2024-25 MLB Free Agents

The following players are currently eligible for free agency.  Each player’s 2025 age is in parentheses.  Generally, our cutoff for this list is 50 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched in the Majors in 2024.

Updated 1-20-25

Catchers

Elias Diaz (34)
Yan Gomes (37)
Yasmani Grandal (36)
Luke Maile (34)
James McCann (35)
Reese McGuire (30)

First Basemen

Jose Abreu (38)
Pete Alonso (30) – declined qualifying offer
Mark Canha (36)
J.D. Davis (32)
Ty France (30)
Joey Gallo (31)
Yuli Gurriel (41)
Connor Joe (32)
Anthony Rizzo (35)
Gavin Sheets (29)
Rowdy Tellez (30)
Justin Turner (40)
Jared Walsh (31)

Second Basemen

Brandon Drury (32)
Adam Frazier (33)
Jose Iglesias (35)
Nicky Lopez (30)
Nick Madrigal (28)
Whit Merrifield (36)
Jorge Polanco (31)
Brendan Rodgers (28)

Shortstops

Nick Ahmed (35)
Tim Anderson (32)
Paul DeJong (31)
Ha-Seong Kim (29)

Third Basemen

Jon Berti (35)
Alex Bregman (31) – declined qualifying offer
Paul DeJong (31)
Brandon Drury (32)
Enrique Hernandez (33)
Danny Mendick (31)
Yoan Moncada (30)
Miguel Sano (32)
Nick Senzel (30)
Abraham Toro (28)
Cole Tucker (28)
Luis Urias (28)

Left Fielders

Mark Canha (36)
Dylan Carlson (26)
David Dahl (31)
Adam Duvall (36)
Robbie Grossman (35)
Austin Hays (29)
Ramon Laureano (30)
Manuel Margot (30)
Whit Merrifield (36)
Tommy Pham (37)
Jurickson Profar (32)
Eddie Rosario (33)
Alex Verdugo (29)

Center Fielders

Harrison Bader (31)
Garrett Hampson (30)
Aaron Hicks (35)
Travis Jankowski (34)
Manuel Margot (30)
Kevin Pillar (36)
Michael A. Taylor (34)

Right Fielders

Dylan Carlson (26)
Adam Duvall (36)
Adam Frazier (33)
Ben Gamel (33)
Avisail Garcia (34)
Randal Grichuk (33)
Jason Heyward (35)
Connor Joe (32)
Bryce Johnson (29)
Ramon Laureano (30)
Manuel Margot (30)
Whit Merrifield (36)
David Peralta (37)
Tommy Pham (37)
Eddie Rosario (33)
Gavin Sheets (29)

Designated Hitters

Willie Calhoun (30)
Mark Canha (36)
Matt Carpenter (39)
Robbie Grossman (35)
J.D. Martinez (37)
Gavin Sheets (29)
Justin Turner (40)
Daniel Vogelbach (32)

Starting Pitchers

Ty Blach (34)
Aaron Brooks (35)
Carlos Carrasco (38)
Mike Clevinger (34)
Patrick Corbin (35)
Anthony DeSclafani (35)
Jack Flaherty (29)
Chris Flexen (30)
Domingo German (32)
Kyle Gibson (37)
Marco Gonzales (33)
Andrew Heaney (34)
Jakob Junis (32)
Clayton Kershaw (37)
Jordan Lyles (34)
Lance Lynn (38)
Wade Miley (38)
John Means (32)
Nick Pivetta (32) – declined qualifying offer
Cal Quantrill (30)
Jose Quintana (36)
Sixto Sanchez (26)
Max Scherzer (40)
Ross Stripling (35)
Spencer Turnbull (32)
Jose Ureña (33)
Jose Urquidy (30)
Alex Wood (34)

Right-Handed Relievers

Adbert Alzolay (30)
Chase Anderson (37)
Daniel Bard (40)
Scott Barlow (32)
Brandon Bielak (29)
John Brebbia (35)
JT Chargois (34)
Jesse Chavez (41)
Adam Cimber (34)
Jose Cisnero (36)
Chris Devenski (34)
Carlos Estevez (32)
Buck Farmer (34)
Kyle Finnegan (33)
Dylan Floro (34)
Luis Garcia (38)
Domingo German (32)
Kendall Graveman (34)
Jonathan Hernandez (28)
Brent Honeywell Jr. (30)
Jay Jackson (37)
Luke Jackson (31)
Kenley Jansen (37)
Dany Jimenez (31)
Jakob Junis (32)
Tommy Kahnle (34)
Brad Keller (29)
Joe Kelly (37)
Craig Kimbrel (37)
Chad Kuhl (32)
Phil Maton (32)
Scott McGough (35)
Keynan Middleton (31)
Shelby Miller (34)
Hector Neris (36)
Adam Ottavino (39)
Erasmo Ramirez (35)
Trevor Richards (32)
David Robertson (40)
Ryder Ryan (30)
Paul Sewald (35)
Lucas Sims (31)
Drew Smith (31)
Ryne Stanek (33)
Josh Staumont (31)
Hunter Strickland (36)
Ross Stripling (35)
Dillon Tate (31)
Touki Toussaint (29)
Lou Trivino (33)
Spencer Turnbull (32)
Jose Ureña (33)
Austin Voth (33)
Kirby Yates (38)

Left-Handed Relievers

Scott Alexander (35)
Tyler Alexander (30)
Jalen Beeks (31)
Ty Blach (34)
Andrew Chafin (35)
Danny Coulombe (35)
Jake Diekman (38)
Victor Gonzalez (29)
Tim Hill (35)
Richard Lovelady (29)
Tim Mayza (33)
Matt Moore (36)
Colin Poche (31)
Brooks Raley (37)
Will Smith (35)
Drew Smyly (36)
Ryan Yarbrough (33)

Since we just looked at what teams would stand to receive in draft compensation if they lost a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer, now it’s time to explore what each team would have to give up in order to sign a QO-rejecting free agent.

To recap the mechanics: if a free agent has played the entire 2024 season with a team and he has never received a qualifying offer in the past, he is eligible to be issued a QO within five days of the end of the World Series.  The qualifying offer is a one-year deal worth the average of the salaries of the top 125 highest-paid players in the majors, and this winter, the QO is worth $21.05MM.  An eligible free agent can simply accept the QO and thus avoid free agency entirely, but if he rejects the QO, his former team is now in line to receive some draft-pick compensation if the free agent signs elsewhere.  This only relates to qualified free agents from other teams, as a club can re-sign its own qualified free agents with no penalty.

Here is the (mostly set) rundown of what every team will have to give up if they sign qualified free agent.…

Revenue Sharing Recipients: Diamondbacks, Rockies, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Marlins, Athletics, Mariners, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Guardians, Orioles, Rays

Should one of these clubs sign a qualified free agent, they will have to give up their third-highest selection in the 2025 draft.  Since most of these smaller-market teams are part of the Competitive Balance bonus rounds of the draft, their third-highest pick likely won’t mean their third-round pick, and the situation could be further complicated if any of the teams trade from their CBR picks.  The Competitive Balance selections are the only draft picks eligible to be traded, as we saw last winter when the Orioles included their CBR-A pick to the Brewers as part of the Corbin Burnes trade package.

It is relatively rare to see teams from this group splurge on a big-ticket free agent, though Baltimore is expected to increase spending under new owner David Rubenstein.  The Tigers also have plenty of payroll space and could look to build more aggressively around their young core, after Detroit unexpectedly made a run to the ALDS this season.

Teams Who Don’t Receive Revenue-Sharing Funds, And Who Didn’t Pay The Competitive Balance Tax: Padres, Cardinals, Nationals, Angels, White Sox, Red Sox

For signing a qualified free agent, these teams would have to surrender their second-highest pick of the 2025 draft, and also $500K from their bonus pool during the next international signing period.

The White Sox and now the Cardinals are both rebuilding.  The Padres can never be ruled out of making a splashy signing, but that seems unlikely given how the team has a lot of its own impending free agents to address, plus San Diego made a point of getting under the luxury tax threshold last offseason.  Angels owner Arte Moreno has said his club plans to contend in 2025 and the payroll will go up, though that might not manifest itself in the form of signing a qualified free agent, given how often the Halos have been burned on such signings in the past.

Washington and Boston are both borderline candidates for a big free agent signing.  The Nats are still technically in rebuild mode themselves, but could decide that the time is right to add some major veteran help to an intriguing mix of younger players.  The Red Sox have generally eschewed pursuits of pricey free agents in recent years, though since they haven’t had a winning season since 2021, ownership might be again willing to be more aggressive in shopping at the high end of the market.

Team In Limbo: Blue Jays, Cubs

As noted in the last post, it won’t be known until December (when the luxury tax numbers are officially calculated by the league) whether or not the Jays and Cubs managed to sneak under the $237MM tax threshold.  Roster Resource has both teams slightly above the threshold while Cot’s Baseball Contracts has the Cubs slightly over and the Blue Jays slightly under, so given how narrow the margins are, we’ll wait until the league issues its numbers before putting the two clubs in either the previous category or the next category.

Needless to say, both clubs are hoping for a reset on their luxury tax status, and lesser penalties for signing QO-rejecting free agents.  The Jays and Cubs are also two of the teams facing the most pressure to win in 2025, and thus could be more open to making a big signing to help turn things around.  If MLB’s calculations reveal that Toronto and Chicago did exceed the threshold this year, they’ll join the next group of…

Competitive Balance Tax Payors: Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Astros, Rangers, Yankees

As one would expect, these teams face the stiffest penalties. For signing a QO-rejecting free agent, these clubs would have to give up $1MM in international bonus pool money, as well as two draft picks — their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2025 draft.

Astros GM Dana Brown has said his team “may have to get a little bit creative” with their spending given how many big contracts are already on the books.  The same could be said for the Phillies and Braves as well, but it is also easy to see both teams remaining aggressive after falling short in the playoffs.  The Rangers have a lot of money coming off the books but, given their uncertain broadcast revenue situation, could spend but still make a point of ducking back under the luxury tax line.  San Francisco will be an intriguing team to watch, now that Buster Posey is running the front office and how the Giants already spent big to keep a pending free agent in the fold by extending Matt Chapman.

Since re-signing Juan Soto or re-signing Teoscar Hernandez wouldn’t cost anything in QO penalties, keeping those sluggers is likely the top priority for the Yankees and Dodgers, with other free agents perhaps as backup plans if Soto or Hernandez signed elsewhere.  The Mets were relatively quiet in David Stearns’ first winter as president of baseball operations, some more big spending might be in the works if owner Steve Cohen wants to build on the club’s playoff run.

All this being said, the higher penalties for CBT payors can be deterrents to spending on qualified free agents in particular.  This doesn’t mean the Yankees wouldn’t look to retain Soto or anything, but teams might prefer to make their big upgrades through trades, or perhaps with free agents who won’t have a QO attached to their services.

Should a club sign more than one qualified free agent, they will have to additionally forfeit their next-highest draft pick. For signing two QO-rejecting free agents, the revenue-sharing group would have to give up their third- and fourth-highest picks in the 2024 draft. The teams who didn’t exceed the CBT or receive revenue-sharing funds would have to give up their second- and third-highest picks, as well as $500K more of their international bonus pool. The luxury tax payors would face the heftier penalty of losing four draft picks — their second, third, fifth, and sixth-highest selections.

The qualifying offer is one of the key mechanisms of free agent season, as teams have until five days after the end of the World Series to decide whether or not to issue the one-year contract (this winter worth $21.05MM) to eligible free agents.  If a player has played with his team throughout the entire 2024 season and hasn’t received a QO in the past, he is eligible to be issued a qualifying offer, and thus the player can opt to accept the QO and forego free agency altogether.

If the player rejects the QO, his former team is now in line to receive some draft-pick compensation if the free agent signs elsewhere.  Here is the (mostly set) rundown of what every team will receive should one of their qualified free agents indeed head to another club….

Revenue Sharing Recipients: Diamondbacks, Rockies, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Marlins, Athletics, Mariners, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Guardians, Orioles, Rays

If any of these teams has a QO-rejecting free agent who signs elsewhere for more than $50MM in guaranteed money, the compensatory pick falls after the first round of next year’s draft.  (For instance, the Twins received the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 draft when the Cardinals signed Sonny Gray to a three-year, $75MM contract last winter.)  If a team has a QO-rejecting free agent who signs elsewhere for less than $50MM guaranteed, the compensatory pick would come between Competitive Balance Round B and the start of the third round.  The 2024 draft didn’t have of these latter selections, but in 2023, these compensation picks were the 68th, 69th, and 70th overall selections.

The Brewers will surely issue Willy Adames a qualifying offer, and the Orioles are just as certain locks to extend QOs to both Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander.  Christian Walker also seems pretty likely to receive a QO from the Diamondbacks.  Michael Wacha is expected to decline his $16MM player option for 2025 and re-enter the free agency market, and thus the Royals could well decide to issue a qualifying offer to the veteran righty.  Nick Martinez is a borderline candidate for a QO, just because $21.05MM is a steep price tag for a lower-payroll team like the Reds to give to a pitcher who might be best utilized as a swingman.  Martinez is another player facing a decision on a player option, as he can opt out and leave $12MM on the table to again pursue free agency.

Teams Who Don’t Receive Revenue-Sharing Funds, And Who Didn’t Pay The Competitive Balance Tax: Padres, Cardinals, Nationals, Angels, White Sox, Red Sox

For these teams, the compensatory pick for losing a qualified free agent would also fall between CBR-B and the start of the third round (regardless of whether the player signed for more or less than $50MM).  The Angels qualified for this bracket in 2023 by just barely squeezing under the tax line, thus enabling the team to receive the 74th overall pick as compensation when Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers.

This year’s free agent class offers a few borderline QO candidates from these six teams.  Boston’s Tyler O’Neill and San Diego’s Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim could conceivably get qualifying offers, though the teams could be weighing the pros and cons right up to the QO deadline.  In Kim’s case, the Padres will want all the information they can get about how the shortstop is faring in the early stages of his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Teams In Limbo: Blue Jays, Cubs

It should be noted that these lists of teams and their Competitive Balance Tax status won’t be finalized until the league releases its official numbers in December.  It usually isn’t too difficult to figure out which teams surpass the $237MM tax threshold, and sites like RosterResource and Cot’s Baseball Contracts do excellent work in calculating luxury tax estimates over the course of a season.  MLB’s internal calculations could differ, however, or factor in some salary data that isn’t publicly known, so we won’t know for a while yet if Toronto and/or Chicago are tax payors or not.

The Cubs are just barely past the $237MM tax line in the view of both public websites — RosterResource has their 2024 tax number at slightly above $238.4MM and Cot’s has an even closer call of $237.2MM.  The two sites split when it comes to the Blue Jays, as RR has them over the threshold at roughly $240.4MM, while Cot’s has the Jays under the threshold at around $234.98MM.

While this tax status may impact whether or not the Cubs and Blue Jays will pursue any QO-rejecting free agents, it’s a bit of a moot point here, as neither club has any free agents who seem like viable candidates for a qualifying offer.  If Cody Bellinger exercises his opt-out clause, Chicago can’t issue him a QO since Bellinger already received one in the past.

Competitive Balance Tax Payors: Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Astros, Rangers, Yankees

If a team exceeds the luxury tax, they still receive a pick if a qualified free agent signed elsewhere, but that compensatory pick falls after the fourth round of the 2025 draft.  In the 2024 draft, these were the 134th, 135th, and 136th overall picks.

Juan Soto (Yankees), Alex Bregman (Astros), Teoscar Hernandez (Dodgers), Max Fried (Braves), and Pete Alonso (Mets) are all locks to receive qualifying offers.  The Mets could also weigh offers for Sean Manaea or Luis Severino, with Manaea seen as very likely to opt out of the final year of his contract with New York.

MLBTR’s positional preview of the upcoming free agent class concludes with a look at the right-handed relief class. There are a couple established closers and some breakout arms who should get plenty of buzz as leverage pieces, yet it’s a rather thin group overall.

Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2025 season. Only players who have appeared in the majors this year or spent the entire season on the MLB injured list are included.

Other Entries: Catcher | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Base | Center Field | Corner Outfield | Designated Hitter | Starting Pitcher | Left-Handed Relief

High-Leverage Arms

• Jeff Hoffman (32)

MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored Hoffman’s emergence in a piece for Front Office subscribers last week. The former top 10 pick bounced around the league before finding a home in Philadelphia. He has a sterling 2.28 ERA across 118 2/3 innings for the Phils over the past two seasons. Hoffman has pitched his way up the leverage hierarchy and proven up to the challenge of tougher assignments. He posted a 2.17 mark while striking out more than a third of batters faced over 66 1/3 frames this season. Hoffman should at least land a three-year deal and has a shot at four — especially if he continues to elevate his profile with a strong postseason showing at the back of Rob Thomson’s bullpen.

• Daniel Hudson (38)

Hudson returned from successive knee injuries in 2022-23 to post a strong season out of the Dodger bullpen. The veteran tossed 63 innings with an even 3.00 earned run average. He struck out nearly a quarter of opponents against a solid 7.5% walk rate. Hudson’s average fastball velocity returned to its typical 95-96 MPH and he induced swinging strikes at a huge 14.7% clip. His age probably limits him to one year, but Hudson should handily beat this season’s $2MM base salary.

• Tommy Kahnle (34)

The Yankees’ affinity for ground-ball relievers led them back to Kahnle. He has turned in consecutive sub-3.00 ERA showings over the course of his two-year free agent deal. Kahnle had an excellent 2.11 mark across 42 2/3 frames this season. He induced grounders at a huge 58.6% clip while striking out nearly 26% of opponents behind a stellar 16.4% swinging strike rate. Kahnle’s command can be a bit wobbly, but few pitchers match his combination of swing-and-miss and grounders. He’s adept at avoiding hard contact and neutralizes left-handed hitters with the changeup that he throws almost three quarters of the time. Even at 34, he should be in line for another multi-year deal.

• Andrew Kittredge (35)

The Cardinals took a flier on Kittredge, who had missed most of 2022-23 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. They were rewarded with 70 2/3 innings of 2.80 ERA ball in mostly high-leverage spots. Kittredge leans primarily on a slider that gets a ton of chases outside the strike zone. His 23.3% strikeout rate and 7% walk percentage are solid, while he has gotten swinging strikes at a strong 13.7% clip. Kittredge had a 1.88 ERA in 71 2/3 innings with the Rays in his previous healthy season. He has a multi-year track record of excellent results in pressure situations.

• Chris Martin (39)

Martin has indicated that 2025 will be his final season. He’ll look for a one-year deal, presumably on a team with playoff aspirations. Martin should have no trouble finding a high-leverage role on a contender. He had an excellent two-year run with the Red Sox, turning in a 2.16 ERA across 95 2/3 innings. This season’s 3.45 mark wasn’t as dominant as Martin’s 1.05 ERA from 2023, but he fanned 27.8% of batters faced while limiting his walks to a microscopic 1.7% clip. Martin may have the best command of any reliever in the game. He hasn’t allowed an ERA above 4.00 in six seasons.

• David Robertson (40)

Robertson had another impressive season, this time at the back of the Texas bullpen. The extremely durable veteran fired 72 innings with an even 3.00 ERA. He struck out more than a third of his opponents while getting ground-balls at a solid 48.8% rate. Robertson has topped 60 innings in each of the past three seasons and hasn’t allowed an ERA higher than 3.03 in any of them. He hasn’t lost any zip on the cutter that serves as his primary pitch. Robertson is probably limited to one year because of his age, but he should command a strong salary and step right back into the late innings with a contender. Robertson will decline his end of a $7MM mutual option in favor of a $1.5MM buyout.

• Blake Treinen (37)

Treinen lost almost all of 2022-23 battling shoulder injuries that eventually required surgery. The Dodgers brought him back on a $1MM option and have been rewarded with 46 2/3 frames of 1.96 ERA ball. Treinen suffered a bruised lung on a hit-by-pitch in Spring Training and had a brief IL stay in August because of hip inflammation. He hasn’t had any arm issues and has had no trouble stepping back into important innings. Treinen punched out more than 30% of opponents against a 6% walk rate. While he didn’t get nearly as many grounders as he did during his best seasons with the A’s, the strikeout/walk profile was excellent. Before the shoulder surgery, Treinen’s sinker sat around 97 MPH. It was down to the 94-95 range this season. That’s a bit of a concern at his age, but the dominant results ensure he’ll land a sizable raise relative to this year’s rebound salary.

Possible Closers

• Carlos Estévez (32)

When Estévez first hit the market two seasons ago, he was a hard-throwing upside play who hadn’t put things together in Colorado. That has been one of the Angels’ better free agent moves in recent years. Estévez immediately stepped in as the Halos’ closer and turned in a 3.36 ERA with 51 saves over a season and a half. Los Angeles flipped him to the Phillies for a pair of highly-regarded pitching prospects at the deadline. Estévez has saved another six games with Philadelphia, turning in a 2.57 ERA across 21 frames. His cumulative 23.6% strikeout percentage and 12.5% swinging strike rate are more solid than elite. Yet he’s showing the best command of his career (5.7% walk rate) while averaging nearly 97 MPH on his heater. He’s 26-31 in save chances. Estévez should get another multi-year deal and has a shot at breaking $30MM if he lands three years.

• Clay Holmes (32)

Holmes entered the season with the highest earning power in the relief class. That’s probably no longer the case. Holmes’ aggregate rate stats — a 3.14 ERA with a solid 25.1% strikeout rate and a massive 65% grounder percentage — don’t point to this being a bad year. Holmes blew 13 of 43 save opportunities, though, five more than any other pitcher. He had a 3.75 ERA in the second half after carrying a 2.77 mark into the All-Star Break. The Yankees have bumped him from the closing role going into the playoffs. Holmes still has a case for three years, but he hits the market with more red flags than the ERA and elite ground-ball rate would suggest.

• Kenley Jansen (37)

Jansen is going to look for a closing opportunity to add to his career tally of 447 saves. He needs 32 more to pass Lee Smith for third on the all-time leaderboard. Pitching two more seasons would give him a chance to get to 500. There’ll be teams willing to give him that opportunity. Jansen turned in a 3.29 ERA while locking down 27 of 31 attempts with the Red Sox this season. He finished his Boston tenure with a 3.44 mark in 99 1/3 innings over two seasons. While Jansen isn’t the utterly dominant force he was with the Dodgers, he’s still a good closer.

• Craig Kimbrel (37)

Kimbrel is just behind Jansen on the career saves leaderboard. Whether he’ll get another ninth inning chance is in more doubt. The Orioles released the nine-time All-Star last month. Kimbrel had started the season reasonably well and carried a 2.80 ERA with 23 saves into the All-Star Break. The second half was an absolute disaster. He allowed 22 runs (20 earned) with 15 walks and 20 strikeouts over his final 17 innings. Kimbrel certainly won’t approach last year’s $13MM free agent guarantee. He’ll probably get a big league contract but might need to pitch his way back into the ninth inning.

• Paul Sewald (35)

Sewald’s season wasn’t as poor as Kimbrel’s, but he also lost his hold on the ninth inning. Sewald had only allowed one earned run through the first two months, but a disastrous July (12 runs in 10 innings) pushed him out of the closer’s role in Arizona. While his performance rebounded somewhat down the stretch, he finished the season on the injured list with neck discomfort. Sewald ended with a 4.31 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. He struck out 26.1% of opponents — down six points relative to 2023 — against a 6.1% walk rate. This was his toughest year since his 2021 resurgence with the Mariners.

• Kirby Yates (38)

The Rangers brought in Yates on a $4.5MM free agent deal last winter. It was one of the best bargain pickups of the offseason. Yates turned in a season similar to his dominant 2019 campaign when he was a member of the Padres. He worked to a 1.17 ERA while punching out almost 36% of opposing hitters. Yates took the closing job in Arlington and locked down 33 of 34 opportunities. Yates doesn’t have pristine control, but he misses bats in bunches and rarely gives up damaging contact. He has certainly earned himself a nice boost on this year’s earnings and has a chance at a two-year deal even at 38.

Middle Relief

• Shawn Armstrong (34)

Armstrong split his season between the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs. He had a poor ERA with Tampa Bay but more appealing strikeout and walk numbers that could land him a big league deal. He finished the year with a 4.86 ERA and a 22.4% strikeout rate over 66 2/3 innings.

• Scott Barlow (32)

A one-time closer in Kansas City, Barlow has moved into the middle innings with the Padres and Guardians over the past season and a half. Cleveland released him last month after he pitched to a 4.25 ERA in 55 innings. Barlow still fanned more than 28% of opponents, though his strikeout rate and velocity trended down as the season progressed.

• Jacob Barnes (35)

A journeyman middle reliever, Barnes posted a 4.36 ERA over 66 innings for the Nationals this year. He struck out just under 20% of opponents.

• Buck Farmer (34)

Farmer had a nice season with the Reds, his third year in Cincinnati. He tossed 71 innings with a 3.04 earned run average and nearly average strikeout (23.4%) and walk (9.7%) rates.

• Luis García (38)

García is a hard-throwing sinkerballer. This year’s 50.3% ground-ball rate is below his typical level. García carried a 3.71 ERA in 43 2/3 innings with the Angels through the deadline. A trade to the Red Sox flopped, as he was tagged for 15 runs over 15 1/3 innings in a Boston uniform.

• Yimi García (34)

García was missing a ton of bats for the Blue Jays early in the season. He looked on his way to at least a strong two-year deal at the time. Elbow injuries unfortunately soured his season, as he barely pitched from the middle of June onward. García only made 10 appearances for the Mariners, who acquired him in a deadline deal. His season ended in September when recurring elbow soreness shut him down.

• Kendall Graveman (34)

Graveman missed the entire season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. He posted a 3.12 ERA in 66 1/3 innings between the White Sox and Astros in 2023.

• Joe Kelly (37)

Kelly battled injuries and struggled to a 4.78 ERA over 32 innings this year. He still pushes close to triple digits with his fastball but had a relatively pedestrian 24.5% strikeout rate this season. Kelly had fanned more than 30% of opponents in each of the previous two seasons.

• José Leclerc (31)

A closer early in his career with the Rangers, Leclerc has landed as a volatile middle reliever in recent years. He misses a ton of bats (30.9% strikeout rate, 14.1% swinging strike percentage) while struggling to throw strikes consistently. Leclerc made 64 appearances with a 4.32 earned run average this year.

• Jonathan Loáisiga (30)

Loáisiga gets a ton of ground-balls when he’s at his best. Durability has been an issue, though. He only made three appearances before undergoing season-ending UCL surgery in April.

• Jorge López (32)

López pitched well for the Cubs down the stretch after his controversial exit from the Mets. He finished the year with a 2.89 ERA over 53 combined innings. López had roughly league average strikeout and walk rates while getting ground-balls at a strong 51% clip.

• Keynan Middleton (31)

Middleton lost the entire season — and potentially his St. Louis tenure — to flexor tendon surgery. In 2023, he struck out more than 30% of opponents with a 3.38 ERA in 50 2/3 innings.

• Shelby Miller (34)

The Tigers released Miller last week. He had pitched to a 4.53 ERA over 55 2/3 innings. Miller threw a lot of strikes but had a pedestrian 21.8% strikeout percentage.

• Héctor Neris (36)

Neris walked a tightrope with his command throughout his time with the Cubs. Chicago released him late in the summer before he would vest a $9MM player option for next season. Neris returned to his old stomping grounds in Houston, where he dialed in his command but struggled with home runs in a small sample. He wrapped the season with 59 1/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball with a strikeout rate just below 25% and a 10.8% walk percentage.

• Adam Ottavino (39)

Ottavino continues plugging away as he nears his 40th birthday. He struck out 28.6% of opponents with a 4.34 ERA over 56 innings this year. It’s a slight step back from his 2023 production but Ottavino still misses a lot of bats and shouldn’t have an issue finding another big league deal.

• Lucas Sims (31)

Sims had a 3.57 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate across 35 1/3 innings for the Reds going into the trade deadline. As was the case with García, his production tanked after being moved to the Red Sox. Sims allowed 10 runs with more walks than strikeouts across 14 innings for the Sox.

• Drew Smith (31)

Smith has been a solid middle innings arm for the Mets over his career. He had a 3.06 ERA in 19 appearances early this year before suffering an elbow injury that required a UCL reconstruction.

• Ryne Stanek (33)

Stanek sits in the upper 90s and misses a lot of bats. His command comes and goes and he has allowed more than four earned runs per nine in consecutive seasons. Stanek pitched to a 4.88 ERA through 55 1/3 frames between the Mariners and Mets this season.

• Hunter Strickland (36)

Strickland inked a minor league deal with the Angels and cracked the MLB roster in early April. He was a quietly valuable bullpen piece for Ron Washington, working 73 1/3 innings of 3.31 ERA ball in his first major league action in two years. Strickland’s 19.4% strikeout rate is going to limit interest, but he has a shot at a big league deal this time.

Swing Options

• Chase Anderson (37)

Anderson has been a starter for most of his career. He worked almost entirely in relief this year between the Red Sox and Rangers. Anderson pitched to a 5.40 ERA with a 16.5% strikeout rate through 58 1/3 frames as a mop-up option. He’ll be limited to minor league deals.

• Jakob Junis (32)

Signed by the Brewers to a $7MM deal as a starter, Junis suffered an early-season shoulder injury and pitched mostly in relief upon returning. He split his time between Milwaukee and the Reds, as Cincinnati added him in the Frankie Montas deal. Junis turned in a 2.69 ERA across 67 innings covering 24 appearances. He demonstrated excellent control but didn’t maintain the strikeout stuff he’d shown over his breakout 2023 season in San Francisco. Junis will collect a $3MM buyout on an $8MM mutual option — he’s likely to decline his end of the deal — and could get interest in starting and relief roles this winter.

• Joe Ross (32)

Ross made it back to the majors after Tommy John surgery robbed him of the 2022-23 seasons. He missed a couple months with a back injury but had decent results for the Brewers when healthy. He turned in a 3.77 ERA with slightly below-average strikeout and walk marks across 74 innings.

• Michael Soroka (27)

Soroka was bombed over nine starts to begin the season. The White Sox moved him to the bullpen in the middle of May. He was quietly dominant after being kicked into relief, where he struck out 39% of batters faced with a 2.75 ERA over 36 innings. Soroka walked an alarming 13% of opponents out of the ’pen, so it wasn’t without some concern, but he could’ve been a key deadline target for teams looking to add swing-and-miss to the late innings. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder strain around the All-Star Break and didn’t return until the final week of the season. Soroka is just 27, so perhaps there are teams that believe they can recapture some of the upside that made him an All-Star starting pitcher before his Achilles injuries with the Braves. The whiffs will surely have a lot of clubs intrigued if he’s willing to sign as a pure reliever.

• Ross Stripling (35)

Stripling struggled for the second straight year. He lost his spot in the A’s rotation midway through the season. Stripling finished the year with an ERA slightly north of 6.00 through 85 1/3 innings. He’s likely looking at minor league offers.

• Spencer Turnbull (33)

A starter for most of his career, Turnbull was pushed to the bullpen early in the year with the Phillies. He’d outperformed Taijuan Walker and looked poised to seize the fifth starter job before suffering a lat strain that ended his regular season in late June. He was excellent before the injury, working to a 2.65 ERA while striking out 26% of opponents through 54 1/3 innings. He could make it back for Philadelphia’s playoff push.

• José Ureña (33)

Ureña pitched well enough to hold a roster spot with the Rangers all year. The former Marlin put up a 3.80 ERA in 109 innings spanning 33 appearances. His strikeout and walk numbers aren’t good, but he kept the ball on the ground half the time an opponent made contact. Ureña could get a low-base MLB deal.

Depth Types

• Daniel Bard (40)
• Matt Barnes (34)
• Phil Bickford (29)
• John Brebbia (35)
• Nick Burdi (32)
• Miguel Castro (30)
• Jesse Chavez (41)
• Adam Cimber (34)
• José Cisnero (36)
• John Curtiss (32)
• Chris Devenski (34)
• Carl Edwards Jr. (33)
• Dylan Floro (34)
• Giovanny Gallegos (33)
• Adrian Houser (32)
• Jay Jackson (37)
• Brad Keller (29)
• Casey Kelly (35)
• Matt Koch (34)
• Chad Kuhl (32)
• Dominic Leone (34)
• Scott McGough (35)
• Erasmo Ramírez (35)
• Yohan Ramírez (30)
• Gerardo Reyes (32)
• Trevor Richards (32)
• Ryder Ryan (30)
• Bryan Shaw (37)
• Burch Smith (35)
• Josh Staumont (31)
• Touki Toussaint (29)
• Jordan Weems (32)
• Mitch White (30)

Club Options

• Seranthony Domínguez (30)

The O’s hold an $8MM option on Domínguez that comes with a $500K buyout. It’s a $7.5MM call that feels it could go either way. Domínguez didn’t have a great overall regular season, allowing a 4.45 ERA through 58 2/3 frames. He had a sub-4.00 mark after the Orioles acquired him from Philadelphia at the deadline. Domínguez picked up 10 saves while fanning nearly 29% of batters faced for the O’s. He has high-leverage stuff with inconsistent results over the past two seasons.

• Luke Jackson (31)

The Braves reacquired Jackson from the Giants at the deadline. He carried a 5.40 ERA over 35 frames at the time. Atlanta was hoping for a rebound, and while that happened to some extent, it probably wasn’t what they had in mind. Jackson posted a 4.50 ERA over 18 innings in his return. He finished the regular season with a 5.09 mark through 53 frames. Jackson misses enough bats that he could command a big league deal, but the $5MM difference between his $7MM salary and the $2MM buyout is probably too hefty for the team’s liking.

• Phil Maton (32)

Maton scuffled early in the year after signing a late free agent deal with the Rays. The Mets landed him in early July. He has turned things around in Queens, working to a 2.51 ERA with a near-27% strikeout rate in 28 2/3 innings down the stretch. The Mets can keep Maton for $7.75MM or buy him out for $250K. Considering how well he pitched down the stretch, they’ll likely bring him back.

• Lou Trivino (33)

The Yankees hold a $5MM option on Trivino. They’ll decline it. Trivino was rehabbing 2023 Tommy John surgery and battled elbow and shoulder issues this year. It was a lost season that could lead him to take a minor league contract this time around.

• Luke Weaver (31)

Weaver struggled between 2020-23, yet the Yankees signed him to a big league deal in January. The move was met with plenty of skepticism but has worked out brilliantly. Weaver has provided the Yanks 84 innings of 2.89 ERA ball while fanning more than 31% of batters faced. He goes into October having taken the closer role from Holmes. A $2.5MM club option for next season only sweetens the deal. This is easily getting picked up.

Player Options

• Nick Martinez (34)

Martinez has a $12MM option for next season. He has indicated he’s uncertain on his opt-out decision, but it’d be very surprising if he didn’t retest the market. He continued to thrive in a swing role for the Reds, working to a 3.10 ERA over 142 1/3 innings. Martinez started 16 of 42 outings. He should land another multi-year deal with a realistic shot at three years and more than $30MM. Neither the Padres nor the Reds gave Martinez an Opening Day rotation spot, but he could find that opportunity somewhere this offseason.

• Emilio Pagán (34)

Pagán has a similarly easy call as his Cincinnati teammate, albeit in the opposite direction. He’ll almost certainly exercise his $8MM option to stay with the Reds. Pagán posted a 4.50 ERA over 38 innings around a midseason lat injury. He had strong strikeout and walk numbers but issued a few too many home runs (1.42 HR/9) — essentially the story of his entire career.

• Chris Stratton (34)

Stratton has a $4.5MM player option on the second season of his two-year deal with Kansas City. He’ll be taking it after struggling to a 5.55 ERA with a 17.1% strikeout percentage during his first season.

MLBTR’s positional preview of the upcoming free agent class continues with a look at the starting pitching market. It’s a deep group headlined by multiple former Cy Young winners and a “second tier” of front-of-the-rotation arms who are likely to command nine-figure deals.

Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2025 season. Stats are through play on September 25. Only players who have appeared in the majors this year are included.

Other Entries: Catcher | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Base | Center Field | Corner Outfield | Designated Hitter

Former Cy Young Winners in Their Prime

Corbin Burnes (30)

Burnes will likely command the largest contract of any pitcher in the class. He’s two years younger than Blake Snell, healthier than Max Fried and has the best recent track record of any pitcher on this year’s market. Dating back to 2020, Burnes touts a 2.88 ERA in 811 2/3 innings. He’s currently working on his fourth sub-3.00 ERA during that five-year span and his third straight season of 32 or more starts (four straight years with 28+ starts).

Burnes isn’t without his red flags. He’s nowhere near the strikeout machine he was earlier in his career. This year’s 22.4% strikeout rate is only narrowly north of the 22% league average for starting pitchers. He’s not homer-prone, averaging exactly one big fly per nine innings pitched, but that’s still a marked increase over the 0.36 HR/9 he averaged in 2020-21 — when he was still punching out 36% of his opponents.

That said, Burnes is throwing harder than ever, sporting career-high average velocities on both his cutter (95.3 mph) and sinker (97 mph), per Statcast. He’s avoiding hard contact and free passes alike, sitting on a 6.1% walk rate that would give him a better-than-average rate in three of the past four seasons. Burnes doesn’t look as overpowering as he did in his Cy Young season, but he’s still a durable workhorse and one of the ten or so best pitchers in the sport. In the past decade, there have only been nine free-agent deals of six years or more for a pitcher beginning in his age-30 season or later. Burnes will very likely become the tenth as he and agent Scott Boras aim for a $200MM+ deal. He’ll receive and reject a qualifying offer from the Orioles.

Blake Snell (32)

Snell didn’t land the $200MM+ he was seeking last year, with skeptics surely wary of his sky-high walk rate and his relatively up-and-down history. His two-year, $62MM deal with the Giants contains an opt out that’ll let him reenter the market, however. Early this season, that clause looked like a non-factor. Snell missed most of spring training while his free agency lingered, was rocked for 15 runs in 11 2/3 innings through his first three starts, and went on the injured list with an adductor strain. He returned in late May, served up another 10 runs in 12 innings, and went back on the 15-day IL.

A bit more than a month later, Snell not only returned from the injured list — he returned to form. And then some. With the adductor injury behind him and the rust of a missed spring training shaken off, Snell looks better than ever. He no-hit the Reds in Cincinnati on Aug. 2 and has recorded double-digit strikeouts five times, including a career-high 15 punches against the Rockies on July 27. Snell has rattled off 80 1/3 innings of 1.23 ERA ball and worked six-plus innings in 10 of 14 starts since returning. He’s whiffed 38.1% of his opponents in that time against a 10% walk rate that’s still higher than average but worlds better than the 13.4% mark he posted in 2023.

Snell is arguably the best pitcher in baseball at the moment. The early struggles now look like anomaly. Snell has a 2.82 ERA over the past three seasons now (2.57 since Opening Day 2023), and he’s whiffed 32.4% of his opponents in that time. He’s been too dominant to be limited to a short-term deal this time around, unless he simply prefers the high-AAV, opt-out gambit. He should get the big contract that eluded him last winter. He’s unlikely to command $200MM, but a five- or six-year deal with a premium AAV should be on the table, especially since he cannot be issued a second qualifying offer after receiving one last winter.

Other Potential No. 1 Starters

Jack Flaherty (29)

After several seasons marred by injuries, Flaherty enjoyed a mostly healthy season in 2023 — just in time for free agency. His 4.99 ERA between the Cardinals and Orioles was hardly appealing, but he hit the market as a 28-year-old former top prospect who, earlier in his career, looked to be emerging as one of the NL’s better young arms. Flaherty bet on himself with a one-year deal in Detroit, and he now looks very much like that budding ace we saw back in 2019 and in the healthy portion of his 2021 season. In 162 innings, Flaherty has turned in a 3.17 ERA with a terrific 29.9% strikeout rate and very strong 5.9% walk rate. He’s hit a bit of a rough patch with a 6.43 ERA over his past three starts, but that’s only 14 innings.

The Tigers traded Flaherty to the Dodgers prior to the deadline, thus rendering him ineligible for a qualifying offer. There was some concern about the health of his back, but he’s made every start since that swap and carries a sharp 3.58 ERA with Los Angeles. If his struggles continue into the postseason and/or he misses a start due to back discomfort, his health could become a larger issue in free agency. As it stands though, he’s heading back to the open market ahead of his age-29 season and coming off a terrific all-around season. His age will give him a chance at landing a six-year deal, and even on five years he’s pitched well enough for an AAV that’d push him north of $100MM.

Max Fried (31)

Fried — Flaherty’s high school teammate — hasn’t had his best season, but he’s picked up the pace at the right time, rattling off seven starts and 44 innings of 2.86 ERA ball dating back to late August. That’s dropped his season-long ERA to a quality 3.42 mark. It’s not quite the same standard we’ve come to expect from Fried, who posted a combined 2.66 earned run average from 2020-23, but when your “down” season is a 3.42 in 165 2/3 innings, you’re in strong position for free agency.

Fried hasn’t been ultra-durable, never topping 30 starts or reaching 190 innings in a season, but he’s been consistently excellent since establishing himself in Atlanta’s rotation back in 2019. He’s given the Braves 816 frames of 3.09 ERA ball in that time, with his only real long-term injury coming last season, when he missed nearly three months with a left forearm strain. That same forearm sent him back to the shelf for two weeks in 2024, this time for neuritis (inflammation of a nerve). There could be some trepidation regarding that forearm in free agency, but Fried is a borderline ace with a pair of All-Star nods, two top-five Cy Young finishes and even three Gold Gloves. Only five pitchers in the past decade have scored a six-year deal in free agency as they head into their age-31 season, but Fried has a good chance to add to the list. He’ll receive and reject a qualifying offer.

Mid-Rotation Arms

Matthew Boyd (34)

Boyd has come roaring back from 2023 Tommy John surgery, stepping up in a big way for the AL Central-champion Guardians. He’s made eight starts since coming off the injured list and snapped off a 2.72 ERA with a big 27.7% strikeout rate and strong 7.8% walk rate. The injury bug has been a constant thorn in Boyd’s side, as he hasn’t made a full season of starts since taking the mound 12 times in the truncated 2020 season. The last time Boyd pitched more than 15 games in a season was back in 2019. Boyd has long shown the ability to miss bats and limit his walks. He has, at times, appeared on the cusp of breaking out as a big-name pitcher. He’s back at that precipice again, and while his age and injury history are going to limit the length of his contract, he could still secure a two- or three-year pact on the back of his outstanding rebound.

Andrew Heaney (34)

Like Boyd, Heaney at multiple points early in his career appeared primed for a breakout. It never happened with the Angels, as he was oft-injured and inconsistent when healthy. Heaney landed with the Dodgers on a one-year deal in his first foray into free agency and parlayed a big showing in another injury-shortened campaign into two years with the Rangers. He’ll return to the market as a more solidified starter, having tossed 303 1/3 innings of 4.06 ERA ball over the past two seasons (including a 3.98 mark this year). Add in his brilliant half season in L.A., and Heaney can sell teams on 376 innings of 3.88 ERA ball with strong strikeout and walk rates (25.7% and 7.4%, respectively). Another multi-year deal should be there.

Yusei Kikuchi (34)

Clearly talented but lacking consistency, Kikuchi may have finally found a recipe for success after being traded to Houston. The Astros have more than doubled his slider usage and reduced his curveball to a seldom-used change-of-pace offering. He’s annihilated opponents since the trade, spouting off 60 innings with a 2.70 ERA, 31.8% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. Kikuchi is still sporting a heater that averages better than 95 mph, and he’s now missing bats and eschewing walks at career-best rates. His age won’t help his case in free agency, but the trade ensures that he can’t be hit with a qualifying offer. He’s wrapping up a three-year, $36MM deal right now that was signed largely based on potential and upside. He could find a larger three-year deal this time around now that he’s manifested that upside into high-end results.

Nick Pivetta (32)

Pivetta misses bats at plus rates and has improved his command considerably in recent seasons, placing him among the league leaders in K-BB% since 2023. Excellent as his rate stats are, however, they’re frequently undercut by his penchant for serving up home runs. Pivetta is among the most homer-prone starters in the sport, with a career 1.54 HR/9 mark and a whopping 1.81 homers per nine frames this season. Metrics like SIERA and xFIP, which normalize homer-to-flyball rate, frequently peg Pivetta in the mid-3.00s despite his earned run average regularly clocking into the mid-4.00s. It’s still likely that teams will be tantalized by his K-BB profile, however, and also by his durability. Pivetta missed a month earlier this season with a minor flexor strain, but that’s the only time he’s been on the big league injured list (outside a pair of stints on the Covid-related injured list a few years back). He’s a candidate for a two- or three-year deal, especially for clubs that play in pitcher-friendly parks.

Luis Severino (31)

Injuries ruined Severino’s final few years in the Bronx — but not in New York. He signed a one-year pact with the Mets last offseason as has proven to be one of the best short-term pickups for any club. Severino’s average fastball is down from its 97.7 mph peak but still sitting at a healthy 96.3 mph. He’s chewed up 182 innings over 31 starts for the Amazins and turned in a sharp 3.91 ERA along the way. His formerly plus strikeout rate is now a bit below average, at 21.2%, but his 7.9% walk rate and 46% grounder rates are plenty good. He’s also inducing infield flies at the best rate of his career, and his career-high 23 pop-ups generated this year are just as good as strikeouts. Severino has a big pedigree but hasn’t seen his results return to the ace-level form he displayed in 2017-18. He’s a qualifying offer candidate and could potentially even accept, but we’ve seen less-successful pitchers command strong four-year deals in recent years (e.g. Taijuan Walker, Jameson Taillon).

Spencer Turnbull (32)

A lat strain derailed what was shaping up as an excellent rebound campaign for Turnbull. The longtime Tigers hurler has been sidelined for two months with that injury and only pitched 31 innings from 2022-23 due to Tommy John surgery. He inked a $2MM deal with the Phils last winter and has given them 54 1/3 frames between the rotation and bullpen, notching a tidy 2.65 earned run average with a big 26.1% strikeout rate. His 9% walk rate is a bit higher than average but only by a percentage point. His velocity is down nearly two miles per hour from peak levels, but Turnbull looked impressive when healthy and could find the first multi-year deal of his career if he finishes on a healthy note. He’s on a rehab assignment right now and could factor into the postseason pitching plans.

Fourth/Fifth Starters

Chris Flexen (30)

Flexen has been on a good run since late August, logging a sub-4.00 ERA in his past eight trips to the bump. That’s still only dropped him to a 4.95 mark on the season overall. He’s cleared 160 innings with below-average strikeout and grounder rates while yielding too many homers. It’s not a great profile, but he’s having a much better season than he did in 2023, when he landed a $1.75MM guarantee from the White Sox in free agency. Perhaps they’ll give him a raise and keep him for a similar role in 2025. If not, Flexen could slot into the back of a rebuilding club’s rotation on a cheap one-year pact.

Michael Lorenzen (33)

Lorenzen is in his third year as a starter and has signed three one-year deals in his previous trips through free agency. This year’s 3.37 ERA is his best out of a rotation, but his middling strikeout and walk rates (17.8% and 11.4%), coupled with his age, are going to limit interest to an extent. He could still land a two-year deal, and even if he takes another one-year pact, he should still get a raise on this year’s $4MM guarantee.

Frankie Montas (32)

Montas was dominant for the 2021 A’s and has been mediocre since, due in no small part to shoulder surgery that wiped out nearly all of his 2023 season. His one-year deal with the Reds (who eventually traded him to the Brewers) has produced lackluster results. Montas’ 4.85 ERA isn’t much to look at, but he’s at least proven to be healthy (29 starts, 146 2/3 innings). He’s also seen a velocity spike and uptick in swinging strikes since being traded to Milwaukee, but it still feels like he’s probably looking at another one-year deal.

Martin Perez (34)

Perez is eating innings one five-inning start at a time. He posted bleak numbers with the Pirates but has flourished since a trade to the Padres, for whom he’s made nine starts and notched a 2.61 ERA. Perez’s strikeout and walk rates have improved as San Diego more than doubled his curveball usage, but he still misses fewer bats than average. He’s a durable fifth starter who’ll likely land another one-year pact in free agency.

Joe Ross (32)

Ross missed the 2022-23 seasons due to injury but returned to the majors with Milwaukee this season and has turned in a 3.93 ERA in 71 frames. He’s split his time between the rotation and bullpen, but he showed well as a starter early in the season. He’s throwing harder than ever and still just 31 years old. His injury history probably limits him to one-year offers, but he’s a sneaky candidate to plug into a rotation on an incentive-laden deal.

Jose Urena (33)

Urena rode a minor league deal to a season-long spot on the Rangers’ staff. He’s pitched in 33 games, nine of them starts, and logged a 3.80 ERA despite a bottom-of-the-barrel 15.1% strikeout rate. He doesn’t have great command, but Urena throws hard and racks up grounders. This is his first season with an ERA under 5.00 since 2018. He could land a small one-year deal as a fifth starter or swingman.

Trevor Williams (33)

Williams was brilliant in 11 starts before a forearm strain cost him more than three months. He returned last week with five one-run innings against the Cubs. Williams has a 2.19 ERA on the year, but teams will take that with a grain of salt, given that it’s accompanied by an average strikeout rate (22.3%) and a heater that sits at 89 mph. He posted a 4.54 ERA overall in his two seasons as a National. This year’s showing might get him another two-year deal, but a soft-tossing 33-year-old coming off an injury-shortened season feels likelier to command a one-year deal.

Older Veterans

Alex Cobb (37)

Cobb’s return from hip surgery was slowed by a shoulder issue and blister troubles during his rehab process. He was traded from San Francisco to Cleveland before making his 2024 debut. The Guardians have gotten just three starts out of him due to blisters and a cracked fingernail on his pitching hand. Cobb was quite good from 2021-23. He should be able to land an incentive-laden one-year contract.

Patrick Corbin (35)

Corbin was an indispensable piece of the Nationals’ 2019 World Series run, but the final five seasons of his six-year deal have been a disaster. To his credit, he’s been durable and continued to eat up innings, even as his results have withered, which has at least helped spare the bullpen and avoid relying too heavily on untested young arms. Corbin has a 5.62 ERA this year — his fourth straight season over 5.00. He’s actually had more competitive starts than one might think, as his ERA is skewed by a handful of meltdowns (10 earned runs, eight earned runs, and a pair of seven earned run outings). He’s still looking at a one-year, innings-eater deal at best.

Charlie Morton (41)

Morton hasn’t yet indicated whether he’ll pitch again in his age-41 season. He hasn’t had his best showing in ’24, but 161 innings with a 4.08 ERA and a 24% strikeout rate that’s still better than average suggest he could have something left in the tank. He’s been back with the Braves for four years now, and if he wants to continue, another year at Truist Park makes the most sense.

Jose Quintana (36)

Quintana looked like he was running out of gas in mid-August. He’s since tossed at least six shutout frames in four of his past five outings. He’s allowed just one earned run in his past 32 frames and is now sporting a sharp 3.74 ERA on the season. His two-year deal with the Mets has been a success. He’ll hit the market in search of a similar pact but might have to settle for one year based on his age.

Max Scherzer (40)

Scherzer only made it into nine games this year after undergoing offseason back surgery. He never looked fully healthy, sitting on a career-low 92.6 mph average fastball and averaging fewer than five innings per start. The future Hall of Famer still kept his ERA just under 4.00 with solid strikeout and walk rates. If he wants to pitch in his age-40 season, he’ll surely find a one-year deal — likely with a decent base salary and plenty of incentives.

Drew Smyly (36)

Smyly has notched a 3.88 ERA in 58 innings working exclusively as a reliever this season. He’s primarily been a starter in recent years, however. The lefty’s ability to miss bats and pitch in a variety of roles should lead to a one-year deal. He’ll likely get interest both as a starter and reliever this offseason.

Ross Stripling (35)

Stripling started the season with seven good starts before being shelled for 24 runs (17 earned) in his next four starts and landing on the injured list for two months due to an elbow strain. He returned with a pair of decent starts in July, and was rolling after moving to the bullpen (one run in his first 8 1/3 relief innings). He’s since been obliterated for 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings across two relief outings. Injuries, a poor finish and an ERA north of 6.00 are going to limit the veteran swingman to a small one-year deal or even a minor league pact this winter.

Justin Verlander (42)

Shoulder and neck injuries limited Verlander to 16 starts this season, and his struggles since returning from the IL have been so pronounced — 27 runs in 27 1/3 innings — that his spot on Houston’s playoff roster is in jeopardy. Verlander has said he wants to continue pitching, and his track record will earn him another shot … just not at anywhere close to his current $43.333MM AAV.

Rebound Hopefuls

Shane Bieber (30)

Everyone knows how good the former AL Cy Young winner can be at his best. He hasn’t been there for some time. After an injury-shortened 2023 season that featured a prominent velocity dip, Bieber looked great in two starts (12 shutout innings) before requiring Tommy John surgery. He’ll be sidelined into May or June of the upcoming season in all likelihood.

Walker Buehler (30)

In his first season back from the second Tommy John procedure of his career, Buehler has delivered career-worst marks in strikeout rate (18.6%), walk rate (8.1%), average fastball velocity (95 mph), swinging-strike rate (8.2%) and HR/9 (1.91). He pitched at an ace level from 2018-21, but this version of Buehler bears little resemblance to that budding young star. He’ll likely look to follow Jack Flaherty’s lead and max out on a one-year deal in hopes of rebuilding his stock.

Anthony DeSclafani (35)

DeSclafani underwent season-ending flexor surgery before the season started. He posted a 5.16 ERA in 118 2/3 innings for the Giants in 2022-23. The 167 frames of 3.17 ERA ball with the ’21 Giants that prompted them to re-sign him for three years and $36MM feels like a distant memory. He’ll likely sign a minor league deal.

Marco Gonzales (33)

Gonzales underwent flexor surgery earlier this month — an operation that’ll sideline him for nine to twelve months. It’s not clear if he’ll pitch next season at all, but he was solid in his first five starts with the Pirates this year before getting shelled in his final two appearances and heading to the injured list.

Kyle Hendricks (35)

A mainstay with the Cubs, Hendricks has been a Cy Young finalist at his best but has labored to an ERA north of 6.00 in 2024. He’s been a bit better since June, with a 4.66 ERA in 87 innings, but the 35-year-old’s strikeout rate is at a career-low 15.7%. His walk rate, while still better than average at 7.6%, is the highest of his career. Hendricks plans to pitch next year even if the Cubs don’t re-sign him. A one-year deal or minor league pact is in his future.

Adrian Houser (32)

A quietly solid member of Milwaukee’s rotation from 2019-23, Houser was one of former Brewers president/current Mets president David Stearns’ first acquisitions with his new club. Things didn’t pan out. Houser was torched for a disastrous 8.55 ERA as a starter. He initially performed better upon a move to the ’pen but was cut loose after surrendering nine runs on five homers in a span of nine relief innings. He’s with the Orioles on a minor league deal now but didn’t pitch well in three Triple-A starts. He’ll be a minor league free agent at season’s end and look for a minor league deal this winter.

Wade Miley (38)

Miley underwent Tommy John surgery early in the season. He said at the time he was leaning toward a comeback effort once he wrapped up a yearlong rehab but would make a final determination based on how the rehab process goes and how his body feels. Miley was excellent in Milwaukee last year (3.14 ERA in 120 innings) and clearly likes it there. A reunion on a minor league deal or incentive-laden one-year pact would make some sense.

John Means (32)

Talented but snakebit, Means underwent his second UCL operation in three years back in June. He pitched just eight innings in 2022, made it back for 23 relief frames late in 2023, and pitched in only four games in 2024 before requiring that elbow surgery. When healthy, Means is a quality mid-rotation lefty, but he’s a wild card coming off such significant arm troubles and pitching only 52 1/3 innings over the past three seasons.

Michael Soroka (27)

The White Sox bought low on the once electric Soroka in hopes that he could rebound after enduring a pair of Achilles tears in addition to shoulder and elbow troubles. He was rocked for a 6.39 ERA in nine starts that saw him walk as many batters as he struck out (24 in 43 2/3 innings). Soroka has been much better in relief, with a 3.00 ERA and mammoth 37.9% strikeout rate. That might lead to interest as a reliever this offseason, but some clubs might still view him as a viable starter.

Alex Wood (34)

Wood’s one-year, $8.5MM deal with the A’s resulted in a 5.26 ERA over just nine starts. He had surgery to repair his rotator cuff in July. Wood has typically been effective when healthy (3.78 ERA in 1258 MLB innings), but that’s a major caveat for a pitcher who’s been on the injured list 11 times since the 2016 season.

Depth Arms

Chase Anderson (37)

Anderson has pitched for seven teams across the past five seasons. This year’s 5.40 ERA (in 58 1/3 innings) is his lowest mark along the way. He’ll eat innings as a fifth starter or long reliever and can get another minor league deal.

Carlos Carrasco (38)

Cookie’s return to Cleveland was a feel-good story but didn’t go as planned. He’s now posted an ERA of 5.64 or worse in three of the past four seasons. Cleveland designated him for assignment this month. He’ll need to take a minor league deal if he plans to continue pitching.

Mike Clevinger (34)

Clevinger’s return to the ChiSox lasted only four starts and 16 innings. He posted a 6.75 ERA before hitting the IL with an elbow injury and eventually undergoing season-ending surgery to replace a disc in his neck.

Domingo German (32)

The longtime Yankees hurler was rocked for 18 runs in 20 2/3 innings with the Pirates. He posted a 5.04 ERA in 75 Triple-A frames as well. German was limited to minor league offers last winter and should be again this winter, on the heels of that performance.

Brad Keller (29)

Keller has been solid in Triple-A this season but limped to a 5.44 ERA in 41 big league frames in his first year after thoracic outlet surgery. He was a solid arm in Kansas City from 2018-20 but has struggled since, ticketing him for another non-guaranteed deal.

Julio Teheran (34)

Teheran’s 2023 resurgence with the Brewers proved fleeting. He gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings with the Mets in his lone start of the season and has been tagged for 49 runs in 49 1/3 innings pitched in Triple-A between the Orioles and Cubs organizations.

Pitchers with 2025 Club Options

Kyle Gibson (37) — $12MM option with $1MM buyout

Gibson has done exactly what he was signed to do. He’s eaten up innings and stabilized the back of the St. Louis rotation, tossing 165 2/3 innings of 4.13 ERA ball. His strikeout and walk rates are a bit worse than average, but he still gets plenty of grounders and has by all accounts emerged as a leader in the Cards’ clubhouse. It’d be a genuine surprise if his option isn’t picked up.

Merrill Kelly (36) — $7MM option with $1MM buyout

Shoulder problems have limited Kelly to a dozen starts, but he’s been sharp when healthy. With a 3.71 ERA, 20% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate, this is an easy call at a net price of $6MM. The D-backs will pick this one up.

Lance Lynn (38) — $12MM option with $1MM buyout

A balky right knee hobbled Lynn throughout the season, but he still made 23 starts and notched a 3.84 ERA in 117 1/3 innings. The Cardinals have a pretty full rotation outlook and needs in both the lineup and bullpen. They could exercise the option and look for a trade partner, but it seems likelier that Lynn will be bought out and return to the market in search of another one-year deal.

Freddy Peralta (29) — $8MM option with $1.5MM buyout

Among the easiest calls in this slate of club options, Peralta currently has a 3.68 ERA in 32 starts and 173 2/3 innings of work. He’s set down 27.6% of his opponents on strikes and issued walks at a 9.4% clip. If his steady mid-rotation work over the years wasn’t incentive enough to pick up this option — and, for the record, it very much is — the contract contains a second club option for the 2026 season, which is also valued at $8MM.

Colin Rea (34) — $5.5MM option with $1MM buyout

As with his teammate Peralta, this is an easy call for Milwaukee. Rea has been a godsend for an injury-riddled rotation, making 26 starts (and five relief appearances) and piling up 162 innings with a 4.17 ERA, 19% strikeout rate and excellent 5.9% walk rate. At a net $4.5MM price point, the Brewers shouldn’t have to think long about exercising his option.

Player Options and Opt-Out Candidates

Gerrit Cole (34)

Cole presents one of the most fascinating opt-out scenarios in recent memory. He can walk away from his remaining four years and $144MM, but if he exercises his out clause, the Yankees can void his decision by tacking on an additional year at $36MM. That’d bring Cole’s contract to another five years and $180MM over his age-34 through age-38 seasons. On the heels of a typical Cole season, that might’ve seemed like an obvious call all-around. Cole, however, missed the first two-plus months with elbow inflammation and has been more good than elite (although he’s been heating up since mid-August). On the one hand, it’s hard to imagine the Yankees letting him go. On the other, five-year deals for pitchers beginning in their age-34 season or later are exceedingly rare.

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently broke down Cole’s opt-out for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, examining the decision through historical precedent in an effort to determine whether there are scenarios where Cole could unexpectedly end up back on the open market. Most seem to expect Cole to remain with the Yankees, but the manner in which his season has played out makes it less of a slam dunk and will shift more focus onto his playoff performance.

Nathan Eovaldi (35)

Eovaldi reached enough innings this year to trigger a $20MM player option in his contract. He’s a Texas native, so perhaps he’d prefer to simply stay put. But if he’s open to going through the free-agent process again, he should have no trouble topping that $20MM guarantee on a new contract. Eovaldi’s last deal was for two years and $34MM. He tacked on another $4.5MM via innings incentives. The right-hander carries a 3.80 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate in 307 2/3 innings during his two years as a Ranger. He can’t receive a qualifying offer since he received one earlier in his career. Even if he doesn’t land a $20MM AAV, he could command a similar total guarantee to his last deal.

Lucas Giolito (30)

Giolito has a $19MM player option. He won’t turn it down after undergoing UCL surgery before the season even began.

Clayton Kershaw (37)

Kershaw is still “weeks” from returning. He’s pitched in only seven games and totaled 30 innings this year after undergoing shoulder surgery following the 2023 campaign. His player option has a $5MM base salary.

Sean Manaea (33)

Manaea has been unstoppable since early this summer. He’s sporting a sub-3.00 ERA over his past 19 starts, including a 2.63 mark with a masterful 30.3% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate in his past 11 trips to the mound. He’s been the Mets’ best pitcher this season. There’s no way he’ll simply exercise his $13.5MM player option. Manaea will reject that and at the very least consider a more enticing qualifying offer. He’s pitched well enough that he could decline that QO in search of a three-year deal, though, perhaps along the lines of the $63MM pact his former teammate Chris Bassitt signed a couple offseasons ago.

Nick Martinez (34)

Martinez has pitched too well for the Reds to give much consideration to exercising his $12MM player option. He’s spoken highly of his time in the Reds organization and would welcome a return, though in saying as much he implied that it’d have to be on a new deal because of his out clause. “If what I want lines up here, and I think it does … there’s a more delicate issue that I think needs to be talked about,” Martinez told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently took an in-depth look at Martinez’s looming opt-out clause for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. He should at least have another two-year deal out there, if not a three-year offer.

Jordan Montgomery (32)

Montgomery has a $25MM player option and will be exercising that after limping to a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings during an injury-marred debut campaign with the D-backs.

Robbie Ray (33)

Ray can opt out of the remaining two years and $50MM on his deal, but it’d be a surprise if he did so on the heels of a Tommy John return effort that has seen him make just seven starts (4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings). A hamstring strain sent Ray back to the injured list early this month. He’s hoping to make one final start this weekend. The former AL Cy Young winner is ultra-talented, but he’s not topping $50MM in free agency this winter.

Michael Wacha (33)

After taking three straight one-year deals in his first three trips through free agency, Wacha has now begun to play the opt-out game. His four-year deal with the Padres and current two-year deal with the Royals both contained out clauses after the first season. Last year’s opt-out was an easy call after he pitched 134 1/3 innings of 3.22 ERA ball. He has a nominally tougher call this time around, with a weightier $16MM player option looming, but Wacha will still very likely opt out in search of another multi-year deal (perhaps with another opt-out). He’s racked up 166 2/3 innings of 3.35 ERA ball with a slightly below-average strikeout rate and plus command.