Top 25 Remaining MLB Free Agents With Contract Predictions

The calendar has flipped to 2024, and there are still a slew of notable free agents as Spring Training inches closer. Our original free agent list with predictions came out on Nov. 14, and at the time of publishing, 11 have signed.

We’ve ranked the remaining 14 free agents, while adding 11 others to our top 25 list and trying to prognosticate where each player may land in the coming weeks.

25. CF Harrison Bader

2023 Stats: .232/.272/.348 with seven home runs, 40 RBIs, 17 walks, .622 OPS and 1.0 WAR

Age in 2024: 30

Original Rankings on Top 25 Free Agent List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $8 million

Team Prediction: San Diego Padres

Other Potential Suitors: New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals

There are so few impact center fielders in the game. Plus, some of the best — Mike Trout, Byron Buxton — have been unavailable due to injuries fairly frequently over the past few seasons. So even if he posted just a .622 OPS between the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds this past season, there still should be plenty of interest in a player that has 61 career outs above average in center field.

Signed: One-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Mets

24. DH/OF Joc Pederson

2023 Stats: .235/.348/.416 with 15 home runs, 51 RBIs, 57 walks, .764 OPS and a 0.6 WAR

Age in 2024: 32

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $11 million

Team Prediction: Miami Marlins

Other Potential Suitors: Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets

A social media post in December led some to believe that Pederson had signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, but it turned out to just be him trolling. Pederson is a two-time All-Star, whose also been a part of two World Series winners. He also homered 23 times and posted an .874 OPS as recently as 2022, so he’s certainly deserving of a more defined role than he would have had with the Phillies.

Signed: One-year, $12.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks

23. 1B/DH Brandon Belt

2023 Stats: .254/.369/.490 with 19 home runs, 43 RBIs, 61 walks, .858 OPS and 2.3 WAR

Age in 2024: 36

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $12.5 million

Team Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays

Other Potential Suitors: Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs

Over the past three seasons, Belt has slashed .250/.360/.489 with an .849 OPS, so the former All-Star remains very productive when he’s on the field. The problem is that he’s been limited to just 278 of a possible 486 games over that same period. If healthy, Belt can still provide left-handed thump for a contender.

22. RHP Michael Lorenzen

2023 Stats: 9-9 with a 4.18 ERA, 4.46 FIP and 1.7 WAR across 153 innings

Age in 2024: 32

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: Two years, $26 million

Team Prediction: Colorado Rockies

Other Potential Suitors: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins

Lorezen was an All-Star with the Detroit Tigers, and threw a no-hitter in his second start with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he ran out of gas after the no-no, and was ultimately a non-factor in a postseason run for the Phillies. Lorenzen did pitch a career-high 153 innings this past season, and could be valuable to a team that does a better job of pacing him in 2024. A potential Wild Card here would be if there’s a team that’s willing to let him start and get occasional at-bats, as Lorenzen has seven home runs and a .710 OPS in 147 career plate appearances.

21. 3B Gio Urshela

2023 Stats: .299/.329/.374 with two home runs, 24 RBIs, 10 walks, .703 OPS and a 0.4 WAR

Age in 2024: 32

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $8 million

Team Prediction: Oakland Athletics

Other Potential Suitors: Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

A left pelvis fracture limited Urshela to just 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels this past season, but he has slashed .281/.323/.415 over the past three seasons, so there’s value in him when he’s healthy. Urshela is a natural third baseman, but can play all four infield positions, and may be more valuable in a super-utility role than being entrenched at one position.

20. RHP David Robertson

2023 Stats: 18 saves in 24 attempts, 3.03 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 1.2 WAR in 62 games

Age in 2024: 39

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $8.5 million

Team Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies

Other Potential Suitors: Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels

It was a tale of two seasons for Robertson in 2023. With the New York Mets, Robertson posted a 2.05 ERA and recorded 14 saves in 17 attempts. However, he struggled mightily after being traded to the Miami Marlins, posting a 5.06 ERA and blowing three of seven save attempts.

There will be teams willing to take a shot on Robertson given how well he pitched with the Mets, but it would be a mistake to bet on the 38-year-old to be one of your top two high-leverage options at this stage of his career.

Signed: One-year, $11.5 million contract with the Texas Rangers

19. LHP Aroldis Chapman

2023 Stats: Six saves in 11 attempts, 3.09 ERA, 2.52 FIP and a 1.8 WAR in 61 games

Age in 2024: 36

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: One year, $11 million

Team Prediction: Los Angeles Angels

Other Potential Suitors: Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs

For as nervous as Chapman can make you at times on the mound — specifically when pitching in Houston — he had a pretty nice season overall in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. After an ugly final season with the New York Yankees in 2022, Chapman posted a 3.09 ERA and 2.52 FIP in 61 games this past season, capturing his second World Series title. Even in his age-35 season, Chapman still averaged 99.1 mph on his fastball and 101.1 mph on his sinker.

Signed: One-year, $10.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates

18. RHP Mike Clevinger

2023 Stats: 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA, 4.28 FIP and a 2.2 WAR across 131 1/3 innings pitched

Age in 2024: 33

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: Two years, $30 million

Team Prediction: Minnesota Twins

Other Potential Suitors: Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels

Clevinger faced extremely serious allegations of domestic violence and child abuse last offseason, but Major League Baseball’s investigation into him didn’t lead to any punishment. It’s unclear if the heinous allegations will scare off any potential suitors, even with the outcome of MLB’s investigation.

While not overlooking those allegations in any way, we aren’t in a position to determine the validity of those accusations, or whether MLB’s investigation came to the appropriate conclusion.

From an on-field sense, Clevinger may never recapture the ace form he flashed for Cleveland between 2017 and 2019, but he still was an effective back-of-the-rotation starter for the Chicago White Sox in 2023. Across 131 1/3 innings pitched, Clevinger posted a 3.77 ERA and 4.28 FIP, a nice rebound after a disappointing season with the San Diego Padres in 2022.

17. IF/OF Whit Merrifield

2023 Stats: .272/.318/.382 with 11 home runs, 67 RBIs, 36 walks, .700 OPS and 1.5 WAR

Age in 2024: 35

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: Two years, $21 million

Team Prediction: Seattle Mariners

Other Potential Suitors: Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox

A three-time All-Star, Merrifield is a speedy super-utility star that should be coveted in free agency even though he’s 35 years old. While he’s not a Gold Glove-caliber defender at any one position, Merrifield’s flexibility defensively is very valuable.

This past season for the Toronto Blue Jays, he saw time at second base, left field and right field, with varying degrees of past experience also at first base, third base and center field.

16. RHP Héctor Neris

2023 Stats: Two saves in three attempts, 1.71 ERA, 3.83 FIP and a 0.8 WAR in 71 games

Age in 2024: 35

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: Two years, $19 million

Team Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers

Other Potential Suitors: Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers

The 3.83 FIP that Neris had across 71 games for the Houston Astros this past season suggests that he may not have been as dominant as his 1.71 ERA would lead you to believe.

Nonetheless, Neris leads all relievers with 513 appearances since the start of the 2016 season, comfortably ahead of the next closest of Brad Hand at 489. Neris is better-suited to be used in the seventh inning than the ninth, but he does have 89 career saves and extensive postseason experience from his two years in Houston.

Signed: One-year, $9 million contract with the Chicago Cubs

15. RHP Robert Stephenson

2023 Stats: One save in six attempts, 3.10 ERA, 3.22 FIP and 0.9 WAR in 60 games

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: Not Ranked

Contract Prediction: Two years, $23 million

Team Prediction: New York Yankees

Other Potential Suitors: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals

Stephenson has a 4.64 career ERA, and posted a 5.14 ERA in 18 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023. But after being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in June, Stephenson posted a 2.35 ERA and 2.45 FIP across 42 appearances. Do potential suitors believe Stephenson can replicate what he did over part of a season with the Rays?

Signed: Three-year, $33 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels

14. RHP Jordan Hicks

2023 Stats: 12 saves in 15 attempts, 3.29 ERA, 3.23 FIP and 1.1 WAR in 65 games

Age in 2024: 27

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 25

Original Contract Prediction: Three years, $33 million

Original Team Prediction: Houston Astros

Other Potential Suitors: New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals

If you can throw 100 mph, you’re always going to have teams interested in your services. Hicks posted a 3.29 ERA in 65 games this past season, a campaign that he split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays. He’s still only 27, so outside of Josh Hader, Hicks is likely the most appealing reliever still on the market.

Signed: Four-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants

13. DH/IF Justin Turner

2023 Stats: .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs, 96 RBIs, 51 walks, .800 OPS and a 1.2 WAR

Age in 2024: 39

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 22

Original Contract Prediction: One year, $12 million

Original Team Prediction: Milwaukee Brewers

Other Potential Suitors: New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals

Turner might be hurt by the amount of DH types remaining, but at 39 years old, he’ll likely be looking for a shorter-term commitment than others. What’s more, despite his advanced age, Turner still saw some time at three infield positions — first base, third base and second base — this past year, so he’s not entrenched at DH. A contending team could do worse than adding one of this era’s most productive postseason hitters.

Signed: One-year, $13 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays

12. SS/2B Tim Anderson

2023 Stats: .245/.286/.296 with one home run, 25 RBIs, 26 walks, .582 OPS and a -0.5 WAR

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 21

Original Contract Prediction: One year, $13 million

Original Team Prediction: Los Angeles Angels

Other Potential Suitors: Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners

There’s no sugarcoating it, Anderson’s final season with the Chicago White Sox was a disaster. But this is a former batting title winner who hit .318 with an .820 OPS between 2019 and 2022. He didn’t just forget how to hit. Anderson’s -16 defensive runs saved at shortstop this past season suggest a move to second base might be his best long-term play, and to his credit, he’s expressed a willingness to make the shift. Anderson is definitely worth a one-year gamble this offseason.

11. OF/DH Jorge Soler

2023 Stats: .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs, 75 RBIs, 66 walks, .853 OPS and a 1.9 WAR

Age in 2024: 32

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 17

Original Contract Prediction: Three years, $50 million

Original Team Prediction: Seattle Mariners

Other Potential Suitors: Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Washington Nationals, New York Mets

The former World Series MVP was a major disappointment in his first season with the Miami Marlins in 2022, but was an All-Star in a bounce-back campaign for the Fish in 2023, clubbing 36 home runs and posting an .853 OPS. Soler fits the bill for a team looking to add a DH/corner outfield type with prodigious power.

10. OF/DH Teoscar Hernández

2023 Stats: .258/.305/.435 with 26 home runs, 93 RBIs, 38 walks, .741 OPS and a 1.8 WAR

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 16

Original Contract Prediction: Three years,$60 million, with $20 million club option for 2027

Original Team Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays

Other Potential Suitors: San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets

Hernández struck out a career-high 211 times with the Seattle Mariners this past season, but that will likely prove to be an outlier given that he had never previously had more than 163 strikeouts in a campaign.

That’s not to say that there won’t be plenty of swing and miss with Hernández, but even in a relative down season, he still homered 26 times, drove in 93 runs and posted a .741 OPS.

It’s probably also worth noting that Hernández had an .830 OPS in road games this past year, as opposed to a .643 mark at the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park. Any team signing Hernández should expect a player closer to the version that won two Silver Slugger Awards with the Toronto Blue Jays, as opposed to the iteration that the Mariners got a season ago.

Signed: One-year, $23.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers

9. 1B/DH Rhys Hoskins

2022 Stats (missed all of 2023): .246/.332/.462 with 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, 72 walks, .794 OPS and a 2.3 WAR

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 14

Original Contract Prediction: Two years, $38 million, with opt-out available after 2024

Original Team Prediction: Cleveland Guardians

Other Potential Suitors: Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners

If Option A for your team this offseason was to sign Shohei Ohtani, ending up with Hoskins as your major offensive addition might seem disappointing, but that’s not a fair comparison.

The reality is that by Opening Day 2024, Hoskins should be in a very good place in his recovery from a torn left ACL that he suffered late in Spring Training this past season, costing him the entirety of the 2023 campaign. If so, he’s capable of hitting 25-30 home runs and driving in 75-90 runs.

What’s more, he’s one of the most respected clubhouse presences in the sport. Some team will get a steal landing Hoskins, whose time with the Philadelphia Phillies seems to be over with Bryce Harper’s move to first base on a full-time basis.

Signed: Two-year, $34 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers

8. RHP Marcus Stroman

2023 Stats: 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA, 3.58 FIP and a 2.7 WAR across 136 2/3 innings pitched

Age in 2024: 33

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 13

Original Contract Prediction: Two years, $40 million, with opt-out available after 2024

Original Team Prediction: Minnesota Twins

Other Potential Suitors: Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers

Stroman is a big name who was an All-Star in 2023, but pitched less than 140 innings in each of his two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Stroman opted out of the final year of his deal with the Cubs that would have paid him $21 million, and he should be able to get more total guaranteed money still this offseason.

However, Stroman is hardly certain to match that amount in 2024 alone, which may make him inclined to sign a multi-year deal that allows him to get back to the free-agent market quicker if he has a strong season next year.

Signed: Two-year, $37 million contract with the New York Yankees

7. LHP Shōta Imanaga

2023 Stats (in NPB): 7-5 with a 2.66 ERA across 159 innings pitched

Age in 2024: 30

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 12

Original Contract Prediction: Five years, $80 million

Original Team Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers

Other Potential Suitors: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the top free agent coming over from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball this offseason, and landed a 12-year, $325 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers before ever throwing a pitch in the majors.

That may mean that our original team prediction for Imanaga proves to be wrong, but perhaps he’ll blow by the five-year, $75 million deal that Kodai Senga got from the New York Mets last offseason.

Signed: Four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs

6. DH/OF J.D. Martinez

2023 Stats: .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs, 103 RBIs, 34 walks, .893 OPS and a 2.2 WAR

Age in 2024: 36

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 10

Original Contract Prediction: Two years, $36 million, with $20 million club option for 2026

Original Team Prediction: Los Angeles Angels

Other Potential Suitors: Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins

Martinez isn’t a perfect free agent in the sense that he’s 36 years old and likely entrenched at DH. But after a disappointing final season with the Boston Red Sox, Martinez was an All-Star in what will likely prove to be his lone season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In only 113 games, Martinez homered 33 times and drove in 103 runs. For a team looking to add middle-of-the-order thump, Martinez would still be a strong addition on a short-term deal.

5. 3B Matt Chapman

2023 Stats: .240/.330/.424 with 17 home runs, 54 RBIs, 62 walks, .755 OPS and a 3.5 WAR

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 8

Original Contract Prediction: Six years, $138 million

Original Team Prediction: Chicago Cubs

Other Potential Suitors: San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays

Chapman looked like he might be peers with Nolan Arenado when he homered 36 times and posted a staggering 28 defensive runs saved for the Oakland Athletics in 2019. He’s not that, but the two-time Platinum Glove Award winner is an excellent defender at a crucial position that has pop.

While he only homered 17 times in 2023, Chapman still posted a .755 OPS and won his fourth career Gold Glove Award with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. He may not be a signing that leaves fans scrambling to purchase season tickets, but Chapman could still be a crucial addition for a team that fancies itself a contender and missed out on the A-tier free agent options.

4. LHP Jordan Montgomery

2023 Stats: 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA, 3.56 FIP and a 4.3 WAR across 188 2/3 innings pitched

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 7

Original Contract Prediction: Six years, $144 million

Original Team Prediction: Texas Rangers

Other Potential Suitors: Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees

Does the glow of Montgomery’s postseason run wear off the further we move away from him going 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA during the Texas Rangers’ World Series run? Even if Montgomery never tops the postseason that he had with the Rangers, his floor appears to be as a No. 3 starter on a contending team. And his ceiling helped to put a team on a parade float. He should still make out well this offseason.

3. LHP Josh Hader

2023 Stats: 1.28 ERA and 2.69 FIP over 61 games; 33-for-38 on save attempts

Age in 2024: 30

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 6

Original Contract Prediction: Five years, $105 million

Original Team Prediction: Texas Rangers

Other Potential Suitors: Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs

Hader has 165 career saves, and is coming off of his fifth career All-Star Game appearance in a season where he posted a minuscule 1.28 ERA. And yet, there’s seemingly been little movement on the 29-year-old’s market so far this offseason. It certainly doesn’t help Hader that a team like the Philadelphia Phillies — who make sense as a fit from an on-paper perspective — has signaled all offseason that they don’t plan to be players for him. It only takes one team, but Hader might have a more difficult time topping Edwin Díaz’s five-year/$102 million deal than we thought at the outset of free agency.

Signed: Five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros

2. OF/1B Cody Bellinger

2023 Stats: .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, 40 walks, .881 OPS and a 4.1 WAR

Age in 2024: 28

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 5

Original Contract Prediction: Eight years, $200 million

Original Team Prediction: San Francisco Giants

Other Potential Suitors: Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays

Bellinger revived his career with the Cubs in 2023, slashing .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs and an .881 OPS. The former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP is also still only 28 years old, and offers tremendous positional flexibility. However, that doesn’t erase the fact that he hit .203 with a .648 OPS between 2020 and 2022, leading to the Los Angeles Dodgers non-tendering him. Even in his bounce-back season of 2023, Bellinger only posted a 29.2% hard hit percentage, as opposed to 49.2% in his MVP season of 2019, a sizable gap. It’s not that there aren’t things to really like about Bellinger, but he’s not for the risk averse.

1. LHP Blake Snell

2023 Stats: 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, 3.44 FIP and a 4.1 WAR across 180 innings pitched

Age in 2024: 31

Original Ranking on Top 25 Free Agents List: 4

Original Contract Prediction: Six years, $185 million

Original Team Prediction: Boston Red Sox

Other Potential Suitors: Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants

Snell is one of seven players in MLB history to win a Cy Young Award in both leagues, but the relative lack of buzz there’s been about him as a free agent is indicative of how much teams value pitchers who are workhorses, a category that he doesn’t fall into. Snell has two seasons in his career where he’s pitched 180 innings. But not only has he never sniffed 200 innings, but outside of his two Cy Young winning seasons (2018 and 2023), Snell has never pitched over 129 1/3 innings in a season. This isn’t to say he’s not an excellent pitcher, but there’s a reason Snell is still a free agent in January.