MLB Free Agents 2024-25: Which Hidden Stars Could Rewrite the Season’s Destiny?
Sinker = 19 inches of run.
Sweeper= 21 inches of break. 
Hitting is Impossible. pic.twitter.com/IDzp72WzUJ
As ever, the 32-year-old Snell was a bat-missing strikeout monster whoâs also prone to missing other things. Starts, the strike zone, the sixth inning. Older and wiser â er, sorry, wilder â than Fried, they get to similar places in very different ways. Snellâs formula feels a bit more tenuous despite his sterling inning-for-inning numbers.
19. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
Why you want him: Supercharged by an 87-mph slider, Hoffmanâs two years in the Phillies bullpen produced a 2.28 ERA across 118.2 innings. Heâs not a gold-plated closer at this point, but his journey from failed starter to dominant reliever gives him a wider arsenal and more escape hatches if he runs into trouble. His expected strikeout and walk rates were better than fireballing lefty Tanner Scott, the reliever likely to earn the biggest contract this winter.
Why you want him: He’s looking to cash in after signing a one-year, .5 million prove-it deal ahead of last season. His 2024 was a pitch-perfect return to his good-average, great-power days of 2020-22. Anyone would happily slot .274 and 34 homers into the order, which are Hernandezâs averages per 162 games over the last five years.
20. Jeff Hoffman, RHP
His strikeout rate has dipped precipitously from his award-winning heyday, largely because of how he deploys his trademark cutter â more for weak contact than for whiffs â yet his velocity was up slightly in 2024. Itâs a less dominant profile than it was a few years ago, which will lead to some hand-wringing that is unfortunately always justified when starting pitchers cross over into their 30s. Still, thereâs no way of reading into Burnes without concluding heâs still one of the best in baseball.
Why you want him: Visuals will do. His fastball and his slider are terrifying pitches from the left side. After years in the wilderness of walking way too many, the 30-year-old Scott has found a somewhat reasonable level (though his post-trade excellence with San Diego memory holed a worrisome first-half walk rate with the Miami Marlins).
21. Tanner Scott, LHP
Why you want him: Thereâs a non-negligible chance Sasaki goes full Jacob deGrom during the team control years of the franchise that signs him. Oh right, because the 23-year-old right-hander is making the jump from Japan before turning 25, he will be limited to an amateur-style minor-league deal with âteam control yearsâ a la Shohei Ohtaniâs arrival with the Los Angeles Angels.
What it will take: Assuming he doesnât accept the Arizona Diamondbacks’ qualifying offer, Walker is in line for three years and at least million a year.
22. Clay Holmes, RHP
The plate-discipline god leads all qualified hitters with a .421 on-base percentage since his debut in 2018, and almost unbelievable display of hitting savvy from a young hitter. Thatâs the base of his .953 career OPS, which is fourth among qualified hitters in that span.
Why you want him: You were outbid for Santander or Hernandez and can replace a healthy portion of their production just by slotting Pederson in against right-handers. The slugger who should really only operate as a DH is the leagueâs best platoon player. Within his role, he logged a RV+ that sandwiched in between Gunnar Henderson and Bryce Harper .
23. Joc Pederson, DH
Why you want him: The cutter maestro who won the 2021 NL Cy Young with the Milwaukee Brewers joined the Baltimore Orioles in a blockbuster deal last winter and held up his end of the bargain, capping a sterling half decade with 2.92 ERA across 32 starts and 194.1 innings. His 76 raw value- (RV-) ranked fifth among qualified pitchers.
What it will take: Something historic. He could land something in the realm of 12 years and 0 million, which would likely overtake Shohei Ohtaniâs heavily deferred deal for the richest in baseball by present-day value.
24. Tyler OâNeill, OF
Why you want him: He prevents runs. Howâs that for a selling point?
What it will take: Unlike most of the potential pitching gambles on this market, Flaherty is relatively young and evidently healthy, with two straight seasons of 27+ starts under his belt. He might be in line for something like the Eduardo Rodriguez contact, four years and million given annually to a tantalizing former Detroit Tigers starter.
25. Blake Treinen, RHP
What it will take: Age will keep him from snagging anything too long, but a multi-year deal exceeding his original million pact seems certain.
Why you want him: A 29-year-old shortstop with 30-homer power, Adames promises pop at a strong defensive position. That position might eventually be third base, but heâs still a capable glove up the middle who will draw interest from some prominent teams in need (hello, Los Angeles Dodgers).
Heâs a year older than the next guy on this list, but donât be surprised if he winds up jumping him in defensive standing early in their contracts. Bregman is likely capable of competently manning shortstop or second base for stretches in addition to his usual third base.
Why you want him: His swerving sinker might be the surest best of anything on offer in the relief market. Being a ground-ball pitcher comes with the pro of generally avoiding home runs and the con of some serious white-knuckle innings when bloops and bleeders turn into hits. That means the day-to-day experience of closer Clay Holmes is decidedly more stressful than the aggregate quantification of closer Clay Holmes, who logged 189.2 innings over the last three seasons with a 2.82 ERA.
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