2025 MLB Free Agents Rumors, Predictions for Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker, More
The baseball world is buzzing.
And not only because the Toronto Blue Jays now sit just one win away from dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers and capturing their first World Series title since 1993.
That's because, for the other 28 MLB teams, their 2025 fates have long been decided. They're already operating in offseason mode, and the activity on the rumor mill is evidence of that.
That's why we're here digging through those discussions and dissecting what they mean for some of the brightest stars in free agency.
Phillies Trying To Keep Kyle Schwarber?
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It's possible the Philadelphia Phillies are weighing big changes this offseason. After all, they're basically backtracking in the World Series race. Since losing in the 2022 Fall Classic, they were next bounced out of the NLCS in 2023 and have lost in the Divisional Series each of the past two seasons.
At the same time, chasing new players might mean losing the ones you already have. And when one of those players happens to be one of the premier power hitters in all of baseball, that becomes a really difficult subtraction to accept.
Maybe that's why the Phillies are making star slugger Kyle Schwarber "a top priority," per the Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Granted, prioritizing and actually paying the cost of his next contract are two different things, so this news guarantees nothing.
Then again, Schwarber just completed his fourth season in Philadelphia, and all of them have been awesome, as he totaled 187 dingers with 434 RBI, so you understand why they don't want to lose him. They'll have enough money to keep them, though that might preclude them from adding a difference-maker elsewhere.
Prediction: Schwarber signs a four-year deal with the Phillies.
Blue Jays Set to Join the Kyle Tucker Sweepstakes?
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While the Blue Jays are busy pursuing championship bliss, the hot stove isn't starting to heat up. And they can't afford to just ignore that fact.
They're not. Their front office is already prepping for the offseason ahead, and it apparently could feature the biggest splash available.
Per Heyman, the Blue Jays "are another team that could play for No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker. They played for the biggest free agents—Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto—and Jays sources say they still would have signed Vlad Guerrero Jr. even if they'd gotten Ohtani or Soto."
They're ready to spend, in other words, but so should be any team eyeing Tucker, who has a non-zero chance of fetching $400 million-plus on the open market. Expect all the typical big-spenders to get involved here.
Prediction: Tucker signs a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Wide List of Landing Spots for Framber Valdez
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Two-time All-Star Framber Valdez sits atop the starting pitching ranks in this year's crop of free agents. As one might expect, he could draw a massive amount of suitors.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden listed seven different teams as Valdez's best fits: the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. And while the analyst and former executive stopped short of predicting a landing spot, he did make a contract prediction: six years, $190 million.
That's a huge chunk of change, but you can see why teams might think Valdez is worth it. He's been one of the steadier starters in baseball over the past four seasons, compiling a 3.21 ERA and a 1.16 ERA over 767.2 innings pitched.
A lot of rotations could use a talent like that, either plugged in as the ace or utilized as a high-end No. 2. While all of those destinations seem reasonable, our crystal ball sees the Giants making a splash in their rotation after heavily investing in their lineup of late.
Prediction: Valdez signs a five-year deal with San Francisco.
