Over half the league can reasonably (or at least semi-reasonably) talk themselves into having a real shot at making the playoffs with less than two weeks to go in the regular season. But that still means that, for over a dozen other teams, a long, cold offseason has already begun — and it's time to start dreaming about the moves you'll make in free agency.
The bad news is that said free agency might get overshadowed by MLB's looming labor war. But if the sport somehow manages to avoid a lockout, this winter will feature plenty of talent that could help spark a turnaround in 2027. We've ranked baseball's top 10 pending free agents below, along with the non-playoff teams that should be most aggressive in acquiring their services.
LHP Tarik Skubal
Best non-playoff team fits: New York Mets, Detroit Tigers
Of course, you know who the headliner of this free agent class will be. The only question is: Will Skubal sniff something like $400 million, or will he settle for something closer to Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million)? All the big-money clubs figure to be in on his services, but of those currently out of the postseason mix, two stand out — and ironically, one of them is the team he left behind at the trade deadline.
The Mets also have an infield to fix, but they're in desperate need of an anchor atop the rotation who can provide support for youngsters Nolan McLean and Christian Scott. Detroit, meanwhile, still has a solid core of young players to offer in a winnable division; if only they had themselves an ace? Everybody could use Skubal, of course, but New York and Detroit feel like two who could both get him back to October quickly and afford his next contract.
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Best non-playoff team fits: Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals
After all that big talk about going 50-50, it's been a nightmare contract year for Chisholm Jr., who simply hasn't been able to find a rhythm at the plate and is currently on the IL with a thumb sprain. He'll be 29 in February, though, and his athletic profile plus his track record at an up-the-middle position could create an opportunity for a team to swoop in with a big-time deal.
Washington has a pretty similar player already in CJ Abrams, but they're in desperate need of infield help and have plenty of cash to burn on a roster that was surprisingly competitive this season. If you can flip Abrams for pitching and sign Chisholm Jr. while his stock is depressed, why wouldn't you? The Royals, meanwhile, are in need of offense just about everywhere but shortstop, and should be plenty motivated to get back to the postseason after two lost years.
OF Seiya Suzuki
Best non-playoff team fits: Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers
Suzuki might be the single most underappreciated player in the sport right now, a consistently excellent right-handed hitter who also won't kill you defensively even as he nears his mid-30s. His age will keep him from getting anything too long-term, but so, so many teams could use an impact righty bat like this.
Colorado is probably a pipe dream, but they could really use a righty compliment to Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg and Mickey Moniak. The Giants' quest for outfield pop is exceedingly well-documented at this point, while the Tigers should be targeting somone who can stabilize the other corner around Riley Greene and Max Clark.
RHP Michael King
Best non-playoff team fits: St. Louis Cardinals, Athletics, Minnesota Twins
Knig is almost certain to opt out of his current deal amid another quietly excellent season in San Diego, and right now he profiles as easily the best non-Skubal starter who will hit the open market. That means he'll have no shortage of suitors, and while plenty of contenders figure to get involved, he could also do wonders for any of the many non-playoff teams looking to take a rotation leap next season.
The Cardinals are at the top of that list, with a lineup ready to make real noise in the NL but simply no pitching depth to support it. The A's could find themselves in the same boat once their homegrown bats get back healthy, and the Twins just watched a lack of rotation depth sink their Wild Card hopes. King is a borderline ace who shouldn't cost quite as much, which could make him very appealing to smaller-market teams who are a frontline arm away from potential contention.
OF Randy Arozarena
Best non-playoff team fits: Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds
Arozarena falls just below Suzuki on this list mostly due to his defensive limitations, but the bat still very much plays, and the paucity of righty pop available either via free agency or trade should give him plenty of suitors. The Mariners should absolutely look to bring him back given how badly they've struggled for power even with Arozarena in the lineup, while the Reds' outfield was a mess this year and Great American Ball Park's snug dimensions won't put too much strain on his glove.
LHP Adrian Morejon
Best non-playoff team fits: Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins
I'm usually loath to put relievers too high on this list, but Morejon is an exception, a lefty who averages over 99 mph on his fastball and is coming off of three excellent years for the Padres in which he regularly handled multiple innings. That's an immensely valuable weapon, and if your team fell short of October this year largely because of a shaky bullpen, you should hand him more or less a blank check for the next three or four years.
We're looking particularly at Washington, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, all of which could well be occupying a playoff spot at the moment had their shaky relief corps not blown tons of late leads over the course of this season. The Pirates, especially, have a young rotation in place and just need more high-leverage arms to support it.
RHP Freddy Peralta
Best non-playoff team fits: Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins
I'm not totally convinced that Peralta has been as good as his topline numbers in Tampa suggest, but he's definitely improved upon the pitcher we saw with the Mets over the first few months of this season. He was also a legit No. 2 or No. 3 as recently as 12 months ago, and he's still just 30 years old. Some team is bound to bet on his stuff bouncing back with a couple of offseason tweaks, especially in such a relatively weak free-agent class. The Angels are always looking for rotation stabilizers, while Kansas City and Minnesota make sense as teams interested in a buy-low opportunity that could pay big dividends.
C Ryan Jeffers
Best non-playoff team fits: Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels
Jeffers is pretty much the only catcher of note in this class, and that should lead to a pretty healthy payday. He'll always be a bat-first player, but this kind of pop with the ability to at least break even behind the plate is worth its weight in gold in today's game. That's especially true for teams like the Reds and Giants, with looming vacancies at the position and desperate needs to improve offensively in 2027. The Angels, too, have no long-term answer at catcher and money to throw around as they look to raise the floor in Anaheim.
RHP Clay Holmes
Best non-playoff team fits: Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals
This might seem like an aggressive ranking given Holmes' limited track record as a starting pitcher who can post every fifth day and give you six innings, but he's been very good since being dealt to the Cubs, and his ability to keep the ball on the ground will be of interest to a whole lot of teams — particularly those with either good infield defenses (St. Louis) or extreme hitter's parks (A's, Rockies). Holmes' yellow flags will keep him from getting a huge payday, but he's been awfully effective whenever he's been healthy enough to be in the rotation.
RHP Casey Mize
Best non-playoff team fits: San Francisco Giants, Athletics, Kansas City Royals
Mize's breakout has run aground a bit since being sent to San Diego, but a nagging groin injury probably has something to do with that as well, and it's an awfully small sample. He's a former No. 1 pick with a swing-and-miss splitter who can throw tons of strikes, and in this market he'll have no trouble finding suitors. Both the Giants and Royals can offer the sort of pitcher-friendly ballpark he thrived in as a Tiger, while the A's should be throwing money at any pitcher who will take their call.
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