Who will drive the free-agent market? Here are our top 10 picks

It may feel as though the Trade Deadline passed only days ago, but with the calendar moving quickly toward September, free agency will be here before we know it.

Last year’s Hot Stove season was dominated early by Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki and Corbin Burnes, with other top free agents, such as Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, waiting it out until February to sign new deals.

Who will we be talking about this offseason?

MLB.com takes an early look at the top 10 potential free agents for the 2025-26 class, a list we will expand as the offseason gets closer. Some of these players have opt-out clauses they are expected to trigger, so while they’re not officially impending free agents at the moment, we believe they will be hitting the open market once the time arrives in November.

(Ages listed for 2026 season; ^-player with an opt-out clause)

1) Kyle Tucker, RF, Cubs (age 28)

Tucker started his first season with the Cubs on a tear, hitting 17 home runs with 52 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .931 OPS through June. A hand injury might have contributed to Tucker’s step back offensively in July and August, but he remains the best and most well-rounded player on the free-agent market this winter, having been worth at least 4.0 fWAR in every year since 2021. The four-time All-Star could command a deal north of $400 million.

Potential fits: Cubs, Giants, Phillies

2) Alex Bregman^, 3B, Red Sox (age 32)

After waiting out the winter for the right deal, Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million pact with the Red Sox that included $60 million in deferrals and opt-outs after both 2025 and ’26. Injuries have limited Bregman to only 81 games this season, but he’s performed well when he’s played, posting a .917 OPS with 16 homers. Even with the missed time, he’s on pace for his fourth straight season with an fWAR of at least 4.0, so it won’t be a shock if he opts out in search of a longer deal.

Potential fits: Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers

3) Kyle Schwarber, OF/DH, Phillies (age 33)

Players entering their age-33 season don’t tend to find themselves this high on the list, but Schwarber is an exception. His plus power has him leading the NL with 45 home runs and 109 RBIs in 127 games, and he’s already set a career high in fWAR (4.2) with more than a month remaining in the season. Schwarber has the ability to play left field on occasion, but he’s essentially a full-time DH who will make any lineup better immediately upon arrival.

Potential fits: Orioles, Phillies, Rangers

4) Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros (age 32)

There are some high-end starting pitchers on the market this winter, but none with the same track record as Valdez, who has a 3.16 ERA over 148 games since becoming a full-time starter in 2020. Valdez is having a strong season (11-7, 3.32 ERA in 25 starts and 157 1/3 innings) in his walk year, and he’s pitched in the postseason in each of the past five years, including a dominant four-start stretch in 2022 (3-0, 1.44 ERA) during the Astros’ World Series title run. A two-time All-MLB Team selection, the lefty should land a high AAV (average annual value) to lead someone’s rotation, though his age makes the length of the deal a bit less certain.

Potential fits: Astros, Blue Jays, Orioles

5) Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays (age 28)

After leading the AL in hits in 2021 and ’22 and making his second career All-Star team in 2023, Bichette had a nightmarish 2024, playing in only 81 games -- and unproductive ones, at that. This year, Bichette has looked like his old self, once again leading the American League in hits while hitting 16 homers with 82 RBIs and an .805 OPS in 125 games. The shortstop market will be thin this winter, putting Bichette in position to score big in his first foray into free agency.

Potential fits: Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers

6) Pete Alonso^, 1B, Mets (age 31)

Like Bregman, it took Alonso until mid-February to land a deal, re-signing with the Mets for two years and $54 million. Alonso can opt out of the final year and $24 million of the deal to give free agency another try, and with 28 home runs, 101 RBIs and an .862 OPS through 126 games this season, that scenario appears likely.

Potential fits: Giants, Mets, Red Sox

7) Michael King^, RHP, Padres (age 30)

King has quietly emerged as one of the game’s top starters since making the move from the bullpen, posting a 2.92 ERA in his two seasons in the Padres’ rotation. The right-hander has been limited to 11 starts this season due to a nerve impingement near his shoulder, but assuming he returns and shows that he’s healthy, King -- who is expected to decline his $15 million mutual option to become a free agent -- should be one of the most sought-after arms during the offseason.

Potential fits: Blue Jays, Padres, Yankees

8) Cody Bellinger^, 1B/OF, Yankees (age 30)

Bellinger is in the second year of a three-year, $80 million contract, though most expect him to opt out of the final year and $25 million to test free agency this winter. After an uneven 2024 campaign with the Cubs, Bellinger has thrived in the Bronx, belting 24 home runs with 75 RBIs and an .823 OPS in 116 games, putting him on track for his second 4-WAR season in three years. The versatile slugger has been a perfect fit for the Yankees, but other teams could try to pry the former NL MVP away from New York with the long-term deal that has evaded him to this point.

Potential fits: Astros, Phillies, Yankees

9) Dylan Cease, RHP, Padres (age 30)

Cease has struggled with consistency this season, posting a 5-11 record and 4.61 ERA in 25 starts. His velocity, whiff percentage and strikeout percentage all remain near the top of the league rankings, though walks and a lack of ground balls have hurt him at times. Cease remains one of the most durable starters in the game -- he’s on track for his fifth straight season with at least 32 starts -- and will surely draw interest from a number of pitching-needy clubs.

Potential fits: Blue Jays, Giants, Orioles

10) Ranger Suárez, LHP, Phillies (age 30)

An All-Star in 2024, Suárez opened this season in spectacular fashion, going 7-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 13 first-half starts. He has struggled since the break (2-3, 5.86 ERA), but Suárez has posted a 3.63 ERA in four full seasons as a starting pitcher, providing solid work over that stretch. He may not be coveted by contenders as a No. 1, but Suárez should score a nice deal as a No. 2 or 3 starter.

Potential fits: Angels, Blue Jays, Giants

Other notable free agents (to be ranked at a later date): 1B Josh Naylor, 1B/DH Luis Arraez, 2B Gleyber Torres, 3B Eugenio Suárez, OF Cedric Mullins, DH Marcell Ozuna, RHP Merrill Kelly and RHP Ryan Pressly.