Category: Sports News

As far as the 2026 season goes, that’s it and that’s all, folks. The Milwaukee Brewers are the World Series champions after winning their first title in dominant fashion over the Tampa Bay Rays, which means that it’s now time to focus on what figures to be an initially-busy but potentially long and uncertain offseason.

Here are some important dates to keep track of as the offseason progresses. Ideally, this is how things will remain but as they say in the pro wrestling business, this card is absolutely subject to change. Let’s get into it.

Day after the World Series ends

Free Agents file – 9am ET

That’s pretty basic, is’t it? Once the World Series is over, we’ll officially know who’s available for free agency and we’ll probably see a flurry of action between now and the all-important date of December 1.

November 1

Gold Glove Awards announced – 9 pm ET (ESPN)

The Atlanta Braves currently have four finalists for Gold Gloves and to be completely honest with y’all, 2026 Fielding Bible Award Winner Matt Olson appears to be the only one who’s likely to pick up an award this time around. Either way, it’s a pretty quick turnaround as Award Season gets underway right away.

November 2

HOF eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires

Silver Slugger Award finalists announced – 2 pm ET

BBWAA Awards Finalists announced – 6 – 8 pm ET (MLB Network) – (ROY, Cy Young, MVP, etc)

As far as the Braves are concerned, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Drake Baldwin ended up being a Silver Slugger finalist and Matt Olson could be in the conversation as well due to his homers. Michael Harris II might well be a finalist as well but again, Baldwin will probably be the one to look out for, here. Chris Sale could be in the running for being named as a Cy Young Finalist as well.

Five days after World Series ends

Free agency opens at 5 p.m. ET 

Last day to issue Qualifying Offer 

60-day Injured List reinstatement 

Contract options deadline 

Needless to say, this is going to be a very busy day. The big moves concerning the Braves will be the club options for Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies. I’d imagine that both of them will be coming back.

November 6

Heart & Hustle Awards announced – TBD – MLB Network
Gold Glove Awards dinner in NYC – Platinum Glove winners announced

Mauricio Dubón was named Atlanta’s Heart and Hustle Award recipient and this is when we’ll see if he won it on a league-wide scale as well.

November 9

Rookie of the Year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)

November 9-12

GM Meetings in Las Vegas

Usually this is a bit of a ho-hum affair since the big event during the offseason is the Winter Meetings. However, the Winter Meetings are scheduled to take place after the CBA expires on December 1, so this could end up being a more interesting event than usual due to that factor.

November 10

Manager of the Year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)

If you’re the type who reads into betting odds, Walt Weiss currently has the second-highest odds of being named Manager of the Year at +275. That means he’ll likely be a finalist, so this’ll be worth tuning in to watch.

November 11

Cy Young Awards and BBWAA relievers of year – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)

MLB Awards show – 9-11pm ET (MLB Network)

All-MLB first and second teams

Hank Aaron Award winners

Comeback Players of The Year

Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman Relievers of the Year

Edgar Martinez DH of the Year

This’ll be a busy day indeed, with the Cy Young Award Winner being announced and then things going straight into the MLB Awards Show where a bunch of other awards will be announced. The Braves have nine All-MLB nominees so we should see at least one of those guys make it onto the team this year.

November 12 

MVP Award – 7-8 pm ET (MLB Network)

November 16 

Hall of Fame announces its 2027 ballot, 12 pm ET – Writer’s ballot

November 17-19

Owners meetings in New York

This should be another event that’ll be more newsworthy than usual, since I’d imagine that we’ll hear a lot more about current state of labor in baseball with the lockout looming. Maybe we’ll see some moves get made but again, I’d imagine that we’ll hear more about the impending labor war than anything else.

November 17

Silver Slugger Awards

Deadline for players to accept the Qualifying Offer, 4 pm ET

Rule 5 protection deadline (Players need to be added to 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft)

November 20

Non-tender Deadline

Big day for the arbitration candidates on the roster, as we’ll know by the end of the day what the Braves are planning to do with Bryce Elder, Michael Grove, James Karinchak, Dylan Lee and Joey Wentz.

December 1 

CBA Expires 11:59 pm ET – Lockout begins

This is by far the biggest day on the offseason calendar, as it’s extremely likely that the deadline will come and go without the owners and the union coming to an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, so this will very likely be the start of the lockout and what could be a long one, at that.

December 6

BBWAA announces Contemporary Baseball Era inductees

December 7-9

Winter Meetings in San Diego (Likely to be cancelled)

As I mentioned earlier, the GM Meetings and Owner Meetings in November are likely going to end up being much more important with this event being very much in peril.

December 8

Draft Lottery (likely to be postponed during lockout)

December 9

Rule 5 Draft (likely to be postponed or canceled during lockout)

January 8 

Arbitration Figures Exchanged (likely to be postponed during lockout)

January 15

International Signing Period opens

Alfredo Sena will likely be the name to watch here, as the Braves have been linked to him for years now and apparently it’ll just be a matter of making things official on this particular day.

January 19

Hall of Fame announces BBWAA voting results & 2007 inductees, 6 p ET (MLB Network)

The Rays fell short of winning a World Series, and manager Kevin Cash faced plenty of questions afterwards.

Cash made a few questionable World Series calls involving ace Drew Rasmussen, who on three days of rest was yanked after four strong innings on Wednesday night, allowing a run on four hits and throwing 48 pitches in an eventual 4-1 series-deciding loss in Game 5.

“We had gone into the game saying it was 60 pitches or four innings. Stuck to that. That was the easiest call in the world to take him out of the ball game,” Cash said postgame.

The decision instantly backfired, as he went to reliever Kevin Kelly for the fifth inning with the hope that he could make quick work of the bottom of Milwaukee’s lineup, though the Brewers got three consecutive hits to extend their lead to 2-0.

In the sixth inning, Garrett Cleavinger coughed up two more runs to balloon the deficit to 4-0 as things had completely unraveled for the Rays. 

Cash arguably should have gone with Rasmussen in the first game of the series, but instead pushed him back a day in favor of Nick Martinez despite Rasmussen being on normal rest for Game 1. 

“We prioritized Drew getting an extra day. He’s had a pretty thick workload here,” Cash said before the series, defending his Game 1 decision. “We’ve relied on him heavily. We know when he takes the ball, we’re trying to get the full pitch allotment out of him.”

But in Game 5, just days after these comments, he was forced to send Rasmussen out without getting the full pitch allotment. 

Pushing Rasmussen back a day put him on short rest for Game 5 when he would have had normal rest if the wheels hadn’t been set in motion in Game 1. 

Rasmussen was the team’s best pitcher all year, and Tampa Bay was steadfast in protecting his arm, given he’s had two Tommy John surgeries and an internal brace put in his right arm in 2023. 

The Rays offense also deserves plenty of blame, scoring one run with their season on the line — and putting just six total up in the final 38 innings of the series.

As a player who arrived in the organization in the 2016 draft, Keegan Akin is one of the longest-tenured Orioles. We have been hearing about him as a prospect and then seeing him as a major league player for more than a decade. After all of that, Akin came into 2026 as a platform year heading into free agency. His up-and-down Orioles tenure is likely ending on a down note after a season where he was pretty bad until a June injury turned out to require season-ending Tommy John surgery.

One thing that I take as a given when considering relievers in general is the concept of year-to-year volatility. At least one guy is going to be better than people thought, and at least one guy is going to be worse than people thought. You might be able to make an educated guess which ends up being which, but you never really know. The same guy can fit both of these descriptions across multiple seasons.

Akin, over his time with the team, has embodied this about as well as anybody. After he failed his way out of the rotation in 2021, he was a speculative reliever conversion heading into 2022. He was pretty good! Then, out of nowhere, he was terrible in 2023, all while keeping pretty good peripheral stats. Akin returned to good results in 2024 – though the team had zero trust in him and was almost fanatical in only using him in low-leverage situations – and was also good in 2025, with concerning peripherals last year making him more of a question mark heading into 2026.

The alarm bells that were sounding in his under-the-hood metrics a year ago turned out to be for real. Akin missed the first month of the season due to a groin strain, then as he made his way back from the injured list, he showed how his season was going to go by giving up six runs in the span of an inning during a 17-1 blowout loss to the Red Sox on April 25. That was the first that we saw of Akin this season. What a disaster.

Every fan has their guys where what you mostly remember about them are the times that they stunk. I’ll be honest with you: Akin is one of those guys for me. The idea that Akin had three separate seasons where he had an ERA of 3.41 or lower escapes from my brain every time it goes in. I remember all of the times that he was bad. Akin giving up six runs in an inning is basically what I expected every time. He did it again this year, turning a close contest against the Nationals on May 16 into a 13-3 laugher by giving up six runs while getting only one out.

In a classic of the “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” genre, Akin was fine if you take out those two outings. He pitched 22 other games and allowed just four earned runs in those games. Maybe if he had July, August, and September to keep pitching, he would have been able to turn around the unsightly 5.68 ERA.

The Orioles probably would have given him chances to do that, following the pattern they established over multiple years with Cionel Pérez, who bombed early on only to keep sticking around on the roster and salvage his numbers somewhat. There are some good things on his Statcast page, namely that batters weren’t hitting the ball hard off of him because they were so infrequently squaring him up. There are also some not-so-good things: Akin was not making batters swing and miss, posting the lowest K/9 of his career, just 6.0. Some relievers can do well without that many strikeouts; teammate Albert Suárez is one of them. Many do not do so well.

Akin did not get to pitch the last three months to see whether he could improve things. His season was cut short when he injured his elbow at the end of June. This led to mid-July Tommy John surgery that will probably knock him out of action for nearly all, if not all, of the 2027 season as well. Akin will be 33 years old by the time he gets to seriously pitch again.

The injury in combination with the poor 2026 performance probably means that Akin will not end up ever getting the opportunity to get a real free agent contract. That was rough luck for him. Even one year for a few million would have been better than he got for most of his arbitration seasons.

Some team will probably at least extend Akin a minor league contract with a spring training invitation when 2028 rolls around. Maybe it will even be the Orioles. If he really liked it here, he might take it. There’s not much risk in handing out spring training invitations to see whether a guy has something left in the tank, as long as you correctly assess what he’s got in the tank before potentially giving him a big league roster spot again.

By season’s end, the role that the Orioles went into the season thinking would be Akin’s had been taken over by a completely different age-31 lefty, Josh Walker. Camden Chat colleague Andrea wrote about Walker yesterday. Somebody stinks or gets hurt or both and the roster moves on. Akin ended up on the wrong end of that for 2026 and that may be the final memory that we have of him as an Oriole.

Ryan Yarbrough’s four-seam fastball averaged 87.1 mph in 2026, in the 1st percentile of all major leaguers. His strikeout and whiff rates are also mediocre. Chase and groundball percentages? Also blue in Statcast. Yet the left-hander managed to post a 3.69 ERA in 63.1 innings for the Yankees in 2026.

Yarbrough got a much-deserved B in our Report Cards this season, although it arguably could have been a bit higher because it was also a B in 2025 when he posted a 4.36 ERA and a 5.04 FIP. The southpaw is who he is at this point, but he has found a home with the Yankees as the organization has encouraged him to pitch to his strengths. And it has worked.

Grade: B

2026 Stats (Overall): 38 games, 63.1 IP, 3.69 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 4.81 xFIP, 18.3 K%, 8.6 BB%, 0.7 fWAR, 0.2 rWAR

2027 Contract Status: Free agent

Despite limited velocity and bat-missing ability, Yarbrough excels at one thing: contact management. Hitters just can’t find the barrel of the bat against him with any semblance of consistency.

Yarbrough ranked in the 96th percentile with his 3.6 percent barrel rate this year, and led the league with his 25 percent hard-hit rate. A whopping three-quarters of his batted balls left the bat at 94 mph or lower and, as you can imagine, it’s much easier to field an 84 mph soft liner than a 102 mph line drive.

The contrast between his average fastball velo (and percentile ranking) and his average exit velocity is one of the funniest things you will see today:

How does Yarbrough get away with such an underwhelming repertoire velocity-wise? Smarts. Command. Pitching know-how. Good coaching. A plan and perfect execution. A varied arsenal. And so on.

The left-hander uses five pitches almost evenly: a cutter (28.7 percent), changeup (22.7 percent), sweeper (19.8 percent), four-seamer (15.6 percent), and sinker (13.1 percent). The one chosen for every occasion will depend on a number of things, but only the ‘heater’ had a wOBA over .312 at .446, and it had a much lower .352 xwOBA. Every offering serves its purpose, and nothing goes to waste. That sums up his pitching philosophy of maximizing resources to get hitters out.

As things stand today, Yarbrough will enter the 2026-27 offseason as a free agent after the one-year, $2.5 million deal he signed before the 2026 campaign expires following the conclusion of the World Series. It will certainly not be a normal winter in baseball, but regardless of the looming lockout and what happens with the next CBA, a reunion makes sense for both the pitcher and the organization.

Will they reach a new agreement to extend Yarbrough’s stay in the Bronx? Nobody knows, but the Yankees should entertain the possibility. He is New York-proven, cheap, and highly effective in his multi-inning relief role. He is also highly versatile, having shown through the years the ability to adapt to various roles ranging from starter to a traditional one-inning bullpen piece.

Yarbrough won’t get you a strikeout per inning or triple-digit velocity. Heck, he won’t even crack 90 mph on the radar gun. But he performs, and he delivers when needed. That kind of profile deserves a spot on the roster.

See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.

In 2026, the San Diego Padres’ starting rotation was the roster’s weakest link. The group ranked 21st in the majors after posting a 4.40 ERA, a 1.335 WHIP, and 37 quality starts. Among the Padres’ top starters was Randy Vasquez, who emerged with a breakout season. 

Vasquez exceeded expectations

The right-hander recorded his first double-digit win total, finishing 10-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 32 appearances. The biggest difference from prior seasons was a rising strikeout rate and a declining walk rate.

Vasquez raised his strikeout rate from 13.7% in 2025 to 14.8% this season. This shift allowed the young starter to shave his walk rate from 9.1% to 6.3% in 2026. The result left his strikeout-to-walk ratio at 2.35 for the season.

Becoming a more complete starting pitcher

Another area of growth for Vasquez was shifting away from a cutter-heavy pitching approach to throwing more high-velocity four-seam fastballs. He paired it with a heavy sinker; together, they accounted for 50% of the pitches thrown in starts.

The starter’s four-seamer became his go-to out pitch to end potential scoring threats. A velocity jump (mid-90s) convinced him to rely on the pitch more frequently. Still, Vasquez found himself in tight scoring jams when the velocity of his four-seamer waned. His sinker was terrific in bailing him out and limiting damage.

It turned into a dominant secondary pitch, inducing ground balls at a 39.1% rate in 2026. His baserunner strand rate was strong (81.5%) at the start of the 2026 campaign, but it dipped to 77.4% by season’s end. 

He scaled back his cutter usage but found great success throwing the pitch away and outside the strike zone. The sharp movement kept hitters out in front, consistently yielding strikeouts or weak ground-ball outs.

The lone negative was that opposing teams’ batting average against him rose from .247 to .262 in 2026. However, Vasquez kept the ball inside the park. His home run rate went from 2.8% to 2.7% this season. Both numbers are well below the major league average of 3.1%. 

His breakout 2026 campaign has vaulted Vasquez into a primary role for the Padres’ starting rotation next spring. To prove last season was no fluke, he must sustain this level of consistency on the mound.

Padres News:

• Freddy Fermin came to the Padres as a much needed upgrade at the catcher position. However, in 2026 he struggled at the plate and became a defense-only backstop. See how Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball graded Fermin’s season.

• With the World Series over and a potential lockout on the horizon, the business of baseball takes center stage over the coming weeks for the Padres.

Baseball News:

• The Milwaukee Brewers dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the World Series to win their first championship.

• Brewers catcher William Contreras was named the World Series MVP.

• The Rays had a solid season that ended in disappointment after they struggled in the World Series.

Signing free agents is the easiest way to fill holes on a team, and the Yankees have plenty of them.

However, with most of the starting positions on the 2027 roster locked in, where can the Yanks look to improve? The bench needs a boost, and there are still questions surrounding second base and third base.

Not to mention the annual bullpen rebuild New York has become known for. 

While the Yanks should be looking to bring back some of their own free agents, like David Bednar and Paul Blackburn, we'll make this list more interesting by including only players who were not in pinstripes this past season, starting with the bullpen, then catcher and finally the infield.

Raisel Iglesias

The Braves' closer for the last four seasons, Iglesias would make a great Bednar replacement if he were to get away.

Despite putting up 30-plus saves every season as Atlanta's closer, he was a first-time All-Star in 2026 while pitching to a 2.55 ERA -- his third sub-3.00 ERA in the last four seasons -- with 34 saves and a 1.08 WHIP. 

The 36-year-old did miss some time this past season with shoulder inflammation, which isn't great, but he finished strong, helping the Braves win the NL East and make it to the NLDS. 

Adrian Morejon

The name seemingly on every team's lips. Morejon has dominated in his time with the Padres, especially most recently setting up for Mason Miller.

Morejon pitched his third consecutive season with a sub-3.00 ERA and while he wasn't as unhittable as he was in his lone All-Star season in 2025, he had a career-high in strikeouts (107) and in K/9 (11.2). 

With Brent Headrick already in the bullpen, Morejon would be a luxury as a southpaw, but would serve nicely as the setup man for whoever closes for the Bombers in 2027 and beyond. 

Alex Vesia

A pursuit of Vesia should not be impacted by potential pursuits of Blackburn and Bednar. 

Tim Hill, the once lockdown lefty specialist in the 'pen, is going to hit the market and Vesia would be an upgrade. Vesia pitched to a 2.64 ERA and struck out 74 batters across 58 innings for the Dodgers in 2026. The one bugaboo about him is his walk rate, as he averaged five walks per nine in 2026 and has a career walk rate of 4.3 per nine. 

But the Yankees could perhaps overlook it, especially if you consider his postseason numbers. Vesia pitched 3.1 scoreless innings this postseason and was dominant in 2024, allowing just two hits and two walks across 5.2 scoreless innings, en route to a World Series title over the Yankees. 

Pete Fairbanks

This would be a reclamation project. Fairbanks had a down 2026 with the Marlins, pitching to a 6.31 ERA (4.42 xERA) and a 1.35 WHIP after a magnificent 2025 with the Rays, when he locked down 27 saves and pitching to a 2.83 ERA. 

The right-hander was also injured, missing a few weeks due to a shoulder issue, but he should be looking for a prove-it, one-year deal and the Yankees could use him after the departures and question marks surrounding some of their relievers. 

Fairbanks' velocity was still in the 90th percentile per Baseball Savant, and he struck out batters at a 31.1 percent clip, so the stuff is there -- he just needs to execute. His 11.5 percent walk rate was his highest since 2020.

Tyler Stephenson

The former first-round pick of the Reds is heading to free agency. While Cincinnati could extend the qualifying offer, the Yankees should still do their due diligence and see if Stephenson would be right for their club.

Stephenson's overall offensive numbers have declined, but he is still elite when he barrels up the ball. In 2026, he was in the 82nd percentile in barrel percentage, 80th in exit velocity and 71st in hard-hit percentage. 

The 30-year-old is a good blocker behind the plate, but he isn't great at framing or holding runners on. It may be a necessary trade-off to get a competent bat. 

Ryan Jeffers

The biggest name among the free agent catchers, the Yankees looked into acquiring Jeffers at the deadline, but the Twins weren't willing to trade him. Now with Jeffers on the market, the Yanks can pursue Jeffers to bring that pop from the right side.

Although Jeffers, like Stephenson, isn't the strongest behind the plate, the offense is a must. If the Yankees can get him at a reasonable deal, it would be worth it. 

Alec Bohm

Made the pitch in our third base candidates list, but Bohm gives the Yankees a right-handed bat to play the hot corner on most days -- with McMahon coming in for late-game situations for defense -- and could replace Paul Goldschmidt, who is also a free agent,as the right-handed first base option. 

Bohm is durable, playing in at least 140 games in four of his last five seasons, and has been solid at the plate. He's one of only seven right-handed hitters to drive in at least 85 runs in three of the past four seasons. 

While his defense leaves a lot to be desired (-11 OAA playing third and first in 2026), it may be a worthy sacrifice to round out the lineup.

Eugenio Suarez

Another third base candidate from our list, Suarez could be the power option the Yankees could grab on the cheap after the veteran had a down season with the Reds.

Suarez's 2026 was so down that no team wanted him when he was put on waivers toward the end of the season. Perhaps that can motivate Suarez to recapture some of his prolific power. Suarez hit 26 bombs a season after smashing 49, but slashed .212/.307/.433 with an OPS of .740. It could be worth the risk for the Yanks if the money is right.

Like Bohm, Suarez's defensive metrics are not great. He played 50 games at third base in 2026 and had -7 OAA. His arm strength is also in the bottom 25 percent in the league, so a straight platoon with McMahon would be a must.

Luis Arraez

Speaking of players who can round out a lineup, Arraez is a hit machine, one the Yankees can surely use.

Arraez has improved defensively at second base, so that would be the only worthwhile position for him, so admittedly, this would be a luxury signing. His left-handed bat would replace Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s, but his market could be more robust than in years past. 

If the Yanks can swing a one-year deal for Arraez's services, it can change the lineup and even influence other hitters to be more contact-oriented.

Brandon Lowe

Lowe was arguably one of the best acquisitions last offseason. Coming from the Rays after an All-Star 2025 season, the veteran infielder helped the Pirates become one of the more prolific offenses in baseball in 2026.

Now a free agent, Lowe could be the low-key steal of the offseason for the Yankees. 

His offensive numbers were better across the board from his All-Star season, as he slashed .260/.331/.493 (.824 OPS) to go along with his 35 home runs and 96 RBI. And his defense is pretty solid at second base. He posted a career-best +12 OAA, playing 138 games at second in 2026. While not as athletically gifted as Chisholm, he has proven he can handle the position. 

Lowe's career splits against left-handers (.220/.274/.410) are similar to Chisholm's, so the same pitfalls that made the Yankees susceptible to southpaws are there. But it could be worth it for the production Lowe brings, especially if they feel Luis Garcia Jr. isn't a fit to play second base. 

With the Mets seemingly set at all three outfield positions, shortstop, third base (if Bo Bichette opts in), and catcher -- and with the long-term answer at second base likely coming soon in the form of one of their top prospects -- it's not the worst thing in the world that this year's free agent market is quite weak when it comes to position players.

If the Mets pursue a full-time first baseman, the selection will be limited. But it's possible the biggest noise by New York this offseason will be made with starting pitching additions -- whether they come via free agency, trade, or both.

On the free agent market, one of the best starting pitchers in recent memory is available. There are also a handful of strong rotation anchors a tier below that, and plenty of middle of the rotation starters as well.

There are some high-upside relievers available, too, and the Mets could certainly use one of them.

With free agency set to begin soon, there's every reason to believe there will be a spending frenzy over the next month with the lockout looming on Dec. 1 when the CBA expires. So the Mets, and every other team, could be in a race to that theoretical deadline.

Here are the 10 players the Mets should have highest on their list of targets, ranked:

10. Bryan Abreu, RHP

Abreu has been a stalwart in the Astros' bullpen since 2022, with a 2.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 12.4 strikeouts per nine over 344.1 innings. In addition to generating strikeouts at a huge clip, Abreu has been adept at limiting hits, with a H/9 of 6.8 or better each of the last five seasons.

Walks were an issue for Abreu in 2026, but that might have been a one-year blip given his steady walk rates in recent seasons.

9. Alex Vesia, LHP

With Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter set for free agency after this season, the Mets traded both of them ahead of the deadline as part of their bigger summer sell-off. Once Raley and Minter were gone, left-hander Nate Lavender made his MLB debut and excelled, showing that he deserves a spot in the 2027 bullpen. But New York should be seeking another left-hander to pair with him.

To that end, Vesia -- who has spent the last six years dominating for the Dodgers -- would be a strong fit. Vesia will be entering his age-31 season in 2027 and is coming off a year where he posted a 2.64 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while continuing to miss bats at an elite rate. In addition to his effectiveness, Vesia has been extremely durable, pitching in 56 games or more five seasons in a row, including a career-high 72 appearances in 2026. 

8. Ty France, 1B

As is noted above, the group of position player free agents is not terribly strong. That includes the first base options, which feature some platoon guys (Paul Goldschmidt among them) and two players who are coming off late-career breakouts. One of them is Jake Bauers, who had a .675 OPS in eight seasons as a part-time player before erupting to smack 26 homers with an .874 OPS this season for the Brewers. The other player who had a breakout is France.

Unlike Bauers, France had excelled in a regular role before, from 2020 to 2022 with the Padres and Mariners. Following a few down seasons offensively, France slashed .295/.363/.502 (.865 OPS) in 133 games in 2026. France, who won the Gold Glove award at first base in 2025, continued to excel defensively this season, landing in the 93rd percentile in OAA.

France also hits from the right side of the plate, which could be a plus for a lefty-heavy Mets lineup that includes Juan Soto, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing as key cogs.

7. Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP

After becoming one of the key pieces  in the Yankees' bullpen, Loaisiga's seasons in 2023 and 2024 were seriously impacted because of Tommy John surgery. He returned for the Yanks in 2025, but didn't round back into form until this past season.

In 67.0 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2026, Loaisiga had a 2.42 ERA (2.88 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP while allowing just three homers all year and walking a minuscule 1.7 batters per nine. Loaisiga relies mainly on a sinker that averages a tick under 98 mph and a changeup that averages 91 mph. He doesn't strike out a lot of batters, but is phenomenal when it comes to limiting hard contact and generating ground balls.

In 2026, Loaisiga was in the 93rd percentile or better in average exit velocity allowed, chase percentage, barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage, and ground ball percentage.

6. Kevin Gausman, RHP

After back-to-back seasons where the Mets were done in mainly because they ran out of reliable starting pitchers, they should be aiming to add two legitimate starters this offseason, as well as additional rotation depth.

One of those two main rotation adds should be an ace, with the other filling more of a mid-rotation role -- something that Gausman profiles in at this point of his career. Gausman's ERA was a tick high in 2026 (4.51), but his FIP (3.74), WHIP (1.27), walk rate (2.4 per nine), and strikeout rate (9.3 per nine) indicate he's still a quality starter. He is also one of the most reliable pitchers in the majors, having pitched 174.2 innings or more six seasons in a row.

Ahead of his age-36 season, Gausman -- who has hinted at retiring soon -- could possibly be had on a one-year deal.

5. Clay Holmes, RHP

Holmes is one of David Stearns' biggest free agent hits, with him excelling in the rotation after the Mets signed him and transitioned him back to being a starting pitcher. Before he was traded to the Cubs at the deadline in the deal that brought top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas to New York, Holmes was viewed as one of the clubhouse leaders.

Given Holmes' ability, clubhouse presence, and familiarity with the New York market, it should be a no-brainer for the Mets to consider a reunion -- something SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes recently reported Holmes would be open to.

Since Holmes is about to enter his age-34 season, it's possible he can be snagged on a two- or three-year deal.

4. Michael King, RHP

It feels likely that King will opt out of the final two years of his deal with the Padres and attempt to cash in this winter -- something that would be wise coming off a huge 2026 season.

In 32 starts over a career-high 185.0 innings, King had a 3.21 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while allowing just 148 hits. King's strikeout rate was down this past season, but his stuff -- a five-pitch mix that includes a sinker, changeup, and sweeper -- graded out near the top of the sport.

There have been some serious injury issues during King's career, including a thoracic nerve issue that impacted him in 2025, but he was healthy for all of 2026. And a healthy King is a top of the rotation starter.

Another plus is that King grew up in the Northeast and has familiarity with the New York market, having played with the Yankees from 2019 to 2023. 

3. Adrian Morejon, LHP

The Mets' bullpen situation is solid, but there are huge questions at the back end given Devin Williams' mediocre 2026 (and 2025) and the uncertainty surrounding Kodai Senga's role and future.

But even if the Mets are confident Williams will bounce back and envision Senga back in the bullpen, they should still be attempting to bring in a dominant force to close -- or to at the very least step in for Williams if it's deemed he's best suited for a setup role.

Enter Morejon, who will be in his age-28 season in 2027 and has been pretty much injury-free since 2023. Over the last three years, Morejon has a 2.58 ERA (2.46 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP in 223.1 innings while striking out 248 (a rate of 10.0 per nine). In 2026, Morejon was in the 90th percentile or better in hard-hit percentage, xERA, average exit velocity against, xBA, fastball velocity, chase percentage, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, barrel percentage, and ground ball percentage.

One downside here is that Morejon will almost certainly be saddled with the qualifying offer.

2. Teruaki Sato, INF/OF

Speaking shortly after the season ended, Stearns said the expectation was that the team would look externally for first base help.

Whether that means a platoon partner to share time with Jared Young or someone who profiles as a full-time player remains to be seen. But if the Mets are searching for a regular first baseman whose presence would slide Young to a bench role (they should be), Sato would be the most logical choice.

The Mets haven't made a splash with a Japanese position player since they signed Kaz Matsui ahead of the 2004 season, and the club didn't seem terribly interested in either Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto last offseason. So a strong pursuit of Sato would be a bit of a surprise. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't make sense.

Primarily a third baseman in Japan, the belief of many experts is that Sato profiles as a first baseman in the majors. And he has thunder in his bat, having won the Central League MVP in 2025 and the Triple Crown in 2026. In 143 games this past season for the Hanshin Tigers, Sato hit .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs, 40 doubles, 100 runs scored, and 106 RBI.

There are some strikeout concerns with Sato, but his upside is sky high, the Mets have a glaring need at first base, and it's time for them to take a swing.

1. Tarik Skubal, LHP

Surprised?

With a young starting staff that includes Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, and could also feature Zac Thornton and eventually Jonathan Santucci, the Mets need a finishing piece -- a true ace who slides in at the top of the rotation. Skubal should be that guy.

And it can be argued that the stars are aligning for Skubal to the Mets.

There's the aforementioned need, the fact that Skubal won't be attached to a qualifying offer, the fact that the Mets have a huge chunk of money coming off their payroll after 2027, and the likelihood that there will not be another starting pitcher like this hitting the free agent market until after 2029 -- when Paul Skenes could theoretically be available.

Put that all together and the question becomes this: If Stearns isn't willing to make an exception for Skubal, it's fair to wonder if the Stearns-led Mets will ever bend their philosophy when it comes to megadeals for "older" starting pitchers. And if they don't, they'll continue to be left out in the cold.

LOS ANGELES — The World Series ended on Wednesday, which brings the official start of the offseason. First up was 6 a.m. PT on Thursday, with scores of players across the sport now officially free agents. Nine Dodgers are free agents, headlined by ace pitcher Tarik Skubal.

Miguel Rojas is also a free agent, though he’s retiring as a player to move into a role in the Dodgers front office. Other Dodgers free agents as of Thursday morning are Kiké Hernández, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Kris Bubic, and Eric Lauer.

Skubal was the Dodgers’ prized acquisition at the trade deadline, with the two-time Cy Young Award winner coming to Los Angeles on August 2 with River Ryan, Zyhir Hope, and Brady Smith headed back to the Detroit Tigers.

The left-hander had a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts down the stretch, with 70 strikeouts and 13 walks in 62 innings, and allowed three runs with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 11 innings in two postseason Game 1 starts. Skubal got the win over Atlanta in the National League Division Series and took a 2-1 loss in Milwaukee in the National League Championship Series.

Because Skubal switched teams during the season, he’s not eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Dodgers. Same goes for Eric Lauer and Kris Bubic, but they weren’t going to get a qualifying offer anyway.

The Dodgers got Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays in May to fill in once Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell made their annual stops on the injured list. Lauer lasted six innings in seven of his first 11 games with the Dodgers, and didn’t allow more than three runs in each of his first nine appearances before fading. In all, Lauer had a 4.50 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts, with 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 72 innings with the Dodgers.

Bubic was an All-Star starting pitcher in 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, but this year missed three and a half months on the injured list, first with elbow soreness then with shoulder soreness suffered while on rehab, and was acquired by Los Angeles on August 3. The left-hander joined the Dodgers in September and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless frames in his six appearances. Bubic pitched twice in the postseason and gave up a run both times, taking the loss in Game 2 of the NLDS and surrendering the tying run in Game 2 of the NLCS.

Bullpen mainstays now free

Vesia led the Dodgers with 72 appearances and put up a 2.64 ERA and 2.68 xERA with three saves, 74 strikeouts and 32 walks in 58 innings. After appearing in five games for the Miami Marlins in 2020, the Dodgers acquired Veisa that offseason and he’s spent the last six years as a stalwart in the back end of their bullpen, with a 2.66 ERA while averaging 61 innings, 54 2/3 innings, and 73 strikeouts.

“Looking back, getting drafted was a very big goal for me, and obviously Miami took a chance on a kid in the 17th round, and then the Dodgers liked what they saw. I definitely give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and the players and personnel in this room,” Vesia said on October 15. “I would not be where I’m at if it wasn’t for all of them. I’ve had very hard conversations, very happy conversations, a lot of great conversations that molded me into who I am and how I go about my business. The standard that is set here, to be great day in and day out is something that’s very motivating, and it’s been a great journey.”

Treinen has been with the Dodgers for seven years, with each of the last five years interrupted by injuries. In 2026 Treinen missed two and a half months with elbow inflammation, then suffered a shoulder injury during the last weekend of the regular season that removed any possible temptation for manager Dave Roberts to use Treinen in key situations this October. In between, Treinen had a 3.64 ERA and 5.07 xERA in 36 games, with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 29 2/3 innings. He turns 39 next June.

Phillips was acquired on a waiver claim from the Rays in August 2021, and spend most of the last five-plus years as one of the best relievers in baseball. This year, Phillips finished his rehab from 2025 Tommy John surgery and debuted with the Dodgers in July. He put up a 3.64 ERA and 4.37 xERA in 31 games, with 33 strikeouts against six walks in 26 innings. In the postseason he made five more scoreless in October to keep his lifetime postseason ERA at 0.00, and he notched his first postseason save in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Brusdar Graterol has been with the Dodgers since 2020 but hasn’t pitched since 2024, missing most of that time after shoulder surgery. This year Graterol made four rehab appearances in May before getting shut down with a back injury that eventually required surgery.

Treinen, Graterol, Vesia, and Phillips were the four longest-tenured pitchers on the Dodgers 40-man roster. With all four now free agents, that distinction currently belongs to Gavin Stone, who debuted three weeks earlier than fellow 2020 draftee Bobby Miller.

October maven

Acquired during the 2014 winter meetings, Kiké Hernández has played for the Dodgers during 10 of the last 12 seasons, and was a part of all five pennant winners of the Dave Roberts era in Los Angeles. 2026 was injury plagued for Hernández, who missed the first 53 games of the season after offseason elbow surgery, then missed another 51 games with an oblique strain. He hit .222/.271/.400 with a 83 wRC+ in all of 96 plate appearances.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me personally moving forward for next year, but this team is well-positioned to keep winning, keep competing until October,” Hernández said on October 15. “Not only is this locker room very talented, but there are a lot of guys in the minor league system that can really be impactful players. The organization is in good hands.

Hernández, the all-time Dodgers leader with 98 postseason games played, was reacquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Boston Red Sox, then signed one-year deals latein each of thenext three offseasons.

“I love this place. I’ve played for three other teams, but every time I look at my career, I kind of obviously go back to this place,” Hernández said. “I hope I get back, I feel I have a lot left to serve.”

With these nine players now free agents, the Dodgers have 37 players on their 40-man roster.