Ranking the best available free agent starting pitchers ahead of the 2025 season

Starting pitching is the backbone of a baseball team. A team can only go as far as their starting pitching rotation takes them.

Each contending team is always aggressive in the pitching market at the trade deadline. But pitching is very expensive to trade for, so these same teams will likely be very active in free agency for these same arms.

We saw Tarik Skubal almost single handedly drive the Detroit Tigers to the postseason and past the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card round.

This winter, there are a ton of intriguing options available in free agency. From former Cy Young winners to future Hall of Famers, this class of pitchers has the ability to completely change the forecast of the entire league based on where the top names sign.

Let's dive deeper into this upcoming free agent class of starting pitchers.

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The top dogs on the MLB Free Agency market (2)

There are two clear top dogs on the market this offseason. Two pitchers that could completely change the outlook of an organization if they can sign them. One's right-handed and the other is left-handed, but they both have Cy Young written all over them (Hint: Both pitchers have won a Cy Young award in their career).

Corbin Burnes

Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes was one of the top arms in the league last season. If not for Tarik Skubal's incredible year, Burnes would be in line for yet another Cy Young award. Burnes posted a 2.92 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in 194.1 innings. He struck out 181 batters while walking 48.

Whoever lands Burnes will be landing the best right handed pitcher on the market. He's an elite arm that's only getting better as the years go by. Expect Baltimore to be aggressive in trying to bring him back.

Blake Snell

If Blake Snell could have pitched the way he did in the second half for the entire season, he would be looking at back-to-back Cy Young awards, this time as a member of the San Francisco Giants.

Snell, when he's in the zone, is likely the most dominant pitcher in the game. He was the 2023 NL Cy Young winner and he arguably looked even better during the back half of 2024. Snell proved that 2023 wasn't a fluke and he should land a massive deal this Winter.

Expect his contract to come with some opt outs that allow him the flexibility to control his career.

The second tier of aces (3)

Behind the top two arms on the market, there are a few more pitchers that will be available that we can call true "ace" pitchers. These arms have been solid for more than just 2024, leading to some hefty price tags attached to them this offseason.

Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty has been the ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second half of the season. In a year where Los Angeles dealt with so many injuries, Flaherty was a consistent staple of their rotation.

He may not be the most flashy name on the market, but he's consistent and a borderline ace at this point in his career. His market should be quite hot this Winter.

Max Fried

Max Fried looks to be the second-best left-handed pitcher on the market this season, comfortably sitting behind Blake Snell. Fried has been the ace or co-ace of the Atlanta Braves pitching staff for years.

Though he's not on the same level as Snell and Burnes, he has the same ability to take over a game on his best days. Fried would be the ace of a lot of teams in the league, while comfortably being the number two on all the other teams.

Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi began the season with the Toronto Blue Jays before getting moved to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline.

In 10 games with the Astros, Kikuchi really broke out as an ace-level pitcher. He posted a 2.70 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP over his last ten starts in 2024. The crafty lefty should garner quite a bit of attention this Winter.

The risky ace options (3)

Now, after the top five pitchers, there's another tier of arms that have been classified as an ace at some point in their careers. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed these three pitcher's careers. Whether it be a major surgery in the last 365 days or struggles resulting from previous injuries, these three former aces should be classified as "reclamation projects" this Winter.

Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber is still recovering from a UCL Surgery from earlier this year. His return date is still in question at this point in time, but he should be expected to miss a chunk of the 2025 season at a minimum.

With elbow surgeries, you never know how a pitcher will return. But for the teams that are willing to take a risk, they could get an ace-caliber arm for very cheap if they're willing to bet on his return and pay him while he's rehabbing and recovering.

Walker Buehler

Walker Buehler was the victim of multiple elbow surgeries while he was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's battled back and returned to the big leagues, but he hasn't looked the same. His contract will likely look more like a "prove it" deal than anything else.

Buehler could sign with just about any team in the league. It will be difficult for him to find much guaranteed money this Winter, but he should have a ton of different teams looking to bring him in this offseason.

John Means

John Means may be the ultimate wild card heading into this offseason. He had another surgery on the torn ligaments in his elbow, causing him to likely miss the entire 2025 season.

Still, this is an incredibly talented pitcher who should still garner some attention in free agency. If a team is going to be willing to take a risk on Means, he could sign a two- or three-year contract before he fully recovers from surgery.

The veterans on the market: 40+ years old (2)

For the teams that are looking for a veteran arm that knows his way around the game, there are two 40 year old pitchers that could bring a boost to the rotation. Both of these guys have what it takes to perform at the big league level, though they aren't as good as they were in their primes. Expect to see all three of these pitchers sign one, maybe two-year contracts.

Justin Verlander

Some around baseball expected Houston Astros veteran Justin Verlander to retire at the end of the 2024 season, especially after Verlander pitched so poorly down the stretch that he didn't make the postseason roster.

Still, he plans to return in 2025 to pitch another year. There will be a team in the league that's willing to take a risk on the legendary righty, especially since he's going to be at a severe discount this offseason. Expect Verlander to sign a one-year deal with a contender this Winter.

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer spent the 2024 season with the Texas Rangers, where he was a useful piece of the rotation whenever he was healthy. He made nine starts and posted an ERA under 4.00.

However, he couldn't really stay healthy. He missed more time than anybody anticipated, yet he plans to return in 2025. Scherzer still has the ability to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues. The issue here is health. There will be a team that takes a shot on a one-year deal with Scherzer though.