Category: Sports News

We may long for anotherJuan Soto-like sweepstakes to crank up the baseball hot stove, but there’s really no player of that level available in free agency this winter. Still, there’s plenty of talented help on the market. And several players who will get big money. 

Where will they go? What franchise-shaping moves await? So exciting. 

We’re here to stoke the coals with our annual predictions of where 10 of the top MLB free agents land. Here’s our list: 

Dylan Cease - Orioles

After consecutive playoff appearances, Baltimore cratered last season, finishing last in the AL East at 75-87. Starting pitching was certainly one of the culprits – the O’s 4.65 rotation ERA was 24th in MLB. Enter Cease, who will be 30 next month. He’s got five straight seasons of 32-plus starts and at least 214 strikeouts on his resume. He’s not perfect, as a 4.55 ERA and career-high 21 homers allowed in 2025 shows. But he can deliver plenty of quality innings to a team looking to get back in the AL East mix.

Eugenio Suárez - Tigers

If the Tigers keep ace Tarik Skubal, the hottest name on the trade market, expect them to take some free-agency swings to fuel a run in what could be Skubal’s last season in Detroit. It’s only natural to think third base, since the Kitties got some of the worst production in MLB at the position. Their hot corner produced 11 home runs – only three teams, all bad, had fewer – and a .628 OPS, which ranked 27th. Suárez cranks tanks. His 49 homers last year between Arizona and Seattle matched his career high. 

Ranger Suárez - Mets

Did the Mets have a good season in 2025? No, they did not. Disappointment reigned in Queens over the summer, so big moves could rule this winter. The Mets need to enhance a shaky rotation and, while there’s been a lot of oxygen spent on the trade market, a free agency grab like Suárez would be a wonderful supplement. His 3.59 ERA since 2022 ranks 18th among pitchers with at least 550 innings pitched in that span and he’s got a lifetime 1.48 ERA in the postseason over 11 appearances. 

Pete Alonso - Mets

We’ve entered the weird portion of the baseball calendar where too many focus on what a player can’t do and gloss over what he can. Since Alonso’s career started, he’s got the third-most homers in baseball and he’s also played more games than anyone. He posts and he slugs and these are insanely valuable commodities. After a better platform year, his market should improve, but there’s a certain amount of shrugging across the game about over-30 first baseman who aren’t graceful defenders. He doesn’t fit David Stearns’ run prevention edict, but Alonso, beloved by many Met fans, fits in Queens in every other way, from providing power to enhancing club history. This’ll be the fans’ reward for showing up at the ballpark last season. 

Framber Valdez - Giants

The Giants must deal with the Dodgers in the NL West, and LA just won the World Series with a nasty rotation. Perhaps Buster Posey and Co. should build one of their own and tuck Valdez into a rotation that already features ace Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Since 2022, only one pitcher has thrown more innings than Valdez – Webb! – and in that span Valdez has a lower ERA than Webb by a smidge (3.21 to 3.22). The Giants have made some bold moves, from hiring Posey to run the front office to trading for Rafael Devers to tabbing a college coach, Tony Vitello, to manage. Valdez is another.

Bo Bichette - Mets

Bichette, who turns 28 in March, batted .311 for Toronto this season with 44 doubles and 18 home runs. He’s probably not a shortstop anymore, which is ideal, considering the Mets have Francisco Lindor locked in there. But he might make a nifty second sacker or even a third baseman while helping to lengthen the Met lineup. He gets the ball in play effectively – he had a career-best 14.5 percent strikeout rate last year, well below MLB average. 

Cody Bellinger - Yankees

Enough already with the “takes” of Bellinger fitting here, fitting there. Of course he does! The guy fits everywhere. He’s crazy versatile, with the ability to fix any outfield hole and play a deft first base. He’s a good defensive player, a good baserunner, a glue guy. It’s just too perfect for him in the Bronx, where he enjoyed a terrific first season in 2025 with 29 homers, an .813 OPS and a bushel of clutch hits. Yanks also need guys who aren’t boom-bust homer hunters. Bellinger had a tiny 13.7 percent strikeout rate, by far the best on the roster. He’s not changing cities.

Kyle Schwarber - Phillies

Honestly, anything other than a return to Philly would be overthinking by both parties. Schwarber, who since 2019 has more homers than anyone in baseball other than Aaron Judge, was a dangerous slugger before he got to Philadelphia in 2022 and he’s upped his output since then with seasons of 46, 47, 38 and 56 homers. He’s even trimmed his strikeouts and improved his batting average. No brainer.

Alex Bregman – Red Sox

Bregman, a gritty-gutty third baseman who can hit and defend, opted out of his Red Sox deal, but he goes back to continue his mentorship of all those talented Boston young’uns. The Sox seem ascendant and Bregman’s wide array of talents are too good to pass on. In a world where he bolts Boston, though, watch for Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami at Fenway.

Kyle Tucker - Dodgers

Los Angeles had the second-most productive offense in baseball during the regular season (5.09 runs per game, behind only the Yankees), hit the second-most homers and notched the second-best OPS. Cool, right? Well, the lineup showed pockmarks during the postseason and the Dodgers must make upgrades. Enter Tucker, the best free agent hitter available. In 136 games with the Cubs last season, he had 22 home runs, 25 steals and an .841 OPS while dealing with injuries. He’s an able defender who fits nicely in their lineup next to Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernandez. Watch out – this is a three-peat kind of move.

Giants manager Tony Vitello details differences between coaching college, MLB originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Tony Vitello is doing what no MLB manager has done before: Make the jump from college baseball to the big leagues with no prior experience in the league. 

The new Giants manager has been peppered with questions about how his college experience will translate to the major leagues. But knowing the differences in coaching at the two levels is a good start. 

On the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Vitello discussed two key areas of difference between college and professional baseball. 

“Recruiting, you can have a voice maybe with trades or free agency,” Vitello said. “And I think that’s something that pro players look at is: what park do I want to play in, what city do I want to live in, what coaches?” 

Recruiting was one of Vitello’s strengths as the leader of the Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball program, building many strong recruiting classes to establish a foundation on which he landed the school’s first College World Series championship. 

He can play a part in convincing free agents to sign with San Francisco and has the know-how to accomplish that, but the onus does not fall completely on him as it did in college. 

“It’s not like recruiting goes away, but you’re not in charge of your roster anymore,” Vitello noted. 

That’s where he now can rely on a baseball operations staff led by Buster Posey and Zack Minasian. 

The other key difference Vitello mentions is building relationships with a variety of players at different stages of their careers. 

“The kids you work with in college are so impressionable. They’ll latch on to about anything you’ll give them,” Vitello explained. “I don’t know what I don’t know, but I assume a 35-year-old in the big leagues for a while, he’s pretty much got his system figured out, so it’ll be a little bit different of a co-op or relationship there.” 

Two players who have made the jump from college to MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, both believe Vitello has the tools to succeed in the majors. 

“I feel blessed to be the guy, but [I’m] also the guinea pig,” Vitello said. 

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After failing to get to the ALCS, the Yankees will need to retool their roster if they hope to finally capture their first World Series in more than 15 years. That's especially the case with key players like Trent Grisham, Devin Williams,and Cody Bellinger hitting the free agent market.

The free agent class is star-studded with plenty of starting arms, relievers, and a few All-Star caliber hitters who would help the Yanks in 2026 and beyond.

Of course, GM Brian Cashman and the front office can pick up any player, but there are a few specific names that the team should pursue this offseason. There are also some names that, while the Yankees don't necessarily need, could raise the team's ceiling.

Here are the top 10 free agents the Yankees should pursue this offseason...

10. 3B Alex Bregman

If this were a year ago, Bregman would be much higher on the list. But after the Yanks acquired Ryan McMahon at the trade deadline, the need for a third baseman is no longer there. But if one of the best third basemen in the league is available, you need to at least explore the possibility.

Bregman brings great defense and can still hit, both in the regular season and postseason. Yeah, his swing may not be great for Yankee Stadium, but perhaps the Yankees can get creative with how they use Bregman and McMahon. It's hard to pass up on the production Bregman can bring.

9. 1B Pete Alonso

Again, a position that the Yankees don't need to fill, but adding Alonso would raise the production they would get from that corner to heights they haven't seen in quite some time.

Sure, there are holes in Alonso's game. His defense leaves a lot to be desired and he is not the fleetest of foot on the basepaths, but he makes up for it with his power and durability. Alonso would replace Paul Goldschmidt -- who is a free agent -- on the roster, and the team will have to decide what to do with young Ben Rice.

Alonso plays every day, so Rice would either be part of a platoon with Austin Wells at catcher or a candidate to be traded.

There's also Alonso's reported contract demands to take into account. While I don't believe he'll receive a seven-year offer, the soon-to-be-31-year-old is looking for a long-term deal and I speculate the Yanks don't have an appetite for it. But if the market brings Alonso's demands down, the Yankees could do worse at first base. 

8. RHP Luke Weaver

Weaver is one of two key relievers the Yankees could lose this offseason. And while his 2025 ended poorly, New York should seriously consider bringing Weaver back.

Every offseason, Cashman is tasked with rebuilding his bullpen, and has consistently done a good job. With David Bednar and Camilo Doval still with the club in 2026, the Yankees need another arm or two to round out the 'pen and be playoff ready. 

And while fans may scoff at bringing Weaver back, you can't deny he was dominant in 2024 and was crucial to the team's World Series run that year. He also has the temperament for the city and can handle the pressure. And if he can get over the whole pitch-tipping debacle at the end of the 2025 season, he and the Yankees should find a way to reunite.

7. INF Bo Bichette

The shortstop position is not as steady as it seemed a couple of years ago.

With Anthony Volpe's offense and defense regressing in recent seasons, the young infielder is not a shoo-in as the starter. So, what should the Yankees do? Upgrade, of course, or at least look into it.

Bichette, 27, is entering free agency after having arguably his best season as a pro. It was also a nice bounce back from his injury-plagued 2024. But with that comes some potential pitfalls. Bichette will be looking for a lucrative, long-term deal and his injury history is something to be wary of. The shortstop missed most of the postseason with a knee injury and although he likely won't need surgery, it's something that should be monitored.

Do your due diligence on the medicals, and check in to see if Bichette is gettable. It would resolve the shortstop position for years to come.

6. RHP Devin Williams

Williams is the other big reliever set to test free agency, and one the Yankees should look into bringing back. The organization clearly values and likes what Williams can bring -- they wouldn't have traded for him if they didn't. Despite his roller coaster first season in the Bronx, he rounded into form at the end, and could be a valuable piece for the 2026 Yankees.

Truthfully, Williams may not want to return. There was intense pressure on him after his early-season struggles, and perhaps he'd prefer a smaller market like when he thrived in Milwaukee. Also, he could be looking for closer money this offseason. The Yanks have Bednar, who became their closer down the stretch, but would a reunion with Williams be predicated on being the closer again?

The Yankees could use those dollars elsewhere, but checking in on Williams should be on the docket.

5. 1B/3B Kazuma Okamoto

Okamoto, on paper, fits what the Yankees need. He's a right-handed bat who, while he has some pop -- leading the Central League in home runs three times -- has a lower strikeout rate than Munetaka Murakami, another Japanese hitter ready to be posted this offseason, and is a plus defender. 

Bringing Okamoto in can allow the Yankees to have him play alongside both Rice and McMahon at either corner, depending on the pitching matchups. 

He'll also be a relatively cheaper option than Murakami. While he is already 29, the combination of power, contact skills and defense makes Okamoto an intriguing option.

4. 1B/3B Munetaka Murakami

And speaking of Murakami. Sure, Okamoto offers the defense and right-handed bat the Yankees need for their roster, but could you not explore bringing in one of the best power-hitting prospects to come out of Japan in recent memory?

His left-handed bat doesn't fit with Rice and McMahon at the corners, but like with Alonso, the addition of Murakami could free the Yanks up to deal Rice.

Murakami, 26, is also younger than Okamoto, so the Yankees could get a lot more mileage out of him.

3. RHP Michael King

Could King return to the Bronx? 

After the Yankees traded him to the Padres in the deal for Juan Soto, the right-hander is a free agent -- and a reunion is possible. 

The Yankees know what they'd be getting with King, so adding him back into the rotation mix would be seamless. Despite dealing with injuries in 2025, King still pitched to a 3.44 ERA with a strikeout rate of 9.3 per nine. He's only a year removed from his breakout 2024, when he finished seventh in Cy Young voting and pitched to a 2.95 ERA in his first full season as a starter.

New York has a lot of starters already, but Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon will miss the beginning of the season, and the Yankees need arms to stay afloat until reinforcements come. Adding a pitcher like King also allows them to trade one or both of Luis Gil/Will Warren to a team that could use major league ready pitchers. 

2. OF Cody Bellinger

No. 1 and No. 2 on this list can be flip-flopped, however you see fit. But either way, the Yankees need an elite outfielder and Bellinger gives them that in spades. 

Bellinger is a plus defender at various positions, giving the Yankees flexibility while also delivering power, contact hitting and base running. Most importantly, Bellinger has proven he can do it in New York. That's something that shouldn't be undervalued.

He would also cost considerably less than the No. 1 free agent, allowing the Yanks to stretch out their payroll a bit more.

1. OF Kyle Tucker

And here we are, with arguably the highest-profile name on the free agent market this year. 

The arguments can be made for either Bellinger or Tucker, but Tucker gives the Yankees a more dangerous offensive presence behind Aaron Judge. Perhaps the Yankees would overlook his defensive shortcomings -- in relation to Bellinger -- for that firepower. 

Re-signing Bellinger is the prudent and safer choice, but Tucker would be the splash this team potentially needs to get over the hump.