1 Realistic Option to Plug Each MLB Team's Biggest Roster Hole
With less than a month remaining until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Major League Baseball's 2025-26 offseason is nearing its conclusion.
But could someone kindly let the many remaining free agents know that? Because out of the players on MLB Trade Rumors' top 50 free agents list from the beginning of the offseason, a staggering 18 still have not signed, including the big four of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez and Cody Bellinger.
That's good news, though, for the teams with glaring roster holes still to be plugged—which is virtually all 30 teams.
Let's go division-by-division through the bigs, highlighting one realistic signing that each team could make to salvage/improve its winter.
Disclaimer: A player may appear as the choice for more than one team, and for many teams, we've provided more than one viable option.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles
Whether adding Shane Baz and re-signing Zach Eflin adequately addressed the Orioles' rotation needs is open to debate, but they do have a solid-enough six-man rotation at this point and no longer figure to be in the market for Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen. The bullpen could still use some help, though, and bringing LHP Danny Coulombe back to where he had a 2.56 ERA in 2023-24 could be the play. Trading for someone from the Dodgers' stockpile of arms is another option.
Boston Red Sox
Heading into the offseason, we expected the Red Sox to either re-sign Alex Bregman or land one of the two NPB imports (Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto) to shore up their third base situation. At this point, however, it's looking like 3B Eugenio Suárez or bust as far as free agency options go. Even on the trade front, Nolan Arenado is off the board after Tuesday's swap between the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. (Maybe Boston just lets it ride with Marcelo Mayer?)
New York Yankees
The Yankees could use some middle relievers, as well as a right-handed complement to Ben Rice at first base. However, there's no mistaking that their biggest need is in the outfield—unless they're drinking the Jasson Domínguez and/or Spencer Jones kool-aid more than everyone else is.
They had been working diligently in recent days to bring back OF Cody Bellinger, but ESPN's Buster Olney suggested on Saturday that the two sides have reached an impasse in negotiations and that the Bronx Bombers are now pursuing other options. OF Kyle Tucker is notably still out there, but definitely won't come cheap. Making Cleveland an offer it can't refuse for OF Steven Kwan also remains on the table here.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are probably looking at a fifth-place finish in this loaded division, but they also might be one quality bat away from legitimately vying for a playoff spot. Catcher and second base are the two low-hanging fruit where they could make the biggest gains—though, with "Realistic" prominently in the headline, we won't bother mentioning Bo Bichette as an option. Maybe C J.T. Realmuto, though? He's no longer the Silver Slugger that he used to be, but surely he can provide more than the MLB-worst .592 OPS the Rays got from their backstops in 2025.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are still trying to sign Kyle Tucker to improve their left-handed hitting, and a reunion with Bo Bichette will repeatedly be mentioned as a possibility up until he signs elsewhere. But Toronto's biggest roster hole isn't a bat. It's the bullpen that lost two of its four most heavily used arms from the postseason in RHP Seranthony Domínguez and temporary reliever RHP Chris Bassitt. Both are still available, though. So is LHP Taylor Rogers, if they wanted to reunite the brothers after signing Tyler Rogers earlier this offseason.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox
This surprising winner of the Munetaka Murakami sweepstakes still has plenty of holes to plug after suffering 10 more losses than the second-worst AL team in 2025. Pitching of any sort is a clear need, and with a payroll currently sitting at barely $90M, they certainly could afford to make a significant splash if they think that investing now is a worthwhile approach. More likely, though, a short-term reunion with LHP Martín Pérez or a buy-low flyer on RHP Griffin Canning coming off Achilles surgery is probably the play here.
Cleveland Guardians
It's looking like the Guardians will have C.J. Kayfus, George Valera and Chase DeLauter in their starting lineup on Opening Day, which means one-third of their batting order has a combined total of 60 games of regular-season experience at the MLB level. Sure sounds like a team that would benefit from adding another inexpensive super utilityman, you know, just in case. UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa is still out there for the taking.
Detroit Tigers
Another outfield bat like Harrison Bader or Austin Hays would be a nice addition here. But if the Tigers are going for it in what will most likely be their final season with Tarik Skubal, they need to provide him with more support in the rotation, thus far merely taking a flyer on Drew Anderson while losing both Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack. Swinging big for LHP Framber Valdez would be great, but probably outside their budget. Wouldn't it be fun for them to bring RHP Max Scherzer back home?
Kansas City Royals
Isaac Collins was a solid acquisition in a trade with the Brewers. Lane Thomas is an intriguing buy-low pick up. But the Royals still need at least one more outfielder or designated hitter who can provide actual slugging prowess. We all know Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are pipe dreams for this small-market club, but DH Marcell Ozuna might be doable on a one-year deal.
Minnesota Twins
Are the Twins ever going to pick a lane? They have neither doubled down on their summer fire sale, nor done anything legitimate to restock the cupboards—unless you're irrationally jazzed about the one-year signing of Josh Bell. If they're making any effort to contend this season, though, they need bullpen help, and a lot of it. RHP Seranthony Domínguez is arguably the best arm still available. Veteran swingman RHP Nick Martinez is another option who can eat innings.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics
The A's were one of four teams to allow at least 5.0 runs per game in 2025, and it wasn't all Sutter Health Park's fault. They simply don't have a postseason-caliber pitching staff, and they've done nothing thus far to fix that. There are several reasonably priced options still out there, though, including old friend RHP Chris Bassitt, who was a Cy Young candidate for the A's in 2020 and 2021.
Houston Astros
How much can the Astros afford to spend on injury insurance? This could be a top-tier starting rotation of Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr. and Mike Burrows / Spencer Arrighetti, or it could be another year in which only two arms are healthy enough to make at least 15 starts. Maybe a reunion with RHP Justin Verlander for a possible third World Series ring? Surprising that no one has signed the old timer yet, given how well he pitched in the second half of last season.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels were another one of the four teams to allow at least 5.0 runs per game in 2025, this despite respectable seasons out of Yusei Kikuchi and José Soriano atop the rotation. They acquired the oft-injured Grayson Rodriguez in the Taylor Ward trade, but even if he's good to go, they need more. And they've yet to do anything of note since freeing up a fair amount of 2026 money by restructuring Anthony Rendon's contract in that buyout. Could this be where LHP Framber Valdez ends up?
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners wasted little time in re-upping with Josh Naylor early in the offseason, but they've done nothing yet to address the departures of Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez, leaving sizable question marks at both second and third base. There's plenty of young potential in Cole Young, Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson, but 3B/2B Ramón Urías could be quite the veteran addition to both depth charts.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers set out to shed payroll this winter, and they've done an impressive enough job on that front that they now have a projected buffer of more than $30M below the luxury-tax threshold. Time to refocus on building a winner? This rotation gets mighty questionable in a hurry beyond the dynamic duo of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, but they could probably afford RHP Lucas Giolito at this point.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves
Feels weird to say this about a team that finished 10 games below .500 last season, but does Atlanta actually have any holes to plug at this point? Not suggesting the Braves should be regarded as the favorite to win the 2026 World Series, but they are adequately staffed across the board and already projected to go more than $20M over the luxury-tax threshold. Re-signing right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley over the weekend kind of felt like the final piece of Atlanta's offseason puzzle.
Miami Marlins
Despite trading away both Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers in the past two weeks, Miami's pitching staff is still looking solid. But there remains a serious lack of bats worth mentioning, beyond Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee and high hopes for new outfielder Owen Caissie. Third base was one of the weakest spots in the order for the Marlins in 2025, and 3B Eugenio Suárez is still out there with 261 home runs since the beginning of 2018.
New York Mets
At long last, the market for OF Kyle Tucker is cooking with gas, with reports on Tuesday that the Mets made him a short-term offer with a $50M AAV, while the Blue Jays reportedly made him a longer-term, lower-AAV offer.
New York's desperation level is readily apparent, with Juan Soto presently their only sure thing in the outfield. If the Mets wind up losing the Tucker sweepstakes, they'll pivot hard to OF Cody Bellinger—if he's still available at that point. And if they miss out on both, it'll be time to start piecing together trade packages for someone like Jarren Duran, Byron Buxton or Steven Kwan.
Philadelphia Phillies
Rafael Marchán posted a .587 OPS in 42 games played as the backup to J.T. Realmuto in 2025, while Garrett Stubbs spent virtually the entire season at Triple-A. That's what the Phillies have on their catching depth chart with Realmuto still a free agent. And if they haven't re-signed him yet, will they? C Victor Caratini and C Jonah Heim are still out there as presumably more affordable options for a team that already has a sky-high payroll.
Washington Nationals
After trading away Kyle Finnegan over the summer and Jose A. Ferrer earlier this winter, what the Nationals plan to do at closer in 2026 is anyone's guess. Clayton Beeter might be the top candidate presently on the roster, and he has a grand total of three saves across all levels over the past six seasons. Might as well take a flyer on RHP Paul Sewald or RHP José Leclerc, both of whom have a fair amount of ninth inning experience.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs
Signing Alex Bregman was quite the exclamation mark on what had already been a busy offseason for the Cubs. They are now, like Atlanta, well-staffed across the board, albeit with one key difference: outfield depth. Maybe 23-year-old Kevin Alcántara proves to be the answer as the fourth outfielder. But if that's not the case, a reunion with OF Mike Tauchman wouldn't cost much and would keep them from needing to put Seiya Suzuki's glove in right field on a daily basis.
Cincinnati Reds
There were 15 batters who appeared in at least 35 games for the Reds in 2025, and none of them had an OPS greater than .777. Young'uns Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo could step into that void, but adding a veteran bopper like DH Marcell Ozuna could be within their price range. Buying low on OF Michael Conforto might be an even cheaper option.
Milwaukee Brewers
If the market for C J.T. Realmuto has fallen all the way to "even Milwaukee could afford him," he could be a fantastic pickup for a Brewers team that could use another catcher and that could use a Plan B at first base if Andrew Vaughn regresses. More likely, though, they would be targeting C Victor Caratini to fill that void. He almost exclusively played catcher when he was a Brewer in 2022-23, but he was a fine backup first baseman for Houston over the past two seasons.
Pittsburgh Pirates
We've already mentioned 3B Eugenio Suárez several times for other teams, but he would make the biggest impact with Pittsburgh. While Pittsburgh's three home run leaders in 2025 combined to hit 49 home runs, Geno did so by himself. They've already acquired 2B Brandon Lowe, but the Pirates are still desperately lacking for right-handed power. And they got six home runs and a .573 OPS from their third basemen last season. Would be a night-and-day upgrade that instantly makes them a viable contender for a playoff spot.
St. Louis Cardinals
Having traded away Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado for four single-A prospects and a pair of pitchers under team control through 2031, it's clear the Cardinals aren't exactly all-in on winning in 2026. They might as well take a page from the Pirates' playbook in recent years with Andrew McCutchen and bring back 1B Paul Goldschmidt on a cheap one-year deal in hopes of stoking occasional memories of a time when things weren't so bad.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks
After all that talk of Ketel Marte on the trade block, the Diamondbacks instead acquired one of the biggest names on the block in Nolan Arenado. They still have some holes to plug, though, with outfield arguably the biggest one, after both Alek Thomas and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. provided little to no value in 2025. OF Cody Bellinger notably was born and raised in Arizona, but OF Harrison Bader is the more realistic option for a team that already has a projected payroll north of $200M.
Colorado Rockies
The pool of players Colorado has been able to sign in recent years has pretty well been limited to guys hoping to prove on a one-year deal they are better than what they showed the previous season. And a prime candidate for the Rockies on that front is 1B Nathaniel Lowe. He was worth at least 2.0 bWAR in each season from 2021-24 before just barely registering as replacement level in 2025. Maybe a 30-HR campaign with home games at Coors Field will turn him back into a coveted asset for next offseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Any perceived holes in this roster are the product of serious nitpicking, as the Dodgers have Dalton Rushing, Miguel Rojas, Alex Freeland, Alex Call as projected reserves, while Landon Knack, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone might all get left out of the starting rotation. Such is life with an effectively unlimited payroll. Another outfielder would be nice, though. It doesn't have to be OF Kyle Tucker, but it could be Tucker, on a short-term, high-AAV deal. Could alternatively bring back OF Michael Conforto to serve as a reserve corner outfielder at a tiny fraction of Tucker's cost.
San Diego Padres
The Padres re-signed Michael King and will be getting Joe Musgrove back after he missed all of 2025, but they lost Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) and Yu Darvish (elbow surgery) and have serious question marks at Nos. 4 and 5 in the rotation—and virtually no money available to address the problem.
But, hey, remember LHP Jordan Montgomery? He had Tommy John surgery in April, but should be back by the All-Star Break and should be gettable for cheap. Oversee his rehab and hope for the best with Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron and JP Sears for a couple of months until Monty is able to make his return—maybe with something to prove against Ken Kendrick and the Diamondbacks in early July.
San Francisco Giants
With the additions of Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle, San Francisco's rotation is probably just good enough that it could instead focus its efforts on what is a black hole at second base. The Phillies have emerged as a top candidate to sign 2B/SS Bo Bichette, but the Giants are still considered to be in the running to sign him and create a $100M infield. If Bichette slips through their fingers, though, maybe they pivot to LHP Framber Valdez to feel a lot better about the state of the rotation.
