As we enter this final stretch of the 2025 MLB season, no division is more competitive than the AL West. The Houston Astros only sit 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Seattle Mariners. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers are only a half-game behind Seattle in third place — which puts them a half-game out of the final American League Wild Card slot.
Texas certainly has the momentum. Seattle, on paper, is one of the best underdog bets in the league, even after their recent struggles. The Astros have been here and done that, but in their second year without Dusty Baker, there is still much to prove.
Time will tell what happens in October, but the offseason also promises competition — free agency competition. All these teams are slated to lose key pieces. Most of these front offices have the financial backing necessary to dish out significant long-term contracts, so they may end up bidding against each other, not to mention the rest of the league.
While the AL West does not get the same national shine as, say, the AL East, this might be the best division in baseball next season. The Angels never completely go away (even though they should) and the A's are flirting with a major breakthrough in the near future.
Here is each team's best free agent — and what will happen to them come the offseason.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Athletics: LHP Sean Newcomb
Sean Newcomb arrived in Sacramento at the trade deadline and has been lights-out in the Athletics bullpen. The 32-year-old southpaw has been put through the wringer of injuries and setbacks in recent years. It's been a minute since he put together a complete and productive season. But in 2025, against all odds, Newcomb has elevated his performance to new heights.
He has a 2.90 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 88 strikeouts in 87.0 innings. Since joining the A's at the trade deadline, he has a 1.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 46.0 innings, really playing his stuff up as a full-time reliever. With a deep pitch arsenal, primarily featuring a fastball, slurve and sinker, Newcomb pitches effectively to contact and forces a ton of groundballs.
A lot of teams should come knocking this offseason. Newcomb can stretch between the bullpen and the starting rotation, and this season is proof that he can be effective in both roles. He can't be mad with his performance since joining the A's, but not a lot of players are actively seeking out Sutter Health Park and the John Fisher-led Athletics organization these days. The A's are still years away from their Las Vegas migration and that ownership group has effectively tarnished its reputation.
Last winter was proof that the A's aren't allergic to offseason spending, but Newcomb feels destined to join a more established contender, probably in a long relief role with the potential to graduate into a rotation spot if he performs in spring training and throughout the regular season.
Verdict: Go
Los Angeles Angels: RHP Kenley Jansen
The Los Angeles Angels' list of upcoming free agents features a lot of decade-plus MLB vets on their last legs, which is a perfect encapsulation of what is holding this Angels team back. Los Angeles has money to burn, but dating back to their Shohei Ohtani days, L.A. has struggled to develop a sustainable growth pipeline. Instead the Angels are an uninspiring collection of burned-out vets attempting to stay afloat in an unforgiving division.
Of all those forthcoming free agents, the best is still 37-year-old Kenley Jansen. The right-handed closer keeps on keeping on, posting a 2.89 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 50 strikeouts in 53.0 innings this season. He has 25 saves in 56 appearances. Father Time will catch up with Jansen eventually, but there's no reason to think he can't provide solid late-inning results for a contender next season.
Jansen has spent the majority of his career in Los Angeles. He spent his first 12 seasons in a Dodgers uniform and then, after a three-year hiatus in Atlanta and Boston, returned on a one-year contract in Anaheim last winter. Jansen has deep roots in the area and we know the Angels will try to spend money and stay competitive this offseason, despite ample evidence that such aspirations are misguided.
Does Jansen want to return, though? He's reaching the tail end of his career and he'll only get so many more opportunities to pursue his second World Series ring. So, while Jansen loves L.A. and the Angels liked him enough to hold on past the trade deadline, it feels likely that Jansen will depart for a one-year contract with a better team. The explosive market for relievers, even on short-term deals, favors Jansen landing elsewhere.
Verdict: Go
Texas Rangers: RHP Merrill Kelly
Merrill Kelly was the Arizona Diamondbacks' most consistent pitcher leading up to the trade deadline, when he was shipped to the Rangers. So far, that deal has worked out beautifully: Texas is the hottest team in the division and Kelly is one of the hottest arms in the American League.
He has a 3.16 ERA to date, which would be the best mark of his career aside from three appearances (two starts) in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Kelly has a 2.98 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in seven starts with Texas, cranking it up for the stretch run. He only has so much left in the tank at 36 years old, but the ex-KBO star has shown no signs of decline in 2025.
If Kelly can keep rolling through the postseason, he will field a ton of competitive offers this winter. The Rangers no doubt want to keep him around, but it's often difficult to keep trade deadline rentals who hit an enthusiastic open market. It doesn't help that Texas already has significant money committed to Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, two aces in Kelly's age bracket.
Texas has a deep enough rotation to let Kelly walk and still mount a contending team in 2026. As such, there's a good chance Kelly winds up finding a better offer elsewhere and departing the Rangers for greener pastures, even after his blistering-hot run.
Verdict: Go
Seattle Mariners: 3B Eugenio Suárez
There's a strong case to include first baseman Josh Naylor here instead. Of the ex-Diamondbacks acquired by Seattle at the trade deadline, Naylor has certainly been the most productive in recent months. That said, on balance, Suárez has enjoyed the better season and he has a much higher ceiling.
Suárez's .188 average since joining the Mariners is a reminder of how volatile he can be. The 34-year-old strikes out a ton and he's a negative-value defender at third base, which will limit his heat in the marketplace. Still, he has 42 home runs and 105 RBI on the season with an .838 OPS and 127 OPS+. Suárez has the power to lead MLB in home runs and anchor the middle of a lineup. There's a reason he was so sought-after at the deadline.
A strong finish and a deep postseason run could change things, but right now, Seattle is probably out on the Eugenio Suárez experience. He spent the 2023 campaign with the Mariners, too, and his production skewed far closer to his current output than what we saw in Arizona. Whether it's the ballpark, the coaching staff or just an unlucky slump, Suárez has done little to earn the confidence of Seattle's brass.
That means he probably finds a short-term contract elsewhere in free agency, allowing him to start anew. Suárez is still due for a nice paycheck and the Mariners aren't going to waste their limited funds on a one-note slugger who can't seem to locate his swing in the Pacific Northwest.
Verdict: Go
Houston Astros: LHP Framber Valdez
Framber Valdez finds himself in a bit of hot water down the stretch. He appeared to intentionally cross up his own catcher on Tuesday after giving up a grand slam. A couple bad starts in recent weeks has raised his ERA to 3.40 with a 1.21 WHIP. Valdez finished seventh in Cy Young voting a year ago and has been overwhelmingly excellent across eight seasons with the Astros, but the writing might be on the wall.
Houston has the necessary rotation depth to move on from Valdez. Hunter Brown has emerged as a Cy Young candidate in his own right, while the return of Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti should reinforce the 2026 group. That's not to say Valdez can't help, but we saw the Astros intentionally cut costs last winter with the Kyle Tucker trade, not to mention Alex Bregman's unceremonious departure. Paying Valdez significant money into his mid-to-late 30s might not be the front office's top priority.
Even with the recent controversy, Valdez should command significant money on the open market. Quality pitching has never been at more of a premium and few upcoming free agents will boast a stronger résumé than the 31-year-old sinkerballer. Houston has the cash in theory, but as the Astros scale, it feels like the end is nigh for an increasingly frustrated Valdez.
That means there is a real chance that every AL West team loses its top free agent this winter. How they go about replacing them — and whether any of those big names relocate within the division — will be a fascinating storyline to monitor.