As much of the U.S. endures the bitter cold, the MLB hot stove isn’t exactly offering much warmth.
Not, at least, for some of the top free agents who remain unsigned.
This winter began with a bang when the Mets signed Juan Soto to a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract and the Yankees pivoted with their acquisitions of Max Fried, Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger.
Kyle Tucker, Blake Snell and Corbin Burnes are among the other marquee names to change teams this offseason.
January, however, has been relatively dull, beyond the Los Angeles Dodgers continuing to build a super-team with the additions of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki and closer Tanner Scott; and the Atlanta Braves’ reported signing of switch-fitting outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year deal Thursday.
The good news is there are plenty of free agents who can still help teams bolster their rosters as spring training nears.
Here are the best remaining free agents.
Alex Bregman
The veteran third baseman boasts championship pedigree and plenty of production over nine seasons with the Houston Astros, yet Bregman’s free-agent market has been slower to develop than expected.
Bregman has not been an All-Star since his back-to-back selections in 2018 and 2019, nor has he finished close to the top five of American League MVP voting like he did those years.
But Bregman, who turns 31 in March, is still coming off of a season in which he hit 26 home runs and won a Gold Glove.
The Boston Red Sox have long been considered a match, given their need for a right-handed hitter and how Bregman’s pull-side power would fit at Fenway Park. The Detroit Tigers make sense, too, given the presence of manager A.J. Hinch, who was previously in Houston.
And even though the Astros added corner infielders Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker this offseason, a reunion cannot be 100% ruled out.
Pete Alonso
Alonso is nearly a year younger than Bregman, but he has suffered a similarly slow market, with teams reluctant to invest in power-hitting first basemen on the other side of 30.
A return to the Mets always seemed like the best bet, considering his popularity and years of production, but a reported offer of three years in the $70 million range was not believed to be close to what Alonso’s camp is seeking.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who have repeatedly struck out on top free agents two offseasons in a row, have been the most heavily rumored suitor of late. The San Francisco Giants, too, have long sought a big bopper and could use a first baseman.
Whichever team signs Alonso will be getting one of the league’s best power hitters who still hit 34 home runs during a down 2024 campaign.
Jack Flaherty
The top remaining starting pitcher on the market doesn’t appear poised for a mega-deal like the ones Fried, Snell and Burnes got, but Flaherty would still fit nicely toward the top of many teams’ rotations.
Flaherty went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA for the Tigers and Dodgers in 2024, delivering a resurgent season after three years of injury and inconsistency.
He was one of three starters who kept the injury-plagued Dodgers’ rotation afloat during their World Series run, but a reunion is not likely after Los Angeles added Snell and Sasaki.
A more likely reunion could come in Detroit, or with another one of his previous teams, the Baltimore Orioles, who lost their ace, Burnes, to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ha-Seong Kim
One of the more complicated cases in free agency belongs to Kim, who is coming off of a down season and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day after right shoulder surgery.
But Kim is sneakily one of the better players in baseball, with his decent bat, speed and excellent defense all providing value.
The Korean-born infielder played second base, shortstop and third base during four seasons with the San Diego Padres and posted an outstanding 5.8 WAR in 2023.
He won the Gold Glove as a utility player during that 2023 season and set career highs with 17 home runs and 38 stolen bases.
Given his versatility, Kim would be a fit on most teams, including the Yankees, who have a vacancy in their infield. The Giants and Padres could really use him, too.
Max Scherzer
Adding some intrigue to the market is the destination of Scherzer, who has struggled to stay healthy since being traded away by the Mets during the 2023 season.
Still, the 40-year-old right-hander pitched to a 3.95 ERA in nine starts with the Texas Rangers last season, suggesting he still could have something left in the tank.
Speculation linking Scherzer to the Washington Nationals, with whom he won a World Series and two of his three Cy Young Awards, is fun, but the Blue Jays are generating more buzz of late.