Will Skubal sign before lockout? Ranking MLB's top 50 free agents

Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save It’s tempting to call this a free agency period like MLB 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. 1, as commissioner Rob Manfred pulls the plug on the offseason as collective bargaining talks with the players’ association lurch on. 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. Whenever that is. Until then, though, there are dozens of players to dream on, some who will sign quickly, 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 50 free agents, from the most desired to those reasonably expected to sign a major league contract. 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Tarik Skubal (LHP, 30, Dodgers) Still the one. Tarik Skubal’s elbow procedure in May and his decent but not indomitable playoff stint after a trade to the Los Angeles 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. Michael King will make 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. He is a solid No. 1, or an excellent No. 2 for a team with playoff aspirations. 3. Freddy Peralta (RHP, 30, Rays) What a roller-coaster for ol’ Fastball Freddy Peralta, who seemed to jeopardize eight seasons of greatness with one half of terrible with the New York 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 Milwaukee Brewers. That run likely 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. Sonny Gray won 18 games and posted a 2.72 ERA in Boston, and while some below him on this list will outshine him in total value, he should make a very 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. Clay Holmes re-made himself very 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) Trevor Rogers’ up-and-down stint in Baltimore after a 2024 trade ended on a very high note, as he pitched to a 2.89 ERA and 2.90 FIP in his final 20 starts. His age and apparent remaining upside make him a nice fit for a club that fancies itself pitching savants. 7. Seiya Suzuki (OF/DH, 32, Cubs) Seiya Suzuki is likely 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. Get him out of Wrigley Field — which ranks 22nd for batters in park factor and 26th for right-handed swingers — and it could be a very smooth transition into his mid-30s. 8. Randy Arozarena (OF, 32, Mariners) Did someone mention park factors and right-handed hitters? Well, Seattle's T-Mobile Park is the worst for righty swingers, per Statcast, yet Randy 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 big part of his game, there is 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, who hit 39 homers and drove in 106. Teruaki Sato did strike out 27% of the time the past two seasons, but his market will no doubt benefit from Munetaka Murakami’s success, who hit 35 homers in his MLB rookie year after similar whispers about contact issues. 10. Nick Pivetta (RHP, 34, Padres) A flexor strain cost Nick Pivetta 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 concerns might force him to accept a deal 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 about a winning bet on yourself: Foster Griffin came back from Japan and posted a 15-6 record and 3.60 ERA with the Washington Nationals and Cleveland 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 give pause to clubs obsessed with swing-and-miss. 12. Nick Martinez (RHP, 36, Rays) Speaking of first-time All-Stars who induce weak contact, Nick 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 many pitchers on this list, might not be a bona fide No. 1, but can make a decent rotation playoff-caliber. 13. Matthew Boyd (LHP, 36, Cubs) Matthew 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 also had a biceps issue, but in 61 starts over three seasons he has a 3.41 ERA. Quality you can rely on. 14. Shota Imanaga (LHP, 33, Cubs) Shota Imanaga pitched last year after accepting a qualifying offer and had a typical 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 New York Yankees acquired him in July 2025? David Bednar saved 45 games in 52 chances across 1 1/2 seasons, plus two more in the postseason, giving up one ear