Tucker to Dodgers? A reunion in Philly and Boston? Best fits for top MLB free agents

There is no Juan Soto in MLB free agency this year. There is definitely no Shohei Ohtani. But although there might not be a player who will inspire people to track the flight paths of private jets on social media, it's an intriguing class of free agents nonetheless -- one especially deep in power hitters.

Let's look at 14 of the most interesting free agents, assuming a few likely player opt-outs, and some potential best fits for each player. We'll leave out some of the top relievers -- Edwin Diaz (opt-out), Robert Suarez (opt-out), Devin Williams -- and instead focus on the top position players and starting pitchers available this winter.

Players are ranked in order of their Baseball-Reference WAR from 2025.

Cody Bellinger, OF/1B (opt-out)

2025 stats: .272/.334/.480, 29 HR, 98 RBIs, 13 SB, 5.0 WAR
2026 age: 30

Best fit: New York Mets

Bellinger surprisingly tops the list in 2025 WAR, although that doesn't by any means suggest he's going to get the biggest contract. Indeed, although he offers positional versatility with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base, teams will be skeptical of his 2025 numbers since he hit .302 with 18 home runs and a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium with its short porch compared with .241 with 11 home runs and a .715 OPS on the road. Bellinger works for the Mets both in center field -- heck, they were playing 33-year-old infielder Jeff McNeil out there at times -- and at first, if they don't re-sign Pete Alonso.

Another possible fit: New York Yankees

A reunion with the Yankees is possible, but if the Yankees are committed to Jasson Dominguez in left field and give Spencer Jones a shot in center, they're going to be reluctant to give Bellinger a long-term contract. Given some of their recent returns on long deals (DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton), they probably don't want to get sucked into another big contract for a non-superstar player, no matter how good Bellinger was in 2025.

Kyle Schwarber, DH

2025 stats: .240/.365/.563, 56 HR, 132 RBIs, 4.7 WAR
2026 age: 33

Best fit: Philadelphia Phillies

Everyone expects Schwarber to return to the Phillies, coming off his 56-homer season and with his added value as one of the best teammates in the game. Nothing is guaranteed, however, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is balancing a lot of decisions this offseason. J.T. Realmuto is also a free agent, Ranger Suarez is a free agent and Zack Wheeler's return is a question, plus the team in general is getting older. But it's still a team in a championship window -- if Schwarber remains in the lineup.

Another possible fit: Mets

Think the Mets would love to steal Schwarber away from the Phillies? Addition and then subtraction from your rival. Would Schwarber leave the Phillies for the enemy? Players are a lot less loyal than we'd like to believe. Starling Marte was the Mets' primary DH and he's a free agent, plus consider: The Mets signed Soto and Alonso had a better season -- and yet they still scored two fewer runs than 2024. It was an above-average offense, fifth in the NL in runs, but it wasn't a great offense. Adding Schwarber could take it to the next level.

Ranger Suarez, LHP

2025 stats: 12-8. 3.20 ERA, 157 IP, 154 H, 38 BB, 151 SO, 4.7 WAR
2026 age: 30

Best fit: Detroit Tigers

Suarez has been a steady and underrated pitcher since 2021, with a 3.25 ERA over the past five seasons, relying on a six-pitch repertoire that allows him to overcome below-average fastball velocity. He always gets dinged up at some point, so he's a 150-inning pitcher as opposed to a 180-inning guy, but that still makes him a good fit for the Tigers, who need rotation depth, should have plenty of room in the payroll and could trade Tarik Skubal (sorry, Tigers fans).

Another possible fit: Toronto Blue Jays

Suarez will have a lot of interest even though he lacks that blistering fastball. Indeed, his lack of No. 1-starter pedigree will bring more teams into the bidding, even if he's expected to get a nine-figure deal. The Blue Jays are an interesting fit here. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents, Shane Bieber has a player option and Kevin Gausman is a free agent after the 2026 season. They'll be looking for some long-term stability in the rotation.

Kyle Tucker, OF

2025 stats: .266/.377/.464, 22 HR, 73 RBIs, 25 SB, 4.5 WAR
2026 age: 29

Best fit: Los Angeles Dodgers

If healthy, Tucker would have led this list in WAR -- he was hitting .291/.395/.537 for the Chicago Cubs at the end of June when he suffered a fracture in his right hand, which he tried to play through. But he hit just .225 the rest of the way. Indeed, he's projected to get the biggest contract of the offseason, perhaps as much as $400 million.

As good as he has been, there are some Anthony Rendon vibes here: Tucker has now been injured two years in a row (he also missed much of September with a calf injury); he's turning 29; his speed/range Statcast metrics aren't great (26th percentile in both categories); and he's not a "face of the franchise" type of personality, which you normally expect for $400 million.

Could the Dodgers absorb another huge contract? Well, why not? The Dodgers are the best fit of "will spend money" and "have need," considering they got nothing from left field in 2025 and suddenly have concerns about Mookie Betts' long-term impact at the plate after his subpar (for him) season.

Another possible fit: San Francisco Giants

The Giants, of course, have been trying to land an elite offensive player in free agency forever -- finally trading for Rafael Devers last June. Giants corner outfielders hit just .237/.309/.378 with 37 home runs and 12 stolen bases, so adding Tucker to the lineup would give them a much-needed second lefty power hitter (with rookie slugger Bryce Eldridge likely to take over at first base, too).

Framber Valdez, LHP

2025 stats: 13-11, 3.66 ERA, 192 IP, 171 H, 68 BB, 187 SO, 3.8 WAR
2026 age: 32

Best fit: Baltimore Orioles

At some point, the Orioles will sign the front-line starter they need, right? Right? They finished 24th in rotation ERA at 4.65 and had seven starters who made at least 10 starts in 2025 -- and four of them had ERAs over 5.00. That's not going to cut it in the AL East. Trevor Rogers (1.81 ERA in 18 starts) did emerge in the second half, and Kyle Bradish returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of the season, but the Orioles have lacked that durable No. 1-type starter and Valdez is second in innings pitched over the past four seasons.

Another possible fit: Houston Astros

The Astros have the need to bring Valdez back as the rotation was mostly a mess in 2025 aside from him and Hunter Brown. The payroll, however, looks pretty maxed out with the likes of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Josh Hader (they're also paying Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier a combined $39 million in 2026). Don't rule out a return, but the Astros have let other stars leave in free agency -- Correa, Alex Bregman, George Springer, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

2025 stats: .228/.298/.526, 49 HR, 118 RBIs, 3.6 WAR
2026 age: 34

Best fit: Athletics

The A's aren't often included in lists like this one -- especially for a player coming off 49 home runs -- but a lot of factors could push Suarez to the A's: his age, his below-average OBP and strikeout rate, his subpar production after he was traded to Seattle. The A's started nine different players at third base in 2025 (who combined for just 10 home runs), and Suarez would certainly bring power and durability -- he has missed just seven games the past three seasons. He's also a good clubhouse guy who would fit in with the team's younger players. The A's surprised people by signing Luis Severino last offseason, so they could land Suarez in a similar scenario.

Other possible fits: Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners

The Brewers (.234, 11 HR, .650 OPS) and Tigers (.221, 11 HR, .629) both made the playoffs despite subpar production at third base. Milwaukee loves high-contact offensive players, so maybe Suarez doesn't fit there, and Detroit might not want to add another high-strikeout rate guy in the middle of the lineup on top of Riley Greene. The D-backs and Mariners are familiar with Suarez -- he played for each in 2025 -- but both have young players in Jordan Lawlar and Colt Emerson whom they could play at third.

Alex Bregman, 3B (opt-out)

2025 stats: .273/.360/.462, 18 HR, 62 RBIs, 3.5 WAR
2026 age: 32

Best fit: Boston Red Sox

Bregman hit free agency last year and didn't sign until the middle of February, a three-year, $120 million deal with opt-outs after both 2025 and 2026. He played well enough with the Red Sox that he's likely to test free agency, even though a quad strain limited him to 114 games. After a hot start, he didn't hit nearly as well after returning in July -- .250/.338/.386. The big surprise is that the pull-happy Bregman hit better on the road (.875 OPS) than at Fenway (.761 OPS).

Still, the Red Sox remain the best fit. He was an important veteran presence for Boston's young position players, and he's a right-handed bat in a lineup otherwise heavy in lefties (Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida). Bregman's age presents some risk on a long-term deal, but although his speed metrics are sinking (17th percentile), he still has good range at third base and brought his OBP back up after it dropped to .315 in 2024.

Other possible fits: Tigers, Yankees, Phillies

Bregman's contact ability makes him a likely fit for the Tigers -- and he'll be too expensive for the Brewers. The interesting long-shot candidates would be the Yankees and Phillies. The Yankees have Ryan McMahon under contract, but he posted a .641 OPS after coming over from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline and his strikeout issues are a concern. The Phillies have Alec Bohm in his final year of team control, but Bohm produced just 1.3 WAR in 2025 and the Phillies are a little tired of his lack of postseason production (.225, 2 HR, 14 RBIs in 38 playoff games). Bregman's fire might be what the Phillies need.

Pete Alonso, 1B (opt-out)

2025 stats: .272/.347/.524, 38 HR, 126 RBIs, 3.4 WAR
2026 age: 31

Best fit: Mets

Alonso's stature -- and ability to hit home runs and drive in runs -- means he's the highest-profile free agent alongside Schwarber, even if his WAR puts him lower on this list. Alonso has averaged 42 home runs per 162 games throughout his career, and his durability is one of his selling points -- he hasn't missed a game the past two seasons. Alonso was a free agent last year and there wasn't much interest, so he went back to the Mets on a deal that gave him an opt-out and he responded with a better campaign in 2025.

Will there be more demand this offseason? Perhaps. But Alonso is a 31-year-old first baseman who is a below-average defender. He has elite power but not elite on-base percentages. That all makes him a "high risk" category, and he's not quite in the class of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman or Matt Olson, the first basemen who received big nine-figure deals since 2022. It's hard to envision Alonso leaving the Mets, but president of baseball operations David Stearns won't overpay to bring him back -- and Alonso might not be so willing to give the Mets a sweetheart of a deal this time around.

Other possible fits: Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals

The Texas Rangers didn't get the output they wanted from Jake Burger, the Red Sox could move on from Triston Casas, and the Phillies (if they don't sign Schwarber) and Atlanta Braves might consider Alonso as a DH, but let's toss out the Marlins. Their first basemen hit just .234 with 15 home runs. They haven't had a 2-WAR first baseman since Justin Bour in 2017 or a 3-WAR first baseman since Derrek Lee in 2002. Teams always think they can fill first base with adequate offense, but the Marlins are proof that's not always the case. Alonso is also from Florida, which might help. A more realistic long shot might be the Nationals, who need a big bopper and have plenty of room in the payroll.

Bo Bichette, 2B/3B/SS

2025 stats: .311/.357/.483, 18 HR, 94 RBIs, 3.4 WAR
2026 age: 28

Best fit: Giants

Bichette's free agency will be fascinating. Given his poor defensive metrics at shortstop, it's almost a certainty teams will be looking at him as a second or third baseman rather than a shortstop -- even the Blue Jays (the team he has been with his entire career), who would move Andres Gimenez to shortstop. That's not a bad thing for Bichette, as it opens up his possible destinations to more teams if he's willing to change positions.

Although he is a .294 hitter, it will be interesting to see how he ages: He already doesn't run well (21st percentile in speed) and he doesn't walk much, so his offensive production is heavily reliant on his batting average. We mentioned the Giants as a potential fit for Kyle Tucker. The same goes for Bichette, as Giants second basemen hit just .216/.273/.342.

Another possible fit: Kansas City Royals

OK, can the Royals realistically afford to sign Bichette? Probably not, but a double-play combination of Bobby Witt Jr. and Bichette would be a lot of fun, and Bichette's style of hitting would be a good fit for that park. Royals second basemen hit just .236 with 11 home runs, and we know the lineup needs something else. The Royals aren't the Pittsburgh Pirates or Tampa Bay Rays. They will spend some money -- although there isn't much wiggle room based on the 2025 payroll -- and there is a contention window right now with their current rotation.

Josh Naylor, 1B

2025 stats: .295/.353/.462, 20 HR, 92 RBIs, 30 SB, 3.1 WAR
2026 age: 29

Best fit: Mariners

Naylor was the perfect fit for the Mariners, who had not only struggled at first base, but also needed a more contact-oriented hitter like Naylor for the middle of the lineup when they traded for him at this year's deadline. He unveiled one of the most surprising secret weapons, going 30-for-32 as a base stealer despite being one of the slowest runners in baseball. Although many hitters are reluctant to sign with the Mariners, Naylor loves hitting at T-Mobile Park, with a career line of .304/.335/.534. The Mariners should have room to bring him back.

Another possible fit: Rangers

Rangers first basemen/DHs combined for a .657 OPS -- only the Rockies were worse. Texas still has Jake Burger and Joc Pederson (who will probably exercise his $18.5 million player option), but both had sub-.290 OBPs, so the Rangers will consider upgrading.

Dylan Cease, RHP

2025 stats: 8-12, 4.55 ERA, 168 IP, 152 H, 71 BB, 215 SO, 1.1 WAR
2026 age: 30

Best fit: Cubs

Cease's eventual contract will far outpace his ERA and low WAR from 2025. Teams will focus on the power arm (average fastball of 97.1 mph), the high strikeout rate and the durability (five straight seasons with at least 32 starts). A return to the Cubs would be full circle as they originally drafted Cease in the sixth round out of high school in 2014 before trading him to the Chicago White Sox in the Jose Quintana deal.

The 2025 Cubs were a prime example of why teams prefer those power arms in the postseason. With Cade Horton injured, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga were their top two starters, two lefties without high K rates. They have plenty of payroll room to make a big rotation signing.

Another possible fit: San Diego Padres (and every other contender)

With Cease and Michael King (who has a player opt-out) in free agency, the Padres would have Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Randy Vasquez, Joe Musgrove (returning from Tommy John surgery) and perhaps Mason Miller in their rotation -- and the options thin out in a hurry after that. But is there room in a payroll that is already pushing $200 million heading into the offseason?

Zac Gallen, RHP

2025 stats: 13-15, 4.83 ERA, 192 IP, 176 H, 66 BB, 175 SO, 1.1 WAR
2026 age: 30

Best fit: Diamondbacks

Like Cease, Gallen is hitting free agency with a high ERA. Unlike Cease, he averages 93.5 mph with his fastball instead of 97. Gallen's home run rate nearly doubled from 0.8 per nine innings in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025, and his strikeout rate plummeted to a career-low 21.5%, a notable five-percentage-points decline from his career rate entering the season. He did pitch better the final two months with a 3.32 ERA. Still, maybe some of the questions push Gallen back to the Diamondbacks, who will enter the offseason down him, Merrill Kelly and Corbin Burnes (Tommy John surgery) from their initial 2025 rotation.

Another possible fit: Los Angeles Angels

Does anyone want to play for the Angels? Their recent free agent signings have been more of the third-tier type, but they have room in the payroll and two pitchers from their 2025 rotation hitting free agency in Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks. They signed Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year, $63 million deal last offseason and might do something similar this offseason with a starter like Gallen.

Munetaka Murakami, 3B/1B (Japan)

2025 stats: .286/.392/.659, 24 HR, 52 RBIs
2026 age: 26

Best fit: Mariners

A big left-handed slugger, Murakami has been a star in Japan since he hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old in 2019. He followed that up with a career-high 56 home runs in 2022. He missed time this past season with an oblique injury but hit 24 home runs in 69 games. He does strike out a concerning amount -- 168 times in 140 games in 2023 and 180 times in 143 games in 2024 -- so projects as more of a low-average, 30-homer slugger. Murakami's defense is considered below average at both corner positions, but his age helps make him an attractive free agent.

We mentioned Colt Emerson as a replacement for Eugenio Suarez at third base for the Mariners, but a year in Triple-A wouldn't hurt, and Emerson could then take over at shortstop in 2027. That leaves Murakami as a fit for third base, or a backup option to Josh Naylor at first base. The Mariners have certainly shown they're OK with strikeouts if it comes with power.

Another possible fit: Dodgers

The Dodgers? Hey, you have to consider the Dodgers a possibility for any Japanese player. They obviously have Freddie Freeman locked into first base and have a $10 million option on Max Muncy, but note that Murakami did play a few games in the outfield in 2025. Given their hole in left field, maybe they fake left-field defense with Murakami for a year and then have him replace Muncy at third base in 2027. In the bigger picture, the Dodgers had the oldest group of position players in 2025. Only Andy Pages was younger than 30 among the top 11 regulars. They need to get younger, and Murakami is younger -- and less expensive to sign -- than Tucker.