In about a week’s time, Major League Baseball teams will open their spring camps across the states of Florida and Arizona. Soon thereafter, the exhibition season will get underway, and before you know it, Opening Day will have arrived. But, before MLB teams start hanging the ceremonial bunting around their stadiums, it’s worth remembering that there are still some quality free agents on the open market.
The past week has seen right-handed starter Jack Flaherty return to the Detroit Tigers, as well as first baseman Pete Alonso rejoin the New York Mets. Add in Yoán Moncada’s deal with the Los Angeles Angels, and that leaves eight members of CBS Sports’ top-50 free-agent rankings available for hire.
With that in mind, below I’ve offered a market reset of sorts by highlighting the five best unsigned players. You’ll find analysis on what those players can bring to clubs, as well as thoughts on why they remain unsigned — and, indeed, where they might end up when all is said and done.
Let’s get to it.
1. Alex Bregman, 3B, No. 3 entering the winter
What does he offer? It’s true that Bregman has not, in recent years, soared to the same heights he occupied earlier in his career. Nevertheless, he’s been one of the six most productive third basemen in the sport since 2020, according to Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement metric. There’s no mystery as to why: Bregman has posted an OPS+ below 115 just once in his career, and he remains a highly skilled defender. He also has ample postseason experience, for whatever that’s worth these days.
Why is he still available? The main factor here seems to be Bregman’s desired length of contract. To be clear: there are some legitimate red flags in his profile, including the possibility that his slugging will take a significant hit outside of Houston’s friendly confines. Teams, naturally, would prefer to limit their downside exposure with a shorter pact. Bregman has seemingly held strong on his demands, however, and if recent reports are to be believed, he’s going to end up getting his way.
Where might he land? A handful of teams have been linked to Bregman over the past few weeks. The group includes the Astros, his incumbent team, as well as the Tigers (managed by former Houston skipper A.J. Hinch), Red Sox, and Cubs. Wherever Bregman goes, you figure he’ll help clear up the Nolan Arenado market, too.
2. Nick Pivetta, RHP, No. 28
What does he offer? At some unidentifiable point in Pivetta’s career, he turned into a meme on account of the disconnect between his stuff and his results. Because of that dynamic, I think it’s been easy to overlook that he’s grown into a legitimately solid pitcher. To wit, Pivetta has amassed a 102 ERA+ and a 3.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio since the 2021 season — and he’s done it while averaging 26 starts per pop. Add in how Pivetta has always graded well from a pitch-quality perspective, and you can understand why he and his agent declined the qualifying offer to begin the winter.
Why is he still available? Alas, declining the qualifying offer in search of a more lucrative payday resulted in Pivetta’s stock being weighed down by draft-pick compensation. Old perceptions die hard, and it’s possible that teams are still viewing Pivetta with some skepticism, too, even if that feels unwarranted at this stage.
Where might he land? There’ve been a few teams publicly linked to Pivetta over the past month or so. Among them are the Reds and Blue Jays (who have since signed Max Scherzer). It also stands to reason some other club could get involved with Pivetta over the coming weeks should an injury or trade occur that shakes up their pitching staff. For example: might the Padres ink Pivetta if they trade Dylan Cease?
3. Kenley Jansen, RHP, No. 30
What does he offer? Jansen is getting long in the tooth, having celebrated his 37th birthday back in September. Still, he’s compiled an ERA+ of 120 or better in five consecutive seasons. Last year, he posted his highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.10) in a full-length season since 2019. Jansen also now ranks fourth all-time in saves, and while I don’t think his pursuit of Lee Smith (who he’s 31 away from tying) will prove to be a ticket-office draw or anything, it’s worth mentioning here all the same.
Why is he still available? Jansen’s trademark cutter did fare worse than usual last season, allowing the loudest average contact of his career. That, plus his advanced age, might give teams pause before they hand over the reins to a high-leverage role. And that’s without considering the financial aspect. This is pure conjecture, but it’s probably fair to think that, even at this stage of his career, one of the best closers of all time would expect a better payday than some other random veteran reliever.
Where might he land? The Cubs and Mets were both publicly connected to Jansen before making other additions. Chicago has since landed Ryan Pressly and Ryan Brasier in trades; the Mets signed Ryne Stanek. Presumably, some other team will avoid the temptation to obtain a Ryan/Ryne and ink Jansen instead, but the identity of that team will remain a mystery at this point in time.
4. Andrew Heaney, LHP, No. 32
What does he offer? Heaney is highly unlikely to ever have another season as good as the one he authored with the Dodgers in 2022. Still, he’s a perfectly fine No. 4 starter who managed a 98 ERA+ and a 3.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the two years since. Plenty of teams can (and will) do worse than penciling him in for 25 to 30 starts.
Why is he still available? Credit this to a few factors. Heaney is older (he’ll turn 34 in June) and lacks real upside, making him more of a fallback option for clubs who want to raise their ceilings. He’s also something of a situational fit based on his 44% fly-ball percentage. For reference, that’s one of the 20 highest percentages among pitchers with at least 100 innings tossed in 2024. You can understand if a team in a homer-friendly ballpark would prefer not to give Heaney the ball every fifth day.
Where might he land? The Tigers and Rangers have been mentioned in rumors with Heaney this winter. Given that Detroit has since signed Jack Flaherty, after having previously inked Alex Cobb, it’s probably fair to take them out of the running. This is pure conjecture, but maybe some other club — like the A’s, the Twins, or the Padres — will step up and add Heaney to the back of their rotation over the next few weeks.
5. Jose Quintana, LHP, No. 33
What does he offer? Quintana is very much a results over style pitcher. You wouldn’t know that he’s compiled a 118 ERA+ over the last three seasons, and that’s in large part because he’s done it while tallying just over seven strikeouts per nine innings. Quintana missed half the season in 2023, but he’s recorded 30-plus starts in two of the past three years. In this day and age, that makes him something of a workhorse.
Why is he still available? Again, Quintana isn’t exciting. Modern front offices are always going to treat a low-strikeout starter with trepidation, and viewed from a certain perspective, there’s undeniably more downside with the profile than upside. That isn’t to suggest Quintana should be forced into retirement or a minor-league deal; it’s just how teams think, especially if they have a cheaper, comparable option in tow.
Where might he land? Beats me. Quintana’s name hasn’t popped up in the rumor mill all winter. I would have to imagine that, at an absolute minimum, some team without competitive aspirations would view him as an innings sponge who could then be traded at the deadline, provided he remains effective.
