1 Player Every Team Should Re-Sign in 2025-26 MLB Free Agency
Every winter, hundreds of Major League Baseball players become free agents, welcome to sign a new contract wherever their heart desires.
While most do relocate, there are typically dozens who end up re-signing with the same team, as Pete Alonso, Teoscar Hernández and Nathan Eovaldi did last offseason.
Well, if each team could pick one and only one impending free agent to bring back for the 2026 MLB campaign, who should they choose?
The answer isn't always as simple as choosing the most productive player. Financial considerations often play an important role.
We'll go division-by-division, trying to identify the one name each team hopes doesn't get away.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin
Eflin had a disastrous walk year from a health standpoint, making three separate trips to the IL, including missing the final two months following a "lumbar microdiscectomy procedure." He's only 31, though, and he was pretty darn good for them down the stretch in 2024. Might be able to bring him back at a discounted rate and have him be a big part of a bounce-back season.
Boston Red Sox: 3B Alex Bregman
It won't be cheap, but surely they have the money to make it happen, given their top-five annual revenue and the fact that the four-man outfield of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu is going to make a combined sum of $13.7 million in 2026. Like Eflin, Bregman is only 31 and ought to have at least another four or five good years left in the tank. And if he does sign elsewhere, Boston's hot corner could be the hot mess that keeps them out of the 2026 postseason.
New York Yankees: CF Cody Bellinger
See: Bregman, Alex. Bellinger's Spotrac market value is six years, $183 million—but the Yankees, of all teams, could certainly afford it. As things stand, their only outfielders signed for next season are Aaron Judge and Jasson Domínguez. (And, I suppose, technically, Giancarlo Stanton can still play some corner outfield here and there.) So, if they don't re-sign Bellinger (or Trent Grisham), they better have a nice big offer lined up for Kyle Tucker.
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Adrian Houser
Excluding the three players for whom the Rays hold club options (Brandon Lowe, Pete Fairbanks and Yandy Díaz), Houser appears to be the only free agent who ended the 2025 season on Tampa Bay's roster. So, not a tough pick for us here. But if they do re-sign him, they'll be hoping to get the guy who had a 2.10 ERA in his 11 starts with the White Sox and not the one who gave the Rays a 4.79 ERA in 10 starts after the trade deadline.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Shane Bieber
Shortstop Bo Bichette is the bigger name and may well be the one they prioritize this winter. However, if we learned anything from Toronto's first two postseason series, it's that this offense still packs one heck of a punch even without him. Meanwhile, if that rotation loses all of Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Bieber this winter, whether they have the arms to run it back again as AL East champions becomes questionable, at best. And unlike the Red Sox and Yankees with their big free agents, Toronto might not be able to afford Bichette if his eight-year, $186 million market value is legit. (Though, if Bieber's six-year, $146 million market value is also legit, that's also probably too much. That projection feels way too high, though, at least in number of years.)
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: LHP Martín Pérez
Pérez has a $10 million mutual option that almost certainly won't be exercised, but he had a solid season for the bits of it that he was healthy, giving the White Sox a 3.54 ERA and five quality starts out of 10 tries. At any rate, there are much worse options for this rebuild than bringing him back to reprise his role as the veteran of an otherwise young staff.
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Jake Junis
Minimal options here with Junis and OF Lane Thomas the only free agents for the AL Central champs—and at least Junis provided some value in 2025, giving the Guardians a 2.28 ERA across 17 appearances over the final two months of the regular season as they made their seemingly impossible comeback. We'll see about the cost, though. He was on a one-year, $4.5 million deal, and a repeat of that would make him one of the five highest-paid players on Cleveland's 2026 payroll.
Detroit Tigers: RHP Kyle Finnegan
Finnegan struggled a bit toward the end of Detroit's time in the postseason, but he ended up being one of the better trade deadline acquisitions, providing the Tigers with a 1.50 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in his 16 regular-season appearances after relocating from Washington. Though Will Vest is still Detroit's closer, having Finnegan back for high-leverage seventh and eighth inning spots could be huge.
Kansas City Royals: OF Mike Yastrzemski
Of the 15 players to make at least a dozen appearances in the Royals outfield this season, Yastrzemski was the most productive, and it's not even remotely close. Kansas City went from averaging 3.6 runs per game before the trade deadline to 4.9 after he entered the equation. Even if the 35-year-old doesn't repeat his .839 OPS in 2026, the Royals owe it to their pitching staff to find out if he can.
Minnesota Twins: N/A
The Twins did end up hanging onto one free agent until the bitter end, but only because they were never going to be able to get anything for Christian Vázquez and his three consecutive years with a sub-.600 OPS. And there's no reason to re-sign him when they've already got Ryan Jeffers, Mickey Gasper and Jhonny Pereda on hand to hold down the fort at catcher.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics: LHP Sean Newcomb
There were 30 pitchers who logged at least five innings for the A's this season, only three of whom managed a sub-4.00 FIP. Remarkably, Newcomb was the best of the bunch, thriving to the tune of a 1.75 ERA and 2.69 FIP after the A's acquired him from Boston in late May. The 32-year-old was on a one-year, $1 million deal, and they could probably bring him back for around $2 million as they continue to figure out their bullpen plans sans Mason Miller.
Houston Astros: C/1B Victor Caratini
Re-signing Framber Valdez would be great, but finding the $200 million to do so doesn't seem feasible. For Caratini, it's probably more like $5 million, but he gave them a .263 batting average over the past two seasons, including a career-high 12 home runs in 2025. Having an actually productive bat to spell both Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker should have done more for this offense than it did. And if they don't re-sign Caratini, they'll probably need to find another veteran backstop anyway.
Los Angeles Angels: 3B Yoán Moncada
If nothing else, Moncada gets on base at a good clip, which was a major problem for the Angels this season. He was one of just three Halos with an on-base percentage of .320 or higher in 2025, but he was on the IL often enough that his $5 million price tag from this season probably isn't going to be any higher than that. And unless they think hiring Kurt Suzuki as manager is going to somehow translate to Anthony Rendon playing baseball on any sort of regular basis again, the Angels do need to do something about their third base situation.
Seattle Mariners: 1B Josh Naylor
Of the two corner infielders Seattle acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline, Naylor was the one Mariners fans quickly came to adore most passionately. For the first time in a long time, first base became a legitimate strong suit for this team, and it needs to find a way to keep that going. If that means letting all of Eugenio Suárez, Jorge Polanco and Caleb Ferguson walk while making sure to re-sign Naylor, so be it.
Texas Rangers: RHP Shawn Armstrong
From May 17 onward, Armstrong made 53 appearances with a 1.46 ERA, tallying three wins, 10 holds and seven saves in a Rangers bullpen that never did have particularly well-defined roles. By year end, though, he was their most reliable reliever. And of the nine veteran arms they have hitting free agency, his just might be the most important to bring back.
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: IF Ha-Seong Kim
Kim's $16 million player option is maybe the biggest domino that could topple in either direction in the first few days of the offseason. If he turns it down, Atlanta will presumably do its best to re-sign him, as the alternatives are spending a copious amount of money on Bo Bichette (which might not even be an option for their budget) or going back to Nick Allen's lifeless bat as the primary shortstop. Should Kim exercise his player option, though, Atlanta probably won't make much of an effort to bring back either of its other free agents (Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias) simply because their payroll is already around $200 million, if you include Kim's $16 million.
Miami Marlins: N/A
When the Marlins released Cal Quantrill in August it became official: They have no one on the roster hitting free agency this winter or next winter. (Unless they decline to pick up their 2027 club option on Sandy Alcantara.) For a team that had already gone 49-38 over the final three-plus months of the 2025 campaign, that uncommon degree of roster retention could make them a real threat—even though you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone projecting them to finish ahead of Atlanta, New York or Philadelphia.
New York Mets: RHP Edwin Díaz
Bit of a toss-up between Díaz and Pete Alonso, and you can easily make the case that they ought to prioritize the first baseman simply because there are so many more closers available this winter. Conversely, the Mets would still have a formidable lineup even without the Polar Bear, while their bullpen situation is looking all sorts of dire if you remove Díaz from the equation. (For what it's worth, Díaz hasn't yet officially opted out of the two years left on his deal, so it's still possible they won't even need to re-sign him. But we all assume he's going to opt out.)
Philadelphia Phillies: DH Kyle Schwarber
With J.T. Realmuto, Harrison Bader, Max Kepler and Ranger Suárez also on their way to the land of free agency, the Phillies could have a busy offseason without even searching for external hires. But Schwarber is the one they figure to be the most adamant about keeping, as only Aaron Judge (210) has hit more home runs than Schwarber's 187 over the past four years. Even though he doesn't play the field and even though he'll turn 33 before the 2026 campaign begins, you've got to think it's going to take north of $100 million to retain him.
Washington Nationals: 1B/DH Josh Bell
After posting a .503 OPS through the team's first 40 games, Bell quietly became one of Washington's best hitters with an .818 OPS the rest of the way. And after mostly serving as DH through the first four months, he became its primary first baseman once Nathaniel Lowe was out of the picture. The Nationals have a lot of work to do to climb out of the abyss they've been in for the past six years, but bringing back Bell should be an obvious first step.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: RF Kyle Tucker
The Cubs have a bunch of free-agent pitchers they could look to re-sign, Brad Keller foremost among them after the sensational job the 30-year-old former starting pitcher did in the late innings this year. But Tucker is the obvious choice for this spot, in part because of what lies in store for them next winter when all of Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner will be hitting free agency, and Dansby Swanson won't be getting any younger.
Cincinnati Reds: RHP Emilio Pagán
Never would have guessed before the season that Pagán—fresh off a 2024 season with one save and a 4.50 ERA—would post a 2.88 ERA while ranking second in the NL in saves (32). But when Alexis Díaz opened the season on the IL and subsequently pitched his way out of a job, Pagán became an indispensable piece of Cincinnati's unlikely journey to a playoff spot. The Reds do still have Tony Santillan, though, if Pagán's price tag has gotten a bit too steep for their liking.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Brandon Woodruff
Over the past five years, not many pitchers have been better than a healthy Woodruff, who has a 2.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 in 80 games started. But the fact that he has only averaged 16 starts per year and ended 2025 on the IL yet again could be what keeps his price tag just low enough for a possible return to Milwaukee. He has a $20 million mutual option with a $10 million buyout, and it's likely he will turn down his half of it. That doesn't mean he's necessarily gone, though.
Pittsburgh Pirates: DH Andrew McCutchen
Pittsburgh already jettisoned most of its free agents via trade or waiver, so it's down to either 39-year-old McCutchen or 38-year-old Tommy Pham for this spot. At least with the former, they get the nostalgia from those three times in the past three decades that this team actually won 83 games in a season.
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas
He's the only free agent the Cardinals have, and at 37 years old with a 4.98 ERA over the past three seasons, they'll probably just wish this former two-time All-Star the best of luck finding a contract elsewhere. But if they'd rather give pitching prospects Quinn Mathews, Tekoah Roby and Tink Hence one more year down on the farm before making their MLB debuts, at least Mikolas can eat innings while taking his lumps, much like Patrick Corbin did for the Washington Nationals from 2020-24.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Zac Gallen
They're presumably going to extend Gallen the $22 million qualifying offer, and there's a non-zero chance he accepts it. As far as we're concerned, that counts as re-signing a free agent, even if he never technically makes it to free agency. But even if he declines the qualifying offer, Arizona figures to be one of the primary teams looking to sign Gallen to a long-term deal, given how bleak this pitching staff—both at the MLB level and down on the farm—becomes if he's out of the picture.
Colorado Rockies: 2B Thairo Estrada
Between Estrada, Kyle Farmer, Orlando Arcia and Germán Márquez, the Rockies have four free agents who were worth a combined negative 3.5 bWAR in 2025. Can't imagine they're champing at the bit to bring any of them back. At least with Estrada, one can hope for a healthier tomorrow, as he only appeared in 39 games between a broken wrist, sprained thumb and hamstring strain. And he did bat .284 in the 29 games between the wrist and thumb injuries.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Michael Kopech
Speaking of "limited by injury," Kopech appeared in just 14 games this season, dealing with arm inflammation in the first half and a torn meniscus that kept him out for all of July and August. In those 14 appearances, though, he had a 2.45 ERA and sure looked like a better option than just about every other right-handed pitcher in the Dodgers bullpen. Including last postseason, he has given them a 1.84 ERA in 44 innings of work since coming over from the White Sox at the 2024 trade deadline.
San Diego Padres: RHP Dylan Cease or RHP Michael King
Whether they can afford to bring either one back is questionable, but they almost certainly can't do both, already looking at an Opening Day payroll north of $200 million. They're also looking at an Opening Day rotation in which Yu Darvish, JP Sears and Matt Waldron could all be in the mix after making a combined 21 starts with a 5.51 ERA in 2025, so finding some way to keep either Cease or King would be huge in their quest for a fifth postseason appearance in seven years.
San Francisco Giants: RHP Justin Verlander
After going 0-8 with a 4.99 ERA in his first 16 starts, Verlander gave the Giants a 2.60 ERA over his final 13 appearances, even tallying just shy of one strikeout per inning pitched at 42 years young. And while Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer each played a part in a World Series run this year, Verlander might have enough left in the tank for one final ride of his own. If he does plan on pitching one more year, San Francisco better at least try to bring him back, as Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are the only sure things in this 2026 rotation.
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