6 MLB Teams With the Most Work to Do in Free Agency
The music isn't necessarily close to stopping, but quite a few seats are filled up already, and once the calendar flips to the new year, it can get late early.
While free agency isn't the only way to address team needs, it is the cleanest and simplest to predict.
To that end, we've identified a slew of teams that still have major needs, and some possibilities for how they could use free agency to address areas of concern.
Boston Red Sox
1 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Veteran bat, left-handed set-up man
Ideal Solution: Re-sign Alex Bregman
There was an argument to be made at the outset of the offseason that Craig Breslow and the Red Sox might be better served letting Alex Bregman walk and instead signing a more power-focused bat to augment their lineup.
Ultimately, though, Boston didn't approach the five-year, $150 million deal that Kyle Schwarber signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, nor were they willing to match the five-year, $155 million pact the AL East-rival Baltimore Orioles gave to Pete Alonso. They did instead fill their slugging need with Sunday's trade acquisition of Willson Contreras.
At this juncture of the offseason, re-signing Bregman would be the best move for Boston. He was an All-Star for the Red Sox in 2025, posting an .821 OPS over 114 games. He's also a strong defender at third base, one who could shift to second base if the Red Sox ever wanted to do that.
When you add in his leadership and the fact that Bregman being ineligible for the qualifying offer this offseason means that Boston won't get anything in return if he leaves in free agency, the Red Sox should give the 31-year-old a five-year deal.
Additionally, while Aroldis Chapman was baseball's best reliever a year ago, the only other left currently projected to be in the bullpen for Alex Cora's squad is Jovani Morán, who has a 4.26 ERA in 81 career MLB appearances. So, another left-handed option in the 'pen wouldn't hurt.
Cincinnati Reds
2 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Big veteran bat(s)
Ideal Solution: Reunite with Eugenio Suárez
Despite playing their home games at the hitter's haven that is Great American Ball Park, the Reds finished last season just 14th in runs scored (716).
With the strong starting pitching trio of Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, they still snuck into the postseason, but it's clear this team needs a veteran bat, if not two.
They did pursue Schwarber—who is from Middletown, Ohio and grew up as a Reds fan—though he wound up choosing a larger offer to remain with the Phillies. Still, that doesn't change the need for a big veteran bat to surround Elly De La Cruz and a lineup that has some talent, but needs more from once-promising players like Matt McLain and Spencer Steer.
One interesting way to accomplish both adding a veteran bat and a clubhouse leader would be to sign Eugenio Suárez, who hit 189 home runs as a member of the Reds from 2015-2021. Returning to Great American Ball Park would help Suárez, who has 325 career home runs, get to 400 and beyond in his career.
The biggest issue, though, is that Suárez would have to move off of third base, because the Reds have all-world defender Ke'Bryan Hayes at the hot corner. Suárez posted minus-six defensive runs saved and minus-three outs above average in 2025, so he probably would be more valuable sliding to first base and/or DH. Whether he sees it that way might be a different story.
If not Suárez, Ryan O'Hearn could be a fit as a first base/DH option on what's a pretty right-handed team right now.
O'Hearn actually posted a higher OPS against left-handed pitchers (.832) in 2025 than right-handed ones (.795), though that hasn't been the case for much of the 32-year-old's career.
New York Mets
3 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Veteran bat, ace starting pitcher
Ideal Solution: Sign Cody Bellinger
Considering the Mets traded Brandon Nimmo and saw both Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz leave in free agency, it's going to be difficult for president of baseball operations David Stearns to come out of this offseason a winner.
With that said, Stearns acquired Marcus Semien in return for Nimmo, and then inked Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal. The Mets could still trade Jeff McNeil and/or Mark Veintos, so you can't argue they are running things back following a 28-37 second-half collapse.
It appears Polanco will play some combination of first base and DH, but he's a natural second baseman, and things are still in flux with both McNeil and Vientos. So there are a lot of moving parts in Flushing.
Perhaps the best way to attack the remainder of the offseason would be to get players with positional flexibility. Depending on how things play out with McNeil and Vientos, the Mets could have needs in left field and at first base. Center field was already a need. Cody Bellinger is capable of playing all three of those spots, wasn't eligible to receive a qualifying offer and has proved he can succeed in multiple major markets.
Mark Feinsand recently told Hot Stove on MLB Network (h/t Logan VanDine of SI.com) that the Mets are "very in" on Bellinger, who clubbed 29 home runs for the cross-town rival Yankees this past year.
For as promising as Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat are, the Mets could also still use a veteran ace after Kodai Senga and David Peterson collapsed in the second half, and Sean Manaea had a lost 2025.
Tong and Sproat could be part of a trade package for Tarik Skubal, although the Detroit Tigers might be more inclined to hold onto the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner.
Chicago Cubs
4 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Frontline starting pitcher
Ideal Solution: Ranger Suárez
Even with a projected outfield of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki, it remains puzzling that the Cubs haven't even made an effort this offseason to re-sign Kyle Tucker, the top overall free agent who is only entering his age-29 season.
A healthy Tucker is a real difference-maker, and the Cubs have the financial wherewithal to sign him, and if they did, either Happ or Suzuki could become a trade candidate.
Nonetheless, the Cubs appear content to allow Tucker leave, with the word having been all offseason that their top focus is on starting pitching. Fine, let's focus on that.
Cade Horton is an exciting young arm, but Matthew Boyd is coming off of a career-year in his age-34 campaign, while Shota Imanaga regressed in his second MLB season and is only signed through 2026 on the qualifying offer. The Cubs do need another arm.
There are some durability concerns with Ranger Suárez, who has been on the injured list with a back-related ailment in three of the last four seasons. But, he posted a 3.20 ERA across a career-high 157.1 innings last season. He's been even more dominant in the postseason for the Phillies, thriving as both a starter and a reliever with a minuscule 1.48 ERA across 42.2 career playoff frames.
As puzzling as their handling of Tucker has been, if the Cubs add Suárez on a lucrative four-year deal, they could well enter 2026 as a projected playoff team.
Pittsburgh Pirates
5 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Right-handed bat
Ideal Solution: Kazuma Okamoto
The Pirates have been uncharacteristically active this offseason. They didn't wind up landing Schwarber, but according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, they did extend a four-year, $125 million offer to the NL MVP-runner up.
Additionally, they've acquired two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays.
It's fair to be skeptical of why the Pirates have seemingly decided to try an offseason before the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, but it is a positive development to see them active. And with all due respect to Lowe, he alone isn't enough to take Paul Skenes and Pittsburgh from a 71-win team in 2025 to the playoffs in 2026.
Like with many of these teams, Eugenio Suárez would look good with the Pirates, a team that clearly needs a right-handed bat with some thump. He's still going to have multiple other teams bidding for his services, though.
If not Suárez, Kazuma Okamoto is a corner infielder who posted an .882 OPS in parts of 11 seasons for the Yomiuri Giants. The 29-year-old has to sign with an MLB team by Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET, and the Pirates seem like an ideal fit.
Los Angeles Angels
6 of 6
Biggest Need(s): Third baseman, high-end reliever, starting pitcher
Ideal Solution: Sign Eugenio Suárez
Perhaps it's unimaginative considering how many teams we've mentioned him with already, but the Angels are as good of a fit for Suárez as any.
The Halos need a starting third baseman, so they can offer him the chance to stay at that spot for a few more seasons, as opposed to a team like the Reds that would ask him to move off of his natural position.
General manager Perry Minasian is entering a contract year. New manager Kurt Suzuki was only given a one-year contract. It's clear that after 10 consecutive losing seasons, owner Arte Moreno expects massive improvement in 2026. Whether that's realistic or not, Suárez's bat and leadership could help them to go in the right direction.
For as much as Suárez and Seattle fans may respect each other, he has a .211 batting average and .711 OPS in his career at T-Mobile Park, with his offensive numbers having dipped considerably across two stints with the Mariners.
A return there doesn't make sense if he wants to run up his career home run total, because T-Mobile Park has ranked dead-last in MLB Park Factors over the last three seasons. Comparably, Angel Stadium has been the 11th-best park to hit at since the start of the 2023 campaign.
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