Every MLB Team's Biggest Free-Agent or Trade Need This Offseason
In addition to Brandon Woodruff, Gleyber Torres, Trent Grisham and Shota Imanaga accepting the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, Dylan Cease—the No. 9 free agent on the B/R big board—came off the board last week when he agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Nonetheless, a majority of the action this offseason is yet to come, and the hot stove should reach a fever pitch during next week's MLB Winter Meetings.
Here's every team's biggest need to address either via free agency or trade for the remainder of the offseason.
AL East
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Toronto Blue Jays: Another Big Bat
With the signing of Cease and Shane Bieber deciding not to opt out, the starting rotation in Toronto is likely set, perhaps even to the point where the defending AL champions could consider trading from their surplus of starters.
Might the Blue Jays be better off if they signed a star closer and utilized Jeff Hoffman as their top setup man in 2026? Yes. But their biggest need right now is another bat.
The obvious answer would be to bring back shortstop Bo Bichette, who B/R projected to sign a seven-year, $210 million contract. If not Bichette, the Blue Jays could pivot to Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger or another free agent and have Andrés Giménez play shortstop on a full-time basis in 2026.
New York Yankees: Starting Pitching
Max Fried finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting in his first campaign with the Yankees, setting him up to be the Opening Day starter in 2026.
But with Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Carlos Rodón (elbow bone spur) and Clarke Schmidt (internal brace) all coming off of major surgeries and uncertainty about the durability of Luis Gil, New York could use another capable arm. That might mean going big for Japanese star Tatsuya Imai, or opting for a veteran like Chris Bassitt, Merrill Kelly or Lucas Giolito.
An offseason after Juan Soto switched New York teams, the Yankees have to be tantalized by the possibility of stealing Edwin Díaz from the Mets. Back-end reliever is definitely a need, although we would argue another starter is more pressing.
Boston Red Sox: Cleanup Hitter
The Red Sox almost have too much young position talent, which might mean they trade Jarren Duran and move forward with Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony in the outfield next season.
Boston could try to bring back Alex Bregman, who had a tremendous 2025 season with them. However, after bungling the relationship with Rafael Devers, what chief baseball officer Craig Breslow really needs to land this offseason is a middle-of-the-order bat. Free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso probably fit that bill better than Bregman.
If the Red Sox are able to sign either Schwarber or Alonso—on top of already having traded for Sonny Gray—they'll be a trendy World Series pick next spring.
Tampa Bay Rays: Another reliever
No matter what their roster looks like heading into the season, the Rays always seem to find a way to be in contention. But after the signing of Cedric Mullins to fill a void in the outfield, the Rays should pivot to trying to replace Pete Fairbanks.
To be clear, the Rays definitely should have just picked up Fairbanks' $11 million option. But they didn't, and we're going to guess they aren't inclined to pay that type of price for a replacement. So Griffin Jax and/or Edwin Uceta will likely get the first crack at save situations for Kevin Cash in 2026.
Still, the Rays could benefit from adding another veteran setup man. Injuries don't typically scare off Erik Neander and the Rays, which makes Michael Kopech—who was limited to just 14 appearances last season because of injuries to his right knee and shoulder—and interesting buy-low candidate. He looked like an All-Star reliever for the Dodgers during the 2024 postseason.
Baltimore Orioles: Top-of-the-rotation starter
Whatever you think of the Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward trade that Mike Elias pulled off, it's clear that the Orioles aren't playing around after a nightmarish 75-87 season. The O's plan on contending in 2026.
To compete in the loaded AL East, the Orioles are going to need to add another frontline starter to pair with Trevor Rogers, who revived his career by posting a 1.81 ERA over 18 starts this past season. Kyle Bradish will be in his first season coming back from Tommy John surgery, and there's not a ton of upside behind him.
Certainly, if any of Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta or Sandy Alcantara are attainable in a trade, the Orioles would be a great fit. If not, Ranger Suárez, Framber Valdez, Michael King and Zac Gallen could all fit the bill as free agents.
AL Central
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Cleveland Guardians: A Run Producer
Stephen Vogt has won AL Manager of the Year twice in as many seasons on the job in Cleveland. 2025 was arguably an even more impressive job than 2024, as Vogt guided a Guardians team that finished the season with a minus-six run differential to an AL East title.
The Guardians aren't going to suddenly become one of the sport's biggest spenders, but they need to add a run producer to alleviate some pressure off of José Ramírez.
Rhys Hoskins and Marcell Ozuna are two veterans coming off of down years that Cleveland could sign to fill that role for a season.
Detroit Tigers: Veteran Bat
With a very real possibility that 2026 is the final year that two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal spends in Detroit, president of baseball operations Scott Harris should be incentivized to step out of his comfort zone a bit this winter.
A year ago, the Tigers offered Alex Bregman a six-year, $171.5 million deal in free agency, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Bregman instead signed a three-year, $120 million pact with the Red Sox, had a great season and returned to the open market by opting out.
The Red Sox could still bring Bregman back, though as we mentioned previously, someone with more of a power profile might fit them better. That could open the door for the Tigers to strike on Bregman, reuniting him with A.J. Hinch and making Detroit the clear favorite in the AL Central.
Kansas City Royals: Outfield Help
The Royals can continue with a glove-first option in center field like Kyle Isbel, but only if they get more offensive production from the corners. President of baseball operations J.J. Picollo might have to hope that in one corner things click for Jac Caglianone. In the other corner, though, he needs to find a veteran.
Kansas City may ultimately bring back Mike Yastrzemski, who mashes righties and posted an .839 OPS after they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants. But they should aim higher first.
That won't be Tucker, but perhaps the aforementioned Bader—whether it's as a center fielder or left fielder—could make sense. Kansas City should be all over Duran if the Red Sox do indeed trade him.
Minnesota Twins: Basically Everything
This isn't a cop out, but the Twins traded Bader, Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and Louis Varland, among others, this past summer. Right now, they are one of the worst rosters in the sport, and need to decided how they want to proceed with Byron Buxton, Pablo López and Joe Ryan.
Really, what the Twins need is for the Pohlad family to sell the team. They flirted with doing so, but instead announced weeks after doing a firesale that they plan to hold onto the club and add minority investors.
The frustrating part for Twins fans is there's nothing that can be done in free agency or via trade to fix their biggest issue.
Chicago White Sox: A Veteran Starter
Even though they lost 102 games this past year, the White Sox actually had a 19-win improvement from a historically-bad 2024 campaign. It's going to take years to dig out of that hole. We'll see how some high draft picks and the pieces acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade ultimately pan out.
In the meantime, life goes on. The White Sox aren't going to be a contender in 2026, but they will play 162 games. When you're a team in that type of situation, it never hurts to add a veteran starter and hope that they pitch well enough to get some sort of moderate trade-deadline return.
To that end, Bassitt, Kelly and Zach Eflin are all interesting free-agent options. If they're looking for more of a bounce-back candidate to roll the dice on, the White Sox could consider Walker Buehler, Jordan Montgomery or Griffin Canning.
AL West
3 of 6
Seattle Mariners: A Third Baseman
The good news for the Mariners is that they've already re-signed Josh Naylor to a five-year, $92.5 million deal. It's less clear whether they'll bring back third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who now has seen major dips in his offensive production across two stints in Seattle, with a .741 OPS as a Mariner.
If Suárez opts for greener hitting pastures, the Mariners will likely be in the market for a veteran third baseman, particularly if they let Jorge Polanco walk and hand 22-year-old Cole Young the keys at second base.
Alec Bohm was a trade candidate tied to the Mariners last offseason, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto could circle back with the Phillies and try to work out a trade ahead of his final season of arbitration eligibility.
Japanese star Munetaka Murakami could be a consideration, although there are concerns about his ability to stick at third base in the majors. He may give them too much of a left-handed lineup as well.
Houston Astros: Frontline Starter
Framber Valdez posted a 5.20 ERA after the All-Star break, and there was that weird moment in September when he appeared to purposely cross up catcher César Salazar:
The Astros will get some draft-pick compensation if Valdez leaves in free agency, and that may ultimately be their best path moving forward. It doesn't, however, mean that they won't need another top-of-the-rotation arm to go with Hunter Brown, who finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2025.
Suárez, Gallen and Kelly are all free-agent options. Trying to acquire the aforementioned Ryan if the Twins are willing to trade him would make sense. It may be that Lopez proves to be the more attainable Minnesota starter.
Texas Rangers: Middle-Of-The-Rotation Starter
The biggest thing that the Rangers need is for their offense to bounce back in 2026. They've already traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, and will have to hope that some combination of Joc Pederson, Jake Burger and Josh Jung are better in Skip Schumaker's first season as manager.
Elsewhere, the Rangers need a No. 3 starter. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi both were excellent in 2025, but are each on the wrong side of 35 with lengthy injury histories. Texas needs a third starter they feel confident can give them innings, while also providing some upside.
Exactly how much the Rangers will be willing to spend to get a No. 3 starter is unclear. Older options like Bassitt, Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana or bringing back Kelly probably don't make sense given the advanced ages of the top two starters in the rotation. Giolito isn't a sure thing given his injury history. Chris Young will be an interesting executive to monitor this offseason.
Athletics: Pitching, Pitching And Pitching
Led by AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson, the Athletics have a lineup that could be ready to compete as soon as 2026. The problem is their pitching is lightyears away from being contention ready.
The A's attempted to improve their rotation last offseason by giving Luis Severino hazard pay to pitch in Sacramento. As it turns out, Severino hated pitching at Sutter Health Park. Beyond not being an MLB-quality facility, it proved to be a bandbox, with the two-time All-Star posting a 6.01 ERA in 15 home starts, as opposed to a 3.02 ERA in 14 on the road.
Not only does general manager David Forst need to add multiple starters, but a high-leverage reliever. Good luck doing that considering how Severino's 2025 season went. The A's might be destined to be the Cincinnati Bengals of baseball—a great offense that misses the playoffs because they can't prevent the other team from scoring even more.
Los Angeles Angels: Third Baseman
ESPN's Alden González recently reported that the Angels are discussing a potential buyout of the final year of Anthony Rendon's seven-year, $245 million deal, arguably the worst contract in MLB history.
Rendon missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing hip surgery. In his absence, Yoán Moncada got the largest chunk of starts at third base, posting a .783 OPS in 84 games. He's now a free agent, leaving the Halos to search for another option at the hot corner.
Bohm could also be an option for the Angels via trade. Our projection, though, was for general manager Perry Minasian—who is in a contract year, just like new manager Kurt Suzuki—to sign Suárez to a two-year, $43 million deal. That would give the Angels a major power presence, as Suárez is coming off of the second 49-homer campaign of his career.
NL East
4 of 6
Philadelphia Phillies: A Big Bat
Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs for the Phillies this past season, earning him a second-place finish in NL MVP voting. Quite simply, he Phillies either need to re-sign him or find another major source of power.
The most likely scenario is that Schwarber—who clubbed 187 home runs across the lifetime of a four-year, $79 million contract—returns to the Phillies. If it's not him, though, the Phillies are going to need to consider other options like Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker or Pete Alonso.
On top of this, J.T. Realmuto is a free agent. If the Phillies don't re-sign Realmuto, they're also going to need to find an alternative at catcher.
New York Mets: Ace Starter
For as good as president of baseball operations David Stearns is at finding value on the margins, the Mets need a stopper.
Nolan McLean could develop into an ace, Sean Manaea might bounce back and David Peterson's disastrous second have may prove to be an aberration. Making all those bets would be a lot easier if the Mets have a sure thing going every five days.
Even if the Mets aren't willing to consider trading McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat and perhaps even Kodai Senga could be part of a trade to land an impact starter. Any of Skubal, Alcantara, Peralta or Ryan would look great taking the ball for the Mets on Opening Day.
Miami Marlins: Veteran Bat
Rather quietly, the Marlins went 35-32 after the All-Star break, with Clayton McCullough doing a really nice job in his first season leading the Fish.
The problem in Miami is that it's hard to carry over any momentum from year to year when the roster is constantly changing. On the surface, though, the Marlins have a chance to have a pretty good rotation next year with Alcantara, Edward Cabrera and Eury Pérez.
The cupboard isn't empty in the lineup, with Kyle Stowers one of the breakout stars of this past season. Miami needs a veteran run producer to help this young lineup. Again, this is a team that you have to be realistic about when projecting who could fill that role. Hoskins or Ryan O'Hearn could be fits to split time between first base and DH. Perhaps the most intriguing possibility would be to reunite with Ozuna, who played for the Marlins from 2013-2017 at the beginning of his career.
Atlanta Braves: Shortstop
The Braves have already brought back closer Raisel Iglesias on a $16 million deal. Even before that, shortstop was probably the biggest area of need on their roster.
Ha-Seong Kim spent 24 games with the Braves, and ultimately opted out of $16 million for 2026. He'll likely seek a multi-year deal that guarantees him more total money. The glove-first option could re-sign in Atlanta. The great thing about him is he can play all over the infield if the Braves ever have the option to acquire another shortstop.
If president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos really wants to go big, he could try to lure Bo Bichette away from the Blue Jays in free agency. Bichette may not be able to stay at shortstop over the long run, though his bat would look great in a lineup with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson.
Washington Nationals: Pitching, Pitching And Pitching
Whether it's starting pitch or relief pitching, the Nationals are in a position to be picky. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni needs to add pitching, and a ton of it.
We've already spoken ad nauseam about middle-tier starting pitching, and the Nationals should consider all of those names to go in a rotation with MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray.
Washington finished dead-last in 2025 with a 5.59 bullpen ERA. They should be in the market for veteran relievers like Luke Weaver, Tyler Rogers, Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto, all of whom would improve their bullpen in the short term before potentially becoming trade candidates in the summer.
NL Central
5 of 6
Milwaukee Brewers: Platoon Partner For Jake Bauers
The Brewers may have hoped for Woodruff to decline the qualifying offer, but a rotation headlined him, Freddy Peralta and Jacob Misiorowski sounds pretty compelling. Frankly, unless the Brewers trade Peralta or someone else on their roster, there aren't a ton of holes right now.
Jake Bauers is penciled in as their starting left fielder right now, and he had relatively drastic splits this past season, posting a .769 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .561 OPS in very limited opportunities against lefties. So a right-handed hitting platoon partner for Bauers could be a good addition for a club that seems to get the most out of whoever they employ.
Starling Marte is a great veteran presence that has traditionally hit lefties very well, although he declined to a .733 OPS this past year and might be more of a DH at this stage.
Rob Refsnyder mashed lefties for the Red Sox, posting a .959 OPS against southpaws this past season. He'll have other suitors, but the 34-year-old would fit nicely on the Brew Crew.
Chicago Cubs: Ace Starter
It should be said that it's ridiculous that the Cubs aren't even seen as a real threat to re-sign Kyle Tucker. He's a star player on the right side of 30, and all indications are that a team in a top-five media market with a stadium that's a tourist attraction isn't going to make a competitive offer.
With that said, the Cubs do appear focused on starting pitching, even after Imanaga accepted the qualifying offer. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer does need to add to the rotation—Imanaga is coming off a down season, Matthew Boyd is uncertain to replicate his career-year of 2025 and Cade Horton ended his rookie season with a right rib fracture.
If the Cubs were to land an ace, they would have the chance to have one of baseball's best rotations. They could gamble on the health of King or Suárez, or bet on a bounce-back season from Zac Gallen in free agency. Chicago could also look to make a trade for a front-line starter like Alcantara.
Cincinnati Reds: Lineup Anchor
It's insane to think about, but the Reds finished 2025 just 14th in runs scored, despite playing their home games at Great American Ball Park.
Assuming they keep things intact, Cincinnati has a rotation ready to make a deep playoff run with Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo. They need a lineup to match. Elly De La Cruz is electric, and Cincinnati can hope for better results moving forward from Matt McLain and/or Spencer Steer. But this is a lineup that badly needs a sure thing.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has noted that the Reds are interested in Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio. He and others question whether owner Bob Castellini will have the stomach to write a check large enough to woo him away from the Phillies and others.
Ke'Bryan Hayes is a tremendous defender at third base, but his presence there complicates some other hitters that could fit the bill of what the Reds lineup needs. Alex Bregman would be a great veteran leader for this young team, but might not have a positional fit. What about a reunion with the aforementioned Eugenio Suárez? "Geno" would likely have to be willing to get the bulk of his at-bats at DH and/or first base.
St. Louis Cardinals: Veteran Starting Pitcher
We'll have a clearer picture of what president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom needs to add once we know all that's been subtracted. Gray has been traded to the Red Sox, while Miles Mikolas is a free agent. St. Louis needs another arm to help them get through 2026.
Patrick Corbin was actually very servicable for the Rangers last year, posting a 4.40 ERA and 4.25 ERA over 155 1/3 innings pitched. Don't underestimate how important a player like that, one who has won a World Series, can be to a young team.
A reunion with Quintana—who spent the second half of the 2022 season with the Red Birds—could also fit what they need.
Pittsburgh Pirates: A Veteran Bat
It's clear that Bob Nutting and the Pirates—before the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement—want it known that they are willing to spend some money this offseason. We can get into conspiracies on why that is another day.
Thus far, the Pirates have been connected to both Schwarber and Realmuto. That's after Jeff Passan of ESPN said that the Buccos had interest in Naylor before he re-signed with the Mariners.
The problem that the Pirates are going to have is that even if they are actually willing to write a major check this offseason—and it's fair to be skeptical about if they actually are—what veteran with options is going to pick them? This isn't an ownership group that tries to put a winning product on the field consistently, and Pittsburgh has NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes right now, that clock is likely ticking.
The Pirates will likely get a veteran bat this year. It will be someone bigger than what franchise icon Andrew McCutchen is at this stage, but likely not as big as some of the names we've heard linked to Pittsburgh so far. Jorge Polanco, who hit 26 home runs for the Mariners this past year, is a more realistic type of name.
NL West
6 of 6
Los Angeles Dodgers: Late-Inning Reliever
Roki Sasaki helped the Dodgers get by late in games during the postseason, but he's going to be a starter. And the bullpen in Los Angeles is clearly the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a three-peat.
Alex Vesia will be back after missing the World Series due to the tragic passing of his baby. The Dodgers can hope for a rebound from Tanner Scott, who had a disastrous first season after signing a four-year, $72 million deal. But the Dodgers would be best betting on Vesia, Scott and Blake Treinen to be set-up men for an elite closer.
By all accounts the Mets are still in play for Edwin Diaz even after signing Devin Williams. That would be a coup, though, if the Dodgers could lure him away. More likely might be signing two-time All-Star Robert Suarez away from the division-rival Padres.
San Diego Padres: Frontline Starter
Cease has already departed, and King might not be far behind. With Yu Darvish out for the 2026 season and Nick Pivetta possessing an opt-out next winter, the Padres need to add a frontline arm with multiple years of control.
If the aforementioned Twins can be talked into trading Ryan—who has two remaining arbitration years—he seems like the type of player that the always-aggressive A.J. Preller would trade for. Perhaps López, signed for two more years, will be the more attainable Twins righty.
If there's one thing you can be assure of it's that Preller is going to make a splash or two this winter, and starting pitching should be at the top of San Diego's list.
San Francisco Giants: No. 3 Starter
Giants fans were frustrated by a report from The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly that said San Francisco is unlikely to make a "nine-figure investment" to lure Imai or any of the other top free-agent pitchers this winter.
Still, San Francisco could use a veteran arm to slot in the No. 3 spot behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.
They could consider a reunion with Justin Verlander, who posted a 2.99 second-half ERA for them last year. Verlander will turn 43 in February, however.
Speaking of future Hall of Famers, Max Scherzer was once recruited to the University of Missouri by new Giants' manager Tony Vitello. But while he turned back the clock in October, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has a 4.77 ERA over just 26 starts the past two seasons.
It could be that the Blue Jays offer the best option for the Giants. Bassitt is a free agent after pitching north of the border for three seasons. Not only has he pitched 155 or more innings in five consecutive seasons, but Bassitt showed an ability to pitch out of the bullpen in the playoffs. A more long shot idea might be trading to reacquire Kevin Gausman—who was tremendous in San Francisco in 2020 and 2021—in a trade before the final year of his contract.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Pitching, Pitching And Pitching
The Diamondbacks might still re-sign Gallen, but he's a free agent. As is Kelly, who the dealt to the Rangers before the trade deadline. To say that the Snakes are desperate for pitching would be an understatement.
Former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes had Tommy John surgery in June. So did Justin Martinez, one of the club's top relievers. That same month, AJ Puk also had an internal brace procedure on his left elbow. Any contribution that the Diamondbacks get from that trio in 2026 will be a blessing.
We would suggest that in a rotation where Ryne Nelson is currently listed as the No. 1 starter, Arizona re-sign Gallen. But that would only be the first in many moves needed by general manager Mike Hazen.
Colorado Rockies: Infield Bat
It would be great for owner Dick Monfort to give new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta his blessing to go sign Tucker this winter. That's probably not going to happen, nor are the Rockies going to solve the decades-long problem of getting consistent pitching at Coors Field in one offseason.
Still, a fairly ambitious infield bat would be a nice move as the Rockies try to avoid a fourth-consecutive 100-plus loss campaign.
How many home runs would Eugenio Suárez hit if he got to play 81 games a season at Coors Field? Hoskins could be a great rebound candidate that's lauded for his clubhouse presence, a valuable thing to consider when trying to move on from a 119-loss season.
The Rockies are still going to be very bad next year, but at least give the fans something to feel some pride over.
