Here's how future free-agent classes look
Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Blake Snell, Alex Bregman, Willy Adames and Max Fried were among the top players who reached free agency after the 2024 season.
But what about future free-agent classes? Here's a look at the notable names who are set to become free agents in 2025-26 and beyond.
Note: Some of the players below could become free agents sooner than the year they are listed under depending on how earlier contract options play out.
Potential free agents after 2025 season
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Perez (club option), Mitch Garver (mutual option), Gary Sánchez, Danny Jansen (mutual option), Tom Murphy (club option), Austin Barnes, Jacob Stallings (mutual option), Christian Bethancourt, Christian Vázquez, Victor Caratini, Austin Hedges, Elias Díaz (mutual option)
First base: Pete Alonso (opt-out), Josh Naylor, Paul Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins (mutual option), Carlos Santana, Justin Turner, Josh Bell, LaMonte Wade Jr., Donovan Solano, Ty France, Connor Joe
Second base: Luis Arraez, Ozzie Albies (club option), Gleyber Torres, Brandon Lowe (club option), Jorge Polanco (vesting option), Wilmer Flores, Luis Rengifo, Kyle Farmer (mutual option), Thairo Estrada (mutual option), Adam Frazier, Jorge Mateo (club option)
Third base: Alex Bregman (opt-out), Eugenio Suárez, Max Muncy (club option), Gio Urshela, Josh Rojas, Jon Berti, Yoán Moncada, Luis Urías
Shortstop: Bo Bichette, Trevor Story (opt-out), Ha-Seong Kim (opt-out), Orlando Arcia (club option), Miguel Rojas, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Amed Rosario, Paul DeJong
Outfield: Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, Cody Bellinger (opt-out), Luis Robert Jr. (club option), Tyler O'Neill (opt-out), Cedric Mullins, Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski, Chris Taylor (club option), Starling Marte, Trent Grisham, Andrew McCutchen, Mitch Haniger, Hunter Renfroe, Max Kepler, Lane Thomas, Willi Castro, Jesse Winker, Austin Hays (mutual option), Randal Grichuk (mutual option), Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, Dylan Carlson, Ramón Laureano (club option), Harrison Bader (mutual option), Tommy Pham, Ben Gamel, Kiké Hernández, Jason Heyward, Michael A. Taylor, Alex Verdugo
Designated hitter: Marcell Ozuna, Joc Pederson (opt-out)
Starting pitcher: Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, Chris Sale (club option), Seth Lugo (player option), Michael King (mutual option), Jack Flaherty (opt-out), Justin Verlander, Jordan Montgomery, Shane Bieber (player option), Shota Imanaga (club option/player option), Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Brandon Woodruff (mutual option), Zach Eflin, Kodai Senga (opt-out), Ranger Suárez, Chris Bassitt, Walker Buehler, Nestor Cortes, Jon Gray, Merrill Kelly, Frankie Montas (opt-out), Dustin May, Tyler Mahle, Freddy Peralta (club option), Nick Martinez, Marcus Stroman (vesting option), Lucas Giolito, Aaron Civale, Kenta Maeda, Charlie Morton, Michael Lorenzen (mutual option), Germán Márquez, José Urquidy, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney, Kyle Hendricks, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas, Chris Paddack, Erick Fedde, Alex Cobb, Tomoyuki Sugano, Jose Quintana (mutual option), Griffin Canning, Michael Soroka, Martín Pérez (mutual option), Colin Rea (club option), Cal Quantrill, Kyle Hart (club option), John Means (club option), José Urquidy (club option), Patrick Corbin, Kyle Gibson
Relief pitcher: Edwin Díaz (opt-out), Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Kirby Yates, Andrés Mu?oz (club option), Raisel Iglesias, Aroldis Chapman, Robert Suarez (opt-out), Ryan Pressly, Kenley Jansen, Liam Hendriks (mutual option), Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter (opt-out), Michael Kopech, Pete Fairbanks (club option), Jordan Romano, Paul Sewald (mutual option), Kyle Finnegan, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers, Ryne Stanek, Jonathan Loáisiga (club option), José Alvarado (club option), Tim Hill (club option), Ryan Brasier, Seranthony Domínguez, Brent Suter (club option), Gregory Soto, Pierce Johnson (club option), Rafael Montero, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagán, Wandy Peralta (opt-out), Matt Strahm (club/vesting option), T.J. McFarland, Justin Wilson, Jacob Webb, Shawn Armstrong, Joe Ross, Josh Walker, Chris Martin, Andrew Kittredge (club option), Caleb Ferguson, Jorge López, José Leclerc, Tim Mayza, Tommy Kahnle, Danny Coulombe, Drew Smith, John Brebbia (club option), Tyler Alexander, Scott Barlow (club option), Jakob Junis, Kendall Graveman (mutual option), Luke Jackson, Scott Alexander, Lucas Sims, Dillon Tate, Phil Maton
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was set to be one of the marquee names in this class, but he won't be reaching free agency after all. The first baseman has agreed to a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays (per a source).
That leaves Tucker, who was traded from the Astros to the Cubs after the 2024 campaign, as the clear headliner of this group.
Bichette, Schwarber, Arraez, Ozuna, Realmuto and Eugenio Suárez are some of the other notable position players in this class, with Alonso and Bregman also looming as possible opt-out candidates.
The 2025-26 class also includes an intriguing crop of starting pitchers led by Cease, Gallen and Valdez, and a stacked list of relievers that could get even deeper if Díaz and Robert Suarez opt out.
Potential free agents after 2026 season
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Jonah Heim, Alejandro Kirk, Travis d'Arnaud, Tyler Stephenson, Mitch Garver, Kyle Higashioka (mutual option), Danny Jansen, Tom Murphy, Ryan Jeffers, Jake Rogers, Jacob Stallings, Carson Kelly (mutual option), Elias Díaz
First base: Pete Alonso, Yandy Díaz (vesting option), Rhys Hoskins, Nathaniel Lowe, Ryan Mountcastle, Andrew Vaughn, Seth Brown
Second base: Ozzie Albies (club option), Brandon Lowe, Jonathan India, Jeff McNeil (club option), Nico Hoerner, Gavin Lux, DJ LeMahieu, Jorge Polanco, Mauricio Dubón, Kyle Farmer, Jorge Mateo
Third base: Alex Bregman (opt-out), Alec Bohm, Jeimer Candelario (club option), Anthony Rendon, Ramón Urías, Edmundo Sosa
Shortstop: J.P. Crawford, Ha-Seong Kim, Orlando Arcia
Outfield: Ronald Acu?a Jr. (club option), Cody Bellinger, Luis Robert Jr. (club option), Adolis García, Randy Arozarena, George Springer, Nick Castellanos, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ian Happ, Daulton Varsho, Seiya Suzuki, Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (club option), Victor Robles (club option), Chas McCormick, Taylor Ward, Chris Taylor, Tyrone Taylor, Jake Fraley, Austin Hays, Ramón Laureano, Harrison Bader
Designated hitter: Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson (mutual option)
Starting pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Corbin Burnes (opt-out), Chris Sale, Kevin Gausman, Freddy Peralta, Sandy Alcantara (club option), Michael King, Seth Lugo, Shane Bieber, Shota Imanaga (club option/player option), Jack Flaherty, Sonny Gray (club option), Brandon Woodruff, Jesús Luzardo, Nick Pivetta (opt-out), Luis Severino (player option), Frankie Montas, Marcus Stroman, José Berríos (opt-out), Robbie Ray, Brady Singer, David Peterson, Matthew Boyd, Triston McKenzie, Taijuan Walker, Jameson Taillon, Jeffrey Springs (club option), Patrick Sandoval, Jose Quintana, Dane Dunning, Michael Lorenzen, Kyle Wright, Lance McCullers Jr., Drew Rasmussen (club option), Tony Gonsolin, Casey Mize, Trevor Rogers, Luis Garcia, Trevor Williams, Martín Pérez, Colin Rea, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Kyle Hart, John Means, José Urquidy
Relief pitcher: Emmanuel Clase (club option), Liam Hendriks, Clay Holmes (opt-out), Carlos Estévez (club option), Bryan Abreu, Pete Fairbanks, Andrés Mu?oz (club option), Jason Adam, Robert Stephenson (club option), David Bednar, José Alvarado, A.J. Minter, Blake Treinen, Paul Sewald, Alex Vesia, Matt Strahm, Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, Jonathan Loáisiga, Tim Hill, Yuki Matsui (opt-out), A.J. Puk, Keegan Akin, Garrett Whitlock (club option), Yimi García, Joel Payamps, Kevin Ginkel, John Schreiber, Joe Mantiply, Joe Jiménez, Wandy Peralta (opt-out), Cionel Pérez, Aaron Bummer, Pierce Johnson, Mark Leiter Jr., Josh Sborz, JoJo Romero, Nate Pearson, Brent Suter, Andrew Kittredge, John Brebbia, Scott Barlow, Kendall Graveman
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Assuming Acu?a's club option is picked up, Skubal will be the clear headliner in this class. The left-hander cemented himself as one of baseball's best pitchers in 2024, winning the pitching Triple Crown in the American League.
Sale, Díaz, Arozarena, García, Crawford, Gausman, Peralta, Luzardo, Perez and Soler are among the other notable players here.
Potential free agents after 2027 season
Catcher: Adley Rutschman, William Contreras, Cal Raleigh, Willson Contreras (club option), Kyle Higashioka, Joey Bart, Carson Kelly, Jose Trevino (club option)
First base: Freddie Freeman, Christian Walker, Yandy Díaz
Second base: Ketel Marte (club option), Ozzie Albies, Jeff McNeil, Luis García Jr., Bryson Stott, Brendan Donovan, Hyeseong Kim (two-year club option)
Third base: Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, Ryan McMahon, Isaac Paredes, Jeimer Candelario, Zach McKinstry
Shortstop: Jeremy Pe?a, Geraldo Perdomo, Javier Báez, Taylor Walls
Outfield: Ronald Acu?a Jr. (club option), Anthony Santander (opt-out), Steven Kwan, Luis Robert Jr., Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar, Tyler O'Neill, Masataka Yoshida, Brandon Marsh, Jung Hoo Lee (opt-out), Lars Nootbaar, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Trevor Larnach, Jesús Sánchez, Andrew Benintendi, Jake Meyers, Kyle Isbel, Matt Vierling, Jo Adell, Leody Taveras, Jose Siri, Victor Robles
Designated hitter: Giancarlo Stanton (club option), Joc Pederson
Starting pitcher: Logan Gilbert, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom (club option), Tyler Glasnow (club option), Joe Musgrove, Pablo López, Reynaldo López, Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo (vesting option), Kodai Senga (club option), Justin Steele, Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta (opt-out), Luis Severino, Eduardo Rodriguez (vesting option), Sandy Alcantara, Tanner Houck, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Cristian Javier, Clarke Schmidt, Jeffrey Springs, MacKenzie Gore, Nick Lodolo, Alek Manoah, Josiah Gray, Tylor Megill, Dean Kremer, Garrett Whitlock (club option), Yariel Rodríguez (player option/club option), Drew Rasmussen
Relief pitcher: Edwin Díaz (club option), Emmanuel Clase (club option), Clay Holmes, Robert Suarez, Andrés Mu?oz (club option), Jhoan Duran, Carlos Estévez, Griffin Jax, Trevor Megill, Camilo Doval, Jeff Hoffman, Will Vest, Jason Foley, Alexis Díaz, Félix Bautista, Jordan Hicks, Yuki Matsui (opt-out), Wandy Peralta, Eli Morgan, Garrett Cleavinger, Aaron Ashby (club option), Robert Stephenson
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As we look far down the road, the 2027-28 offseason could be a big one for the catching position, with Rutschman, William Contreras and Raleigh all eligible to reach free agency.
Given his age (he'll be 30 at the end of 2027), Gilbert could be the most coveted starting pitcher in this class if he continues to perform like he did from 2022-24 (3.38 ERA, 4.78 K/BB).