What Dodgers moves Passan envisions for a potential three-peat (1:40)Jeff Passan discusses with Rich Eisen the moves the Dodgers could make to win another championship. (1:40)
Still, the mere thought of pushing Griffin to team up with a fresh batch of free agent bats and a front-line rotation is tantalizing enough to make the Pirates a team to watch this winter. The market is unlikely to kick into high gear until after Thanksgiving, sources said, but once it starts burbling, it’s going to be a busy offseason.
The demand for Schwarber is high, which is no surprise considering he won’t get more than a five-year deal because of his age and positional inflexibility as a full-time designated hitter. Of course, when you hit like Schwarber, neither age nor position matters. Teams have made that abundantly clear, all the way from the obvious suitors (the Philadelphia Phillies are fiending to re-sign him) and the not-so-obvious (yes, Pittsburgh is in on Schwarber as well).
In all likelihood, Schwarber’s signing will precede Tucker’s. Because of his expected contract number and the associated 10-year-plus deal, Tucker’s offers will be more limited — but still plenty ripe.
The Blue Jays, coming off their first World Series berth in more than three decades, have no plans to slow down. They are considered the favorite by other executives to land Tucker. If Schwarber leaves Philadelphia, Tucker makes plenty of sense there, particularly as the Phillies pivot to get younger, with 21-year-old Justin Crawford expected to enter spring training as the favorite to win their center field job.
One team not expected to meet Tucker’s expected contract price: the Chicago Cubs, who traded third baseman Isaac Paredes and right fielder Cam Smith to Houston to rent Tucker in his final season before free agency and will reap a draft pick around No. 75 if he signs elsewhere.
But teams haven’t been scared off of Bichette at shortstop, according to sources. Beyond the Blue Jays, who have Andrés Giménez to play short but still could conceivably sign Tucker and Bichette, the Atlanta Braves and Detroit have holes at the most important position on the infield. The Yankees could use an upgrade over Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero. The Mets aren’t inclined to replace Francisco Lindor at shortstop, but they do have room to improve at second and third, as do the Phillies.
Even if there isn’t a perfect fit for Bichette, the opportunity to land a 27-year-old infielder with a premium bat and not have to give up any prospects is rare. The last player of Bichette’s caliber and age to hit free agency was Carlos Correa, and even after a pair of contract agreements that were invalidated because of medical questions, he received a six-year, $200 million deal from the Minnesota Twins.
Whether the contract price for Bichette stays in the range that would allow lower-payroll teams to enter the fray remains to be seen. But after the GM meetings, it’s clear there will be no shortage of opportunities for Bichette.
He is one of three potential nine-figure bats represented by Boras, joining third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Pete Alonso, who himself lingered on the market last season before signing a short-term deal that allowed him to opt-out this winter. Alongside Tucker, Schwarber and Bichette, they are the best half-dozen position players in free agency, and their varied skill sets are attracting a wide variety of interest.
Beyond the Yankees, who would like a return engagement with Bellinger — particularly if Trent Grisham rejects a qualifying offer — the Blue Jays see him as a perfectly good alternative to Tucker. And the Dodgers, who nontendered Bellinger three years ago, have expressed interest as they peruse the outfield market.
The Red Sox love Bregman, who opted out of the final two years and $80 million of his contract, and won’t close the door on a reunion despite having Marcelo Mayer ready to play third. Detroit and Chicago, which pursued him last winter but came up short, will rejoin the fray, with Philadelphia lurking as it juggles multiple potential paths.
Alonso’s willingness to play designated hitter offers the sorts of avenues a first-base-only mindset wouldn’t. He could stay with the Mets, move up to Boston, bring Cincinnati the big bat it desperately needs or, if Ryan Mountcastle is traded or nontendered, split the first-base and DH jobs in Baltimore with rookie Samuel Basallo, who will also spend plenty of time at catcher.
For all three, the expectation of a big-dollar deal is high. How quickly they materialize will help shape the winter ahead.
Arguably the two best hitters in Japan are headed to MLB this winter. Munetaka Murakami is a 25-year-old left-handed hitter with top-of-the-scale raw power and as high a ceiling as any free agent, domestic or international. Kazuma Okamoto is a 29-year-old right-handed hitter with tremendous bat-to-ball skills to complement his power. Both are third basemen with the ability to play first.
Even if whiffing that much is inherently bad, it’s not altogether disqualifying. Just look at Nick Kurtz: He missed on 35.5% of the swings he took and still was named American League Rookie of the Year and finished 12th in MVP voting. That’s the kind of pop Murakami has, and it gives him his choice of teams.
Among those targeting first basemen: the Mets, Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and, yes, even the Pirates.
With Naylor off the board, here are eight other free agent bats likely to draw significant interest.
Gleyber Torres, second baseman: If he doesn’t accept the $22.025 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Torres will indicate that he’s in line for a multiyear deal one season after settling for a pillow contract with Detroit. Torres’ high on-base percentage, low strikeout rate and ability to hit the ball out of the park make for a particularly attractive option, especially considering his age (28).
Ha-Seong Kim, infielder: When Kim opted out of a $16 million payday with Atlanta, he did so abundantly aware of how few big league-caliber infielders are on the free agent market. He could choose a multiyear deal or a hefty one-year payday that would put him in position to hit free agency again at 31 — perhaps coming off a standard Kim season.
Jorge Polanco, infielder: One of Seattle’s playoff standouts and a target of the Mariners to re-sign this winter, Polanco is 32, having debuted in 2014 as a 20-year-old. Between his age and his difficulty in staying healthy in recent years, Polanco has his issues, but they’re not the sort that will keep teams from trying to sign him. He should do well.
Ryan O’Hearn, first baseman: O’Hearn remade himself after leaving Kansas City, turning to the strong side of a platoon — and then managing to finish 2025 with a better OPS against left-handed pitchers than righties. At 32 years old, O’Hearn won’t command a huge deal, but between his production and lack of strikeouts, he’ll have no trouble finding multiple years.
J.T. Realmuto, catcher: The only full-time starting-caliber free agent catcher, Realmuto should have high interest that includes returning to Philadelphia or decamping to any number of teams looking to upgrade at the position. At age 35 on Opening Day, Realmuto won’t demand more than two years, putting the three-time All-Star in play for playoff teams and aspirants alike.
Harrison Bader, center fielder: Bader raked during his two months in Philadelphia (aided by a .415 average on balls in play) and always plays excellent center-field defense.
Marcell Ozuna, designated hitter: Though his power cratered, Ozuna walked at a higher rate than everyone in MLB except Judge and Soto.
Mike Yastrzemski, outfielder: The mediocre outfield market should benefit the 35-year-old, who’s as consistent a two-win player as there is.
Willi Castro, utility: Each of the past two seasons, Castro has looked like an everyday fixture in the first half before collapsing after the All-Star break.
Rob Refsnyder, outfielder: The 34-year-old crushes lefties, hitting .302/.399/.560 against them in 138 plate appearances this season and posting an .826 career OPS against southpaws.
Rhys Hoskins, first baseman: A three-true-outcomes adherent, Hoskins knows how to get on base and hit the ball over the fence.
Danny Jansen, catcher: Though his defensive numbers went backward, Jansen remains a power threat, especially against left-handed pitching.
Lane Thomas, outfielder: After an injury-plagued season, Thomas hits free agency at 30 years old with the potential to cash in next winter.
Cedric Mullins, center fielder: A brutal year tanked his free agency prospects, which will leave Mullins on a one-year deal as he looks to bounce back in 2026 for next winter.
Paul Goldschmidt, first baseman: The NL MVP four years ago, Goldschmidt is best suited as a platoon first baseman and DH who pummels left-handed pitching.
Max Kepler, outfielder: Despite below-average offense and defense in 2025, Kepler’s expected numbers remained high, giving hope that more remains within.
Michael Conforto, outfielder: Conforto never turned around his season with the Dodgers, leaving him in little position to be choosy when it comes to his next deal.
At 28 years old, Luis Arráez is one of the youngest players available. Coming into the 2025 season, he won three consecutive batting titles. And this year, he led the NL in hits. It sounds like the résumé of someone primed to cash in.
Instead, teams can’t help but see Arráez for everything he isn’t. Like, a passable defender. Or a source of any power. Or even a halfway decent baserunner.
Just not enough, in the minds of executives, to warrant a big-money deal. Arráez won’t be begging for a job, by any means, but because poor defense pushed him from second to first base — where he was not particularly adept, either — and his .292 batting average was barely better than a league-average hitter, his contract offers won’t be bustling.
Arráez is genuinely great at what he does. What he does so great just happens not to be valued the way it used to be.