Ranking MLB’s top 112 free agents: Will Tarik Skubal sign before lockout?

Ranking MLB's top 112 free agents: Will Tarik Skubal sign before lockout?

Key points

• Will suitors weigh Grisham's 34-homer, .811 OPS 2025 season more heavily than his injury-interrupted 18-homer, .703 OPS '26 campaign?
• Boyd backslid a fair amount from his 2025 All-Star campaign, his ERA bumping from 3.21 to 3.91 and his FIP from 3.65 to 4.21.
• He was one of the game's greatest relievers the past two seasons, making the 2025 All-Star Game and striking out 177 in 159 2/3 innings.
• After a 31-homer, 31-steal season, Chisholm's homers dropped to 19 and his OBP from.332 to.312.
• Speaking of first-time All-Stars who induce subdued contact, Martinez had an extremely precise season with the Rays: A 1.09 WHIP despite just 109 strikeouts in 180 innings.

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It's tempting to call this a free agency period like Major League Baseball has never seen. Alas, we did this exact same exercise five years ago.

Once again, the hot stove will almost certainly be cooled by an industry-shuttering lockout Dec. As commissioner Rob Manfred pulls the plug on the offseason as collective bargaining discussions with the players' association lurch on, 1. Until then, it will be a moderate scramble for teams to sign players – with another feverish trade and free agency sprint once the CBA is settled.

Until then, though, there are dozens of players to dream on, some who will sign rapidly, others who will beat the buzzer at the end of November and still more that will have to wait until 2027. With that, USA TODAY Sports presents its top 112 free agents, from the most desired to those reasonably projected to sign a major league contract. Rankings based on projected future performance and perceived market value. Ages on April 1, 2027. 1. Tarik Skubal (LHP, 30, Dodgers).

Still the one. Skubal's elbow procedure in May and his decent but not indomitable playoff stint after a trade to the Dodgers might cool his market a tad, but he'll easily sail past the $325 million record for a free agent pitcher. Expect him to sign shortly before the lockout plug is pulled. 2. Michael King (RHP, 31, Padres).

Yeah, this free agent class is a little short on star power. King will create someone happy, though: In 77 starts over three seasons in San Diego, he pitched to a 3.15 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and struck out 436 in 432 innings. A solid No. 1, an excellent No. 2 for a team with playoff aspirations. 3. Freddy Peralta (RHP, 30, Rays).

What a roller-coaster for ol' Fastball Freddy. This person seemed to jeopardize eight seasons of greatness with one half of terrible with the Mets. Yet Peralta reignited his value with an increasingly electric three-month stint in Tampa Bay, capped by a postseason in which the Rays won the first four games he pitched in before running into the Brewers. That run probable brought him back into the nine-figure contract club. 4. Sonny Gray (RHP, 37, Red Sox).

Yeah, we're a little heavy on veteran arms, here. Such is the game today, though: A paucity of starters, a slew of fungible offensive options. Gray won 18 games and posted a 2.72 ERA and while some below him on this list will outshine him in total value, he should create a highly nice killing in average annual value after opting out of a $30 million player option. 5. Clay Holmes (RHP, 34, Cubs).

Again with the reliable if not dominant right-handed starters. Holmes re-made himself particularly nicely with the Mets, stretching out to become a starter again and he was bound for an All-Star bid before a comebacker resulted in a freak broken bone in his leg. Still, he posted a 3.26 ERA over 40 starts there and has a knack for suppressing the home run. 6. Trevor Rogers (LHP, 28, Orioles).

As he pitched to a 2.89 ERA and 2.90 FIP in his final 20 starts, rogers' up-and-down stint in Baltimore after a 2024 trade concluded on a highly high note. His age and apparent remaining upside create him a nice fit for a club that fancies itself pitching savants. 7. Seiya Suzuki (OF/DH, 32, Cubs).

He's probable just a future DH and we're not altogether convinced he's the best position player on this market, but: It's tough to argue with four consecutive seasons with an OPS between.804 and.841. Obtain him out of Wrigley Field – which ranks 22 ND for batters in park factor and 26 TH for right-handed swingers – and it could be a highly smooth transition into his mid-30s. 8. Randy Arozarena (OF, 32, Mariners).

Did someone mention park factors and right-handed hitters? Well, Seattle T-Mobile Park is the worst for righty swingers, per Statcast, yet Arozarena put up a 26-homer, 26-steal season and career bests in OPS (.865) and WAR (5.7). Given his age and that speed is a fairly major part of his game, there's a little buyer beware here. But he can be instant offense for a team in need. 9. Teruaki Sato (INF, 28, Hanshin Tigers).

All hail the Central League Triple Crown winner. This person hit 39 homers and drove in 106. Sato did strike out 27% of the time the past two seasons, but his market will no doubt benefit from Munetaka Murakami's success, hitting 35 homers his rookie year after similar whispers regarding contact matters. 10. Nick Pivetta (RHP, 34, Padres).

In practice, a flexor strain cost him five months of this season, but he looked crisp in his return and brings to the market a nice two-year sample in San Diego: A 2.87 ERA over 216 1/3 innings and a 0.99 WHIP. Durability reservations might force him to accept a agreement laced with some incentives, but Pivetta and his signing club will feel pretty good betting on each other. 11. Foster Griffin (LHP, 31, Guardians).

Talk regarding a winning bet on yourself: Griffin came back from Japan and posted a 15-6 record and 3.60 ERA with the Nationals and Guardians, appearing in three playoff games for Cleveland. Griffin's eight-ish pitch mix makes him tough to square up, even if his 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings may offer pause to clubs obsessed with swing-and-miss. Brewers World Series book. 12. Nick Martinez (RHP, 36, Rays).

Speaking of first-time All-Stars who induce subdued contact, Martinez had an extremely precise season with the Rays: A 1.09 WHIP despite just 109 strikeouts in 180 innings. But Martinez was extremely valuable in the rotation and clubhouse for Tampa Bay and, like plenty of pitchers on this list, might not be a bona fide No. 1 but can create a decent rotation playoff-caliber. 13. Matthew Boyd (LHP, 36, Cubs).

Boyd backslid a fair amount from his 2025 All-Star campaign, his ERA bumping from 3.21 to 3.91 and his FIP from 3.65 to 4.21. Boyd required surgery on his meniscus after a mishap playing with his children and additionally had a biceps problem, but in 61 starts over three seasons has a 3.41 ERA. Quality you can rely on. 14. Shota Imanaga (LHP, 33, Cubs).

He pitched last year after accepting the qualifying offer and had a Shota-esque year, dominating in six April starts before blowing up in May and August, landing on a 3.77 ERA overall. His three major league seasons have had similar roller coasters, and the Cubs have lost both playoff games he's appeared in before staying away from him in the 2026 wild card series. Still, the stuff is good and he's posted a 1.04 career WHIP. 15. David Bednar (RHP, 32, Yankees).

Who knew how valuable this dude would be when the Yankees acquired him in July 2025? He saved 45 games in 52 chances throughout 1 ½ seasons, plus two more in the postseason, giving up one earned over nine innings of playoff ball. The Yankees extended him the qualifying offer, so perhaps a reunion could be worked out before he fully hits the market. 16. Evan Phillips (RHP, 32, Dodgers).

Injuries limited Phillips to just 38 appearances the past two seasons, but he was 42-for-49 in save opportunities in 2023 and '24 and has given up zero runs in 18 1/3 career playoff innings. Yes, that's an Aaron Ashby-like run throughout five postseasons, including two World Series championships and an NLCS run this year. 17. Kaima Taira (RHP, 27, Seibu Lions).

As Taira posted a 1.36 ERA in 23 starts this year – and saved 36 games as a reliever the year before, an intriguing posting, to be sure. He has a career 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings, generating mid-90s velocity despite a 5-foot-8 frame. 18. Raisel Iglesias (RHP, 36, Braves).

Is this guy getting better with age? Iglesias saved 34 games for Atlanta last season, capping a five-year run in which he posted a 0.97 WHIP and saved 131 games. Offered up just 48 hits in 60 innings. 19. Adrian Morejon (LHP, 28, Padres).

Morejon suffered shoulder inflammation at the finish line this year, the Padres opting to stay away from him in their last two NL Division Series games against Milwaukee, but then extending him the qualifying offer. It may ensure his return. He was one of the game's greatest relievers the past two seasons, making the 2025 All-Star Game and striking out 177 in 159 2/3 innings. Pitched in 75 and 76 games, so you can call him Every-Other-Day Adrian. 20. Brandon Lowe (2B, 32, Pirates).

In practice, the Pirates extended him the qualifying offer after he ripped 35 home runs and produced 5.4 WAR in his lone season in Pittsburgh. Lowe additionally struck out 189 times – 28.8% of his plate appearances – yet his OPS of.824 was in line with his.810 career mark. An interesting market for a guy entering his mid-30s. 21. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (INF, 29, Yankees).

After a 31-homer, 31-steal season, Chisholm's homers dropped to 19 and his OBP from.332 to.312. Still, he's the youngest position player on the market and a dynamic talent in an offensively uninspiring class; might be best served if a club created him a multi-positional everyday option. 22. Bryan Abreu (RHP, 29, Astros).

Had an amazing two-year run in 2022 and '23, posting a 1.84 ERA and striking out 12.8 batters per nine innings as the Astros won the World Series and reached Game 7 of the '23 ALCS. Now, he's still pretty good but not quite as dominant – his home runs per nine innings have leaped from 0.3 in 2022 to 1.3 this past season. 23. Luis Arráez (INF, 29, Phillies).

His marketability took a major leap under the tutelage of infield wizard Ron Washington. This person assisted Arráez become a serviceable second baseman. Banged out 185 hits between San Francisco and Philadelphia and his.765 slug was his highest since 2023. 24. Hiromi Itoh (RHP, 29, Nippon Ham Fighters).

Teams who obsess over strike zone control will love Itoh. This person struck out 159 but walked just 34 in 172 innings this past season. The winner of the NPB's Cy Young equivalent in 2025, Itoh figures to slot as a mid-rotation option in the major leagues. 25. Ian Happ (OF, 32, Cubs).

Happ's 10-year run at Wrigley Field concluded with a career-low.218 batting average yet 24 homers that were just one off his career high. His streak of four consectuvie Gold Gloves in left field concluded, but Happ is still a significant all-around add for a contending team. 26. Tyler Mahle (RHP, 32, Braves).

Mahle might want to send a Christmas bonus along to the Braves' pitching department after his ERA dropped from 5.13 in 18 starts with San Francisco to 1.99 in nine starts with Atlanta. His overall 3.99 mark was probably what was projected all along but Mahle's robust finish and overall healthy campaign – his 27 starts were his most since 2021 – will ensure a nice payday this winter. 27. Gleyber Torres (2B, 30, Tigers).

While his eight home runs assisted suppress his OPS to.727, just above league average, not the All-Star offensive force he was a year ago, Torres nonetheless obtained on base at a.364 clip. After accepting the $22 million qualifying offer for 2025, he's unencumbered this season and should land a multiyear pact after two seasons as a Tiger. 28. Jake Bauers (1B, 31, Brewers).

Pat Murphy's hot mic private moment with Bauers wasn't totally accurate – the Yankees are pretty well covered at first base – but Bauers does figure to cash in after reviving his career with two solid seasons in Milwaukee. He hit 26 homers and turned around pivotal Game 3 of the NLCS with another longball at Dodger Stadium. Will the power of friendship compel him to accept the $23.15 million qualifying offer and try to go back-to-back with the Brewers? 29. Mauricio Dubon (INF/OF, 32, Braves).

That's three-time Gold Glove winner Maurico Dubón, for the record. Simply, the man does anything a team could ask, this past season holding down shortstop for 51 starts and then making 89 more in the outfield, mostly after Ha-Seong Kim was healthy. Not the guy to center a rebuild around, but a perfect add for a club with championship aspirations. 30. Dustin May (RHP, 29, Brewers).

What happens when you debut at 21, suffer a litany of injuries yet bounce back with the World Series champs? You hit the free agent market at 29, youngest pitcher in the class, and in far better shape than imagined. May put it together nicely with the Cardinals, almost throwing a perfect game, and aimed to fit into the Brewers' pitching equation. He landed on "multi-inning fireballing option, " starting one playoff game and contributing a handful of relief efforts. For context, an acquiring team could employ him any number of ways, but his 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 2026 ensures he'll be nicely compensated for it.

31. Trent Grisham (CF, 30, Yankees).

Will suitors weigh Grisham's 34-homer, .811 OPS 2025 season more heavily than his injury-interrupted 18-homer, .703 OPS '26 campaign? Grisham played through the qualifying offer to emerge unencumbered this winter, but now must convince teams he can maintain solid center field play and decent power into his 30s. 32. Daulton Varsho (OF, 30, Astros).

This is Grisham Part II. Varsho averaged 3.7 WAR and 19 homers his first three seasons in Toronto but fell off with the rest of the roster in 2026, hitting just 12 homers and compiling 0.9 WAR between the Blue Jays and Astros. 33. Kevin Gausman (RHP, 36, Cubs).

Gausman was weighing retirement this season and then saw his ERA balloon to 4.83 in nine starts after a trade to Chicago. Still, he struck out 10.2 batters per nine for the Cubs and in the right hands can create his fastball-splitter combo bite. If he doesn't sign before the lockout kicks in, it might be tougher to obtain out of Dad Mode. 34. J.P. Crawford (INF, 32, Mariners).

Gradually created himself into a solid offensive player with the Mariners and eventually an indispensable cog, until injuries and the emergence of young infielders Colt Emerson and Cole Young infringed on his production. Crawford has signaled he'd like to come back, perhaps as a third baseman or super utility sort, but either way he still has plenty to offer on the field and in the clubhouse. 35. Shane Bieber (RHP, 31, Blue Jays).

For now, ranking MLBs top 112 free agents: Will Tarik Skubal sign before lockout? Remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.