MLB · 4 hours ago

Ranking the Top 10 MLB Free Agents Right Now: Going Into the 2026-27 Offseason

Frank LaBella

Host · Writer

What Would You Change?
What would you change on our list? Are we missing any big names? Is anyone too high?

Are there any free agents you want your team to target? Where will they land?

Let us know in the comments!
Ranking the Top 10 MLB Free Agents After the 2026 Season
Even before the Milwaukee Brewers claimed their first World Series title, the free-agent scouting was well underway. This year's pool might not be as enticing as last year's crop, but it still has names big enough to make your favorite team open their wallets.

With a looming MLB lockout, nothing is certain this offseason. The free-agent window might be shortened, which could change the typical flow of team building. Let’s take a peek at the top ten names to watch on the market!
#1: Tarik Skubal
Over the last few seasons, one thing has stayed consistent: discussion about where Tarik Skubal is headed next.

Tarik Skubal Free Agent Profile
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 30
- Experience: 6+ Seasons
- 2026 Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $32,000,000
From trade discussions to arbitration negotiations to eventual free agency, now, after just two months as a Los Angeles Dodger, Skubal remains the hottest commodity on the market. A two-time Cy Young winner in the American League, he maintains his status as a consensus top-five pitcher in baseball, and that might be understating it. Skubal has few flaws, if any, and he just dips into his thirties in November. The injury history is the only factor that could scare you, but not enough to overshadow his incredible years ahead.

Tarik Skubal 2026 MLB Stats
- Wins: 12 | Losses: 7
- ERA: 2.72 | WHIP: 0.96
- Starts: 26 | Innings: 158.7
- K: 186 | BB: 27
- WAR: 4.60
#2: Michael King
The Padres starting pitcher had an opt-out option, which he seized just days after the World Series concluded.

Michael King Free Agent Profile
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 31
- Experience: 8 Seasons
- 2026 Team: San Diego Padres
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $25,000,000
It’s understandable that Michael King declined his $28 million player option and headed back to the market after yet another quality season on the bump with double-digit wins. One might point out that King's K percentage this season was the lowest since his rookie year, but that wasn't due to any decline in velocity, which actually ticked up slightly in 2026. If not for an injury-plagued 2025, King would have three consecutive seasons of phenomenal statistics to admire, and the 31-year-old still has plenty of steam left. He could be the ace of a rotation somewhere in MLB, and the price would be worth it.

Michael King 2026 MLB Stats
- Wins: 12 | Losses: 10
- ERA: 3.21 | WHIP: 1.178
- Starts: 32 | Innings: 185
- K: 159 | BB: 70
- WAR: 4.3
#3: Randy Arozarena
One of baseball's most entertaining players is back on the market in 2026.

Randy Arozarena Free Agent Profile
- Position: Left Fielder
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 32
- Experience: 8 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Seattle Mariners
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $16,000,000
The corner outfielder quietly posted the best hitting year of his career, one that fell under the radar amid an overall disappointing Mariners season. As the American League leader in runs, Arozarena posted his best batting average since his Rookie of the Year season in 2021. His postseason flare always seems to come alive when he’s given the chance, and in the right environment, he has proven he can help a team make a serious playoff run. The talk of the town is about Arozarena’s defense, which ranks bottom-five in outs above average for left fielders. If you can overlook that and believe that he has solid hitting years ahead of him at age 31, this is a name at the top of most teams’ radars this offseason.

Randy Arozarena 2026 MLB Stats
- Games: 154 | BA: .281
- Runs: 113 | RBI: 79
- HR: 26 | BB: 68
- OPS: .865
- WAR: 5.7
#4: Seiya Suzuki
Not far below his corner-outfield peer Arozarena on this list, Seiya Suzuki has been consistent in Chicago over the last five seasons.

Seiya Suzuki Free Agent Profile
- Position: Right Fielder
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 32
- Experience: 5 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Chicago Cubs
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $17,000,000
The noise around MVP-candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong certainly drew attention away from other Cubs hitters, but Seiya posted stellar statistics on both sides of the ball, putting up a top-five defensive season among right fielders. He doubled his WAR from last season, when he put up impeccable numbers behind the plate and even nudged his way into receiving MVP votes, even if they were minimal. Suzuki might not get a lengthy deal because of his age, but his reliability in the middle of the order over the past few years has made his value clear.

Seiya Suzuki 2026 MLB Stats
- Games: 143 | BA: .270
- Runs: 96 | RBI: 86
- HR: 26 | BB: 81
- OPS: .841
- WAR: 5.1
#5: Teruaki Sato
If you’re a fan of upside, this is surely the hitter with the highest ceiling in this class.

Teruaki Sato Free Agent Profile
- Position: Third Baseman
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 28
- Experience: 6 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Hanshin Tigers (Japan Central League)
- Status: Posted International Professional
- 2027 Salary: $3,200,000 (450 million yen)
There’s a solid chance you’ve never heard the name if you haven’t taken a peek at the Japan Central League recently. Sato follows a path strikingly similar to Munetaka Murakami's a year ago. He's an incredibly talented power hitter at an ideal age who can surge a franchise. However, Sato exhibits a similar concern for MLB scouts: an above-average whiff rate. Not only is it above average, but his 26% strikeout rate this season in Japan is a whopping number, similar to Murakami’s nearly 29% strikeout rate through his final three seasons before coming to MLB. Despite this, Murakami clearly panned out well on the White Sox, finishing near the top of the league in multiple offensive categories. However, his strikeout rate didn't improve, finishing second-highest in baseball. Teruaki Sato is his own player who has accomplished incredible feats over six seasons with the Hanshin Tigers, and teams would be foolish not to take a look in his direction.

Teruaki Sato 2026 MLB Stats
- Games: 140 | BA: .311
- Runs: 100 | RBI: 105
- HR: 39 | BB: 68
- OPS: 1.009
- WAR: N/A
#6: Brandon Lowe
Brandon Lowe brings living proof that a second baseman can still mash in the modern day.

Brandon Lowe Free Agent Profile
- Position: Second Baseman
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 32
- Experience: 9 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $4,000,000
For some reason, he keeps getting better with age, raising his batting average each season over the last five years. Lowe quietly posted the best season of his career in 2026 at 32, in his first season in Pittsburgh. He brings the most booming power in this free agent class, and that's only amplified by the lack of second basemen performing near his level. What seemed to be a massive obstacle for Lowe in the past, his defensive ability, saw a significant turnaround within a year’s stretch. A -14 outs-above-average 2025 season flipped into a +15 2026 season, a ridiculous improvement that made him a top defender at his position. Pittsburgh certainly brought in a pleasant piece on their side of the three-way deal with Tampa Bay and Houston last season, and they'll likely try to retain Lowe.

Brandon Lowe 2026 MLB Stats
- Games: 150 | BA: .260
- Runs: 94 | RBI: 96
- HR: 35 | BB: 62
- OPS: .824
- WAR: 5.4
#7: Sonny Gray
Quite frankly, Sonny Gray logged one of the most underappreciated seasons of any player in 2026.

Sonny Gray Free Agent Profile
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 37
- Experience: 14 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Boston Red Sox
- Status: Mutual Option
- 2027 Salary: $25,000,000
In his 14th season, he posted stat lines comparable to his near-Cy Young campaigns earlier in his career, and quite possibly better. A league-leading 18 wins helped catapult Boston into a Wild Card spot this year. If free agency rankings didn’t factor in previous seasons or age, Gray would rank higher on this list, but it’s unclear how teams will view his future as he enters the hypothetical next season at age 37. Gray does have a $30 million mutual option with a $10 million buyout. There’s no reason Gray shouldn't be an attractive short-term target at the minimum, especially with 13 or more wins in each of the last three seasons. He can still headline a rotation even in his late thirties.

Sonny Gray 2026 MLB Stats
- Wins: 18 | Losses: 5
- ERA: 2.72 | WHIP: 1.148
- Starts: 29 | Innings: 169.0
- K: 149 | BB: 46
- WAR: 4.3
#8: Adrian Morejon
Left-handed pitchers with eye-opening velocity always attract attention, and Adrian Morejon is in the mix to move from reliever to starter.

Adrian Morejon Free Agent Profile
- Position: Relief Pitcher
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 28
- Experience: 8 Seasons
- 2026 Team: San Diego Padres
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $5,250,000
Another player overshadowed by his peers, Morejon served in a bullpen anchored by the star closer Mason Miller in 2026. Miller was the only Padre to outshine Morejon in K/9 this season, as Morejon recorded a dazzling 11.20 in that category. The stunning southpaw landed in the 99^th percentile this season in chase rate, and his ground ball rate has jumped in each of the last three seasons, to nearly 59% this year. His blend of off-speed and elite velocity, which ranks top-five for both four-seamers and sinkers, is nasty on the mound. This would be a must-target pitcher even if he were a veteran in his low thirties, and you can argue his best years are in front of him.

Adrian Morejon 2026 MLB Stats
- Wins: 9 | Losses: 3 | Saves: 3
- ERA: 2.83 | WHIP: 1.08
- Appearances: 76 | Innings: 86.0
- K: 107 | BB: 28
- WAR: 1.9
#9: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Avoiding arbitration for 2026, Jazz Chisholm Jr. inked a one-year, $10.2 million contract to follow up an impressive 2025 campaign.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Free Agent Profile
- Position: Second Baseman
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 29
- Experience: 7 Seasons
- 2026 Team: New York Yankees
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $11,700,000
He stunned Yankees fans in his first full season in the Bronx, recording his first 30/30 season and being awarded the Silver Slugger. The 2026 season didn’t treat him as kindly, as nearly every offensive statistic declined despite him playing seven more games. At his peak, Jazz has a hard-to-come-by combination of talents: speed, contact, power, quality defense, and even off-the-field swag, if it counts for anything. With the Yankees trying him at multiple infield positions, he’s shown his versatility, including a 2026 season when he finished second in outs above average for second basemen. Occasionally, his lack of effort and antics have been tiresome and have likely hindered his chances of drawing attention from some squads. When Jazz has it together and plays at least a good percentage of his potential, he showed last season how explosive he can be, and he just needs to get his fire back.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2026 MLB Stats
- Games: 137 | BA: .231
- Runs: 69 | RBI: 55
- HR: 19 | BB: 56
- OPS: .711
- WAR: 1.7
#10: Freddy Peralta
A midseason acquisition from the New York Mets, the two-time All-Star wasn’t panning out as planned in 2026.

Freddy Peralta Free Agent Profile
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Age (on Opening Day '27): 30
- Experience: 9 Seasons
- 2026 Team: Tampa Bay Rays
- Status: UFA
- 2027 Salary: $3,100,000
It’s fair to say Peralta doesn’t deserve a spot on this list because of his struggles, but his track record is enough to keep him in the top ten. This year’s ERA of 4.42 was his worst since 2019, when he only made 8 starts in his 39 appearances. Peralta continues to show bright spots at 30, such as closing out the regular season, when he surrendered just three earned runs in his last 28 innings pitched. Many of his metrics, such as whiff percentage, have declined over the years, and 2026 has been a rather gloomy season overall. His strong ending reminds teams how valuable he can be, even if not necessarily the top arm in the pitching room. This is an opportunity to buy slightly low on a guy who can easily return to All-Star form next season, and it wouldn’t surprise me if a team is looking to make him their ace. Some argue other free-agent pitchers have performed better recently, but Peralta has plenty of proven potential he’s ready to regain.

Freddy Peralta 2026 MLB Stats
- Wins: 10 | Losses: 11
- ERA: 4.42 | WHIP: 1.325
- Starts: 32 | Innings: 169.0
- K: 156 | BB: 63
- WAR: 0.7
What Would You Change?
What would you change on our list? Are we missing any big names? Is anyone too high?

Are there any free agents you want your team to target? Where will they land?

Let us know in the comments!
Ranking the Top 10 MLB Free Agents After the 2026 Season
Even before the Milwaukee Brewers claimed their first World Series title, the free-agent scouting was well underway. This year's pool might not be as enticing as last year's crop, but it still has names big enough to make your favorite team open their wallets.

With a looming MLB lockout, nothing is certain this offseason. The free-agent window might be shortened, which could change the typical flow of team building. Let’s take a peek at the top ten names to watch on the market!

Ranking the Top 10 MLB Free Agents Right Now: Going Into the 2026-27 Offseason

Tarik Skubal Free Agent Profile

Tarik Skubal 2026 MLB Stats

Michael King Free Agent Profile

Michael King 2026 MLB Stats

Randy Arozarena Free Agent Profile

Randy Arozarena 2026 MLB Stats

Seiya Suzuki Free Agent Profile

Seiya Suzuki 2026 MLB Stats

Teruaki Sato Free Agent Profile

Teruaki Sato 2026 MLB Stats

Brandon Lowe Free Agent Profile

Brandon Lowe 2026 MLB Stats

Sonny Gray Free Agent Profile

Sonny Gray 2026 MLB Stats

Adrian Morejon Free Agent Profile

Adrian Morejon 2026 MLB Stats

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Free Agent Profile

Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2026 MLB Stats

Freddy Peralta Free Agent Profile

Freddy Peralta 2026 MLB Stats

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