseball fans year after year of dominance, his time in Houston was nothing to scoff at.
Prior to being traded to Houston in 2017, Verlander went 183-114 with a 3.49 ERA, two no-hitters (one being a perfect game), a Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young, a Triple Crown, an MVP, and two AL pennants with the Tigers.
However, it’s a return to Houston that would make the most sense for both parties.
In nearly 1,000 innings pitched with the Astros, Verlander went 83-35 with a sub-3.00 ERA, 1,094 strikeouts, and an ERA+ of 155. Not too shabby for a pitcher who came over in his age-34 season. It was absolute domination on the mound from Verlander while he was in Houston, solidified with two World Series titles that he had been working toward since early in his career.
The way the Astros have been building their roster since Verlander left has been a bit head-scratching. Most notable was the trade of Kyle Tucker last offseason, but they have also seen their World Series-winning third baseman, Alex Bregman, leave town. Carlos Correa left town too, before Houston made a trade to bring him back at the last trade deadline.
With Framber Valdez all but officially gone, there is absolutely a need for a starting pitcher in this rotation, even with the recent addition of Tatsuya Imai.
Headlined by the same pitcher who actually idolized Verlander, Hunter Brown, the rest of the rotation will be built up of some combination of Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Lance McCullers Jr., Mike Burrows, and Ryan Weiss. For a team that continues to make moves to try to remain competitive, that rotation is everything but.
It is not just the need for an innings eater that makes this reunion perfect for both parties. As the Astros look to fully transition over into the new-age Astros, a future Hall of Fame pitcher would do wonders for a young rotation looking for guidance.
Max Scherzer – RHP
Texas Rangers
Speaking of a rotation that could use some more Hall of Fame presence, why not reunite Max Scherzer with the other team in Texas?
Now, the Rangers do arguably already have a future Hall of Famer of their own in the rotation in Jacob deGrom, but what’s the harm in adding another? Especially when their projected three through five starters have a combined service time of under 3.000 seasons.
President of baseball operations Chris Young has made it clear multiple times in the offseason that he intends to add pitchers to this current iteration of the Rangers. Given that, the fact that they have yet to do so should indicate that they are still in the market for one. Why not bring back a familiar face with a unique set of eyes?
Max Scherzer is coming off another year where he was limited due to injuries. “Luckily,” it was not an elbow or shoulder-related injury that kept him out. It was a lingering right thumb injury that persisted throughout the season, starting up during spring training, that held him to only 85 innings in his age-40 season.
The 5.19 ERA in those innings wasn’t great, nor something to hang your hat on, but it was the postseason that showed us there was still something left in Mad Max’s tank. In three starts for the Blue Jays in their run to the World Series, he pitched to a 3.77 ERA when the team needed him the most, even serving as the starter for the famous Game 7 of the World Series.
Scherzer has shown no indication that he is ready to hang it up, and who could blame him? The elite wipeout stuff isn’t there anymore, and the durability has been a question mark, but he would provide value to a Rangers team needing to bolster its starting rotation at an affordable price.
Enrique “Kiké” Hernández – UTL
Los Angeles Dodgers
Look, I know, trying to envision Kiké Hernandez in a uniform other than the Dodgers’ could be considered blasphemy, so this one may be a lock.
The Dodgers have been looking for life after Kiké, both internally and externally. As I mentioned in the Bellinger portion of this article, Kim is more than capable of filling that utility role off the bench, just as long as he does not have to serve an everyday role at one position. The Dodgers also have Just Baseball’s No. 51 Prospect, Alex Freeland, ready to assume a role at the big league level.
However, what Hernández provides to this roster goes beyond that.
Set aside all of the off-the-field “antics” he provides the media with, creating great content for all platforms. It’s what he has provided in the postseason, seemingly throughout the entirety of his career, that sets him apart.
In 103 postseason games played, Hernández has hit .272 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs. Not to mention his ability to play every position but catcher is highly valuable as well.
As the Dodgers begin to fully transition to life after Kiké with Kim and Freeland, having those two learn from someone as versatile as Hernández is would provide them with the knowledge of how to excel in whatever role their team places them in going forward.
David Robertson – RHP
New York Yankees
Ultimately, this reunion would be a nice, full-circle moment.
If David Robertson decides to hang them up finally, he would have put together an incredible career. Entering what would be his age-41 season, Robertson has a career fWAR of 18.0 and is coming off a season with Philadelphia in which he was pitching meaningful innings for them as they headed down the stretch and into the postseason.
In 17.2 innings, he was able to rack up two saves and generate an 11.2 K/9 after having signed with the team late in the year.
While it has been some time since he last donned the pinstripes, Robertson’s nine years in the Bronx were the best years of his career. He racked up nearly 700 strikeouts in 498 innings with an ERA sitting comfortably below 3.00 at 2.75.
Now, as the Yankees enter the 2026 season, they are doing so without two pitchers who were pitching meaningful innings for them late in games. Both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver actually now call Queens their new home after signing deals with the crosstown rival Mets.
Plugging in an experienced arm like Robertson to pitch in those innings, alongside David Bednar and Camilo Doval, would add much-needed experience and dependability to the back end of the ‘pen, just one season removed from when the Yankees had to make multiple trades at the deadline just to try to rebuild a bullpen that had failed them to that point.
Adding length to the bullpen would also be important at the beginning of the season, as starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt work back from injuries; none is expected to be available at the beginning of the year.
Honorable Mentions
Aside from the five free agents highlighted in this article, there are still some other reunions that could be mutually beneficial for the players and the ballclubs.
Although currently injured, Evan Phillips returning to the Dodgers would be great for both parties involved, especially considering that late in the season is when the Dodgers tend to need extra depth to help make up for other relievers being unavailable. The timing could be perfect for both.
Now, how about a reunion in the nation’s capital between the Nationals and Patrick Corbin?
I know he is nowhere close to being the pitcher who had a 3.25 ERA across 202 innings in 2019, but this is a very young team that is going to need arms to throw innings. If Corbin does want to continue pitching, his return to Washington would fill that void for the team.
Lastly, if the Rangers decide that Scherzer isn’t the right fit, or if he manages to price himself out of their range, Martín Pérez or Jordan Montgomery returning to Texas would also be logical fits to fill a similar role.
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Cristian has been at Just Baseball since 2021, when he first started writing about prospects. He spent eight years working in Major League Baseball with the…