All eyes in free agency are on the likes of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and other needle-moving stars, and for good reason. It's fascinating to find out where these All-Stars are going to play in 2026 and beyond. While those players will generate the most headlines, some of the best value deals can be found from those looking to revive their value on one-year deals.
These seven players have a great chance to return excellent value on what'll likely be a minimal investment when all is said and done.
Tyler Kinley, RHP
Tyler Kinley had a 5.05 ERA in parts of six seasons with the Colorado Rockies. As discouraging as an ERA that high is, it's clear at this point that he was a victim of pitching half the time at Coors Field. Not only does Kinley have a 5.49 ERA in 128 appearances in his career at Coors Field, but after getting traded to the Atlanta Braves at the 2025 trade deadline, he looked as good as any reliever in the game.
The right-hander allowed just two runs and 11 hits in 24 innings and 25 innings of work, posting a 0.72 ERA and a 0.680 WHIP. Sure, it's a small sample, but how many pitchers have we seen get away from Coors Field and thrive?
Kinley will likely settle for a one-year deal given the uncertainty of just how real his second-half breakout was, and assuming he doesn't end up in Colorado, there's a good chance the team that signs him will be very happy with what they get.
Willi Castro, UTIL
Willi Castro was an All-Star in 2024 and was even better in the first half of 2025, posting a .356 OBP and a .791 OPS while playing all over the diamond for the Minnesota Twins. His second half, particularly after the Twins traded him to the Chicago Cubs, though, was nightmarish. Castro had a .486 OPS after the All-Star break, which is the worst thing a pending free agent can do. Castro's struggles down the stretch may lead to him taking a one-year deal.
A one-year deal for a player as valuable as Castro can prove to be extremely valuable. How many switch-hitters are there who can play all over the diamond? Not to mention, even amid his offensive struggles in 2025, Castro had a .752 OPS against left-handers. Teams can do so much worse than a league-average hitter (above-average against lefties) who offers as much versatility as Castro.
Griffin Canning, RHP
It's easy to forget this, given how the season ended for the New York Mets, but Griffin Canning was one of the team's unsung heroes in the first half. Signed to a cheap one-year deal last offseason, Canning was hoping to revive his career in Queens. He was on his way towards doing that, posting a 3.77 ERA in 16 starts before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
It's unclear as to whether Canning, who suffered the injury in June, will be ready for Opening Day, but he should be healthy for most of the 2026 season. He won't blow anybody away, but he generated a ton of ground balls during his breakout year, ranking in the 87th percentile with a 51.6 percent ground ball rate per Baseball Savant. There's room for improvement, too, if his next team can help improve his fastball.
Finding quality starting pitchers for cheap is very difficult. If Canning can pick up where he left off, the cheap deal he ends up signing could prove to be a massive bargain, as the one he inked last winter was shaping up to be.
Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
Nathaniel Lowe's value was so high at this point last season that he was traded for several years of cheap club control of a very solid reliever, Robert Garcia. His value isn't quite where it was last season after a down year in 2025, but that can prove to be a good thing for whichever team signs him.
Lowe has never been all that flashy, but he's been durable and mostly consistent throughout his career. The 28-year-old has completed five straight seasons of 140+ games played and 16+ home runs while playing solid defense at first base. Again, 2025 was his worst season, but he still hit 18 home runs, drove in 84 runs, and saw his production perk up after joining the Boston Red Sox.
Lowe won't hit for the power as many of the star first basemen, but he gets on base and can still be a solid run producer in the middle of a lineup as he looks to bounce back in 2026.
Michael Kopech, RHP
Michael Kopech showed what he could do after getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline. He posted a 1.13 ERA in 24 appearances and 24 innings pitched down the stretch that season and was nothing short of dominant for much of their postseason run. 2025 was a lost season for him as he was limited to 14 games while fighting injuries, but Kopech allowed just three runs in 11 innings of work in those appearances, and still possesses immense upside.
Injuries and pitching for terrible Chicago White Sox teams have been Kopech's Achilles heels, but he proved with the Dodgers that he can be a dynamic late-game reliever on a good team as long as he's healthy. The injury concerns will limit him to a one-year deal, but assuming he can stay healthy in 2026, whichever team ends up signing him should be very happy.
Max Kepler, OF
Max Kepler hoped to prove himself on a one-year deal this past season with the Philadelphia Phillies but he failed to do so. The 32-year-old slashed .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI. As underwhelming as his full-season numbers were, there are reasons to believe he'd be better in 2026.
After hitting 10 home runs with a .678 OPS in 85 first-half games, Kepler hit eight home runs with a .715 OPS in 42 second-half games. He played better once it was clear his job was on the line, and even had two extra-base hits in four postseason games. Additionally, Kepler was able to somewhat salvage his season despite facing immense pressure in Philadelphia.
Getting him to a situation with less pressure and more margin for error could lead to results similar to those in 2023 when he hit 24 home runs with a 120 OPS+. With a limited outfield market beyond Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, Kepler could be a decent value play.
Zac Gallen, RHP
Admittedly, it's a stretch to assume Zac Gallen would accept a one-year deal, especially after he rejected the qualifying offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the odds of him accepting a short-term, high-AAV deal with opt-outs are far from zero.
Once one of the best pitchers in the National League, Gallen had a rough 2025, posting a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts and 192 innings of work. He struggled so mightily to the point where the Diamondbacks evidently saw no point in trading him for what was being offered. As bad as the overall season was, Gallen had a 3.32 ERA in 11 post-deadline starts, looking a lot more like the Gallen of old.
The 30-year-old has finished in the top five of the NL Cy Young balloting twice in the last four seasons. He's as good as it gets when he's on his game. It'd be far from shocking to see Gallen take a short-term deal with opt-outs, thrive in 2026, giving the team that signs him immense value, and opt out, as many Scott Boras clients have done before him.
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