Under-the-radar MLB free agents to keep an eye on

Right-handed swinging Christian Walker really should not fall into the ‘under the radar’ category; however, with so many high-profile names available on the free-agent market, I feel like he isn’t being talked about nearly enough. Longtime Mets’ slugger Pete Alonso is understandably getting a lot of publicity as the top first baseman available in free-agency, but in a lot of ways Walker should be put in the same category. He’s hit 26 or more home runs in every season he’s played more than 130 games for the Diamondbacks, and while his age (He’ll turn 34 before opening day) may limit the length of contract he gets, teams looking for right-handed power should definitely be in on Walker. 

Veteran switch-hitter Jurickson Profar sure picked an excellent time to have the best season of his career, huh? The 31-year-old had been a productive player in the big leagues for about a decade heading into 2024, but last year took his game to entirely new heights. Playing in 158 games for San Diego, Profar slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 29 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. He made his first all-star team and won his first Silver Slugger award, and while the Padres would obviously love to bring him back, his market will be robust. 

Discussing Joc Pederson’s free-agency feels like a yearly occurrence, which is curious because all the guy does is hit. Sure, at this point in his career the 32-year-old is essentially a DH only, but the production he’s capable of giving you from that spot is worth his lack of defense. Last season with the Diamondbacks, the veteran slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 homers, 64 RBI, and 17 doubles. Most teams in baseball would welcome Pederson’s left-handed bat in their line-up, and he won’t have any trouble finding a job this winter. 

Anthony Santander stands out as another player who really should be getting more attention on the current free-agent market. The Venezuela-born slugger has spent his entire career in Baltimore to date and, headlined by a huge 2024 campaign, has blossomed into one of the best power threats in baseball. Playing in 155 of the O’s games a year ago, Santander slashed .235/.308/.506 while blasting 44 homers, driving in 102 runs, and adding 25 doubles. Critics will point out his high strikeout rate and the fact that he doesn’t walk nearly enough, but at the end of the day it’s extremely difficult to find offensive players that are consistently going to give you 30+ homers and drive in close to 100 runs. Santander was a first time all-star in 2024 and will look to reward the team that signs him with an equally good 2025. 

Enrique Hernandez is an interesting player to profile on the free-agent market because while he’s been a productive regular-season player during his career, he’s consistently been one of the game’s best hitters in October. The Dodgers made a point to bring Hernandez back to LA in 2023 with the playoffs in mind, and he was just a huge piece of their World Series title here in ’24. Hernandez is a lifetime .238 regular-season hitter, but because of his defensive versatility, he brings significant value. Particularly when you consider the ‘it factor’ he always brings on the game’s biggest stage. 

Second baseman Gleyber Torres has played his entire seven-year Major League career in the Bronx, but as a free-agent this winter, it just feels like both he and the Yankees could use a fresh start. After making the all-star team in each of his first two seasons, Torres’ has kind of plateaued in his current situation. In 2024 he slashed .257/.330/.378 with 15 home runs, 63 RBI, and 26 doubles, while defensively leading the Majors in errors for the second straight season. At just 27 years old he still has plenty of prime years left, and it’s fair to wonder if a change of scenery could help reinvigorate him on both sides of the ball. 

Switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell has been dealt at the trade deadline in each of the last three summers, which I think is an incredible reflection of how he is viewed in the industry. The 32-year-old is not necessarily considered a star, but he’s been a reliable and consistent source of offense for going on a decade, and is always a popular name for teams in need of an offensive infusion. Splitting 2024 between Miami and Arizona, the veteran slashed .249/.319/.405 with 19 home runs, 71 RBI, and 23 doubles. He could help a club at both first base and DH, and his market should not be limited to just contenders, as he carries a proven track record of being able to be traded in July for minor league assets. 

It feels insane to categorize someone like Justin Verlander as an under-the-radar free agent. This is someone who won three Cy Young awards, an MVP, a pair of ERA titles, two World Series titles, and has been a member of nine different all-star teams. But the current reality is that he’ll turn 42 before opening day, and at this point in his career it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from him. Verlander missed time in 2024 with both a shoulder and a neck injury, and when he was healthy he didn’t exactly look like the pitcher we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. In 17 starts for the Astros, he put up a 5.48 ERA across 90.1 innings.

Essentially everything I just said about Justin Verlander could also apply to his former teammate in both Detroit and New York, fellow right-hander Max Scherzer. Like Verlander, Scherzer’s legacy as one of the best starting pitchers in the sport’s history is secure, and he has a spot in Cooperstown waiting for him. But he’s now 40 years old and just missed most of 2024 on the injured list. When he was on the mound, the veteran pitched to a 3.95 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP in 43.1 innings for the Rangers, so the results weren’t overwhelmingly negative. It would seemingly make sense for a team to bring Scherzer in to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle and get one last productive season out of him, but it would have to be a low-cost, back-of-the-rotation type agreement. 

Scherzer’s teammate in Texas last season, Nathan Eovaldi, does not have the resume of either of the previous two pitchers listed in this gallery, but he quite clearly is the superior option on the current free-agent market. The veteran right-hander has won 12 games for the Rangers in each of the past two seasons, and is coming off one of the most consistent campaigns of his big league career. In 29 starts, the 34-year-old pitched to a 3.80 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP, while striking out 166 hitters in 170.2 innings and limiting the opposition to a .229 batting average. Eovaldi also comes with an impressive postseason pedigree, as he’s a two-time World Series champion who owns a lifetime 3.05 ERA in October. 

The turnaround of the 2024 New York Mets from absolutely dead in the water to their first NLCS appearance in nine years was the most magical story of last season, and so much of the credit for the way things unfolded must be given to veteran infielder Jose Iglesias. After not playing a single Major League game in ’23, Iglesias joined the Mets on a minor league pact last winter, and his call-up in late May directly correlates with New York’s turnaround. In the 85 games he played with the Amazins’, Iglesias slashed .337/.381/.448 with 21 extra-base hits and 26 RBI. He was the team’s starting second baseman down the stretch and into October, and became a cult hero for his number one musical hit ‘OMG’ which he actually performed at Citi Field after a Friday night game against Houston. The Mets and their fans would love to have Iglesias back, and it will be interesting to see what kind of a market develops for his services. 

Outfielder Michael Conforto was an all-star caliber player early in his career with the Mets, and while he hasn’t played at quite that level recently, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t help most teams in the big leagues. In San Francisco last season, the veteran left-handed hitter slashed .237/.309/.450 with 20 homers, 66 RBI, and 27 doubles. Conforto will turn 32 in March and remains a solid defensive outfielder, and he should have no trouble landing a starting gig somewhere for 2025. 

Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has been a beloved part of San Diego’s team since the moment he arrived in southern California ahead of the ’21 season, and the Padres and their fans universally would like to have him back in 2025. However, given the current complexion of the team’s roster, I don’t think his return is a foregone conclusion. San Diego is loaded with infielders and would not have a problem covering shortstop internally should Kim depart, but the biggest wild card here, to me, has to do with what kind of a contract he’ll ultimately sign. The 29-year-old is an elite defender at a premium position, but offensively he’s coming off a bit of a down year. In 121 games, he slashed .233/.330/.370 with a career-low 30 extra-base hits. His season was cut short in August when he needed surgery to repair his labrum, and a lot of the calculus regarding Kim will depend on how teams view his ability to recover from that. 

Righty Jakob Junis spent the first several years of his career struggling to get his feet under him as a starting pitcher in Kansas City and then San Francisco, but the veteran seemed to really figure something out in 2024. Splitting the campaign between Milwaukee and Cincinnati, Junis was often deployed as a multi-inning relief weapon, and he simply thrived in the role, turning in easily the best season of his career. In 24 appearances (six starts), he pitched to a 2.69 ERA with an 0.85 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .203 batting average and punching out 51 hitters in 67 innings. Right now, Junis represents an interesting free-agent option, as teams must decide if his production in ’24 was a fluke or an indicator of things to come. 

Speaking of pitchers who struggled early as a starter but later blossomed as a reliever, let’s talk about right-hander Jeff Hoffman. The Blue Jays took Hoffman with the 9th overall pick in 2014 coming out of Eastern Carolina, but a year later traded him to Colorado in the deal that sent all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki north of the border. To put it lightly, pitching at Coors Field was not kind to Hoffman. He struggled through five subpar seasons in Denver before enduring two more mediocre campaigns in Cincinnati. Heading into 2023 his career looked to be on the rocks, but he’s enjoyed quite a renaissance in Philadelphia. After a really good first season with the Phillies, Hoffman was electric in 2024, pitching to a 2.17 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP in 66.1 innings across 68 outings. He registered 21 holds, converted 10 saves, and even made his first all-star team. This winter, he profiles as one of the better late-inning relievers available in free agency, and his market should be plentiful. 

The Padres were one of baseball’s best teams in 2024, and they’re going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this winter due to the amount of players they could potentially lose in free-agency. We’ve already talked about Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim, now let’s discuss their catcher, Kyle Higashioka. The veteran backstop was part of San Diego’s return when it shipped Juan Soto to the Bronx, and it didn’t take long for him to emerge as the team’s number one option behind the plate. In a career high 246 at-bats, Higashioka slashed .220/.263/.476 with 17 home runs, 45 RBI, and 10 doubles. He’s an excellent defender whom pitchers enjoy throwing to, and he should generate immense interest, especially coming off the best offensive season of his career.

There are not many players available on the open market that come with the potential offensive ceiling of right-handed swinging Tyler O’Neill. The Canadian-born slugger crushed 34 home runs for the Cardinals in 2021 before a pair of injury-riddled and mediocre seasons derailed the remainder of his time in St. Louis. The Cardinals shipped him to Boston at the winter meetings last December, and the Red Sox sure benefitted from his addition. In 113 games last season, O’Neill slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 long balls in only 411 at-bats. He clearly possesses immense power, and somewhat sneakily is a really good defender whose won multiple Gold Glove awards in the outfield. O’Neill will undoubtedly find a team willing to hand him a starting corner outfield position, likely via a multi-year contract. 

O’Neill’s former teammate in St. Louis, shortstop Paul DeJong, shares a somewhat similar career trajectory. The Orlando, FL native hit 74 home runs for the Redbirds in his first three Major League seasons, and even represented the team at the Midsummer Classic in 2019. Unfortunately, the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign was not kind to him, and in the two seasons that followed, DeJong wasn’t even able to hit .200 in St. Louis. The Cardinals gave up on him and sent him to Toronto in ’23, and he’s bounced around multiple cities since then. But I’d expect that trend to stop in 2025. Last year the veteran slashed .227/.276/.427 in 139 games split between the White Sox and Royals, but most notably his power came back. In 445 at-bats, DeJong connected on 24 home runs while adding 17 doubles, and a team that needs offense should consider taking a gamble on him this winter. 

Righty Dylan Floro is a fitting member of this list because really for the duration of his career he’s been a somewhat under-the-radar and underappreciated, yet consistently productive, big league reliever. Floro has pitched for eight different Major League teams during his nine seasons in the Show, and owns a lifetime ERA of 3.49 across 396 career outings. He has 32 saves and 55 holds on his ledger, and the Cal State Fullerton product stands out as an arm that could help virtually every team in baseball in any relief role needed. 

Prior to last season, switch-hitting second baseman Jorge Polanco had spent his entire career in Minnesota, where he had been an integral piece of the Twins’ position player core for a decade. With one guaranteed year left on his contract, Minnesota traded the veteran to Seattle ahead of the 2024 campaign, and it’s safe to say the change of scenery did not treat him kindly. In 118 games with the M’s, Polanco slashed just .213/.296/.355 with 16 homers, 45 RBI, and 11 doubles. The Mariners held an expensive team option on him for 2025 which they declined, allowing Polanco to hit the open market and search for a team and situation where he can get his career back on track. 

Carlos Santana has been a productive Major League player for 15 seasons already, and at age 38 he’s still going strong. In Minnesota last season, the veteran played in 150 or more games for the 10th time in his career, and was arguably the Twins most consistent hitter, slashing .238/.328/.420 with 23 homers, 71 RBI, and 26 doubles. At this late stage in his career Santana may not be the all-star caliber player he once was, but there’s little doubt he’s got plenty left to help a big league line-up, and he’ll have no trouble finding a job for 2025. 

Relief pitching in baseball is the most volatile part of the game year to year, and there’s no better example of that than right-hander Hector Neris. The big Dominican-born hurler has had seasons where he’s been a borderline elite closer and others–like 2024–where he struggled so badly with a command that he had a tough time getting anyone out. In ’23 Neris pitched to a 1.71 ERA across 71 outings for the Astros, and by all accounts was one of the best relievers in baseball. That performance earned him a lucrative free-agent agreement with the Cubs last winter, but by late summer he’d already been cut by Chicago and landed back in Houston. In 62 total appearances between the two teams, the veteran finished with a 4.10 ERA with an ugly 1.39 WHIP that was ballooned by a high walk rate. At 35 years old, Neris still throws hard, and the potential is there. I expect that multiple teams will be willing to gamble on his upside. 

Infielder Yoan Moncada is one of the more interesting players available on the current free-agent market. At one point, the Cuban-born switch-hitter was considered arguably the best prospect in baseball, and he was the primary piece the Red Sox used to acquire lefty Chris Sale from Chicago ahead of the 2017 campaign. Moncada’s White Sox career was productive, as he slashed .254/.332/.425 in 739 games in the Windy City, but he never did develop into the superstar experts had predicted he would. Last season represented a lost campaign for the veteran, as a left adductor strain limited him to only 12 games and brought an unceremonious end to his time in Chicago. Moncada is still only 29-years-old, and he feels like a fun buy-low option for a team hoping to hit it big on a lottery ticket. 

Speaking of low-risk, potentially high-reward players, right-handed swinging veteran J.D. Davis certainly fits that bill as well. The Elk Grove, CA native asserted himself as a productive MLB hitter during his time in Queens with the Mets, and later become an important piece of the Giants when he landed in San Francisco and became the everyday third baseman. In 2023, Davis hit 18 homers and drove in 69 runs for San Fran, and certainly expected to be back. Instead, the Giants signed all-star third baseman Matt Chapman during spring training last winter, which led to Davis being let go and landing across the Bay in Oakland. And it was all downhill from there. The 31-year-old ended up playing in only 46 games last season split between the Athletics and Yankees, and slashed just .218/.293/.338 with nine extra-base hits. This winter he’s eager to land in a good situation where he can reestablish himself as a starting caliber player at the sport’s highest level. 

Veteran Jesse Winker is one of the most polarizing players in the game today. He’s the epitome of old school, a guy you love if he’s on your team, but hate if he’s not. Winker relishes being the villain, and is the type of glue guy every clubhouse could use. The 31-year-old began last season with the Nationals before being traded to the Mets at the deadline, and in Queens he was an instrumental piece of New York’s deep October run. In 145 total regular season games in 2024, Winker slashed .253/.360/.405 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, and 23 doubles. He then hit .318 and drove in four runs during the postseason, and while Mets fans would love to have him back, there will be plenty of clubs interested in his services.