2025 MLB Free Agents Rumors and Predictions for Underrated Available Players
The biggest week of the MLB offseason thus far is upon us, with members of all 30 teams in Orlando for the winter meetings starting on Monday.
There have already been a few notable free-agent deals, led by the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays spending a total of $240 million to add Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their pitching staff.
While there will be plenty of discussion throughout the winter meetings of many of the top remaining free agents, including Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, several players are being overlooked at the moment because of those marquee names still available.
Only a select few teams will actually be in the market for someone like Tucker, but the less heralded free agents could make all the difference for a team looking to contend for a playoff spot in 2025.
Here are some of the underrated players to keep an eye on and what types of deals they could be in line for.
Harrison Bader
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Harrison Bader has the type of upside that could make him the third-best free-agent outfielder in this class after Tucker and Cody Bellinger, but his ability to maintain a consistent level of performance is what makes him someone likely in the market for a short-term deal.
One of those teams that could pursue Bader is the San Francisco Giants. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Sunday that the 32-year-old is someone who "piques" the Giants' interest because they need outfield help and he might only command a deal in the range of two to three years.
The Philadelphia Phillies have publicly expressed a desire to bring Bader back. He figures to be lower on their offseason priority list because they also have to try and retain Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez.
Bader split the 2025 season between the Phillies and Minnesota Twins. He had the best offensive season of his career with a 117 OPS thanks to a .277/.347/.449 slash line and 17 homers in 146 games.
There was some batted-ball luck that helped Bader in putting up those numbers. He has a .247/.313/.401 career slash line in 925 career games. His expected batting average (.223) and slugging (.364) in 2025 were much lower than what he actually posted, but he is still a high-floor player because his defense is very good.
Bader ranked in the 92nd percentile in outs above average and 85th percentile in sprint speed last season. He played a majority of his games in center field and ranked 10th among all players at the position in defensive runs saved with a minimum of 500 innings.
Oracle Park has one of the most spacious outfields in MLB, so the Giants need to prioritize players who can cover ground. Bader fits that bill and makes sense for them on a two-year contract.
Prediction: Giants sign Bader for two years, $30 million
Michael King
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Given the $240 million it cost the Blue Jays to sign Dylan Cease and some of the speculation about what it might take for a club to land Tatsuya Imai, it's really hard to find bargain deals for starting pitchers.
Michael King could end up being an exception largely because he's coming off an injury-plagued 2025 season and has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career. The right-hander was limited to just 15 starts, posting a 3.44 ERA and allowing 12 homers in 73.1 innings (1.5 per nine innings).
After starting his career pitching primarily out of the bullpen for the New York Yankees, King shifted to the starting rotation when he was traded to the San Diego Padres as part of the Juan Soto trade prior to the 2024 season.
King was one of the best pitchers in the NL in his first year with San Diego. He finished seventh in Cy Young voting after posting a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 173.2 innings.
The market for King could be robust in terms of how many teams would like to add him. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has listed the Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets as the most interested suitors, with the Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels also in the mix.
One reason that some of the non-traditional big spending clubs could get involved is King has shown a "willingness" to take a short-term deal that would allow him to hit the market sooner and cash in bigger if he can stay healthy, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted a four-year, $80 million deal for King when free agency opened. If he is open to a short-term contract, something like Bregman's three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox last year that included opt-outs after each of the first two seasons could be a structure that King is looking for.
Of the teams interested in King, the Mets make the most sense because their rotation is a mess right now, it was a huge factor in them missing the playoffs in 2025 and owner Steve Cohen isn't going to be shy about spending money.
Prediction: Mets sign King to a three-year, $75 million contract with an opt-out after the first season
Mike Yastrzemski
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Mike Yastrzemski might be the platonic ideal of an underrated free agent because he's never been spectacular at anything, but he posts stats every year that make him a player many teams would be happy to have starting in a corner outfield spot.
The 35-year-old hit .233/.303/.403 in 146 games between the Giants and Kansas City Royals last season. In his seven MLB seasons, he has only had one year with a below-average OPS (97 in 2022).
Yastrzemski's 111 wRC since 2019 is ahead of Jazz Chisholm Jr. (110), Willy Adames (110) and Elly De La Cruz (109). His value is primarily in his approach at the plate and ability to generate walks. He ranked between the 81st and 90th percentile last season in whiff rate, chase rate and walk rate.
Any team should have a platoon partner for Yastrzemski because he was horrendous against left-handed pitching in 2025 (.138/.204/.223 in 104 plate appearances).
It's not a sexy profile because you want more power from a corner outfielder than Yastrzemski provides, but he can help boost a lot of offenses for teams that aren't going to be big spenders.
Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star noted the Royals are interested in bringing Yastrzemski back. The Marlins have been cited as a potential landing spot for the veteran outfielder, per MLB.com's Jon Morosi.
These aren't necessarily the most glamorous teams, but if either one is serious about trying to improve with the hope of contending in 2025, Yastrzemski would fill a hole they have in the lineup.
Yastrzemski's familiarity with the Royals would likely give them the edge over the Marlins if it comes down to those two teams.
Prediction: Royals sign Yastrzemski to a one-year, $10 million deal
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