Top MLB free agents: Tarik Skubal leads top 10 ranking for winter 2026
· Yahoo Sports
It could be the longest offseason in Major League Baseball history. And as fans stare at the crop of available free agents, the list simply won’t get any better.
So why not feast your eyes on the wares now? The World Series is over and the lockout has yet to begin, leaving almost exactly one month for clubs to augment their 2027 (or ’28) rosters before commissioner Rob Manfred pulls the plug on the offseason Dec. 1.
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With that, a brief look at the top 10 free agents available as the market opens post-World Series:
1. Tarik Skubal, LHP
Not the difference-maker the Dodgers needed, but by far the best talent available. Should have every major-market team interested, and perhaps a few surprises bidding for the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.
2. Michael King, RHP
Yeah, bit of a drop-off from No. 1 to No. 2. Yet King should command a nice package given the neverending dearth of starting pitching. Injuries have slowed the 31-year-old’s progression, but he made 32 starts and pitched 185 innings with a 1.18 WHIP and 3.21 ERA. That may put him close to the nine-figure club.
3. Freddy Peralta, RHP
Talk about a roller-coaster. He lost his touch in Queens and was revived by the peerless Tampa Bay pitching department after a trade from the Mets. Overall, the worst of his seven full seasons as a starter but still a guy good for 172 innings and a 3.65 ERA the past four seasons.
4. Randy Arozarena, OF
What a platform year for the boots-wearing power-speed left fielder. Arozarena turns 32 in February but is coming off a 26-homer, 26-steal season with Seattle, scoring an AL-high 113 runs and posting 5.7 WAR, eighth among AL position players.
5. Brandon Lowe, 2B
Another former Tampa Bay Ray with an excellent final year before reaching the market. Lowe ripped 35 homers and posted an .824 OPS and notched 5.4 WAR for the Pirates.
6. Seiya Suzuki, OF
Possibly a future DH, Suzuki is still a nice source of power as he’s hit between 21 and 32 home runs the past four seasons, with an .833 OPS over that span.
7. Clay Holmes, RHP
Proved his chops as a starter in two seasons with the Mets, posting a 3.26 ERA over 42 appearances but getting sidelined after a comebacker broke a bone in his leg. Got up to 165 innings in 2025 and should get paid accordingly.
8. Sonny Gray, RHP
Will likely command a shorter term with a high average annual value, but Gray proved in 2026 that he can be an ace. Evolved into the Red Sox’s best starter as he led the majors with 18 wins and posted a 2.72 ERA.
9. Trevor Rogers, LHP
Put it all together over his final 18 starts in Baltimore, during which he posted a 2.87 ERA and 2.80 FIP; Rogers finished with a career-high 169 innings pitched.
10. Luis Arráez, INF
Still a hits machine, he’s the perfect element to add to a slug-heavy offense. Phillies lineup went south when he hurt an ankle just before the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top MLB free agents: Tarik Skubal leads top 10 ranking for winter 2026