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1 (realistic) free-agent target to fit every team

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At this point in the offseason, every team could still use some help — and plenty of top free agents remain available. But taking into account age, position, skill set and projected cost, who is the perfect fit for each club?

To answer that question, we enlisted the help of MLB.com’s 30 beat reporters. Here’s who they chose as realistic free-agent targets who would fit each team best.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Blue Jays: RHP
Players who fit the Blue Jays keep flying off the board, but Anthony Santander remains. The Blue Jays know Santander well from his days with the Orioles — perhaps too well, after some of his performance against them — and he profiles well to fit their lineup. While Teoscar Hernández was beloved in Toronto, Santander has always felt like a cleaner fit for what Ross Atkins is chasing due to the 30-year-old outfielder’s ability to hit left-handed, as well as his better contact rates to pair with his power. The term Santander seeks will be a bigger challenge than the overall money here for the Blue Jays, but they clearly need a power bat to put on either side of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and those options are beginning to run thin in free agency. — Keegan Matheson

Orioles: LHP
With Corbin Burnes joining the D-backs, the free-agent market for starting pitchers has dried up. The Orioles’ most likely route to acquiring an ace this offseason is by searching for a trade partner and swinging a deal similar to the one for Burnes that they pulled off with the Brewers last offseason. But Baltimore could still look to add a high-leverage arm to the back end of its bullpen mix via free agency. One potential fit is the 30-year-old Scott, who would serve as a strong left-handed complement to the right-handed trio of closer Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez. Scott began his big league career with the O’s, recording a 4.73 ERA over 170 appearances in five seasons from 2017-21. The southpaw has improved since then, earning an All-Star nod for the first time in ‘24, when he posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 games with the Marlins and Padres. — Jake Rill

Rays: INF
The Rays seem more likely at this point to bet on internal improvement, counting on better health and bounce-back candidates to upgrade their lineup (and keep spots warm for top prospects in the upper Minors) rather than going out and signing a free agent. But Kim is a potentially interesting fit, especially if the questions about his shoulder injury (which will delay the start of his season) lead to him accepting a reasonably affordable one-year deal. The 29-year-old is an excellent middle-infield defender — he was a Gold Glove-winning utilityman in 2023 before serving as San Diego’s regular shortstop last season — and he was a roughly league-average hitter for the Padres the past four years. Kim totaled 15.3 bWAR during his time in San Diego. It might not be that realistic, given the Rays’ appreciation for shortstop Taylor Walls’ elite defense and top prospect Carson Williams’ all-around potential, but it’s something to think about. — Adam Berry

Red Sox: 3B
Given Boston’s need for an experienced right-handed bat and a veteran leader in the clubhouse, Bregman is as good a fit as there is on the free-agent market. There is some question about how he would fit with the Red Sox positionally. Bregman has played third base his whole career, where Rafael Devers is entrenched with Boston. However, Bregman has sent out signals he would consider moving to second base for the right team, and Boston has an opening there. There have also been trade rumors involving Triston Casas this winter. If Casas was moved, Devers could move across the diamond to first base with Bregman staying at the hot corner. — Ian Browne

Yankees: OF
The Yankees have already made a number of big moves (such as signing Max Fried, trading for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger and agreeing to a deal with Paul Goldschmidt), but they could land another big bat for their lineup. The switch-hitting Profar could slot into left field but could also play a role in the infield, where he began his career. Once an elite prospect, Profar delivered a breakout year for the Padres, hitting .280 with 24 homers and an .839 OPS and making the NL All-Star team. He could be just the right fit for a Yankees team that wouldn’t mind adding a skilled and versatile hitter and has long been a fan of Profar’s game. — Theo DeRosa

AL Central

Guardians: RHP
The Guardians have added Shane Bieber, Luis Ortiz and Slade Cecconi to their starting mix, but they certainly can’t have too many options. Turnbull fits the profile of a type of hurler Cleveland could take a chance on: not overpowering with his stuff but throws strikes. Turnbull proved he can be a reliable starter earlier in his career, but after missing the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, he took some time settling back in. And in ’24, his season ended early because of a right lat strain. The Guardians helped Matthew Boyd come back from a serious injury this past year and get back to the pitcher he was earlier in his career. They could do the same with Turnbull. — Mandy Bell

Royals: RHP
Offensive pursuits aside, the Royals would like to add depth to their pitching staff and find a versatile pitcher who can appear in the rotation or bullpen depending on the club’s needs. What better fit, then, than Lorenzen, who did exactly that for the Royals last season after they acquired him from the Rangers a day before the Trade Deadline? Lorenzen made six starts for the Royals before a hamstring injury sidelined him for a bit. In total, Lorenzen, who turns 33 next week, posted a 1.57 ERA across 28 2/3 innings with Kansas City. If Lorenzen’s plan, as detailed in The Athletic (subscription required), to be a two-way player for a contender for half of the season does not work out, the Royals have two open rotation spots heading into Spring Training. Lorenzen would fit well into one of them while increasing the competition for others — and bringing his bullpen experience for versatility. — Anne Rogers

Tigers: RHP
The rotation is getting a little crowded now, but as general managers like to say, you can never have enough pitching. The longer Verlander lingers on the market, the more intriguing the idea of a reunion on a short-term contract becomes. With his 42nd birthday coming up in February, Verlander doesn’t fit the profile of free-agent pitcher the Tigers have brought in on short-term deals to improve in the past — Jack Flaherty was 28, Michael Lorenzen was 31 — but Detroit’s deal with 37-year-old Alex Cobb at the Winter Meetings shows some flexibility in this market. Moreover, Verlander’s metrics show hints that he can be better than he showed last year and that he isn’t simply aging out of the game. — Jason Beck

Twins: LHP
Carlos Santana seemed like the neatest fit here — that is, until he agreed to return to the division-rival Guardians, taking him out of the picture for a reunion with Minnesota. In terms of an affordable addition that could address a roster need, left-handed relief might then be the lowest-hanging fruit following the departure of Caleb Thielbar, with the Twins almost always preferring to avoid multiyear commitments to bullpen arms. Coulombe could perhaps fit the bill here, and we already know the Twins like the 35-year-old lefty, considering it was with Minnesota in 2020 (as a non-roster invitee) that he reestablished himself as a big leaguer before his more successful stint in Baltimore. — Do-Hyoung Park

White Sox: LHP
Let’s make a couple of points clear up front: The White Sox aren’t spending money this offseason in the early stages of their latest rebuild, and the focus of the 2025 season is to give prospects a chance to show themselves and then assess where they need to improve the roster. But with those concepts in mind, the veteran left-hander would be a great fit for the White Sox rotation. After all, Quintana’s extended run of success really began with the White Sox in 2012, and he could come back as a leader and innings stalwart to pair with younger starters such as Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Drew Thorpe and Sean Burke. The White Sox already have signed right-hander Bryse Wilson, and there’s the question of Quintana fitting in at budget. But he’s also a player who could be signed and moved at the Deadline for younger talent. — Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: INF
Polanco would fit the Angels well because he can play multiple infield positions and is a switch-hitter. He’s coming off a tough year with the Mariners, hitting .213 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs in 117 games, but Seattle can be a difficult place to play offensively and he dealt with a knee injury that ultimately required surgery in October. He’d be an affordable short-term option for the Angels at second base with Luis Rengifo shifting over to third base and Anthony Rendon serving in a backup role. The Angels don’t want to block top second base prospect Christian Moore, and Polanco can handle second until Moore is ready. He’d improve their depth and give the Angels more infield insurance along with Scott Kingery and Kevin Newman, especially with shortstop Zach Neto likely to miss time early in the season after undergoing right shoulder surgery in early November. — Rhett Bollinger

Astros: OF
The Astros have a need for help in the outfield, and Grichuk would love to play for his hometown team. After agreeing to a deal with free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, the Astros are already over the projected CBT for next season, so any further significant deals may require freeing up some payroll (trading reliever Ryan Pressly remains an option). Grichuk, 32, slashed .291/.348/.528 last season with 12 homers and 46 RBIs for the D-backs in arguably one of the best years of his career. The loss of Kyle Tucker makes Houston’s lineup more right-handed, so the Astros may prefer a left-handed bat (Grichuk hits right-handed), if they make any additional moves. — Brian McTaggart

Athletics: RHP
After fortifying their rotation with Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs and seemingly addressing their third-base need with the signing of veteran Gio Urshela, the Athletics could look to their bullpen that improved vastly in 2024 but still is short on experienced relievers outside of left-hander T.J. McFarland. Kittredge was a strong setup man to Cardinals All-Star closer Ryan Helsley last season, and his 38.9 percent chase rate that ranked in the 100th percentile of all Major Leaguers would benefit the A’s greatly as they prepare to move into a more hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. — Martín Gallegos

Mariners: RHP
The Japanese phenom appears on this list more than any free agent, and for good reason — given the affordability related to his eventual contract’s limitations, that his agent has suggested the right-hander is more open to smaller-market teams than was initially forecasted and the extreme demands for starting pitching within this year’s free-agent and trade candidates. But the Mariners believe they can separate themselves by pitching (pun intended) the success of their homegrown starters like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, their ability to keep those arms healthy, their rich relationships with Japanese-born players — and their home environment being one of the least hitter-friendly ballparks in the sport. — Daniel Kramer

Rangers: RHP Roki Sasaki
President of baseball operations Chris Young said the club is no longer actively pursuing starting pitching after re-signing Nathan Eovaldi. But that being said, the club is always looking to build depth and Sasaki would be the No. 1 target there. Young emphasized that every team should be in on Sasaki, and the Rangers are no different. With an eight-deep rotation at the moment — Jacob deGrom, Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter and more — the Japanese superstar could slot right in the middle and be an anchor of the rotation for years to come. — Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: RHP
Veteran starter Nathan Eovaldi was a potential target before he signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Rangers. Outfielder Max Kepler seemed like a good fit before he agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies. The Braves have understandably looked at other options. But they may eventually have to come back to the 41-year-old Morton, who has made it clear he’s open to pitching at least one more season. Morton has been a key piece of Atlanta’s rotation each of the past four seasons and he has aided the development of young starters like Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach. He might no longer be a frontline starter. But with a one-year deal worth approximately $10 million, he could provide the Braves some needed insurance in their rotation. He has made 30-plus starts each of the past six 162-game seasons. — Mark Bowman

Marlins: 1B
After selecting a catcher in the Rule 5 Draft, it’s unlikely Miami will try and bring in a veteran backstop through free agency. By moving Jake Burger, the Marlins’ 40-man roster has just one first baseman with MLB experience starting at the position: Jonah Bride. Why not bring the local kid, Rizzo, home? Miami’s clubhouse could use a veteran position player. Plus, this would give prospects like Deyvison De Los Santos and Agustin Ramirez more time to develop in the Minors. — Christina De Nicola

Mets: 1B
It’s a perfect match. It’s always been a perfect match. The Mets need a first baseman. Alonso is the best one available. The Mets also happen to be the only professional organization he’s ever known, playing their home games in a city he adores. The only question is whether the sides will be able to agree on money, considering Alonso reportedly rejected a lucrative extension offer back in 2023 and the Mets have already committed more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to improving their offense. Somewhere here, there’s a deal that works for both sides. There has to be, right? — Anthony DiComo

Nationals: LHP
Minter is coming off an injury-hampered season with the Braves in which he was limited to 39 games and underwent left hip surgery in August. The 31-year-old has a proven track record in the back of the bullpen, going 24-29 with a 3.28 ERA and 36 saves in 348 2/3 innings over his eight-year career. The Nats have had recent success signing players who have had bounce-back seasons, including Jesse Winker, Jeimer Candelario and Kyle Schwarber. After Washington non-tendered All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan in November, a pitcher like Minter could bring experience to the ‘pen while southpaw Jose A. Ferrer potentially learns the closer role. — Jessica Camerato

Phillies: OF
The Phillies’ heavy lifting is mostly finished, following a busy month that included the arrivals of left-hander Jesús Luzardo, outfielder Max Kepler and right-handers Jordan Romano and Joe Ross. The rotation is set with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez and Luzardo. The bullpen is mostly set with right-handers Romano, Ross, Orion Kerkering and José Ruiz and left-handers Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Tanner Banks. If there is a potential fit anywhere it might be the outfield. At the moment, the Phillies expect Nick Castellanos, Kepler and Brandon Marsh to see the majority of playing time in the outfield. But a bat like Canha’s could face tough lefties, moving Kepler to center on occasion. — Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: INF Ha-Seong Kim
There’s significant risk involved with Kim because a shoulder injury will delay the start of his 2025 season. But there could also be significant upside in a one-year deal with the 29-year-old, who would have been a prominent free agent this winter had he not been injured. Kim is coming off four years with the Padres in which he compiled 15.3 bWAR, and he won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award at second base in 2023 while also starting games for San Diego at shortstop and third base. That sort of flexibility that would come in handy as the Brewers decide how to configure their terrific infield in the wake of shortstop Willy Adames’ departure. — Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: RHP
Yes, Kittredge pitched for the Cardinals last season. And, yes, they could desperately use his grit and veteran savvy back in 2025. Kittredge, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays last January, was one of the Cards’ biggest standouts with his 37 holds, which ranked second in MLB and first in the NL. Kittredge’s steady setup work allowed NL Reliever of the Year Ryan Helsley to be used almost exclusively in ninth innings, and it paved the way for Helsley to post a club-record, 49-save season. Additionally, the 35-year-old Kittredge’s veteran leadership played heavily in the growth of Matthew Liberatore, JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez last season. — John Denton

Cubs: RHP Roki Sasaki
The 23-year-old Sasaki would be a perfect fit for pretty much every single MLB team, given his age, talent level and affordability on the front end of what could be a star-caliber career. For the Cubs, specifically, the team has a need for rotation depth and not only for ‘25. The core of Chicago’s staff (Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd) have contracts that could see them all hit free agency within the ‘26-28 window. The Cubs have young arms coming, but Sasaki could grow into an ace for the present and future. And the North Siders have worked hard to make their team a destination for Japanese players. — Jordan Bastian

Pirates: RHP
Corner outfield is the more pressing need, but the bullpen is still on the Pirates’ shopping list after the unit failed to live up to expectations last year. Leclerc is coming off a down year (4.32 ERA), but still had some very strong peripherals (36% whiff rate, 30.9% strikeout rate). A one-year deal to rebuild value could benefit him in the long term, and the Pirates could have another late-inning arm to pair with David Bednar. — Alex Stumpf

Reds: DH/OF
It would be a reunion that would bring the 31-year-old lefty hitter back to where he started his career. The Reds payroll has limited flexibility but there should be enough room for a lefty bat like Winker’s if they can’t swing a trade elsewhere. A 2021 All-Star for Cincinnati, where he was a homegrown outfielder from 2017-21, he struggled for a couple of years with other teams. But Winker had a bounce-back season in 2024 for the Nationals and Mets, batting .253 with a .764 OPS and 14 home runs while being worth 2.0 WAR over 145 games. Winker isn’t gifted defensively, but he can play both corners and knows Great American Ball Park well. — Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: RHP
General manager Mike Hazen has said one of his goals this offseason is to add a reliever to the back end of his bullpen that has closer experience. Yates certainly fits the bill, having closed games for the Padres in 2018-19 and the Rangers last season. He’ll be headed into his age-38 season, so he probably could be had on a short-term deal, which would likely appeal to Arizona. He might be costly given that he appeared in 61 games for Texas last year and compiled a 1.17 ERA while saving 33 games and allowing just 23 hits in 61 2/3 innings of work. Do the D-backs want to invest that kind of money in a closer with Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk returning? We’ll see. — Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: RHP Roki Sasaki
On paper, the Dodgers and Sasaki appear to be perfect for each other. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani in the rotation, the Dodgers are going with a six-man rotation next season, which aligns perfectly to what Sasaki’s pitching schedule has been throughout his professional career in Japan. Being in L.A. also allows Sasaki to ease into the Majors in a city with a big Japanese population. On the field, Sasaki would also give the Dodgers another quality starter to pair with Yamamoto, Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. The fit makes sense for both sides; now, it’s a matter of whether it ends up happening in the end. — Sonja Chen

Giants: RHP Max Scherzer
With Corbin Burnes off the board, the Giants could pivot to another veteran starter such as Scherzer, who could give the club another established arm to pair with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray in the rotation. Scherzer, 40, missed most of the 2024 campaign due to injury, but he was still effective when healthy, recording a 3.95 ERA over nine starts for the Rangers. — Maria Guardado

Padres: RHP Roki Sasaki
The Padres have needs elsewhere. Several. But their path to contending in 2025 and beyond will get a lot clearer if they can land the 23-year-old Japanese ace. The fit makes sense, too. Sasaki is looking for a team with a chance to win. His agent, Joel Wolfe, has hinted Sasaki might be more inclined to sign with a small- or mid-market team. The Padres are an organization with deep ties to Japan. Plus, they’ve proven themselves excellent at pitching development — particularly in managing the workloads of emerging aces under pitching coach Ruben Niebla. San Diego still needs a corner bat, a catcher and an additional starter. But for a rotation with serious question marks, there’s no fit more ideal than Sasaki. — AJ Cassavell

Rockies: RHP Roki Sasaki
The team’s agreement with second baseman Thairo Estrada for one year and a $4 million guarantee, plus a 2026 mutual option, put the roster at 40. Odds are against the Rockies spending any more free-agent dollars. But why not swing for Sasaki? His agent, Joel Wolfe, said his client is not necessarily wed to teams with Japanese teammates, location isn’t a priority and he might want to play in a smaller market to reduce the media glare. Plus the Rockies have a healthy amount of international signing bonus money and don’t have to use a 40-man roster spot. Wolfe said it’s possible Sasaki has a “trailblazer” in him, so … — Thomas Harding