One free agent who could make sense for every team

November 25th, 2024

Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather around the dinner table, share old stories and, of course, argue about which players will wind up with which teams during this Hot Stove season.

So while you’re cooking your turkey, mashing your potatoes and baking your chocolate pecan pie -- my personal specialty -- take a few minutes to prepare for the table talk that will surely fill dining rooms around the country.

It’s time for our annual exercise in which we try to match up free agents with new teams. This list isn’t meant to serve as a prediction of what’s to come this winter, but rather a chance to try reading some tea leaves and connecting some dots.

We call it “30 free agents for 30 teams.”

We have only two rules:

1. Every player has to be from another team (no incumbents).

2. Each player can only be on the list once.

That means that a number of notable free agents were not included, but don’t read into that in terms of their overall markets. Players such as Alex Bregman, Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández will find plenty of suitors despite not being listed below. Don’t @ me … unless you want that pie recipe, of course.

Without further ado, here’s the latest attempt at playing free-agent matchmaker.

American League East

Blue Jays: , SS
The Blue Jays are looking at a number of free agents in an effort to upgrade the offense, but Adames may make the most sense. Toronto could shift him to third base next season, after which he could move back to shortstop if Bo Bichette departs as a free agent next winter.

Orioles: , LHP
Baltimore finally found the ace it had been missing last season with the trade for Corbin Burnes, but he’s a free agent now, potentially leaving a huge hole atop the rotation. Should Burnes prove too expensive or simply sign elsewhere, Fried could be the perfect replacement.

Rays: , C
Rays catchers combined for a .563 OPS last season, the second-lowest mark in the AL. Ben Rortvedt will return in 2025, but Tampa Bay could use another catcher to pair with him. Higashioka -- who was teammates with Rortvedt on the 2023 Yankees -- would be an ideal fit.

Red Sox: , RHP
Remember that scenario in which the Orioles lose their ace to free agency? Boston could be the team to snipe Burnes from its division rival, as the Red Sox appear intent on bringing in a No. 1 starter this offseason.

Yankees: , 1B
The Yankees’ .619 OPS from their first basemen in 2024 was the lowest in the AL, so figuring out an answer at the position will be on New York’s to-do list. Walker is the best all-around first baseman on the market, hitting 95 home runs since the start of 2022 while winning three straight Gold Glove Awards.

American League Central

Guardians: , RHP
The potential loss of Shane Bieber and Matthew Boyd will leave Cleveland not only with holes to fill in the rotation, but also a veteran presence on the staff. Lorenzen pitched well for the Rangers (3.81 ERA in 101 2/3 innings) and even better for the Royals (1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings) following a midseason trade, though a hamstring injury kept him out for most of September.

Royals: , OF
Kansas City made some impactful signings last winter (Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, in particular) that helped the Royals return to the postseason for the first time since their 2015 World Series title run. But the outfield lacked production, ranking 14th in the AL in home runs and 13th in OPS as a unit. Profar is coming off a career year after helping pace a 93-win Padres team.

Tigers: , RHP
Buehler could be this year's Jack Flaherty, an ideal rebound project for pitching coach Chris Fetter, whose group has shown it can help pitchers get more velocity and chase. Buehler overlapped with Tigers director of pitching Gabe Ribas when Ribas was a coordinator in the Dodgers' system. If Detroit isn’t going to be active at the top of the free-agent pitching market, Buehler could be the best fit.

Twins: Andrew Chafin, LHP
Minnesota’s bullpen struggled from the left side in 2024, as its southpaws combined for a 5.31 ERA and .453 opponent slugging percentage -- both MLB highs. Caleb Thielbar is a free agent, leaving a thin group even thinner. Chafin had 70 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings with the Tigers and Rangers last season, ranking near the top of the league in both chase percentage and whiff percentage.

White Sox: , LHP
Chicago figures to have a young rotation in 2025, especially if the team trades Garrett Crochet as expected. Bringing in a veteran to lead the group makes sense, so why not a former White Sox pitcher who threw four 200-inning seasons for the club and made his only All-Star team during that stretch?

American League West

Angels: , RHP
The Angels have already addressed their rotation concerns by signing Kyle Hendricks and have reportedly agreed to a deal with Yusei Kikuchi, so expect them to turn their focus to the bullpen in the coming weeks. It’s unclear whether the Angels will spend big for top closers like Tanner Scott or Carlos Estévez, but Treinen would be a strong veteran presence on a team looking to contend.

Astros: , 1B
The ageless wonder posted another strong season at age 38, as Santana hit 23 homers with 71 RBIs and a .749 OPS, racking up 14 outs above average while winning a Gold Glove Award. Houston ranked 13th in the AL in OPS at first base, and while the José Abreu experiment went badly, Santana would help stabilize the position without requiring a long-term commitment.

Athletics: , LHP
The Athletics have a young pitching staff, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to sign a veteran starter to help guide that group. Corbin went 31-63 with a 5.71 ERA in his final four seasons with Washington, so the 35-year-old will likely have to accept a one-year deal and try to prove he can still be an effective starter.

Mariners: Hye-Seong Kim, 2B
Cole Young, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, performed well at Double-A last season but isn’t likely ready to take over the second-base job just yet. Kim, who turns 26 in January, has a .304/.364/.403 slash line over seven-plus years in the KBO, stealing at least 25 bases six times. Kim would add a contact hitter with speed who could help change the dynamic of the Mariners’ lineup, which ranked 14th in the AL in batting average (.224) and struck out more than any other club.

Rangers: , LHP
With Nathan Eovaldi opting out of his contract and Andrew Heaney also potentially leaving via free agency, the Rangers have a need for a frontline starter. Manaea had an excellent year with the Mets and opted out of his own deal, setting him up for a multiyear deal.

National League East

Braves: , RHP
Max Fried is likely headed elsewhere as a free agent, while Charlie Morton is no lock to return to the Braves. With Spencer Strider’s timetable for 2025 unclear, Atlanta could use another starter to join Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach in the rotation, and Eovaldi’s experience and track record would make him a sound choice.

Marlins: , C
Nick Fortes returns in 2025 after starting 99 games behind the plate, but Marlins catchers ranked last in the league with six home runs and a .528 OPS. Sánchez has hit double-digit home runs in every season of his career, and while he started only 27 games at catcher and 40 at DH for the Brewers in 2024, the Marlins could offer him more playing time as they seek more power in the lineup.

Mets: , OF
The biggest threat to the Yankees’ hopes of re-signing Soto, the Mets appear to be all in when it comes to adding the four-time All-Star. Owner Steve Cohen has the ability to pay whatever he wants, and for a generational hitter such as Soto, it remains to be seen whether any price is too high for the Mets.

Nationals: , 1B
Washington needs an influx of power after finishing 2024 with an NL-low 135 home runs. There is no bigger home run threat available this winter than Alonso, whose 226 home runs since he broke into the league in 2019 rank second in the Majors only behind Aaron Judge (232).

Phillies: , LHP
The Phillies face the loss of both Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman, leaving them with a need for late-inning bullpen help. Scott is the best reliever available on this year’s market, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Philadelphia takes a run at him to bolster the back end of the bullpen.

National League Central

Brewers: , 3B
Assuming that Willy Adames departs as a free agent, Joey Ortiz is likely to move to shortstop, creating a vacancy at third base. The free-agent options beyond Alex Bregman are mostly underwhelming, but Moncada -- who was limited by injuries to only 12 games in 2024 -- has shown the ability to produce and could be a great buy-low candidate.

Cardinals: , RHP
The Cardinals are likely to trade closer Ryan Helsley this winter, and Andrew Kittredge is a free agent, leaving some potential holes in the bullpen. Holmes was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024, and although he lost his closer job with the Yankees late in the season, the righty was a big part of New York’s run to the World Series.

Cubs: , RHP
Chicago will look to upgrade its rotation this winter, and while top free agents such as Corbin Burnes and Max Fried aren’t completely out of the question, the likelihood is that the Cubs will be focused on the second tier of starters. Flaherty made the most of his one-year, $14 million deal in 2024, pitching well for the Tigers before helping the Dodgers win the World Series following a midseason trade.

Pirates: , RHP
David Bednar is likely to enter the season as the Pirates' closer, but the two-time All-Star struggled through a rough year in 2024. Pittsburgh will be in the market for a late-inning reliever to get the ball to Bednar, and adding one with closing history would offer protection if Bednar goes through another bad stretch.

Reds: , OF
The Reds will be looking for a corner-outfield upgrade who can help boost the lineup, and while Conforto won’t be confused with Juan Soto anytime soon, the 31-year-old hit 20 homers in 130 games last season. That would have been tied for second on the Reds in 2024, while Conforto’s 116 OPS+ -- which would have ranked second to Elly De La Cruz among Cincy regulars -- was his best since 2020.

National League West

D-backs: , RHP
Arizona’s 4.41 bullpen ERA ranked 13th in the NL last season, and 10 pitchers registered at least one save. The D-backs suffered 26 blown saves in 2024, and for a team that missed the postseason after losing head-to-head tiebreakers with the Mets and Braves, one more win would have made a huge difference. Estévez made his first All-Star team in 2023 and had a superb season with the Angels and Phillies in 2024, making him one of the best relievers on the free-agent market.

Dodgers: , LHP
Los Angeles has several starters on its roster, but many of them come with health concerns, leading to the likelihood of a six-man rotation. Shohei Ohtani is coming back from Tommy John surgery (plus shoulder surgery on his non-throwing arm), and Dustin May will be returning from Tommy John and esophageal surgeries, while Tyler Glasnow has never thrown more than 134 innings -- which he did last season. Snell is one of the top pitchers on the market and has intrigued the Dodgers for a while, making it a strong potential match.
Update: They got him! Snell and the Dodgers have agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal, a source told MLB.com.

Giants: , SS
New president of baseball operations Buster Posey said at the GM Meetings that adding a shortstop would be ideal for the Giants, who could then use Tyler Fitzgerald in a more versatile role. Kim has ties to manager Bob Melvin, who managed him in San Diego from 2022-23, while San Francisco outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is a close friend of Kim’s from their time as teammates in Korea.

Padres: Roki Sasaki, RHP
Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan, might be the most intriguing -- and sought-after -- free agent this winter. Because of his international amateur status, teams can only pay him from their international bonus pools, so this won’t become a bidding war like the one we saw last offseason for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sasaki will be pursued by many clubs, but his close friendship with Yu Darvish could give the Padres a leg up in this race.

Rockies: , RHP
Colorado will be counting on some young, inexperienced arms in its bullpen next season, but adding a proven veteran figures to be in the cards. Yates had a stellar season closing for the Rangers, and while he may look for a role with a contender as he enters his age-38 season, a team like the Rockies might try to bring him in to stabilize the back of the bullpen.