MLB free agency could unfold on an accelerate timeline this winter, as teams and players alike will hope to solidify bonds before the impending lockout on Dec. 1. We already know headliners, such as Tarik Skubal and Seiya Suzuki, will want to secure the bag before the league can implement any spending limits. International free agents like Teruaki Sato and Kaima Taira will also rush to put pen to paper before their 45-day posting window expires.
For now, however, let’s focus on that next tier of free agency — the replacement-level starters and platoon types who aren’t showered with praise, but who can still help a contender in important ways. For one reason or another, even free agent listed below is slept on. Here’s why they shouldn’t be.
Starting pitcher: Brandon Woodruff
Lost in the conversation around Skubal, Sonny Gray and other free agent aces is Brandon Woodruff. A two-time All-Star, he has a career 3.10 ERA. His season-long ERA has not risen above 4.00 since 2017, his rookie year. Woodruff has not posted a sub-1.0 fWAR since 2018. He is straight-up more talented and more consistent than the vast majority of pitchers available this offseason. You wouldn’t know from the conversation — or lack thereof — around Woodruff’s free agency.
The reason is simple: injuries. Woodruff has serious durability concerns, with a combined 110 innings pitched over the last three years (he missed the entire 2024 season). Milwaukee has not been able to count on Woodruff as a load-bearing pillar in their rotation. That doesn’t mean he isn’t an excellent buy-low option for a contender looking to add length to their staff. There’s a world in which he’s the next-best thing to Skubal among this winter’s free agent pitchers.
Relief pitcher: A.J. Puk
A.J. Puk falls in a similar boat. When healthy, he has been one of the most fearsome relievers in baseball over the past few years. He only managed eight innings in 2025 before Tommy John knocked him out; in 2024, however, Puk put up 88 strikeouts in 71.1 innings, with a 3.15 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Like many power relievers, Puk can struggle with his command at times, but he’s a huge whiff producer, with massive extension as he lunges down the mound with his 6-foot-7 frame. We shall see how the velocity holds up, and how quickly Puk settles in, after more than a year on ice. If he can get back to even 90 percent of his pre-TJ form, however, Puk becomes a valuable high-leverage option (who can add length besides) for any contending team.
Catcher: Carson Kelly
The free agent catcher conversation will focus primarily on Ryan Jeffers, and understandably so. Carson Kelly deserves more love, though. He was an important bat in the back half of Chicago’s lineup; there’s a reason the Cubs offense felt so persistent, as if it could attack opposing pitchers in waves.
It’s rare to find dependable offensive production from a catcher. Kelly posted a respectable .713 OPS and 97 OPS+ this past season, with a disciplined approach that limits swing-and-miss. He’s also an above-average defender, at least when it comes to scooping balls out of the dirt and keeping the whole field in front of him. After two solid campaigns on the North Side, Kelly should hold mass appeal.
First base: Alec Bohm
Phillies fans are eager to show Alec Bohm the door, and that’s fair enough. His swing-forward approach left many frustrated. Bohm does not strike out much, but he can leave himself overextended, limiting the amount of quality contact. He was also a porous defender at third base.
That said, Bohm started last season among the worst qualified hitters in MLB. He did not finish the season as such. Bohm engineered a monstrous second-half turnaround, and was actually one of Philadelphia’s better performers in their brief postseason run. Part of the reason for his turnaround, perhaps, was a move to first base, where Bohm was less taxed defensively. He also improved his process at the plate, with great success attacking pitches up in the zone. A former first-round pick, Bohm has always left breadcrumbs hinting at his talent. Perhaps a better situation can unlock it fully.
Second base: Jeff McNeil
Jeff McNeil is a former batting champ who reliably manned second base for almost a full decade in Queens. The Mets dealt him to the A’s last winter and McNeil found the sledding a bit tougher in Sacramento, posting his lowest OPS (.681) since 2021. McNeil also experienced significant slippage as a defender, which was hardly a shock in his age-34 campaign.
How much of McNeil’s overall decline, however, can be attributed to playing noncompetitive baseball in a Minor League ballpark, for an organization nobody respects? It’s a fair question. On pedigree alone, it feels like McNeil should get an opportunity to start somewhere. He’s still a contact machine, with tremendous hands and timing at the plate. He could run into better luck — and more inspiration — once he’s out of Sacramento.
Third base: Edmundo Sosa
The surface-level numbers weren’t so exciting for Edmundo Sosa last season, as he finished with a .712 OPS and 89 OPS+. That said, Sosa was the victim of a slow start, which he made up for tenfold down the stretch. Sosa is especially productive against lefties (.835 OPS vs. southpaws in 2026), which makes him well-suited to a platoon role. He’s a solid defender at third base, but Sosa can also slide to shortstop or second base in a pinch, with outfield utility to boot.
The number of ways in which Sosa can fit into a lineup and contribute — plus his knack for clutch swings, which became commonplace in Philadelphia — makes him an obvious plus for a wide range of teams. Do not write him off as a simple stopgap off the bench. Sosa can really spice things up when called upon.
Shortstop: Mauricio Dubon
Mauricio Dubon is coming off of his most complete and productive MLB season to date with the Braves. Atlanta needed every bit of it, too, as Dubon was able to cover up weaknesses at shortstop and in the outfield.
Dubon is a great defender, which is the root of his value. But he also hit a career-high 12 homers and 28 doubles this past season. Contact has long been a strength for Dubon, but he was able to infuse his profile with a bit more power in 2026. He’s not going to pile up homers, but Dubon has elite vision and command of the strike zone. Time and time again, he came up with clutch swings for the Braves. Few impending free agents helped their cause more, as teams can view Dubon as a dependable, everyday player.
Outfield: Daulton Varsho
The 2026 campaign was a horrow show for Daulton Varsho — especially after the trade deadline — but teams shouldn’t miss the forest for the trees. Baseball is an inherently volatile and unpredictable sport, but Varsho is 30 years old with Gold Glove pedigree and four 20-plus home run seasons under his belt. In 2025, during Toronto’s majestic AL pennant run, Varsho returned from an injury midseason and cranked 23 homers in just 71 games, with an .833 OPS and 121 OPS+.
Varsho’s elite defense in center field is enough to sustain positive value. Strikeouts and inconsistency are part of the equation with Varsho, but if he can rediscover confidence in his swing, there’s a chance he provides fringe All-Star value on a nothingburger contract. There couldn’t be a more obvious buy-low candidate.
Outfield: Randal Grichuk
Randal Grichuk has made a 13-year MLB career out of hammering southpaws. When the Yankees waived him early this past season, however, it felt like all the air had left the balloon. Grichuk posted a .535 OPS across 16 appearances for New York; he was 6-for-31 (.194) with 10 strikeouts. The White Sox picked him up off the rebound, however, and Grichuk fell into a familiar groove. He posted a .926 OPS with 15 homers in 101 games for the South Siders; his OPS leapt up to 1.025 against left-handed pitching.
Grichuk’s days of manning the outfield almost every day are well behind him. He’s more of a DH platoon bat at this stage, in all honesty. That said, he’s damn good at his specific job. His presence materially elevated a talented White Sox lineup. He can seriously aid a contender, especially when he’s not stretched too thin. As a bang-for-your-buck chess piece, Grichuk and his sky-high exit velos ought to command interest.
Outfield: Lane Thomas
Lane Thomas followed the opposite path as Grichuk last season. He was quite solid for Kansas City in the first half, with a .719 OPS and 10 homers across 97 games. So, the Braves traded for him, and Thomas subsequently fell off a cliff. Trade deadline rentals are always tricky and little is guaranteed. That should not preclude a smart front office from taking the plunge in free agency.
Thomas has never been a great defender, but he has a great arm for right field. More importantly, the 31-year-old can still tattoo left-handed pitching, with an .803 OPS in such matchups last season. Even against right-handers, Thomas provides value with his plate discipline alone. He’s going to work deep into counts, take walks and swing at favorable pitches. He can still get dinged in the swing-and-miss department, but Thomas’ skill set is one plenty of contenders covet.
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