With a new collective bargaining agreement in place expected to be ratified in the coming hours, free agency is set to resume with less than a month until the 2022 regular season begins.
Since the release of our initial top 25 free agents list, 13 players -- Corey Seager, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien, Starling Marte, Kevin Gausman, Noah Syndergaard, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander, Marcus Stroman, Javier Báez, Chris Taylor, Eduardo Rodríguez and Avisaíl García -- have signed new contracts.
With that in mind, here are the top 25 remaining MLB free agents:
25. SS Andrelton Simmons
Andrelton Simmons is a free agent.(David Berding/Getty Images)Simmons is one of the greatest defensive shortstops in MLB history, and still posted 15 defensive runs saved in 2022, a campaign that he spent with the Minnesota Twins. However, in his age-32 season, Simmons posted just a .558 OPS. If he can get back close to the .702 OPS he posted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2020, Simmons' glove still makes him a valuable player.
24. IF/OF Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison is a free agent.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)A former All-Star second baseman, Harrison has found a nice second career as a utility star. In a 2021 season that he split between the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics, Harrison drove in 60 runs and saw time at six different positions.
23. IF/OF/DH Brad Miller
Brad Miller is a free agent.(Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Miller has admitted that he tries to go deep every plate appearance, and he's succeeds frequently enough for that approach to make him a valuable piece. The 32-year-old split the last two seasons between the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, hitting 27 home runs and posting a .785 OPS in 188 games. A tremendous clubhouse presence, Miller figures to benefit from the DH being made universal as part of the new CBA.
22. RP Ryan Tepera
Ryan Tepera is a free agent.(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)In his age-33 season, Tepera was excellent out of the bullpen for both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. The veteran right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA and 2.73 FIP in 65 games this past season. He should be able to find a new home pretty quickly.
21. RP Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly is a free agent.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kelly has nasty stuff and extensive postseason experience, a mix that's likely to intrigue a few contending teams. Over the past two seasons, Kelly has posted a 2.67 ERA across 60 appearances. The Dodgers declined his $12 million option for 2022, but it sounds like Kelly is still hopeful to remain in Los Angeles.
20. OF Tommy Pham
Tommy Pham is a free agent.(Denis Poroy/Getty Images)As he approaches his mid-30s, Pham may no longer be the defender he once was in left field. Still, he homered 15 times and posted a .340 on-base percentage for the San Diego Padres in 2021, so he remains valuable.
19. RHP Michael Pineda
Michael Pineda is a free agent.(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Once thought to have front-line potential, Pineda has settled into a nice career as a depth piece. That, of course, is when he's healthy. Set to turn 33 in January, Pineda posted a 3.62 ERA and 4.21 FIP across 109 1/3 innings for the Minnesota Twins this past season. He could be a good addition for a team looking for help at the back-end of their rotation.
18. LF/DH Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen is a free agent.(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)A five-time All-Star, McCutchen probably is best suited to play 125 or so games at this stage of his career. Still, the former National League MVP will provide quite a bit of value for whoever signs him. This past season, McCutchen posted a 1.027 OPS against left-handed pitching while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.
17. LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Yusei Kikuchi is a free agent.(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)It was relatively surprising that Kikuchi declined his $13 million club option for 2022 with the Seattle Mariners after he posted a 5.98 ERA in 13 starts following the All-Star Break. With that said, the 30-year-old lefty was an All-Star before a difficult second-half, posting a 3.48 ERA in 16 starts before the midsummer classic. Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported shortly before the lockout began that Kikuchi had multiple three-year offers. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets are among those who have shown interest, per Heyman, though it's unclear if they were the teams who have offered three-year pacts.
16. LF Eddie Rosario
Eddie Rosario is a free agent.(Michael Zarrilli/Getty Images)Rosario was underwhelming during his 78 games with Cleveland in 2021, but became a fan favorite once he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. In 33 regular season games with the Braves, Rosario posted a .903 OPS. He stayed hot in the postseason, where he hit .383 and won the NLCS MVP en route to a World Series title.
15. RHP Zack Greinke
Zack Greinke is a free agent.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Greinke is near the end of a Hall of Fame-caliber career, but remains a serviceable starter. While no longer a front-line starter, Greinke posted a 4.16 ERA and 4.71 FIP across 171 innings in 2021, so at a minimum, he's still going to eat innings for you. The six-time Gold Glove Award winner also is still a tremendous fielder.
14. RF/DH Jorge Soler
Jorge Soler is a free agent.(Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)After a midseason trade from the Kansas City Royals, Soler homered three times in the World Series for the Atlanta Braves, en route to winning the series MVP. He's a bit boom-or-bust offensively -- not to mention, not a highly graded fielder -- but the boom is so impressive that he's certain to receive a major league deal.
13. 1B Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo is a free agent.(Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)While Rizzo is one of the most respected players in the league, the three-time All-Star may be in something of holding pattern until Freddie Freeman signs and Matt Olson is potentially traded. Rizzo posted a .783 OPS in 2021, a campaign split between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. In late-October, Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media spoke to a source close to Rizzo that said that the four-time Gold Glove Award winner was "quite eager" to re-sign with the Yankees. Evidently, the Yankees were more inclined to be patient with the first base market.
12. RP Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen is a free agent.(Harry How/Getty Images)One of the best relief pitchers of his era, Jansen is 13th in MLB history with 350 saves, and could realistically pass Troy Percival, Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan on the all-time list in 2022. He was underwhelming during the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series run in 2020, but rebounded to post a 2.22 ERA and 3.08 FIP across 69 games in 2021.
11. DH Nelson Cruz
Nelson Cruz is a free agent.(David Berding/Getty Images)The seven-time All-Star was disappointing after being traded to the Rays, but in a season that he split between the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay, Cruz still hit 32 home runs. With a universal DH now in play, Cruz should have a robust market once the lockout concludes. The 41-year-old is quietly only 51 home runs away from 500 in his career.
10. OF Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki is a free agent.(Matt Roberts/Getty Images)Per Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman, Suzuki's 30-day posting by the Hiroshima Carp was paused during the work stoppage. Now that a new CBA is in place, the Japanese outfielder will have 20 more days to negotiate a deal with MLB teams. Theoretically, there should be a robust market for the NPB star. The 27-year-old hit .319 with 38 home runs and 86 walks in 131 games this past season. Any team with a corner outfield vacancy would be wise to check in on him.
9. OF/DH Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber is a free agent.(Bob DeChiara/USA Today)It's hard to quantify how much better of a situation Schwarber is in this offseason than last. Last winter, Schwarber was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs after slashing just .188/.308/.393 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. But Schwarber revived his career during a season split between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, homering 32 times and posting a .928 OPS in 113 games. The Philadelphia Phillies -- who now employ his former hitting coach, Kevin Long -- seem like an excellent fit for the 28-year-old.
8. OF Michael Conforto
Michael Conforto is a free agent.(Jim Rassol/USA Today)Even when you factor in a disappointing contract year with the New York Mets, Conforto is entering his age-29 season and had an .875 OPS between 2019 and 2020. Whatever team makes a long-term investment in him -- or even a short term one -- will likely be rewarded with his peak seasons.
7. LHP Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is a free agent.(Scott Taetsch/USA Today)It was always difficult to imagine Kershaw playing somewhere other than Los Angeles, but it would have been understandable if the Dodgers had dedicated record-setting resources to Max Scherzer. As it turns out, they didn't. Kershaw isn't a replacement for Scherzer at this stage of his career, but the future Hall of Famer did still post a 3.55 ERA and 3.00 FIP across 121 2/3 innings in 2021.
6. LHP Carlos Rodón
Carlos Rodon is a free agent.(David Banks/USA Today)Tommy John surgery in May of 2019 essentially turned 2019 and 2020 into lost seasons for Rodón. However, the lefty emerged from the injury and turned in his best season, posting a 2.37 ERA, 2.65 FIP and 4.9 fWAR across 132 2/3 innings for the Chicago White Sox in 2021. Perhaps Rodón is never going to be someone that consistently tops 200 innings a season, but there's a case to be made that 2021 was the first season of the 28-year-old's prime.
5. OF Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos is a free agent.(David Kohl/USA Today)Castellanos has reached the free-agent market after the most productive season of his career, having slashed .309/.362/.576 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs for the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. He's never been a very good fielder, but contending teams will be willing to hide his glove in a corner outfield spot to add his bat to the middle of the order. However, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has reported that Castellanos is targeting "a seven or eight-year deal," which may turn some teams interested in him for five or six years off.
4. 3B/OF Kris Bryant
Kris Bryant is a free agent.(Darren Yamashita/USA Today)Bryant rebounded from a difficult 2020 season to homer 25 times, post a 3.6 fWAR and flash tremendous defensive versatility in a campaign split between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. According to Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman, the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros have all shown interest in Bryant.
3. 1B Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman is a free agent.(Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman has heard that Freeman is looking for a deal in the range of six years and $180 million, the exact deal we projected for him at the outset of the offseason. It's still difficult to imagine the Atlanta Braves letting Freeman go after winning the World Series, but there will be plenty of interest from other contenders.
2. SS Trevor Story
Trevor Story is a free agent.(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)A two-time All-Star, Story is a middle-of-the-order hitter and and still an excellent defender, as evidenced by his nine defensive runs saved in 2021. The idea of Story playing any of third base, second base and center field has been floated even dating back to last summer's trade deadline. It probably only increases the amount of potential suitors for Story that teams believe he could succeed at another defensive position, but from here, he will be most valuable, at least in the early years of the contract, playing at shortstop.
1. SS Carlos Correa
Carlos Correa is a free agent.(Elsa/Getty Images)The Detroit Tigers -- perceived to be the favorites to sign Correa at the outset of free agency -- opted to sign Javier Báez instead. The Texas Rangers signed two of the top shortstops on the market, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Seager signed the 10-year/$325 million deal that we projected for Correa at the beginning of the offseason. A five-tool player, we're going to bet that Correa still lands one of the most lucrative contracts in MLB history this offseason. Whether he tops Seager's deal or not is less clear.
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