Ranking the Top 10 Relievers in the 2024-25 Free Agent Class
As the free agent market begins to take shape, it's time to look at the top relief pitchers on the market this offseason.
With the offseason upon us, the attention of the baseball world shifts to free agency. While Juan Soto, Willy Adames, and a handful of starting pitchers will dominate the headlines, some of the most impactful signings will inevitably be relief pitchers.
Considering modern baseball’s emphasis on the bullpen, adding a couple of back-end arms is the type of under-the-radar move that could make all the difference in October.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the top free agent relief pitchers of the 2024-25 offseason. Players are ranked by talent/potential impact and not necessarily by the size of the contract they are predicted to sign.
Editor’s Note: This author’s ranking differs from the reliever ranking on Just Baseball’s Top 25 Free Agents list. Relievers are the least predictable players, so considering multiple perspectives about bullpen arms is critical. You can read our Top 25 Free Agents list here.
10: José Leclerc
Had Leclerc hit free agency a year earlier, he would have been much higher on this list. Still, teams will be drawn to him given his sub-3.00 ERAs in 2022 and 2023. His underlying numbers suggest he was the victim of some bad luck this past season; his ERA should have been in the mid-threes instead of the mid-fours.
Given his track record, it is possible Leclerc could land a two-year deal with an AAV between $4.5M and $5M.
9: Carlos Estévez
Estévez is coming off the best year of his career, posting a sub-1.00 WHIP and an ERA of 2.45, the first sub-3.00 ERA of his eight-year career.
With a sub-9.0 K/9 and a FIP nearly a full run higher than his ERA, Estévez may be due for some regression to the mean in the seasons to come. However, his performance in 2024 likely earned him a two- or three-year contract with an AAV that will be in the low eight figures.
8: Danny Coulombe
In his relatively limited work this season, Coulombe was lights-out for Baltimore, making it three stellar seasons in a row for the lefty.
His 2.12 ERA and 9.7 K/9 were both solid marks, and three consecutive years of a sub-3.00 ERA should give anyone confidence in Coulombe when he is on the mound. His age and injury history, though, will likely have him signing a one-year deal, with an AAV that is unlikely to break the $5M mark.
7: Clay Holmes
Holmes has compiled 74 saves over the past three years and is coming off of a 30-save season. His 3.14 ERA was a respectable mark, and his near 10.0 K/9 is a solid back-end of the bullpen number.
The righty has the added benefit of having produced in a pressure-packed New York environment, so teams can have confidence in his ability to handle the big moment. Then again, his high-profile struggles with the Yankees could give some teams reason to hesitate.
Holmes will likely find himself with a contract slightly better than Estévez’s, likely three or four years with an AAV between $12M and $15M.
6: Kenley Jansen
Despite a tumultuous end of the season with Boston, Jansen posted another stellar campaign despite entering his late 30s. He had a K/9 over 10.0, and a FIP of exactly 3.00. He is the very definition of consistency and reliability, having produced year in and year out for 14 seasons.
Given his production, Jansen will likely land an AAV of around $15M, but the contract is unlikely to exceed two years given his age.
5: Chris Martin
Martin was absolutely lights out for the Red Sox in 2023 but regressed in 2024. Still, the aging set-up man can certainly have closer-level effectiveness. Despite a fluctuation in ERA, his FIP landed in the twos in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
With a K/9 over 10.00 and an incredible 16.67 K/BB in 2024, Martin brings a level of reliability and poise to the back end of the bullpen. Given his age and injury history, though, his contract will likely be similar to that of Coulombe. Like Coulombe, though, he has the potential to be the steal of the offseason if things break his way.
4: Aroldis Chapman
While Chapman brings some off-the-field baggage with him, there is no question about the talent in his arm. Like Martin and Jansen, he has regressed slightly with age, but he still managed to post a ridiculous 14.3 K/9 and a measly 0.7 HR/9 in 2024, both marks you would want in a back-end arm.
With his FIP under 3.10 last season, his ERA of 3.79 was slightly deceiving. Chapman could serve as a solid set-up man for a World Series contender and would still be a more-than-capable closer for many teams. His age will likely cap the number of years on his deal at one or two, but his AAV will still fall between $8M and $10M.
3: David Robertson
Robertson is the first pitcher to appear on this list who is in the highest tier of relievers available. With a K/9 of 12.4, an ERA of 3.00, and a FIP of 2.65, the veteran righty added yet another incredible season to a career of so many incredible seasons.
Despite serving as a set-up man recently, he has closer-level effectiveness and will likely be paid as such. His age will limit his contract to a year or two, but his AAV will likely land between $7M and $10M.
2: Jeff Hoffman
Hoffman is coming off an All-Star season, and all of his statistics match the profile of a high-level closer. He posted an ERA of 2.17 last year, and his FIP was just 2.52, suggesting that ERA was no fluke.
His WHIP was sub-1.00 for a second consecutive season, and his K/9 was north of 12.0. With this kind of production, he will likely land a multi-year deal with an AAV between $7M and $9M, a value stunted only by his lack of closer experience.
1: Tanner Scott
Scott is far and away the best reliever on this list and will be one of the biggest prizes this offseason. He posted a 1.75 ERA across 72 innings in 2024, with a sub-3.00 FIP and a K/9 of 10.5.
Also worth noting here is the eye test. Some of the final images of Scott from the 2024 season were of him dominating Shohei Ohtani in the NLDS, a fact that, as much as front offices try to be analytically driven, is hard to ignore. The lefty will be in a class all of his own this winter in terms of contract, likely fetching a four-year deal with an AAV between $15M and $17M.
Honorable Mentions
Some honorable mentions who will certainly help whatever team they sign include Blake Treinen, Shawn Armstrong, Kirby Yates, Dylan Floro, Jakob Junis, and A.J. Minter.
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