The 2024 MLB season may be over, but the baseball calendar doesn’t stop for anyone. Players with expiring contracts become free agents the morning after the World Series ends and can begin signing with new teams five days later.

Of course, free agency rarely works so quickly. Most of the action takes place around the winter meetings in December, while some free agents wait until the new year to find the right deal. The arms race for 2025 looks set to be exciting, and there are some big names in the market this year.

No one will draw more attention than Juan Soto, who is coming off a dominant season with the Yankees. A return to the Bronx wouldn’t surprise anyone, but Soto could just follow the money – and he’ll get a lot of it.

Who else is pushing for the free market? Here’s a look at the 25 headliners in the free agent class.

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MLB Free Agents 2024

A handful of notable players could become free agents until their 2025 options are decided, including Cody Bellinger, Ha-Seong Kim and Michael Wacha. Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki could also be used this offseason, but that decision hasn’t been made yet.

Here are the top 25 players guaranteed to hit free agency:

1. Juan Soto, OF, Yankees

Soto is one of the most valuable free agents in MLB history because of his Hall of Fame-level skills, youth and tenacity. An on-base machine, Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs in 2024 and is expected to receive at least the second-largest contract in league history in terms of total value.

2. Corbin Burnes, SP, Orioles

Burnes won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award with the Brewers and played like an ace for the Orioles after landing in Baltimore via trade in February. Although the final weeks of his season have not been ideal, there is little doubt that Burnes can make money on the open market.

3. Max Fried, SP, Braves

Fried has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball since 2020, posting a 2.81 ERA during that time and winning a World Series with the Braves in 2021. The left-hander’s 3.25 ERA in 2024 was his highest since 2019, but that says more about how consistent Fried was even when he missed time due to minor injuries.

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4. Willy Adames, SS, Brewers

Adames put together a career year on offense at the right time, setting career highs with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, making him the anchor of the Brewers’ lineup in 2024. While his defense hasn’t been what it was in years past, Adames is doing well – he’s so versatile at a valuable position that he’ll likely hit nine figures this winter.

5. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros

Bregman got off to a slow start in 2024 but was quietly productive over the course of the year, finishing with a .260 average and 26 home runs along with strong defense at third base. A sharp decline in on-base percentage could be a concern for teams, but Bregman is still only 30 years old and can reliably hit 20 to 30 home runs per season going forward.

6. Blake Snell, SP, Giants

After winning his second Cy Young Award, Snell remained in free agency until March last season before settling for a contract with the Giants. He looked rusty early on, but was one of the sport’s most dominant pitchers down the stretch, with a 1.30 ERA and 99 strikeouts in his last 11 starts. Even though he’s approaching 32, there’s no reason why Snell shouldn’t make money this time around.

7. Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets

Alonso is one of the best hitters in baseball, but will that be enough to land him the mega deal he’s looking for? His OPS has declined in each of the last two seasons, and it’s difficult to find much value outside of his strength at a position that has enough strength. Still, some teams will undoubtedly be interested in adding Alonso’s 40 HR potential to their lineup.

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8. Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Dodgers

Hernandez had one of his best seasons in his first year with the Dodgers. Now he will sign a multi-year deal as one of the best power hitters on the market.

9. Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles

Like Alonso, Santander doesn’t offer all that much value outside of his power, but the power will be enough to get him a sizeable deal. The Orioles outfielder hit a career-high 44 home runs in 2024, posting his highest season-long OPS.

10. Jack Flaherty, SP, Dodgers

Flaherty opted for a cheap one-year contract with the Tigers last winter and took full advantage, posting a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts, putting behind him a difficult two-year stretch. Now that he’s walking fewer batters than ever before, the Dodgers’ starter, along with teammate Hernandez, should secure the multi-year deal Flaherty has been seeking.

11. Tanner Scott, RP, Padres

Scott is the top reliever on the open market after a dominant split season between the Marlins and Padres. The former Orioles left-hander broke through with a great 2023 season, became Miami’s closer at the end of the year and had a 1.75 ERA in 2024.

12. Sean Manaea, SP, Mets

Manaea, like Flaherty, will finally get the contract he’s been looking for after a resurgent season. The former A’s starter bounced back from two rough years in the NL West, posting a 3.47 ERA over 32 starts with the Mets. Manaea should be attractive to teams that aren’t willing to spend a lot on someone like Burnes or Fried.

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13. Shane Bieber, SP, guard

Bieber is a key wild card in free agency as he looked dominant in two starts in 2024 before learning he needed Tommy John surgery. He could miss the first month or two of 2025 as he completes his recovery, but the former Cy Young Award winner is expected to be in line for a multi-year deal.

14. Christian Walker, 1B, Diamondbacks

Walker has quietly been one of the best offensive corner infielders in baseball for the past three seasons, posting an OPS over .800 each year and hitting 30-plus home runs twice. After hitting .251 with 26 home runs in 2024 despite missing a month, Walker should be able to get a multi-year deal before his age-33 season.

15. Carlos Estevez, CL, Phillies

Estevez failed to help the Phillies reach their postseason goals after a midseason trade with the Angels, but a 2.45 ERA, 26 saves and 0.91 WHIP will attract plenty of attention on the open market.

16. Yusei Kikuchi, SP, Astros

The Astros were widely discredited for the loot they sent to Toronto for Kikuchi before the trade deadline, but the deal worked out well for them if you ignore their exit from the Wild Card round. Kikuchi had a 2.70 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine over 10 starts in Houston, proving that his strong peripheral numbers told the truth and cemented him firmly in this second wave of free agent starting pitchers.

17. Tomoyuki Sugano, SP, Japan

Long one of Japan’s best starters, Sugano went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA over 156.2 innings for the Yomiuri Giants in 2024. He’s 35, so he won’t get anything similar to what Yoshinobu Yamamoto received from the Dodgers, but Sugano offers enough potential over the next three or four years to do well as an unrestricted free agent.

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18. Tyler O’Neill, OF, Red Sox

MLB teams love consistent hitters. O’Neill is exactly the opposite. He had a whopping seven multi-home run games with the Red Sox in 2023, which is actually two more than Aaron Judge, but when he was out, he was way off the mark. Still, 31 home runs and an .847 OPS make O’Neill an attractive option for teams that miss out on Hernandez and Santander.

19. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Yankees

Torres had a down year in 2024 and only showed signs of life late in the season, but he is young enough and has a strong track record to attract significant interest this winter. Torres hit .273 with 25 home runs and an .800 OPS in 2023, so a team could take a chance on him in hopes of a resurgent year at the top as he nears his 28th birthday stands.

20. Jose Quintana, SP. Mets

Quintana gave the Mets exactly what they asked for in 2024, posting a 3.75 ERA in 31 starts. Although his peripherals haven’t been quite as strong, Quintana has been doing this long enough that teams know they’re getting a solid mid-rotation arm if they give him a short-term contract.

21. Jurickson Profar, OF, Padres

Profar had an All-Star season out of nowhere in 2024. Knowing that that kind of production is likely unsustainable and he offers no real defensive value, it’s hard to imagine him breaking the budget this offseason. However, Profar has shown enough to earn a solid short-term deal, whether in San Diego or elsewhere.

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22. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals

Does Goldschmidt have another All-Star caliber year left? He’ll be just three years away from an MVP season in 2025, but he’s taken a big step back with 22 home runs and a .716 OPS in 2024. At 37 years old, Goldschmidt won’t break the bank this winter, but he could still have something left in the tank if he lands in a better environment.

23. Kirby Yates, CL, Rangers

Yates will be 38 on Opening Day and may not be the player every fan base wants their team to pursue, but how can you argue with what he’s done in 2024? A 1.17 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 33 saves made Yates an All-Star after a few injury-plagued years, and that’s enough to earn him a prominent role in the bullpen next season.

24. Luis Severino, SP, Mets

Severino has been up and down in 2024, looking brilliant on some nights and getting punched in the mouth by opposing offenses on other occasions. The overall result was a respectable 3.91 ERA and 4.21 FIP over a full 31 starts, a significant improvement from an ugly 2023 with the Yankees. If a team can continue to guide Severino’s confidence in the right direction, he can be a strong option in the middle rotation in 2024.

25. Max Scherzer, SP, Rangers

Scherzer is an absolute gamble in free agency because the team that signs him simply can’t expect him to play a full season. The last three seasons have been marked by increasingly minor injuries for the former Cy Young winner, and that trend is unlikely to improve at age 40. Still, Scherzer has a 3.16 ERA since 2022 and could be of interest to prospects looking for another arm.