Ideal MLB free agent targets to get three teams into the 2025 postseason
Teams that find themselves outside the postseason can be disappointed with their performance. Sometimes, they only need to make one move to take the next step.
At the beginning of each season, each team's ultimate goal is to win the World Series. Of course, only one team can be crowned champion, and only 12 teams get the right to make the postseason. The other 18 clubs are forced to start looking toward the next season.
Missing the playoffs can feel like a gut punch for teams right on the periphery, but the offseason presents a chance for change and hope. Last week, we looked at three playoff contenders who could win next year's World Series with a smart free agent move. Here are the teams that barely missed the 2024 postseason but are a piece or two away from making the big dance in 2025.
3. Chicago Cubs
Despite all their preseason hype, the Cubs fell six games behind the final Wild Card spot. However, they are in a good position for 2025, with their only free agents being starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (who has already signed with the Los Angeles Angels) and relief pitchers Jorge Lopez and Drew Smyly.
Their offense ranked 17th in batting average and 12th in runs scored. However, they are returning their entire starting lineup following Cody Bellinger's decision to opt-in, so they stand to move up the rankings with an influx of some of their top prospects. The starting pitching staff ranked 6th in ERA with a 3.77 mark, while the bullpen ranked 12th with a 3.81 ERA.
Losing Hendricks means a fifth starting spot is open in the rotation, though they have viable in-house replacement options in Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks, who pitched 81 and 87 innings in 2024, respectively.
With their entire offense returning and solid pitching depth, a relief pitcher is their primary target, even following the team's underrated addition of Eli Morgan. With $87 million in Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) space, the Cubs could pursue a top-tier relief pitcher.
Jeff Hoffman has been one of the most consistent relief pitchers in the last two seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season, he pitched 68 innings with a 2.17 ERA, 89 strikeouts, and only 20 walks.
Jeff Hoffman, Disgusting 91mph Splitter. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/xiSQDP5iLj
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 24, 2024
The 2024 All-Star would add some much-needed velocity to the Cubs' relief crew, and he could step in as manager Craig Counsell's preferred closer option after locking down ten saves for the Phillies in 2024.
2. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners fell one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the final Wild Card spot this past season. Four players on their roster hit free agency this offseason: first baseman Justin Turner, second baseman Jorge Polanco, third baseman Luis Urias, and relief pitcher Yimi Garcia.
For being so close to the postseason, it is surprising that the offense ranked an abysmal 29th in batting average and 20th in runs per game. The pitching staff carried the Mariners, ranking 1st in ERA with a 3.38 ERA, and the bullpen finished 9th with a 3.71 ERA.
The Mariners' free agency plan is simple, significantly improve the offense, ideally in the infield. The outfield is set with Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, and breakout star Victor Robles. No one that logged an inning in the infield this past season hit above .240.
The team has $133 million in CBT space, so they have room to pursue top-tier talent. Christian Walker, longtime first baseman of the Arizona Diamondbacks, should be the top target.
Christian Walker hits his second homer of the game! pic.twitter.com/TnqmYyJbzj
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 11, 2024
He would solidify the cold corner and offer a consistent bat in the lineup. Walker has had over 26 HRs and 84 RBIs in each of the past three seasons, and his .813 OPS in that time would rank first on the Mariners, ahead of even Rodriguez (.801 OPS).
Walker is nearing his mid-30s already, so his contract shouldn't run the Mariners too much, though he is attached to the draft pick compensation after declining the qualifying offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a power-hitting threat with an above-average walk rate (9.7% for his career), he'd provide ideal protection for Rodriguez and Arozarena in the middle of Seattle's lineup.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks finished their 2024 season in a three-way tie with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets for the last two spots in the Wild Card.
The Braves earned the No. 5 seed by winning the season series against both the Mets and Diamondbacks, while the Mets earned the No. 6 seed by the same tiebreaker over Arizona. Suffice to say, it was a heartbreaking way for the season to end in the desert after the D-Backs came up just short of winning the title in 2023.
The Diamondbacks have seven players that hit free agency, including first basemen Christian Walker and Josh Bell, infielder Kevin Newman (signed with Los Angeles Angels), right fielder Randal Grichuk, designated hitter Joc Pederson, and relief pitchers Paul Sewald and Scott McGough.
Their offense ranked 1st in both batting average and runs scored per game this past season. Walker significantly contributed to the team's success in these stats, but re-signing him will be difficult as he's expected to have many suitors following his third Gold Glove season. If the team does not re-up with Walker, then Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is a viable option for first base (though he's not the game-changing addition we're projecting).
The Diamondbacks' pitching staff was their biggest weakness in 2024. The starters ranked 27th with an abysmal 4.77 ERA, and the bullpen was just as bad, ranking 25th with a 4.41 ERA. This offseason, the focus must be on pitching, as the offense has viable options at each position.
Losing Sewald would mean the closer role is up for grabs. Tanner Scott is just the man for the job. He was traded from the Miami Marlins to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline this past season, posting a 2.73 ERA (2.33 FIP) in his news digs. He was even better before the trade, dropping an absurd 1.18 ERA in 45 2/3 innings with Miami.
As a lefty reliever with sterling metrics, Scott will be a popular target this offseason, although the Diamondbacks have $107 million in CBT space, so they can be aggressive in getting the top bullpen arm available. Retaining Sewald and bringing in the All-Star closer would give them a huge boost at the end of games, though snagging Scott from a division rival may prove more fruitful if they're forced to choose.
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