The 2025 MLB campaign hasn’t even begun yet, but in some markets, especially Toronto, the topic of next winter’s free-agent class has come into focus.
That’s because of the recent news that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did not reach an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays on a contract extension. He’s set to hit the open market at the conclusion of this season, and unless a new deal with the Blue Jays somehow materializes, you can expect Guerrero Jr.’s pending free agency to be a talking point for the next eight months.
Guerrero Jr. will likely be the best player available, and if he can carry over his success from last year, stands to sign one of the richest deals in MLB history.
But who will be accompanying him on the market? Here’s a closer look at some other impact players available in the 2025 free-agent class.
Position: Right field
Age during 2025 season: 28
Career bWAR: 23.0
2024 stats: 23 HR, .993 OPS, 4.7 bWAR in 78 games
Tucker is a close second to Guerrero Jr. in terms of best available position players and you could loosely make an argument that he’s a better long-term investment than the Blue Jays’ first baseman. Since his breakout 2021 campaign, the left-handed hitting Tucker has been one of the best hitters in the sport — his 145 wRC+ over that span is actually tied with Guerrero Jr. for ninth best in MLB. Tucker is a complete and consistent hitter who does just about everything right. He can hit for power, has an excellent eye and is tough to strike out. His stellar defence and base running round out Tucker’s impressive skillset.
Position: Starting pitcher
Age during 2025 season: 29
Career bWAR: 16.0
2024 stats: 3.47 ERA, 189.1 innings, 224 Ks
Cease is a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter and will be paid as such next winter. Consider this: Over the past four seasons, no pitcher has made more starts or collected more strikeouts than the hard-throwing right-hander (130 starts and 891 Ks).
Position: Shortstop
Age during 2025 season: 27
Career bWAR: 17.5
2024 stats: 4 HR, .598 OPS, -0.3 bWAR in 81 games
Bichette endured a hellish, injury-marred 2024 season that was extremely uncharacteristic. His track record — he’s led the American League in hits twice — should offer confidence that he’ll rebound in 2025, and if he does, he’ll enter the market as the top shortstop.
Position: Outfield/designated hitter
Age during 2025 season: 32
Career bWAR: 15.4
2024 stats: 38 HR, .851 OPS, 3.5 bWAR in 150 games
The Phillies signed Schwarber to a four-year, $79-million deal in 2022 and the slugger has so far provided excellent value. Over his three seasons in Philadelphia, Schwarber has averaged 44 homers, 101 RBIs and 106 walks while sporting an .832 OPS. Simply put, he’s a game-changer at the plate.
Position: Starting pitcher
Age during 2025 season: 31
Career bWAR: 15.0
2024 stats: 2.91 ERA, 176.1 innings, 169 Ks
Valdez is in the conversation of best left-handed starters in the big leagues and that’s been the case for several years now. Fellow southpaws Max Fried ($218 million) and Blake Snell ($182 million) inked massive deals this off-season and so it will be interesting to see what the market has in store for Valdez. Since 2020, the ground ball specialist has logged more innings and posted a better fWAR than both Fried and Snell.
Position: Third base
Age during 2025 season: 31
Career bWAR: 39.6
2024 stats: 26 HR, .768 OPS, 4.1 bWAR in 145 games
Bregman’s recently inked contract with the Boston Red Sox includes opt-outs after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, so he could re-enter the market with an eye toward securing a bigger deal next winter. The right-handed hitter is a strong fit at Fenway Park and a boost in offensive numbers could certainly help his cause.
Position: Reliever
Age during 2025 season: 30
Career bWAR: 8.9
2024 stats: 1.25 ERA, 21.2 innings, 38 Ks
Williams is an elite closer, and while he may have flown somewhat under the radar during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, that won’t be the case in 2025. Williams was acquired by the New York Yankees in December and he’ll now have the chance to make his free agent case on one of the biggest stages in the game.
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Position: First base
Age during 2025 season: 30
Career bWAR: 19.8
2024 stats: 34 HR, .788 OPS, 2.6 bWAR in 162 games
Alonso’s situation closely mirrors that of Bregman, who is also a Scott Boras client. Alonso can opt of the remaining one year and $24 million in his deal with the New York Mets. He’ll have a full year hitting behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto and we’ll see if that ultimately helps him secure the kind of lucrative contract that eluded him this off-season.
Honourable mentions: Zac Gallen (starting pitcher), Michael King (starting pitcher), J.T. Realmuto (catcher), Luis Arraez (infielder), Ha-Seong Kim (shortstop), Ryan Helsley (reliever).
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