As we approach the latter stages of December — traditionally baseball’s busiest offseason month — we’ve already seen a healthy amount of free-agent activity and considerable movement on the trade market. As of Wednesday, 39 players have signed major-league contracts, including 17 of our Top 50 free agents, and several other stars, such as Garrett Crochet and Kyle Tucker, have changed teams via trade.
Still, a ton of players are unsigned. More than 200 who appeared in MLB in 2024 remain free agents, meaning there is substantial business left to be done. The other reality is that the top names still available — Corbin Burnes, Alex Bregman, Teoscar Hernández, to name a few — tend to dominate the discourse for days at a time, while the rest surface in rumors only on occasion, if ever. That’s not to say these players are being completely forgotten by major-league clubs, but rather that their markets have yet to develop in a way that would spark substantial rumors or concrete connections with teams that the general public would then become aware of via reporting from hot stove insiders.
With that dynamic in mind, here are five free agents from our Top 50 list about whom we’ve heard next to nothing since the offseason began, as well as a look at how their markets might’ve been impacted by the first month of transactional activity.
OF Jurickson Profar (No. 15 on our Top 50)
What he has to offer:
Once a premium shortstop prospect, Profar has gradually plummeted down the defensive spectrum to where he is now exclusively a left fielder and not a particularly good one. Perhaps some clubs still view him as viable somewhere in the infield, where he has played sparingly since 2021, but those considerations are strictly secondary. Any interested club is going to be buying Profar’s bat.
Having seemingly plateaued as a league-average hitter in even his best years over the first decade of his career, Profar took massive strides at the plate in 2024, launching a career-high 24 home runs and posting a 139 wRC+ that ranked 15th among qualified hitters in MLB. This was not some BABIP-fueled mirage, either; nearly every element of Profar’s underlying offensive profile improved markedly. He posted career bests in average exit velocity (91.1 mph, 80th percentile) and hard-hit rate (44.1%, 71st percentile) and his .365 wOBA was right in line with his .364 xWOBA, demonstrating that his results were reflective of his quality of contact and not merely good fortune.
Better yet, Profar managed to add power to his profile while maintaining what have always been excellent plate discipline skills, as he continued to draw walks at a high clip while avoiding whiffs and strikeouts. Add the fact that he’s a switch-hitter who produced well from both sides of the plate (.823 OPS vs. RHP, .885 OPS vs. LHP) in 2024, and there’s a lot to love about Profar the hitter — if this version of him sustains, of course.
Potential fits:
Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reported that while Profar, who turns 32 in February, is drawing “sizable interest” from other clubs, the Padres “remain hopeful, if not confident, about a potential reunion.” Otherwise, we’ve heard very little about which clubs are in pursuit of Profar, leaving us to speculate about the teams besides the Padres that could use an offensive jolt in the outfield.
The Yankees’ outfield remains in flux following Juan Soto’s departure, and Profar would surely represent an upgrade over what they got offensively from Alex Verdugo in 2024. The Braves have been oddly quiet this winter and just signed Bryan De La Cruz as a more frugal outfield option, but Profar could represent a more meaningful upgrade, especially as Atlanta waits for Ronald Acuña Jr. to return from his ACL injury. Toronto has been trying desperately to spend money to get back to contention and has an unsettled corner outfield spot beyond George Springer and Daulton Varsho. And what about Houston, whose lineup — and outfield — looks far less fearsome after trading Kyle Tucker?
A return to San Diego still feels like the most likely outcome for Profar, but these are all teams to monitor as his market starts to crystallize.
2B Gleyber Torres (No. 16)
What he has to offer:
After seven years of peaks and valleys in the Bronx, Torres’ Yankees tenure concluded on a relatively high note, as he was entrusted as the leadoff man ahead of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge during the club’s run to the World Series and provided quality at-bats throughout October. It was an encouraging finish to an otherwise disappointing platform year in which Torres failed to carry over momentum from a stellar 2023 campaign that featured career-best plate discipline and above-average production for his position.
His 2024 wasn’t a downright poor season, per se, but it was the latest example of Torres struggling to live up to the sky-high expectations he has carried since he was one of the game’s top prospects as a teenager. Having turned 28 earlier this month, Torres is one of the youngest free agents available, which should in theory bolster his market considerably. But with a reputation for mental miscues and a shaky second-base glove already in place, Torres is facing an uphill battle when it comes to convincing teams that his inconsistent, if tantalizing, bat can offset the less desirable secondary elements of his game.
Potential fits:
The aforementioned references to Torres’ time as a Yankee in the past tense were not an accident; there’s zero indication that New York has interest in retaining Torres, so it’s time to find him a new home. Three other teams have been explicitly connected to Torres in reports this winter: the Blue Jays, Nationals and Angels.
The Blue Jays were linked to Torres before they traded for Andrés Giménez from Cleveland, so they no longer seem to be a viable candidate. The Nationals, who have a promising youngster at second base in Luis García Jr., reportedly have interest in Torres as a third baseman, but that’s a position Torres hasn’t played since the minor leagues and was reluctant to move to this past summer after the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Angels are seeking upgrades at second and third, with no guarantees of Anthony Rendon’s role and the versatile Luis Rengifo capable of bouncing around positions.
Elsewhere in the AL West, the Mariners have been open about their intentions of improving their infield group, but they appear far more likely to address those needs via trade than free agency. And even if Seattle were interested in doling out free-agent dollars, if Torres is looking to sign a shorter-term deal in hopes of reestablishing his offensive bona fides and hitting the open market again in the near future, T-Mobile Park would be one of the least ideal home ballparks to target.
Among other clubs with October aspirations, the Red Sox, Orioles and Guardians each lack a proven commodity at second base but boast a wealth of younger options eager to establish themselves at the big-league level, whether it’s Jackson Holliday in Baltimore, Kristian Campbell in Boston or Juan Brito (plus several others) in Cleveland. The Giants looked like a decent fit before they signed Willy Adames, and president of baseball operations Buster Posey has since indicated that Tyler Fitzgerald is likely to slot in at second for San Francisco.
All of which is to say: It’s not easy to find an obvious opening at second base for Torres, so his eventual landing spot might be a surprise. Perhaps his tenor on a position change will shift as his market evolves — or fails to materialize.
DH/OF Joc Pederson (No. 27)
What he has to offer:
Pederson, who played 26 games in center field as recently as 2021, played exactly zero innings on defense in 2024 as Arizona’s go-to guy at DH. That’s not to say Pederson will never again wield a glove as a big leaguer; his complete lack of defensive responsibility was likely a product of the Snakes’ roster more than it was about Pederson’s willingness or capability to play the field.
That said, how teams view Pederson’s potential defensive contributions will surely impact his market. Do clubs view him as a solution in a corner outfield spot? What about first base, where he made 20 appearances for the Dodgers in 2019? As with Profar, these are worthwhile questions to ponder, but teams pursuing Pederson will be focused on his bat, first and foremost.
Pederson’s ability to crush right-handed pitching while proving limited against southpaws isn’t anything new, but his platoon powers reached new heights in 2024: Among 110 hitters with at least 400 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers, his .923 OPS ranked eighth overall and fourth among lefty bats, behind only Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yordan Alvarez. This is a level of production that’s worth pursuing even if Pederson is only a DH. For teams that view him as something more, it’s not difficult to envision him garnering a multi-year deal.
Potential fits:
The D-backs are unsurprisingly interested in retaining Pederson, as he was a key part of their high-powered offense and will cost considerably less than another of their free agents in Christian Walker, who could command north of $50 million. Arizona would be wise to prioritize a Pederson reunion, but the D-backs likely need to outbid some other clubs.
Toronto has long been seeking left-handed power to add to its lineup and has reportedly checked in on Pederson. That’s an excellent fit if the Blue Jays are serious about getting back into contention after a dismal, last-place campaign in 2024, as the current lineup features very few surefire impact bats beyond Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Rangers are also interested in adding a lefty bat, which could include Pederson. Texas doesn’t appear to have as clear of a need following the acquisition of Jake Burger but could certainly use some more thump in the lineup after a disappointing showing from the offense in 2024. Pederson would make much more sense for the Rangers if they end up trading first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, which has been rumored as a possibility.
Beyond that reported trio, the Padres badly need a DH, but their spending power this winter remains uncertain. The Yankees would be a tremendous fit if Giancarlo Stanton weren’t entrenched in the DH spot, and getting Pederson in pinstripes would require a huge amount of confidence in his defensive chops, a tenuous plan.
The reality is that Pederson would make most lineups better, so it’s a matter of finding the team that needs his bat the most. Hopefully he can find his way back to the postseason with his next club, as he is one of the most prolific playoff performers of the past decade — and hasn’t been to the postseason since 2021. We need another Joctober sooner rather than later.
RHP Max Scherzer (No. 42)
What he has to offer:
Three years ago, Scherzer’s three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets, which featured a then-record $43.33M AAV, represented the first eye-popping expenditure for new owner Steve Cohen as he ushered in an era of aggressive free-agent spending for his franchise. A lot has changed since then, most notably Scherzer’s shocking trade to Texas at the 2023 deadline as New York opted to hard reset its ultra-expensive roster.
That deal netted Scherzer his second World Series ring, as he contributed to the Rangers’ remarkable title run in 2023. His second year in Texas was far less successful, both collectively and individually. Rehab from offseason back surgery delayed his 2024 debut until late June, and then shoulder and hamstring injuries wrecked his second half, limiting him to nine starts all year.
Just like Justin Verlander, who has ambitions of extending his legendary career, Scherzer has been clear about his intention to continue pitching. At the same time, it’s safe to assume any team will be wary of committing long-term to a pitcher in his 40s. And while he’s about 17 months younger than his fellow Cooperstown-bound, three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer’s recent track record of durability is arguably even more concerning than Verlander’s. As such, some teams will have added trepidation about relying on Scherzer for 25-plus starts.
Potential fits:
It’s no secret that starting pitchers have commanded hefty prices in free agency and on the trade market this winter, but if there’s one deal we’ve seen that should portend good news for Scherzer, it’s the one-year, $15 million pact Alex Cobb signed with Detroit. Cobb, who turned 37 in October and is coming off an injury-riddled season in which he made just four starts (three in the regular season and one in October), was still able to secure a sizable guarantee. Of course, 40 is different than 37, and every team will have different risk tolerance based on age and injury history. But Scherzer demonstrated rotation-worthy performances when he was on the mound in 2024, and that, along his renowned reputation as the ultimate competitor and veteran presence, should garner him interest this winter.
So far, though, outside of Scherzer’s September declaration of his intent to pitch in 2025 and his openness to returning to Texas, we haven’t heard a peep about which teams could have interest in Scherzer, nor the size or structure of contract he’s seeking. But unlike with the available hitters, whose free agencies are dependent on positional fits on certain rosters, virtually every team could use more starting pitching. To that point, it’s not hard to identify clubs that could use Scherzer — Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, San Diego, Washington, to name a few, plus the Rangers need more help on the mound even after retaining Nathan Eovaldi — but it’s much harder to project where Scherzer will be willing to sign at this point in his storied career.
As with Verlander, wherever Scherzer lands next will be one of the biggest stories of the winter. Because it’s Max Scherzer — he’s kind of a big deal.
RHP Kenley Jansen (No. 49)
What he has to offer:
If Scherzer’s next destination is sure to make waves based solely on the enormity of his career, a similar sentiment can be applied to the next chapter for Jansen. For the past 15 years, Jansen and Craig Kimbrel have ascended the all-time saves list together, with Jansen currently at 447 and Kimbrel close behind at 440, good for fourth and fifth place in MLB history. While Kimbrel’s wildness and volatility relegated him to middle-relief duties in 2024 and leave his future as a viable game-ender in doubt, Jansen kept on chugging as the closer for Boston and entered the free-agent market with a solid case to be another team’s preferred ninth-inning man in 2025.
Although the brief resurgence in velocity that Jansen experienced in 2023 did not sustain this past season, his trademark cutter remains a highly effective pitch, and he continues to rack up strikeouts at an impressive clip. Generally durable throughout his career, Jansen finished the season on the IL due to a shoulder injury, so his physical condition will surely be an important consideration for interested clubs as he enters his age-37 season in 2025.
Potential fits:
Jansen’s tenure in Boston did not end on especially good terms, and the Red Sox have seemingly replaced him with another one of his generation’s best relievers in Aroldis Chapman, so we can cross them off as potential suitors.
Chapman also represents one of just a few late-inning relievers who have signed thus far, along with Blake Treinen’s return to Los Angeles and Clay Holmes’ joining the Mets as a starter. The Yankees’ acquisition of Devin Williams has been the only other prominent transaction within the back-end bullpen market. We might have to wait to see where the other premium relief options such as Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez end up — not to mention other effective veterans such as Kirby Yates, Paul Sewald and David Robertson — before we know what Jansen’s market looks like.
The Blue Jays are the one team that has been reportedly linked to Jansen thus far, which is no surprise considering how bad their bullpen was in 2024.
Beyond Toronto, other clubs that appear to be in dire need of bullpen help and could be good fits for Jansen would be the Angels, Cubs, Rangers and Nationals.
