The Toronto Blue Jays inked All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension earlier this week. The move squashed any speculation that the 26-year-old could be headed elsewhere, and sets up these three free agents for massive paydays this offseason.
3 Best 2025 MLB Free Agents
1) Kyle Tucker (Chicago Cubs)
Perhaps the most impactful free agent waiting in the wings, Kyle Tucker might be baseball's best kept secret, if you can still call him that after his torrid start to the season. The 28-year-old was traded from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs prior to the start of the season, and has built on an already impressive resume.
Through his first 14 games of the season, Tucker has bashed five home runs, collected 16 RBIs, and earned a 1.178 OPS. This start comes one year after hitting 23 home runs in just 78 games, and two seasons after driving in a career-high 112 RBIs.
Kyle Tucker has five homers and only seven strikeouts to start the 2025 season 🤯
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) April 9, 2025
BK and @TheMayorsOffice talk about the rare combination of power and plate discipline. pic.twitter.com/8LSWDrzkzq
The Tampa native is also a Statcast darling. According to Baseball Savant, he currently ranks in the 94th percentile in both K% and BB%. Tucker is an intelligent hitter that is sure to draw intense interest from a number of suitors this winter.
2) Pete Alonso (New York Mets)
In fairness, Pete Alonso may not end up being a free agent this offseason. He signed a $54 million deal with the New York Mets this past winter which includes a player opt-out after this season. It is possible that the first baseman decides stays put for another season, but it may be more likely that he tests the market again.
This option may become more appealing if Alonso puts together a powerful statistical season. Through his first 11 games, he slugged 3 home runs, earned 15 RBIs, and posted a strong 1.139 OPS.
“We’ve seen over the years here that when Pete gets going, he can carry a team,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It’s been fun to see him with some enormous home runs. I think he’s enjoyed it. Hopefully, it’s allowed him to take a little bit of a deep breath. And he’s earned it. He loves playing here. Our fans love watching him, and he’s been a huge part of our wins so far this season."
While Guerrero Jr. and Alonso are different players, it will be interesting to see if the former's new extension pushes the latter to experiment with the market this winter. Alonso was coming off of a down year this past winter, but if 2025 proves to be an improvement, the 30-year-old may be in for a generous raise.
3) Framber Valdez
Postseason experience matters, and it may be one of the reasons why Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez will be a hot commodity this winter.
The two-time All-Star will be in the same free agent class as fellow starting pitcher Zac Gallen. Even though Gallen is younger, Valdez's wealth of pressure cooker experience is something potential suitors will greatly value.
Framber Valdez 🔨 pic.twitter.com/agUwewcyJW
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 9, 2025
Valdez has been with Houston for multiple October runs. Through 85 innings of postseason work, he's managed to post a 4.34 ERA. This mark does not pop off the page, but it helps illustrates a definite floor. In other words, while Valdez can certainly win games for his team, he id not a pitcher who will lose games due to inconsistency or control issues. He may not be an "ace", but a sturdy No. 2 or 3 starter is eminently valuable in the playoffs.
The 2022 World Series champion is also known to perform well deep in the year. Valdez holds a career 2.51 ERA in August and a 3.80 ERA in September and October.
He is a consistent arm who will give any lineup a chance to compete. In an era where is becoming increasingly difficult to build a trustworthy starting rotation, Valdez could be a true anchor. He averaged 192 innings pitched per season from 2022-24.