With spring training just two weeks away, top talent remains unsigned in the free agent market.
Players have shown an increasing willingness to wait until after camps open before signing contracts. How often that happens this year remains to be seen, but here is a look at the top five remaining free agents with predictions on their destinations.
Framber Valdez
The left-hander brings reliability and talent to any roster. Over each of the past four seasons, he’s delivered at least 178 1/3 innings. Valdez owns a sparkling 81-52 record and a 3.36 ERA through eight dazzling years, all spent with the Houston Astros. Even with home games in a hitter’s park, the 32-year-old has limited opponents to just 0.7 home runs per nine innings.
Baltimore Orioles fans are hoping for another rotation splash. Despite their recent move for Shane Baz from Tampa Bay, the hunt for a frontline starter continues—Valdez could be just the ace they need.
Zac Gallen
The right-hander picked the wrong time to have his worst season, as his market value is depressed after going 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, he posted a 3.32 ERA over his last 11 starts and has allowed just 7.5 hits per nine innings over his seven-year career.
At 30, Gallen might not score a huge contract now, but a bounce-back season in 2026 could set him up for another free agency run. Sticking with Arizona seems like the smart—and comfortable—path this year.
Lucas Giolito
After losing all of 2024 with elbow surgery, Giolito roared back for Boston, putting up a 10-4 record and a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts. Detroit could be the perfect next step—Giolito, at 31, would settle in behind Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and old high school pal Jack Flaherty in the Tigers’ rotation.
Eugenio Suarez
The third baseman hit 49 home runs last season with the Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, yet remains without a job. Suarez, 34, might have a hard time duplicating that figure, but he has hit at least 30 homers in six of the last seven full seasons. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been aggressively trying to bolster their offense this winter and could swoop in and get Suarez on a bargain deal.
Chris Bassitt
The right-hander is 36, and the Toronto Blue Jays dropped him from the starting rotation during the postseason last year. Despite this, Bassitt’s ability to consistently pitch at least 170 innings each of the past four regular seasons, along with his 11-9 record and 3.96 ERA in 32 games last year, demonstrates the durability and reliability that could address the Atlanta Braves’ need for a stable back-end starter.
