One of the most anticipated MLB free agency windows in recent memory has not disappointed so far this year. Superstar Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million across 10 years in an enthralling free agent sage, while Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto also joined LA on a 12-year, $325 million deal.
Aaron Nola and Jung-hoo Lee have also signed deals worth more than $100 million, but many of the top free agents are still available on the market. This includes 2023 NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and MVP candidate Cody Bellinger. Along with Snell and Bellinger, these are the 10 best free agents who are unsigned.
10 Best MLB free agents remaining
1) Blake Snell (SP), San Diego Padres
A 23-game stretch with a 1.20 ERA and a Randy Johnson-like 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings (the Big Unit eclipsed that mark twice in his career) will go down as one of the all-time pitching runs for Blake Snell. The lefty was the runaway winner of the NL Cy Young Award, taking home 97% of the first-place votes. The question now becomes, can Snell replicate that form in 2024? Since 2017, Snell's average ERA change from one season to the next is 1.42, with three seasons of an ERA over 4.00 mixed in with four seasons of a sub-3.40 ERA. These concerns with consistency will keep Blake Snell from getting more money than he might otherwise receive.
2) Josh Hader (RP), San Diego Padres
One of the elite closers in the game, Josh Hader proved that the struggles in his debut season with the Padres were simply a fluke. The lefty posted a minuscule 1.28 ERA with 33 saves for San Diego in 2023 while allowing just 5.1 hits per nine innings.
3) Jordan Montgomery (SP), Texas Rangers
Now with a World Series championship under his belt, Jordan Montgomery is finally getting the plaudits he deserves as one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the game. His time with the Rangers was easily his best stint in recent years as well. Montgomery had a 2.79 ERA across 11 starts for Texas and is the best starting pitcher available outside of Blake Snell.
4) Matt Chapman (3B), Toronto Blue Jays
A perennial Gold Glove candidate and one of the best fielders in the game, inconsistency with the bat could hurt Matt Chapman's free agency value. The Blue Jays third baseman batted a blistering .384 in April before hitting just .205 with a .659 OPS the rest of the way (.240 on the year). Still, he finished second in MLB in hard-hit percentage (trailing only Aaron Judge) and his expected slugging was 33 points above his actual value.
Chapman will be the steal of the winter if he can raise his batting average by a few points.
5) Cody Bellinger (OF/1B), Chicago Cubs
While Matt Chapman is in for a bounce-back year at the plate, the analytics suggest that Cody Bellinger's numbers will drop significantly in 2024. His expected batting average was 39 points lower than his actual average (.268 vs .307) while his expected slugging was nearly 100 points lower (.434 vs .525). He also ranked in just the 10th percentile in hard-hit percentage.
Still, a 10th-place MVP finisher who was a well-above-average base-runner and fielder will carry considerable value on the open market.
6) Shōta Imanaga (SP), Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Shōta Imanaga posting period expires on Thursday, January 11, so the Japanese left-hander will likely be the next free agent signing this winter. Imanaga has a 2.96 ERA across eight seasons in Japan, and at 30 years old, should command a deal in the five-year, $75 million range.
7) Marcus Stroman (SP), Chicago Cubs
A Cy Young candidate through the first three months of the season, Stroman's 8.31 ERA over the last two months of the year likely cost him millions as his ERA on the season ended up closer to 4.00. The good news for Stroman is that he has at least 25 starts and a sub-4.00 ERA in four straight seasons — a stat line many MLB clubs will be in pursuit of.
8) J.D. Martinez (DH), Los Angeles Dodgers
After his worst OPS in a decade with the Boston Red Sox in 2022, J.D. Martinez did what every free agent seems to do: go to the Dodgers and have a phenomenal bounce-back season. Martinez will be 36 years old in 2024 but expect the slugger to continue to produce at the plate.
9) Rhys Hoskins (1B), Philadelphia Phillies
Before missing all of 2023 with a knee injury, Rhys Hoskins was a 30-home-run player who was also among the league leaders in walks drawn. Hoskins is a bit of a risky signing this winter, but he could be a bargain for the right team.
10) Jorge Soler (OF/DH), Florida Marlins
Jorge Soler's 36 homers last year were the most since his 48-home run season in 2019. He also ranked in the 94th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 84th percentile in hard-hit rate. Soler does not offer much other than his power, but he will be a useful hitter for any contender.
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