Finding the worst realistic fit for the top 10 MLB free agents

The 2025 MLB postseason is an opportunity for teams and their fans to not only see the sport’s best and brightest, but to begin thinking about which of the league’s premier players — and pending free agents — could suit up for their favorite team in 2026 and beyond.

Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, and Kyle Schwarber are among the more notable names whose teams advanced to the Division Series. Although it’s too early to know where they’ll be playing next season, we already personally have an idea of which teams the league’s top pending free agents must avoid. 

For this list, we’ve identified the worst fit based on which contenders might actually pursue these players — and, by extension, which teams these players could be interested in joining. So, as easy as it is to suggest that the Pittsburgh Pirates are an awful fit for all 10 of these players, that’s also a cop out. 

We’ve also listed all players alphabetically, and the team that they’re attached to is the team we believe they should not sign with. 

Alex Bregman, 3B: New York Yankees

This is nothing against Bregman, who turned in a fantastic first season with the Boston Red Sox and reaffirmed his place among the league’s premier corner infielders. We’re not disputing that the Yankees still need a viable third base option, especially if they believe Jazz Chisholm Jr. is best suited at second base — and that’s an idea that we agree with, especially after Chisholm’s 30/30 campaign. We’ll also acknowledge that Bregman would improve the Yankees significantly in all phases.

However, we believe that Bregman should opt out of his contract and work out a new, long-term deal that will keep him in Boston for years to come. If Bregman were to look elsewhere, then he’s better off avoiding the Yankees, especially given his history in the Yankees-Astros rivalry. We don’t imagine that Yankees fans would have too much patience if Bregman starts slowly next April, so maybe all parties need to look elsewhere.

Bo Bichette, SS: Atlanta Braves

Lost in the Braves’ dismal 2025 season is that they claimed Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Ha-seong Kim off waivers in September. Kim has a $16 million player option for next year that he’d be foolish to pass up on, even if the Braves intend to look elsewhere at shortstop.

Regardless, this is one of those instances where a player and team simply don’t fit one another, even if the Braves view this past year as an aberration. Bichette needs to go somewhere where he’s guaranteed to be the long-term option at shortstop and the face of the franchise. (That’s also a major reason why he should avoid the New York Mets, even if they were willing to trade Francisco Lindor or move the veteran All-Star to DH.) Yes, Bichette would bolster the Braves’ lineup, but they need to address other needs, starting with (no pun intended) the starting rotation and determining their outfield plans. 

Cody Bellinger, CF: Houston Astros

The Astros need more bats, and Bellinger definitely makes sense for an organization fresh off missing the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade. More than anything, Houston needs a reliable left-handed outfielder, and Bellinger checks so many boxes after hitting .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, an .813 OPS, and 5.0 bWAR for the Yankees.

So, why are we so against the Astros signing Bellinger? We promise that it has nothing to do with any lingering resentment over signs and trash cans. There’s just something about the idea of Bellinger in Houston that doesn’t click for us. Have you ever seen your favorite NFL team draft a player who just seems like the perfect fit, but you have this gut instinct that things won’t work? And then, when midseason hits, and others have come to the same realization, all you can do is shrug your shoulders? That’s how we feel here, except Astros fans are likely happier overall than Jets or Browns fans.

Edwin Díaz, CP: St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are all but officially entering a transitional period, which some teams view as an opportunity to spend big and bring in a proven All-Star. Díaz again dominated opposing lineups, posting a brilliant 1.63 ERA and a 98-21 K-BB ratio across 66 1/3 innings. Plenty in the Mets’ organization deserve blame for one of the worst collapses we’ll ever see in sports, but Díaz only allowed five earned runs in 28 1/3 second-half innings.

With that said, Díaz can do far better than the Cardinals. There should be no shortage of contenders trying to land Díaz, and we’re sure that the Mets will break out the big bucks if it means keeping their star closer. Unless Díaz’s priority is money, then there is no reason for him to even think about joining the Cardinals — and if money is the priority, then we obviously won’t blame him.

Framber Valdez, SP: New York Mets: 

Speaking of the Mets, a major reason why they fell apart in the second half was a lack of impactful starting pitchers. Kodai Senga fell apart, and while the duo of David Peterson and Clay Holmes tried their best, they couldn’t save the Mets from themselves. The Mets gambled on their rotation, and their reward came in missing the playoffs entirely.

Valdez remains a workhorse, pitching 192 innings over 31 starts for an Astros team that barely missed the postseason. However, his hits per nine rose from 7.1 to 8.0, and his 3.2 walks per nine marked his highest since 2022. We won’t be surprised if Valdez slowly loses a lot of what’s made him efficient, and that would be terrible news for a Mets team teetering toward desperation. As bad a fit as this is, we nonetheless expect the Mets to ignore us, sign Valdez anyway, and then act shocked when he’s a replacement-level pitcher within two years.

Gleyber Torres, 2B: New York Yankees

Who says you can’t go home? We do, and it’s why we urge the Yankees and Torres to avoid any inclination about a potential reunion. First off, the Yankees appear committed to keeping Chisholm at second base, and Torres’ days at shortstop are long behind him. The idea of making Torres the full-time shortstop and parting ways with Anthony Volpe doesn’t work either, especially not when you remember that the Yankees moved Torres to second partially because of his defense.

Down the line, we won’t be opposed to Torres making a cameo return and potentially helping the 2031 Yankees sneak into the playoffs. For now, though, Torres needs to see what other teams are out there, whether it’s the Tigers or another contender. Actually, the Astros make way too much sense here, depending on what their long-term plans for Jose Altuve are — and we’re talking about Altuve’s positional fit, not if the Astros are going to move on from the former AL MVP.

J.T. Realmuto, C: Boston Red Sox

At first glance, Realmuto is more or less the same player he’s always been, and his 23.5% strikeout rate actually was his lowest since 2022. While Realmuto is a solid starting catcher, his .700 OPS — well below the league average of .719 — raises some red flags, as does the fact that he turns 35 in March. There’ll probably be some team that overpays Realmuto, thinking they’re going to get the 2022 version of him.

This is one of those instances where Realmuto and the Red Sox are a bad fit only if they see him as a full-time catcher. Carlos Narváez flashed enough this year that we feel he warrants the full-time job in 2026, especially after he hit .273 with seven home runs, 19 doubles, and an .820 OPS at Fenway Park. First, though, the Red Sox need to figure out whether they’re going to trade Masataka Yoshida or bring him back as their DH for 2026.

Kyle Schwarber, DH: Los Angeles Dodgers

Can you imagine a Dodgers lineup featuring Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani? The problem is that each team only has one DH spot in their lineup, meaning that one of Schwarber or Ohtani would need to play the field. Schwarber has only played 13 games in the outfield the last two years, and he hasn’t manned first base since 2021. Ohtani, meanwhile, has only played the outfield seven times since arriving stateside in 2018.

We must also consider that although Freddie Freeman turned 36 in September, he’s still a steady presence in the Dodgers’ lineup. As fun as the idea might sound for Dodgers fans, there’s simply no place for Schwarber — and that sound you hear is the rest of the league, especially those in the NL West, happily rejoicing. 

Kyle Tucker, RF: New York Mets

Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and who knows how Mets owner Steve Cohen will react after the team’s epic collapse? It’d certainly fit Cohen’s track record if he responded by signing Kyle Tucker to man a corner outfield spot and team up with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, even if it means letting Pete Alonso (more on him shortly) walk in free agency.

Multiple things can be true, the first being that we absolutely expect the Mets to consider such a move. At the same time, there is zero reason why Tucker and the Mets make sense for one another outside of money. Tucker is a former Gold Glove winner and a capable outfielder, so moving him to DH wouldn’t be wise. What about making Soto the designated hitter and sticking Tucker in right field?

These are not the questions that the Mets should be asking themselves. Their priorities should be adding starting pitchers and clubhouse leaders who can help the team return to the playoffs. 

Pete Alonso, 1B: Toronto Blue Jays

If the Blue Jays already locked up Vladimir Guerrero Jr., then why would they consider signing Alonso? Theoretically speaking, the Jays could keep one at first base and slot the other in at designated hitter. What better way for the Blue Jays to torment the rest of the American League than by teaming Alonso and Guerrero together?

Well, for starters, they could prioritize keeping Bo Bichette, who has shown no desire to leave Toronto. As with other players on this list, Alonso on the Blue Jays sounds better in theory than it does in reality. If anything, it’d be a move reeking of desperation and aggression, and very rarely do those signings work out. We can’t justify the Blue Jays signing Alonso, especially not when we’re sure there’ll be teams willing to pony up and sign the five-time All-Star to anchor their lineup.

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