Ranking the top 50 MLB free agents
Free agency offically begins on Monday.
The MLB offseason is underway. On Monday, teams will begin improving and rebuilding their rosters via free agency.
Below is a list of the top 50 players set to hit the market. They’re broken down into seven tiers, starting with the elites (Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and ending with the solid albeit unexciting options (Joc Pederson, Amed Rosario).
Tier 1 - Elite
Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP
Aaron Nola, SP
Blake Snell, SP
These aces highlight an otherwise lackluster free-agent class. Ohtani won’t pitch in 2024 due to elbow surgery, but he’s still set to sign a record-breaking deal. Yamamoto will be the most coveted pitcher on the market once he’s posted by the Nippon Professional Baseball league’s Orix Buffaloes. Nola is a veteran innings eater with plenty of experience anchoring a rotation, and Snell is the likely Cy Young in the National League.
Tier 2 - Next Best Options
Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF
Jordan Montgomery, SP
Matt Chapman, 3B
Josh Hader, RP
Sonny Gray, SP
Bellinger is the NL Comeback Player of the Year and the top position player on the market. Montgomery isn’t an ace, but he’s earned a reputation as a dependable mid-rotation arm who can give quality innings. Chapman is coming off a down year but the track record speaks for itself. Hader is the clearcut top reliever in the class, and Gray is a proven veteran coming off an outstanding year in Minnesota.
Tier 3 - Solid Additions
Eduardo Rodriguez, SP
Marcus Stroman, SP
Shota Imanaga, SP
Lourdes Gurriel, OF
Teoscar Hernandez, OF
Jung Hoo Lee, OF
Jorge Soler, OF
Lucas Giolito, SP
Rhys Hoskins, 1B
There’s a pretty steep dropoff from Tiers 1 and 2 to here. Still, these are players who can help any MLB club in 2024. E-Rod and Stroman were in the Cy Young conversation last season before injuries got in the way. Imanaga is no Yamamoto, but he projects to be a strong mid-rotation starter in the big leagues. Hoskins is a Comeback Player of the Year candidate after missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL.
Tier 4 - High Potential
J.D. Martinez, DH
Justin Turner, 1B
Jeimer Candelario, 3B
Clayton Kershaw, SP
Jordan Hicks, RP
Michael Wacha, SP
Kyle Hendricks, SP
Charlie Morton, SP
This group is filled with pitchers on the tail end of their careers. It also includes two aging sluggers in Martinez and Turner. These are risky signings because of their age, but the talent in this section is undeniable.
Tier 5 - Middle of the Pack
Seth Lugo, SP
James Paxton, SP
Mitch Garver, C
Kevin Kiermaier, OF
Trevor Bauer, SP
Aroldis Chapman, RP
Michael Lorenzen, SP
Mike Clevinger, SP
David Robertson, RP
Reynaldo López, RP
Tyler Mahle, SP
Michael Conforto, OF
While it isn’t an exciting bunch, these are middle-of-the-road free agents who can help teams compete in 2024 for an affordable price. Bauer is a total wild card given he hasn’t pitched in the majors in a while. Lugo, Paxton, Lorenzen, Clevinger, and Mahle each are solid back-end rotation pieces.
Tier 6 - Low Risk, High Reward?
Lance Lynn, SP
Hyun Jin Ryu, SP
Sean Manaea, SP
Hunter Renfroe, OF
Joey Votto, 1B
Tim Anderson, SS
Affordable players with track records who are coming off injury or down seasons. Worth taking a flier on.
Tier 7 - Best of the Rest
Nick Martinez, SP/RP
Michael A. Taylor, OF
Hector Neris, RP
Phil Maton, RP
Joc Pederson, OF
Amed Rosario, 2B/SS
Chad Green, RP