Teams that struck out in free agency last winter might be reconsidering their stances after the 2025 season.
The New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers spent more than the other 27 teams combined, with the Mets and Dodgers spending more than $1 billion apiece, according to Bleacher Report.
Only a handful of signings have made much difference so far.
Max Fried, given the largest and longest contract ever offered to a left-handed pitcher, has won all seven of his starts for the Yankees, who are under .500 without him.
Ex-Yankee Juan Soto, whose 15-year, $765 million Mets deal was a record for both dollars and length, got off to a slow start with his new team but Pete Alonso, batting right behind him, made the most of a two-year, $54 million extension containing an opt-out clause after the first season.
Pete’s Payday
Alonso, 30, had hoped for a larger and longer payday last winter but watched his hopes dwindle in a market saturated with first basemen willing to accept less. He signed on Feb. 12 only after Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, and Josh Bell found new homes.
Former Cy Young Award winners Blake Snell [Dodgers] and Corbin Burnes [Diamondbacks] have been slowed by injuries this spring, while Jurickson Profar [Braves] is out for half the season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
In short, free agency is a crap-shoot for both players and teams.
Signing players is one thing – it gets the attention of ticket-buying fans during the winter – but signing the right players is something else.
That’s why teams that stood pat last year, found free agents too expensive, or refused to allow payroll to be subject to a luxury tax may have a different outlook this fall.
With a work stoppage possible after the current labor-management Basic Agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2026, next year may be the last to operate under prevailing conditions.
That being said, there’s a huge class of talented veterans who could be part of the next free agent class.
Vlad’s Haul
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. had topped the list but went off the board April 9 after the Toronto Blue Jays gave him a 14-year, $500 million extension valid through 2039.
That left Kyle Tucker, slugging outfielder of the Chicago Cubs, as the top hitter and Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks the starting pitcher most likely to attract multiple suitors.
They could be joined at the top of the class by Alonso, off to the best start of his career, and Alex Bregman, who has two opt-outs in the three-year deal he signed with the Boston Red Sox.
Another hitter who could trigger an opt-out is former National League MVP Cody Bellinger, now with the Yankees.
Barring a bevy on in-season signings, the next class of free agents could also include Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto of Philadelphia, Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta, Bo Bichette of Toronto, Paul Goldschmidt of the Yankees, and three-time batting champion Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres. Goldschmidt, like Bellinger, owns an MVP trophy.
Another potent bat on the likely list is Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez, whose asking price spiked after he hit four home runs in a game against Atlanta on April 26.
The Class of 2025 is also pitcher-heavy, with a handful of potential All-Stars and Cy Young Award contenders.
Impressive Pitchers
In addition to Gallen, starters who could wind up selling themselves are Framber Valdez (Astros), Ranger Suarez (Phillies), and a pair of Padres: Dylan Cease and Michael King.
The four top closers who could join them are Raisel Iglesias (Braves), Devin Williams (Yankees), Ryan Helsley (Cardinals), and Ryan Pressly (Cubs).
According to the website MLB Trade Rumors, the star power of the next free-agent class will grow when players exercise opt-out clauses in their contracts or teams fail to activate the club options in others.
An April 18 report by Steve Adams named 16 players with opt-outs.
Hitters topping that opt-out list are Alonso, Cody Bellinger (Yankees), Joc Pederson (Rangers), Tyler O’Neill (Orioles), and both Alex Bregman and Trevor Story (Red Sox).
Pitchers with opt-outs include Shane Bieber (Guardians), Jack Flaherty (Tigers), Seth Lugo (Royals), Wandy Peralta and Robert Suarez (Padres), and Edgar Diaz, A.J. Minter, and Frankie Montas (Mets).
All are signed beyond this season but any could be moved by the end-of-July trade deadline – along with any others whose contracts are expiring anyway – by teams reluctant to lose them for insufficient return.
