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The 2025 Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla., ended with more questions than answers.

Baseballâ€s annual offseason extravaganza did bring a trio of big moves, with Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Edwin Díaz (Dodgers) and Pete Alonso (Orioles) striking deals, but there was surprisingly little activity outside of those transactions. As a result, the next few weeks loom large, potentially bringing a surge of deals that could shake up the baseball landscape.

With so much left unsettled, letâ€s take a look at the offseason picture coming out of the Winter Meetings, highlighting key storylines to watch, notable free agents still on the market and potential candidates to be traded.

Who are the top free agents left on the board?

A great deal of talent remains on the free-agent market, with 19 players still available from MLB.com senior reporter Mark Feinsandâ€s rankings of the top 30 free agents at the start of the offseason.

The starting pitching market also has been quiet thus far. Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Shota Imanaga (Cubs) and Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) are the only starters from Feinsandâ€s list to sign deals, and the latter two both went back to their old teams via the qualifying offer. Michael King (No. 9), Ranger Suárez (No. 10), Tatsuya Imai (No. 11), Framber Valdez (No. 13) and Zac Gallen (No. 20) all remain unsigned, as do many other notable starters.

You can see a full list of the available free agents and deals that have been reached this offseason right here. And for a team-by-team rundown of transactions, click here.

What are the key storylines to keep an eye on?

1. Who will land this offseasonâ€s top FA prize?

Most everyone agreed at the start of the offseason that Tucker was the top free agent in this yearâ€s class, but compared to his three predecessors, his market has moved at a markedly slower pace.

Last offseason, Juan Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets on the Sunday before the start of the Winter Meetings. At the Winter Meetings two years prior, Aaron Judge returned to the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million contract. And while Shohei Ohtaniâ€s free agency wasnâ€t entirely settled before the end of the 2023 Winter Meetings, he was well on his way toward signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers days later.

To this point, the Blue Jays are the only known team that has met with Tucker, but theyâ€ve already spent $240 million on pitchers Cease and Cody Ponce and might prefer to bring back Bichette, who has spent his entire career with Toronto and will likely be less expensive than Tucker.

The Orioles reportedly spoke with Tuckerâ€s camp, but Alonsoâ€s deal likely takes them out of the mix, especially when they still need to add pitching.

The Yankees and Mets have been linked to Tucker as well, but the Bronx Bombers are believed to be prioritizing Bellinger. With his ability to play center field and first base, Bellinger also appears to fit the Mets better than Tucker does. As for the incumbent Cubs, they don’t seem to be pursuing a reunion.

2. All-Stars on the trade block

Although the Winter Meetings came and went without a notable trade, the seeds may have been planted for a number of big names to be dealt in the coming weeks.

3. Whatâ€s next for the Mets?

Contrary to 2024, when they kicked off the Winter Meetings by winning the Soto sweepstakes, no club had a worse time in Orlando than the Mets.

Mets fans, already frustrated after a second-half collapse cost the team a playoff berth in 2025, are looking for answers, and the pressure on president of baseball operations David Stearns has only intensified.

4. Orioles staying aggressive

Taking both quality and quantity into account, no team has been more aggressive than the Orioles this offseason. Coming off a disappointing 2025 season, Baltimore acquired outfielders Taylor Ward and Leody Taveras and reliever Andrew Kittredge in November before landing Helsley to close and Alonso to play first base.

5. The clock is ticking for these Japanese stars

This is a big winter for free agents from the Land of the Rising Sun. Corner infielders Murakami and Okamoto and pitchers Imai and Kona Takahashi make up the next wave of Japanese stars aiming to make an impact in MLB, but thereâ€s limited time left for them to reach deals.

When an NPB player is made available via the posting system, he has a 45-day window to negotiate with Major League teams. If no deal is reached by the end of that window, the player returns to his NPB club for the following season.

Okamoto doesnâ€t have as high of a ceiling as Murakami but offers considerable power in his own right and is more of a finished product than his countryman. He was posted alongside Takahashi, who profiles as a back-end starter/swingman type because he doesnâ€t miss many bats, on Nov. 21. That gives them until Jan. 4 to sign.

Which teams need to make a big move?

To put it simply, a lot — especially when the Dodgers continue to improve as they vie for a rare three-peat. Even clubs that have made significant acquisitions like the Orioles, Blue Jays, Phillies and Mariners still have holes to fill. But letâ€s set those clubs aside and focus on some of the teams that have more work to do.

D-backs: Injuries and departures have depleted Arizona’s pitching staff going into 2026, but the team’s budget is thin. As a result, trading Marte could be the best way for the D-backs to confront their pitching woes.

Mets: We already covered them above, but it bears repeating — Stearns is under intense scrutiny.

Padres: No team had more high-end talent reach free agency this year, with Cease, Suarez, King and Arraez all hitting the open market. A big splash is always a possibility with GM A.J. Preller, but all the Friars have done so far is sign pitchers Kyle Hart, Daison Acosta and Ty Adcock.

Pirates: Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes may be controllable through 2029, but if Pittsburgh doesn’t make substantial progress toward contending in a hurry, the trade rumors around Skenes are only going to get louder. The Bucs have gotten a lot of press this offseason for showing more of a willingness to spend in free agency, but they haven’t actually signed any marquee players yet after falling short on Schwarber and Josh Naylor.

Reds: Cincinnati is coming off its first playoff berth in a non-shortened season since 2013, but it could be a one-off unless the team adds more offense. The Reds pursued Schwarber, a native of nearby Middletown, Ohio, but word is that they don’t intend to pivot to other high-priced free agents after missing out on the slugger. If that’s indeed the case, they may need to dip into their collection of controllable starters to land the hitter they desperately need.

Red Sox: The Red Sox traded for pitchers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo but havenâ€t addressed their need for a middle-of-the-order bat after Bregman opted out. Theyâ€ve been linked to a wide range of offensive targets, though two of them — Alonso and Schwarber — are now off the market.

Tigers: With Skubal just a year away from free agency, the Tigers are facing the heat. If they decide not to trade him, can they find a way to put themselves in position to contend for a World Series title in his final season under club control?

Yankees: With Judge entering his age-34 campaign, the Bronx Bombers face a growing imperative to capitalize on their captainâ€s prime, particularly with their World Series drought now at 16 seasons — the second-longest streak in franchise history. However, bringing back Trent Grisham via the qualifying offer, re-signing swingman Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year deal and picking right-hander Cade Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft constitute the Yankees†moves to date.

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MLB’s Hot Stove is here, and you can track all of the activity from the 2025-26 MLB offseason with our convenient free agent tracker.

The tracker, which is based on Matthew Pouliotâ€s Top 100 MLB free agents, covers each of the big names and the information you need to know.

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Once a player signs with a team, or a decision is made about an option, the relevant contract information is added along with a link to a blurb write-up from Rotoworld.

Bookmark this page and check back throughout the MLB offseason! Weâ€ll keep track of it all.

Donâ€t forget: Check out the Rotoworld player news feed for all the latest news, rumors, and transactions as MLBâ€s Hot Stove gets underway!

RELATED: Breaking down Edwin Díazâ€s deal with the Dodgers

Who are the top MLB free agents for 2025-26?

Player

POS

2025 Team

2026 Team

Contract info.

Kyle Tucker

OF

Cubs

Dylan Cease

SP

Padres

Blue Jays

Seven years, $210M

Bo Bichette

SS

Blue Jays

Alex Bregman

3B

Red Sox

Framber Valdez

SP

Astros

Pete Alonso

1B

Mets

Orioles

Five years, $155M

Cody Bellinger

1B/OF

Yankees

Kyle Schwarber

DH/OF

Phillies

Phillies

Five years, $150M

Ranger Suárez

SP

Phillies

Tatsuya Imai

SP

Japan

Josh Naylor

1B

D-Backs/Mariners

Mariners

Five years, $92.5M

Munetaka Murakami

1B/3B

Japan

Edwin Diaz

RP

Mets

Dodgers

Three years, $69M

Michael King

SP

Padres

Eugenio Suárez

3B

D-Backs/Mariners

Devin Williams

RP

Yankees

Mets

Three years, $51M

Brandon Woodruff

SP

Brewers

Brewers

One year, $22.025M

Lucas Giolito

SP

Red Sox

J.T. Realmuto

C

Phillies

Zac Gallen

SP

Diamondbacks

Merrill Kelly

SP

D-Backs/Rangers

Kazuma Okamoto

2B/3B

Japan

Chris Bassitt

SP

Blue Jays

Shota Imanaga

SP

Cubs

Cubs

One year, $22.025M

Ryan Helsley

RP

Cardinals/Mets

Orioles

Two years, $28M

Harrison Bader

OF

Twins/Phillies

Gleyber Torres

2B

Tigers

Tigers

One year, $22.025M

Robert Suarez

RP

Padres

Braves

Three years, $45M

Tyler Mahle

SP

Rangers

Trent Grisham

OF

Yankees

Yankees

One year, $22.025M

Jorge Polanco

2B

Mariners

Ha-Seong Kim

SS

Rays/Braves

Raisel Iglesias

RP

Braves

Braves

One year, $16M

Ryan Oâ€Hearn

1B/OF

Orioles/Padres

Tyler Rogers

RP

Giants/Mets

Max Muncy

3B

Dodgers

Justin Verlander

SP

Giants

Luis Arraez

2B/1B

Padres

Pete Fairbanks

RP

Rays

Brad Keller

RP

Cubs

Max Scherzer

SP

Blue Jays

Marcell Ozuna

DH

Braves

Cody Ponce

SP/RP

KBO

Blue Jays

Three years, $30M

Kenley Jansen

RP

Angels

Dustin May

SP/RP

Dodgers/Red Sox

Victor Caratini

C

Astros

Kyle Finnegan

RP

Nationals/Tigers

Tigers

Two years, $19M

Luke Weaver

RP

Yankees

Mike Yastrzemski

OF

Giants/Royals

Braves

Two years, $23M

Zach Eflin

SP

Orioles

Steven Matz

SP/RP

Cardinals/Red Sox

Rays

Two-years, $15M

Seranthony Domínguez

RP

Orioles

Adrian Houser

SP

White Sox/Rays

Emilio Pagán

RP

Reds

Reds

Two years, $20M

Cedric Mullins

OF

Orioles/Mets

Rays

One year, $7M

Drew Pomeranz

RP

Cubs

Anthony Kay

SP

Japan

White Sox

Two years, $12M

Nick Martinez

SP/RP

Reds

José Alvarado

RP

Phillies

Tomoyuki Sugano

SP

Orioles

Michael Soroka

SP/RP

Nationals/Cubs

Diamondbacks

One-year, $7.5M

Adolis Garcia

OF

Rangers

Danny Jansen

C

Rays/Brewers

David Robertson

RP

Phillies

Zack Littell

SP

Rays/Reds

Foster Griffin

SP

Japan

Paul Goldschmidt

1B

Yankees

Germán Márquez

SP

Rockies

Willi Castro

UTIL

Twins/Cubs

Starling Marte

OF

Mets

Josh Bell

1B

Nationals

Jose Quintana

SP

Brewers

Nathaniel Lowe

1B

Nationals/Red Sox

Miguel Rojas

INF

Dodgers

Dodgers

One-year, $5.5M

Tyler Kinley

RP

Rockies/Braves

Walker Buehler

SP

Red Sox/Phillies

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

UTIL

Pirates/Blue Jays

Patrick Corbin

SP

Rangers

Austin Hays

OF

Reds

Max Kepler

OF

Phillies

Michael Kopech

RP

Dodgers

Michael Lorenzen

SP/RP

Royals

Phil Maton

RP

Cardinals/Rangers

Cubs

Two years, $14.5M

Gregory Soto

RP

Orioles/Mets

Pirates

One year, $7.75M

Hunter Harvey

RP

Royals

Tyler Anderson

INF

Angels

Miles Mikolas

SP

Cardinals

Rhys Hoskins

1B/DH

Brewers

John Means

SP

Guardians

Michael Conforto

OF

Dodgers

Rob Refsnyder

UTIL

Red Sox

Lane Thomas

OF

Guardians

Jordan Montgomery

SP

Diamondbacks

Martín Pérez

SP

White Sox

Pierce Johnson

RP

Braves

Luis Rengifo

INF

Angels

Chris Paddack

SP/RP

Twins/Tigers

Tommy Kahnle

RP

Tigers

Jonah Heim

C

Rangers

Kirby Yates

RP

Dodgers

José Leclerc

RP

Athletics

Miguel Andujar

3B/OF

Athletics/Reds

Shawn Armstrong

RP

Rangers

Aaron Civale

SP

Brewers/White Sox/Cubs

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Six months later, my putting has improved leaps and bounds just from a putter fitting that opened my eyes to what types of putters I should actually be using.

And you can win the same VIP putter fitting experience I had at Bettinardi Golf for free right now.

For the entirety of this holiday season, Fairway Jockey is running a promotion where you can win a free, all-expenses-paid trip to Bettinardi’s Studio B fitting facility in Oak Brook, Ill., outside of Chicago, where you’ll get an elite custom putter fitting, your own handcrafted putter and a behind-the-scenes tour.

Between November 3 and December 29, you’ll receive one automatic entry into the giveaway, which will draw a total of four winners every two weeks. That means there are still a few chances to win this top-notch putter fitting experience. The four winners will be notified by phone or email and will receive the trip, which includes airfare and lodging. Trip coordination will begin in the first week of January, after the promotional period officially ends.

I got fit for a putter at Bettinardi’s Studio B. The result shocked me

By:

Jack Hirsh

You can read more about my experience below, but I thought this would be a good time to revisit my putter fitting and how it’s helped me.

Since that fitting that saw me end up in a Bettinardi BB-28SB, a face-balanced blade putter I thought would never be a good fit, putting has gone from potentially one of the weakest parts of my game to a strength. I feared a left miss and now I can feel like I release the putter head freely and know it will start on my intended line.

As you’ll read below, Tom Sopic, Studio B’s lead hive concierge, put me through my paces hitting putts and found that the high-toe-flow putter I was using was causing me to put more hook spin on the ball than forward roll, which was causing my left miss.

Since then, I’ve felt like I’m making one or two — or more — 10+ putts a round, and I made it to the finals of my club championship. This summer was by far my best on the greens and can only lead to bigger things over the next few years as soon as I get the rest of my game in order.

Keep reading below for my experience, and be sure to enter Fairway Jockey’s Bettinardi VIP Fitting giveaway today!

I got fit for a putter at Bettinardi’s Studio B. The result shocked me

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on June 3.

As I’ve chronicled my own golf journey through gear, I’ve started to realize that I’ve fallen into some of the bad habits that we here at GOLF preach against.

Take my putting.

Not until I was fit for a putter at Bettinardi’s Studio B did I become aware of the putting stroke and putter I should be using.

Today, I’m in a putter type I could never have imagined using, but I felt and saw instant results with how easy it was to get the ball rolling end-over-end on my intended line.

For those who have been hesitant to get fit for a putter, this article is for you.

Some background on my putters

All my life, I have used a Ping Anser-style blade putter, which was the putter type that came in my first U.S. Kids’ Golf set. The first Scotty Cameron my dad cut down for me was a 2005 Studio Style Newport 2.5 with a GSS insert.

That putter has a flow neck and a ton of toe hang, which I always thought matched my stroke because I always thought about the putting stroke as an arc and opening the face going back was the easiest way to return it to square.

In 2010, the first golf club I ever bought myself was a 1999 Scotty Cameron Teryllium II Newport 2 for a $150 on eBay, and I had it refinished. This putter has a plumber’s neck, but I was going for feel and I didn’t know anything about putter fittings at the time.

Want a 1-of-1 putter? Bettinardi will make it — but it will cost you | Fully Equipped

By:

Jack Hirsh

I kept using that putter for 13 years before a newer Teryllium version came out, this time as a wide-body blade and a high-toe flow short slant neck. I still thought my stroke matched best with a lot of toe flow so I bagged one and never thought twice about it.

I did get fit for this putter but after I already had purchased it. I got fit to the putter, rather than finding a putter that was fit for me.

But, as these things tend to go, I was wrong!

My Bettinardi putter fitting

I was excited to go to Bettinardi’s Studio B in Oak Brook, Ill., just outside of Chicago; it would be my first putter fitting at which we’d start from scratch, and I was going in with a completely open mind.

From the moment we started rolling putts, I realized something was about to change.

“Does this green have a bit of a left break?” I asked, innocently, thinking I was hitting good putts.

“It actually has more of a right break, if anything,” said Tom Sopic, Studio B’s lead hive concierge and my fitter for the day.

Using a high-tech camera system in the fitting bay and Quintic putting analysis, Sopic uncovered a huge revelation about my putting stroke.

He didn’t even need to see the video to confirm it.

“Just watching you hit a couple of putts during your warm-up, I could see that it was more of a pendulum-style stroke,” he said. “The easiest way we saw it was that your takeaway when we came to the apex of your stroke, the pocket of your putter was dead straight behind the golf ball.”

On the video screen, Tom showed me that my putter face stays almost square for most of the stroke, as opposed to opening on the way back and closing on the way through as it would for an arc. Because the face naturally wants to close on the way through, it created a hitch in my putting stroke that would mostly cause me to strike the ball on the heel and pull it.

We could also see that my eyes were about 2 to 2.5 golf-ball widths inside the heel of the putter, which was because my putter was long (36″).

“A lot of times when people are fitting into toe hang putters, they recommend your eyes fall inside the heel, which we do as well,” Sopic said. “But that distance away from it, with you being a pendulum-style putter, is going to create a lot of exaggerated arc that isn’t there naturally.”

Bettinardi opens all-new Studio B to enhance customer fitting experience

By:

Ryan Barath

All of this was causing my golf ball to launch with almost as much side spin as forward roll. The Quintic analysis showed my forward spin at a 51 RPM average and the side spin at 45 RPM. Ideally, Sopic said, you want three times as much forward spin as side spin. It wasn’t consistent, either, because my highest side spin was up to 75 RPM of hook spin!

The result of my putter fitting

We stayed in a blade-style putter because, while I believe a mallet putter is more forgiving, I’ve never found one I like looking at. I’ve gone to wider-blades to give me more forgiveness and that seems to do the trick.

Our winning putter was three degrees flatter (67˚) than my gamer (as the toe of my putter was still coming in high), and a half inch shorter (35.5″), which brought my eyes right over the heel of the putter. To me, it really didn’t feel that much different, which was what Sopic was going for. My spine angle didn’t change when addressing the shorter putter.

Bettinardi BB28 Slotback Putter

After a successful debut in the last BB line, RJB took his BB28 back to the workshop for some artful and game-changing modifications resulting in the newly refined BB28 Slotback. The new and improved wide-body blade is slightly more compact, with shortened heel-to-toe and pocket lengths, while also featuring taller muscles and bumpers. The slotback milled from the flange serves as a natural alignment aid, allowing you to frame the ball perfectly at address. The near-face-balanced BB28 Slotback has a single bend shaft that flows seamlessly into the spud neck, providing a three-quarter shaft of offset for simple setup and a consistently effortless putting stroke.

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ALSO AVAILABLE: PGA Tour Superstore

The real shock to me was the head and neck, which was a Bettinardi BB-28 Slot Back, a nearly face-balanced putter with a single-bend shaft. I had never used any putter without a hosel before.

Interestingly, the BB-28 has an identical offset (3/4ths of a shaft) to my previous gamer, which, despite the absence of a hosel, looked completely different; however, lining up to a putt felt almost the same. That’s no coincidence, Sopic said, because right-eye dominant players, like myself, who like to use sight lines on the flange to line up their putts, tend to also prefer less offset.

But the results on the Quintic were clear. With six putts, my forward rolls averaged 60 RPMs of forward spin and just 12 RPMs of sidespin, well above the 3-to-1 minimum ratio.

The cool part of the Studio B experience was that a new putter was built to my exact specs right there for me, and I was able to go out and play with it immediately that afternoon.

I won’t lie and say there wasn’t an adjustment period, especially considering I’ve been scared of pulling short putts for the better part of six months now, but by my third round with this putter (and even the back nine that day) it was clear that this putter fit me better than any other I’d had before.

The author ended up in a Bettinardi BB-28SB putter.

Jack Hirsh/GOLF

What this putter fitting really tells us

We could go on and on about how this has really changed how I think about my putting, or how it’s going to improve my game, but the reality is simple:

You need to be fit for your putter, not to your putter! There’s a difference.

It also comes down to more than just specs. Different putter shapes, faces, necks, etc., all do different things. I could bend and cut my old putter to meet the same specs as this new one, and it still wouldn’t work as well because of the toe flow.

So my suggestion: Go get fit and then buy a putter; your scores will thank you later. It will cost you only about $100 to $150 ($100 at Bettinardi’s Studio B), which really isn’t that much when you’re already spending $400-$500 on a new putter. Think of it as an investment for all the money it will end up winning you on the greens!

A few notes on the giveaway: It is available to U.S. residents only. Ground transportation not included in prize. Spend threshold will be calculated using the subtotal after any discounts have been applied and prior to tax and shipping being applied. Items or orders returned and refunded will not count towards entry. All TaylorMade, Ping, Odyssey and Scotty Cameron products are excluded from the promotion and do not count toward purchase thresholds. However, product add-ons like as shafts, grips, and ferrules will count toward all purchase thresholds.

Ready to start earning some entries? Explore Fairway Jockey’s wide array of gear here — and click here for more information on the Bettinardi giveaway.

Want to find the best putter for your game?Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Dec 10, 2025, 04:10 PM ET

A day after seeing closer Edwin Diaz leave to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets watched another longtime star depart via free agency when franchise home run leader Pete Alonso joined the Baltimore Orioles on a five-year deal.

While Mets fans wrap their heads around knowing their roster will look very different going into the 2026 season, we asked our MLB experts to sort out how concerned the Mets should be, what moves New York can make to rebound from its offseason rough stretch and just how stacked the addition of Alonso makes his new team’s lineup.

How concerned are you about the Mets losing two All-Stars to free agency this week?

Jorge Castillo:Not too concerned just yet. There’s a lot of winter left, and the Mets are going to make moves. They have the money and the prospects to add elite talent. It’s clear that Stearns believes the Mets’ core wasn’t good enough after such a disappointing season. Losing Díaz and Alonso — on top of trading Brandon Nimmo — is certainly tough to swallow for Mets fans because those three players were so beloved. The Mets aren’t going to stand pat.

Bradford Doolittle: The Diaz departure concerns me more than the Alonso exit simply because it’s more difficult to secure a difference-making reliever than a run-producing first baseman, and the contract Diaz signed should have been easy for New York to match or beat. When you are an elite revenue team and you don’t retain stars you want to retain, there’s a snag in the hose somewhere along the line.

Kiley McDaniel: My concern level is now elevated because the way the Mets lost these players by chasing value rather than the player and not being aggressive enough, even when they knew everything there was to know about both Alonso and Diaz. This suggests they’re going to have trouble replacing these two slots on the roster.

Editor’s Picks

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I don’t think David Stearns wants to trade for two stars by clearing out the strength of the org (upper-minors prospect depth) to get some players with a few years left that are cost controlled. It’s starting to smell like one- and two-year free agent deals might be how they plug these holes, and that might or might not work, but we can be sure Mets fans will hate this winter if that’s the outcome.

Jesse Rogers: Depends how you feel about recently signed Devin Williams as well as the possibilities for the rest of the Mets’ offseason. In other words, panic should not be setting in just yet, as there is plenty of time (and presumably money) to overcome the losses. The Mets believe that Williams can replace Diaz to a certain extent but probably aren’t done reloading on the back end.

Now they have to replace some of what Alonso brought to the table. They could do that in myriad ways, pivoting to Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker or even Cody Bellinger. Stealing Bellinger away from the Yankees one year after doing the same with Juan Soto could be a good plan for first base. Either way, they can replace the two All-Stars with two (or more) newcomers with similar talents. Williams is a decent start.

Buster Olney:Not yet, because these seem to be part of a larger series of decisions. It has been clear for two years that the Stearns-led Mets have been reluctant to give Alonso big dollars, and now he’s gone. They signed Devin Williams as a hedge against the possibility that Edwin Diaz could walk away — in fact, Williams told reporters that the only role discussed with the Mets was that of closer — and now Diaz is out the door. But whatever happens next, Stearns has to be right. In fact, of all people in baseball — player or executive — there’s more pressure on Stearns than anyone. That’s because he made the choice to move on from three fan favorites in Brandon Nimmo, Diaz and Alonso, and whatever happens the rest of the winter will be on Stearns.

Coming off their epic 2025 regular-season collapse, is it time for David Stearns to get more aggressive in free agency and trades?

Castillo: Yes. Steve Cohen has the money to bully other teams, and Stearns has built a strong farm system that could be used for substantial trades. That should give the Mets the leeway to be more aggressive because they have the resources to overcome mistakes. Signing Juan Soto to that record-setting deal last winter was an example of the Mets’ spending power. Maybe we’ll see another example this winter — whether it’s spending in free agency or in the trade market.

Doolittle:You don’t want to panic. The Mets do have young talent that deserves some runway, and you don’t want to block too many opportunities. But losing Alonso means there is a need for certainty in the middle-of-the-order/run production department. So an aggressive push for Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger would be well timed.

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Trades that would rock the offseason »

McDaniel: Yes. The Mets have two really notable things they can flex with: tons of money and a strong group of young players in the big leagues and upper minors. When you have (understandably) impatient fans and a 2025 collapse to consider, you mustwin in 2026. Responding by taking half-measures, keeping all the young players and trying not to block them, then also not being aggressive in nine-figure free agency, is operating like the Brewers. You don’t have to do that, and you shouldn’t be doing that with the Mets’ resources.

Rogers:No. Aggressive is the wrong word. Smarter might fit better. He needs a well-rounded team with the right mix in the clubhouse. That doesn’t necessarily mean overspending or doing what looks popular on paper or to the fan base — though Stearns acknowledged how fans feel about players is part of the calculus, just not the most important part. The two players the Mets lost were part of the collapse last season, so a change in the room might not be a bad thing. The last time the Mets were that aggressive, they ended up with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. How’d that work out?

Olney: Given the lack of depth in the free agent class, it’s hard to imagine him relying on only that route to improve the team. If he signs Cody Bellinger, that doesn’t fix his problems; if he trades for Mackenzie Gore, he’ll need more. He’ll have to get aggressive on both fronts and make uncomfortable deals — like signing Ranger Suarez, who seems like a great fit for the New York market given his experience in Philadelphia.

What is the next move you would make from here to turn the Mets’ winter around?

Castillo:Two moves come to mind: Signing Bellinger and acquiring an elite starting pitcher. Bellinger’s defensive versatility — he can play all three outfield spots and first base — is perfect for the Mets considering they traded their left fielder, watched their first baseman leave in free agency, could use an upgrade in center, and have a right fielder who was well below average defensively last season. Adding a front-line starter — whether in free agency or via the trade market — has been a pressing need all along.

Doolittle:Sign Tucker. Easy-peasy.

Top 50 MLB free agents

How much will the biggest stars get paid this winter? Kiley McDaniel breaks down the 2025-26 free agent class. Rankings, contract projections »

McDaniel:I think Bregman is the best bet among the nine-figure hitters, but the Mets’ infield is pretty full right now while the outfield is begging for impact beyond Juan Soto. You can package together a few of the higher-end prospects in the system and trade for Jarren Duran or bite the bullet and pay Bellinger as a free agent, but I think the next move needs to be in the outfield. Duran, 29, comes with three years of control, so I think Stearns would greatly prefer that option if he can agree to a reasonable prospect haul with Boston.

Rogers:Sign Bregman. Put a winner in the clubhouse who can hit some home runs to make up for the loss of Alonso. Instantly, the vibe in the room will change and perhaps their fortunes on the field will as well. It worked in Boston, and he didn’t even play a full season due to injury.

Olney: I think he needs to load up and make a deal for Tarik Skubal. The Mets are better suited than any other team to get this done, because they have an abundance of resources in prospects. Tell the Tigers: We won’t discuss Nolan McLean, but everyone else is up for discussion in some package. Trade for Skubal, sign Suarez, and all of a sudden the run prevention plan will look very different.

How good is Baltimore’s lineup with Pete Alonso at the center of it?

Castillo: You could easily argue it’s the best lineup in the American League. Gunnar Henderson and Alonso alone give the Orioles one of the top one-two punches in baseball. But they’re deep, too, with a mix of young and veteran talent with Taylor Ward, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, Samuel Basallo, Ryan Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill on the roster. And that doesn’t include Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr. — highly regarded young position players who the Orioles could move to address the starting rotation.

Doolittle:Better. But let’s not get carried away. A middling-OBP/ high-slugging first baseman is an upgrade for sure given how little production the Orioles got from the position last season. But a player like that has the most utility in a lineup with a strong overall on-base profile. The Orioles have some work to do in that regard. Get the team OBP projection into the top 10 and then the Orioles will be getting somewhere.

McDaniel:I think the Dodgers still have the best lineup in the sport, but the Orioles are now second best in my book. They also have some upward mobility with rookies Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo in the lineup and Ryan Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill in platoon roles, giving them both a high floor and a chance to get to a higher ceiling if everything click for the young hitters.

Rogers:It’s among the best in baseball, but that assumes bounce-back seasons for several players including Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. A full year of Samuel Basallo combined with Alonso and peak versions of Henderson/Rutschman sounds very dangerous. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Orioles could be both star-laden and deep, but they need some rebound years to make it happen.

Olney: On a macro level, this signing seems weird. The Orioles tanked four seasons and picked so many position players at the top of the draft, and now, when they finally make a big expenditure at a time when their organizational pitching is thin, they spend $155 million on a first baseman/DH? Weird. But Baltimore will be entertaining with this lineup, assuming that its young players bounce back from rough 2025 seasons. If this group hits, it should be a fun lineup to watch. At some point, however, the Orioles do need to figure out how to develop pitching, which must be the lifeblood of a small spender in the AL East.

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Over the previous three offseasons, the free-agent market has revolved around three unmistakable titans of the sport. Aaron Judge in 2022. Shohei Ohtani in 2023. Juan Soto in 2024.

Kyle Tucker doesnâ€t carry the same towering aura. At the same time, youâ€d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesnâ€t view the 28-year-old outfielder as the No. 1 free agent in this yearâ€s class or consider him a shoo-in to land one of the largest deals in baseball history.

Tuckerâ€s game doesnâ€t announce itself with thunder or spectacle. He isnâ€t the type to wow you with a single, signature tool. But what he does provide is a rare level of all-around proficiency, even with his defense slipping since he won a Gold Glove in 2022.

Itâ€s why heâ€s earned All-Star selections in each of the past four years and ranks 10th among position players in WAR (per FanGraphs) since the beginning of 2021. The nine players ahead of him are perennial All-Stars and MVP candidates, not to mention some of the highest-paid players in baseball. (Seven of them have signed contracts worth more than $275 million in guaranteed money.)

Most fWAR among position players, since 2021

1. Aaron Judge: 42.8
2. Shohei Ohtani: 31.6 (additional 12.8 fWAR as a pitcher)
3. Juan Soto: 30.7
4-T. Francisco Lindor: 29.8
4-T. José Ramírez: 29.8
6. Trea Turner: 28.2
7. Freddie Freeman: 27.0
8. Bobby Witt Jr.: 26.7
9. Mookie Betts: 25.2
10. Kyle Tucker: 23.4

Tucker doesnâ€t possess elite raw power like Judge or fellow free agent Kyle Schwarber. From 2021-25, he ranked 55th in barrel rate (11.0%) and 78th in hard-hit rate (44.2%) among the 231 hitters with at least 1,000 batted balls. His average bat speed (72.0 mph) since bat tracking began during the 2023 campaign is exactly average.

He isnâ€t particularly speedy with his legs, either. He ranked in the 34th percentile or lower in Sprint Speed in each of the past four years, averaging 26.5 ft/sec in 2025.

But despite all of that, heâ€s still one of the best power-speed combo players in the game.

Tucker has produced 134 home runs and 105 stolen bases over the past five years, recording three 20-20 campaigns and coming close to a 30-30 season in 2023. He was one of 10 players to go 100-100 in that timeframe.

When it comes to his bat-to-ball skills, Tucker rates well but isnâ€t exactly Luis Arraez or Steven Kwan. He posted the 34th-lowest strikeout rate (15.0%) from 2021-25 (minimum 1,000 PAs) and had a 20.2% whiff rate this past season — good, but not elite.

Again, though, he looks more impressive when you consider the whole rather than looking at each skill on an individual basis.

The vast majority of contact-oriented hitters donâ€t slug like Tucker, whose isolated power was .237 in the aforementioned span.

Over the past five years, the median ISO was just .119 among the 34 hitters who had at least 1,000 plate appearances and a strikeout rate of 15% or lower. Including Tucker, only four also had an ISO of .200 or higher.

Itâ€s fitting that the closest the unassuming Tucker gets to the elite ranks is easily the least glamorous trait weâ€re discussing today: his superb batting eye.

In 2025, he ranked in the 98th percentile in chase rate (17.6%) and the 96th percentile in walk rate (14.6%).

Hitters who draw plenty of walks often strike out frequently as well — itâ€s a natural consequence of being selective and working deep counts. But not Tucker. It’s just another way he is a rarity in todayâ€s game.

Of the 27 hitters with 1,000 PAs and a walk rate of 12% or higher from 2021-25, Tucker had the lowest K-rate in the group. Just three others even had a K-rate below 20%.

To quickly recap, Tucker checked off all of these boxes from 2021-25:

Of course, free agency is also about projecting forward, which brings us to the last major factor driving Tucker’s free-agent value.

We’ve already covered Tucker’s impressive résumé, which also includes an .878 OPS and 145 OPS+ since the beginning of 2021. While sustaining that level of production would undoubtedly make him a major asset for his next team, it’s fair to wonder if Tucker has even more to offer.

The 2024 campaign was shaping up to be a career year for Tucker, but he fouled a ball off his right shin in early June and missed over three months with a small fracture after initially being diagnosed with a contusion. He finished the year with a personal-best .993 OPS and 179 OPS+ in 78 games for the Astros, recording 23 homers, 11 steals and 4.2 fWAR along the way.

Extrapolate that pace over 150 games and it comes out to 44 home runs, 21 steals and 8.1 fWAR to go with that .993 OPS. Those are superstar numbers.

It was a similar story in 2025. While he didnâ€t miss as much time, injuries took their toll in the second half and put a damper on his production after he recorded 17 homers, 20 stolen bases, a .931 OPS and 3.8 fWAR over 83 games through the end of June.

Playing home games at Wrigley Field didnâ€t help, either. Traded to the Cubs last December, Tucker had seven homers and a .747 OPS in Chicago, compared to 15 dingers and a .923 OPS on the road. The stark home/road splits gives teams reason to believe Tucker could boost his production in a new setting, much like Cody Bellinger did after being traded from the Cubs to the Yankees last winter.

Tucker also has youth on his side. Heâ€ll turn 29 in January.

So there you have it. Four ingredients, each a key part of the recipe that makes Tucker the king of this free-agent crop.

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Kyle Tucker Rumors And Free Agency News 2025-2026

\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” 10: Dodgers, Blue Jays, Yanks viewed as likely Tucker landing spots; Orioles a team to watch?** \nWith the GM Meetings beginning Monday in Las Vegas, the Hot Stove should start to heat up this week. Even if we don’t see a bevy of free-agent signings, there will likely be plenty of rumors and information to glean from regarding some of the best players in this year’s class.\n\nTucker is at the head of that class, and many clubs will make their best pitch to the 28-year-old outfielder. Who are the favorites? General managers mentioned three teams to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale: the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Yankees. However, multiple team executives also told The Athletic (subscription required) that one under-the-radar team to keep an eye on for Tucker is the Orioles.\n\nA separate league source told The Athletic that the O’s are \”open to pursuing a premium bat, both in terms of price and production.\”\n\nThe Dodgers could easily slot Tucker into right field and slide Teoscar Hernández over to left, a position where they lacked a serious offensive threat this season. Toronto has fallen short in the bidding for some recent headline free agents (Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Juan Soto). But it may not be denied this time after coming up just one win shy of a World Series title. The Yankees, meanwhile, have an outfield spot to fill with Cody Bellinger currently in free agency.\n\nOffense doesn’t seem like Baltimore’s biggest need this offseason; it should be more focused on adding a top-of-the-rotation starter as well as more pitching depth to improve a staff that had a 4.60 ERA this season. However, in the wake of a last-place finish in the AL East, the Orioles may be motivated to land the best free agent available. 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December 5th, 2025

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MLB.com is keeping track of the latest news and rumors surrounding Bo Bichette.

Dec. 5: Will Sox end up with Bichette instead of Bregman?
The Bichette-to-Boston chatter isn’t losing any steam.

While Bichette, a shortstop (for now), and Bregman, a third baseman, don’t play the same position, they’re both two of the top right-handed-hitting infielders available this winter. The Red Sox could move Bichette to second base if they signed him, per The Athletic’s report, since they already have a shortstop for 2026 in Trevor Story.

The report notes that bringing back Bregman is still a priority for Boston, but Bichette would also fit the bill as a middle-of-the-order bat.

Dec. 3: Will Blue Jays turn focus to Bichette after adding Cease, Ponce?
The Blue Jays have been active this offseason, addressing their rotation with the additions of Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million) and Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million), but those moves may be just the start for the defending AL champs.

According to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Toronto’s spending in the pitching market hasn’t taken it out of the mix for Bichette, its longtime shortstop. The Blue Jays also have their eyes on outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Nov. 11: Multiple teams eyeing Bichette as second baseman or third baseman
Prior to the 2025 World Series, Bo Bichette had never played a position other than shortstop in the Majors. But with a knee injury continuing to limit his mobility after forcing him to miss the first two rounds of Torontoâ€s playoff run, he spent the Fall Classic playing second base.

Might that have been a glimpse of the future for the 28-year-old free agent? Perhaps. According to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi, multiple teams that already have an established shortstop on the roster are showing interest in Bichette as either a second baseman or third baseman.

The Dodgers (Mookie Betts), Mets (Francisco Lindor), Phillies (Trea Turner) and Giants (Willy Adames) are among the teams that have a star shortstop but could look to add Bichette at a different infield position.

Changing positions could also benefit Bichette, who has a strong bat but is coming off a season in which he posted -13 Outs Above Average, tied for the worst among shortstops.

Nov. 2: After bounceback season, what will Bichetteâ€s market look like?
Bichetteâ€s free agency is underway and comes with plenty of intrigue. After leading the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022, and after he compiled a 124 OPS+ from ‘21-23, Bichette limped through a 2024 season that included three stints on the injured list and the worst numbers of his career.

He slashed a paltry .225/.277/.322 with just four home runs across 81 games that year. He was also sidelined by a right calf strain (twice) and a right middle finger fracture.

However, Bichette regained his previous form in his walk year, recording a .311 average — tied for second best in MLB — 18 home runs and a 129 OPS+ over 139 games. His regular season was cut short by a sprained left knee in September, but he battled through the injury in the World Series, blasting a clutch three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 and hitting .348 overall.

Those recent injuries have sapped some of Bichetteâ€s athleticism; he now has a below-average sprint speed (26.2 feet per second) and stole only four bases this year after nabbing 25 bags in 2021. He also doesnâ€t grade out well at shortstop, where his minus-13 outs above average was the worst at the position and tied for the second worst by a player at any position.

Yet after his stellar season at the plate and given the lack of high-quality middle infielders available this winter, Bichette could find himself in the middle of a fairly large bidding war.

Could he stay in Toronto with good friend Vladimir Guerrero Jr? According to MLB.comâ€s Keegan Matheson, “If Bichette wants Toronto, Toronto will want him.†The Yankees and Dodgers could get involved, but MLB.comâ€s Mark Feinsand thinks the biggest threat to Bichette leaving the Blue Jays will come from the Tigers.

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• Buster Olney

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  Buster Olney

  ESPN Senior Writer

  • Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com
  • Analyst/reporter ESPN television
  • Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”

Dec 5, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

MLB’s winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Florida, signaling the time when baseball’s offseason activity is likely to take off.

What’s the latest on free agent hitters, including coveted sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Kyle Tucker? Will Framber Valdez find a new home now that fellow top free agent pitcher Dylan Cease is off the board? What’s the latest on a trade market featuring stars such as Ketel Marte and Steven Kwan? And which teams could surprise the sport by making a big splash in Florida?

Here is the latest intel Buster Olney and Jeff Passan are hearing on the players, teams and themes that will rule this year’s meetings.

Last year’s winter meetings were all about Juan Soto — is there one free agent or theme on everyone’s mind going into the meetings this year?

Olney:Some agents and execs are saying the money for free agents is generally locked down. There are outliers, of course — the Toronto Blue Jays are doing their thing, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, A’s and Miami Marlins are all angling for a We Are Trying posture.

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The very elite guys, such as Kyle Schwarber, will get their money. But there are early indications that a lot of the teams that are traditionally aggressive might be more conservative this winter, perhaps because of the looming labor situation — and that could lead to more trades, rather than investments in free agents, as teams look to plug holes.

Passan:When does the Kyle Schwarber dam break? Several teams’ fortunes — from Philadelphia to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh to Boston to Baltimore to the New York Mets — depend on where Schwarber goes. The belief among teams is that it will take five years to secure the 32-year-old, and once that happens — perhaps sometime during the meetings — teams will start pivoting, and the action will pick up demonstrably.

Which top free agent hitter is most likely to sign during the winter meetings?

Olney:In recent winters, the Blue Jays wanted to spend big and couldn’t entice Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto to take their money. Now, some free agents could need Toronto, if some of the big-money teams pass on pricey moves. Kyle Tucker has been projected as a $400 million-plus player, but it might behoove him to move quickly if he gets an early, aggressive bid from the Jays (or some other team).

This is not a winter in which you want to be waiting for the big offers to materialize, as they did for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in past offseasons.

Ranking top MLB offseason trade candidates

From All-Star outfielders to elite aces, here are the big names your team could be targeting this winter.
Top 25 trade candidates »

Trades that would rock the offseason »

Passan:Schwarber is the best bet. Tucker isn’t close to done yet. Cody Bellinger has a healthy market but is biding his time. Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette are world-class infielders with ample, moneyed suitors. Pete Alonso’s signing could go down after Schwarber.

What’s clear is that there’s a group of teams that will spend on a big bat (Phillies, Red Sox, Blue Jays), a number surveying multiple options (Yankees, Mets, Cubs) and a handful that would do so opportunistically (Orioles, Tigers, Reds, Pirates). Others could emerge depending on how the market plays out and what trade possibilities emerge.

Which other hitters could move quickly at the meetings?

Olney:Cedric Mullins’ choice to sign for a one-year, $7 million, with the Tampa Bay Rays could be a warning sign for this free agent class. Mullins was not a perfect free agent by any measure, after his struggles with the Mets, but the rapidity with which he agreed to a deal could reflect the general feeling that this market could play out like a game of musical chairs — if you’ve got offers in hand, it’d be best to move fast and grab a spot (and money). Jorge Polanco could be among those who sign sooner rather than later — he’s coveted by the Mariners and some other teams. Harrison Bader set himself up well with a strong performance in Philadelphia.

Passan:If Schwarber goes early, everyone is in play. Otherwise, the second tier of hitters includes infielder Jorge Polanco, catcher J.T. Realmuto and Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto, and teams believe there could be momentum toward deals with them. Another popular hitter: infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who could return to Atlanta — which still needs a shortstop — on a shorter-term deal or seek longer-term security elsewhere.

Now that Dylan Cease has signed, which big-name aces could move next?

Olney: It depends on your definition of ‘big-name.’ Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, future Hall of Famers, will find landing spots, but they are on the downslopes of their remarkable careers; they can wait, and there is a presumption that Scherzer could pitch for his good friend and new San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello.

Passan’s MLB offseason preview

From the big-name signings to the could-be trades, Jeff Passan breaks down the winter to come.
Passan’s offseason preview »

If you’re talking about the guys who will be getting paid the most, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are next up, and there are clearly teams with which they could fit. The Mets need an ace; the Orioles need an ace. But the perceived expectations for Valdez’s next deal are high early in this offseason, evaluators say, and any team that bids on Suarez has to get comfortable with investing in a guy who doesn’t throw hard — which is not common in this era.

Passan:Teams in the mix for Suarez believe he’s the next big-time starter off the board. Though the 30-year-old won’t fetch a Dylan Cease-level deal, he long has been a target for Houston, which balks at deals beyond six years, and Baltimore, which is seeking a top-end rotation piece. Right-hander Michael King has widespread interest because of his frontline potential with a willingness to sign for a shorter term than the top starters. Also worth watching: right-hander Merrill Kelly, who at 37 is in line for a multiyear deal. Arguably the best starter in the class, Valdez is often among the league leaders in innings with a playoff résumé, and his market will unfold alongside the best hitters’.

Will we see a run of reliever signings following Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley getting deals?

Olney: Not necessarily, because there are so many relievers available — more than 100 unsigned free agents. Pete Fairbanks could be among the next to sign, and the 35-year-old Robert Suarez. Edwin Diaz’s free agency is fascinating because he’s the best available pitcher in an offseason in which there are few teams seemingly prepared to invest a nine-figure contract on a short reliever. He has been linked to the Mets, of course, and the Blue Jays, but each of those teams has been filling other holes, so far.

Breaking News from Jeff Passan

Download the ESPN app and enable Jeff Passan’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.

Passan:The run on relievers is slowing slightly, though Fairbanks and Kyle Finnegan are the closers who could be had sooner than later. Tyler Rogers is primed to get a three-year deal, as is Brad Keller, who could transition to be a starter. Luke Weaver will get multiple years. The left-handed market is thin and led by Steven Matz, Caleb Ferguson, Taylor Rogers, Gregory Soto and Sean Newcomb. Diaz and Robert Suarez are the two best relievers left, and they are likely to wait for the larger market to shake out.

Which players will be mentioned most in winter meetings trade discussions?

Olney: It makes sense for teams that have trade candidates under team control into 2027 to weigh offers now because they might struggle to get proper value for those players next July, given the labor uncertainty after the season. That means players such as Mackenzie Gore of the Nationals — and Paul Toboni, Washington’s president of baseball operations, said in a “Baseball Tonight” podcast interview Wednesday that he has talked with Gore about hearing his name in trade rumors — and Kwan of the Guardians.

Interestingly, other teams report that the Twins haven’t been pushing Joe Ryan in trade discussions. Maybe that’s because they don’t have to, or, in the opinion of some evaluators, Minnesota could prefer to keep Ryan. The Diamondbacks told interested teams in July that they wouldn’t trade Marte, but their posture now is very different; they have to improve their rotation, and the quickest way to do that would be to swap Marte.

Passan:Multiple executives see a flurry of potential trades, headlined by Marte, Arizona’s All-Star second baseman. The Diamondbacks aren’t clamoring to move him. They also know that with five very affordable years under contract, Marte is among the most valuable players in baseball, thanks to his combination of productivity and cost. Another second baseman teams are considering: Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe.

Miami is almost certain to move a starting pitcher this winter, and Edward Cabrera has generated the most interest. Boston has been discussing its outfield surplus with multiple teams. Pittsburgh wants to trade a starter for a hitter. The Brendan Donovan market remains conflagrant, as St. Louis considers whether its rebuild will include him or the hefty return he would fetch.

Which is one surprise team to watch at the winter meetings?

Olney:We aren’t accustomed to seeing the Pirates, Marlins or A’s among the most aggressive teams, but they seem to be like college freshmen holding credit cards for the first time — some agents think they’ll add something in the range of $25 million to $30 million in payroll, either in salaries acquired through trades or in free agency.

Passan:After getting Helsley in free agency and Taylor Ward in a trade, the Orioles are looking to land a big player — and though the priority is pitching, they’re not against targeting a hitter, either. The Los Angeles Angels, whose last major free agent signing for more than $65 million was Anthony Rendon in December 2019, are still looking to bolster their rotation after trading for Grayson Rodriguez and signing Alek Manoah.

What else are you hearing that will shape the winter meetings?

Olney:The juiciest rumor I heard this week was the notion that the Mets could push the Phillies for Schwarber, and there are a lot of reasons this could make sense. Beyond Schwarber’s power and on-base capability — can you imagine pitchers working to get through Schwarber and Soto in the same inning? — he is known as someone who works to pull players together. And hell, even if the Mets don’t believe they can beat the Phillies in the bidding for the slugger, they could push Philadelphia’s cost by being involved, as the Braves did with Aaron Nola two winters ago.

There’s a lot of talk among teams about Murakami, the free agent corner infielder who is making his way from Japan — and skepticism, in some front offices, about how his skill set will play in the big leagues, given his big swing-and-miss profile and the perception that his defense could be a problem. But all he needs in this bidding is for one team (or more) to fall in love with his big-time power.

Passan:If Schwarber signs and unclogs the market, expect others to fall — either toward the end of the meetings or in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai could wind up with a big-market team on the East Coast, and the New York Yankees — with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected to miss the start of the season — New York Mets and Philadelphia are reasonable landing spots. All three have interest in Bellinger, too. Another Japanese star, Munetaka Murakami, is more likely to sign in the period between the meetings and holidays. With the paucity of center fielders in free agency and on the trade market, Bader has a healthy market.

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The 2-pitch combo that makes Edwin Díaz the top free agent reliever

\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” a lot of those closers, one of their two pitches does the heavy listing. Take Devin Williams, for example, who just signed with the Mets. Essentially every pitch Williams throws is a fastball or changeup. But his \”airbender\” changeup has been by far his most dominant pitch over the course of his career.\n\nThat was Díaz for a while, too.\n\nWhen he turned things around with the Mets after his rocky first season in New York, it was because of his slider. Díaz has a 100 mph fastball, but his slider was by far his best pitch by the numbers. From 2020-22, when Díaz had a 2.27 ERA and 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings for the Mets, his slider was generating way, way more value than his four-seamer.\n\nBut over the last two seasons, since Díaz returned from the torn patellar tendon that cost him all of 2023, the scales have shifted.\n\nHe is still an elite closer — Díaz has a 2.48 ERA and 13.7 K/9 since 2024. His slider is still a devastating wipeout pitch. But his fastball has stepped up to meet the slider.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2025-05-17T20:08:17.652Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:” Díaz rings up Aaron Judge on a fastball for the final out of the game as the Mets defeat the Yankees, 3-2″,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:00:27″,”slug”:”aaron-judge-strikes-out-swinging-bgaysg”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”season-2025″,”title”:”Season 2025″,”type”:”season”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-621242″,”title”:”Edwin Diaz”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:621242″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-121″,”title”:”New York Mets”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:121″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”pitching”,”title”:”pitching”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”highlight”,”title”:”highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”in-game-highlight”,”title”:”in-game highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”game-action-tracking”,”title”:”game action tracking”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”game-story-highlight”,”title”:”Game story highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”wow”,”title”:”wow”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”eclat-feed”,”title”:”Eclat feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”international-feed”,”title”:”International Partner feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”fan-duel”,”title”:”Fan Duel”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”star-of-the-game”,”title”:”Player of the Game”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:” Díaz earns the save”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/aaron-judge-strikes-out-swinging-bgaysg”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Statcast has a \”run value\” stat for pitchers, which looks at the result of every pitch thrown — ball, strike, single, home run, strikeout, walk, and so on and so on — and measures its impact on run prevention. A positive run value means more runs prevented for the pitcher; a negative run value means runs cost to his team.\n\nDíaz’s pitching value used to come overwhelmingly from his slider. But now? Díaz’s heater and his slider are now *equally* valuable.\n\n**Díaz from 2020-22**\n\n* **Slider:** +36 run value\n* **Fastball:** 0 run value\n\n**Díaz from 2024-25**\n\n* **Slider:** +12 run value\n* **Fastball:** +12 run value\n\nThat’s a big swing. And it’s not just that both pitches are equals now — both are also still top-tier pitches. Díaz ranks right around the top 10 among MLB relievers in both the run value generated by his fastball and by his slider since 2024.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2024-10-19T00:47:17.539Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:” measures the pitch velocity and horizontal break of the pitches from Edwin Díaz’s strikeout of Shohei Ohtani in Game 5 of the NLCS”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:00:40″,”slug”:”diaz-strikes-out-ohtani-on-99-2-mph-fastball”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-121″,”title”:”New York Mets”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:121″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-621242″,”title”:”Edwin Diaz”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:621242″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”player-tracking”,”title”:”Statcast”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”game-action-tracking”,”title”:”game action tracking”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”alexa”,”title”:”alexa”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”imagen-feed”,”title”:”Imagen feed”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”postseason”,”title”:”postseason”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:” strikes out Ohtani on 99.2 mph fastball”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/diaz-strikes-out-ohtani-on-99-2-mph-fastball”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Two powerful pitches are better than one. Díaz’s fastball and slider were both always elite from a \”stuff\” standpoint — his upper-90s heater has always been explosive, and his upper-90s slider has always been a wipeout pitch — but he hasn’t always gotten elite results from both of them until recently.\n\nSo what’s been the difference lately? Díaz’s slider is still a better swing-and-miss and strikeout pitch, but his fastball has pulled closer. He’s also significantly suppressed the damage hitters have been able to do against the fastball and has been holding opponents to a sub-.200 batting average against both pitch types.\n\n**Díaz from 2020-22:**\n\n* **Slider:** .132 BA / .155 SLG allowed, 53% whiff rate, 51% strikeout rate, 165 K’s\n* **Fastball:** .241 BA / .388 SLG allowed, 34% whiff rate, 34% strikeout rate, 92 K’s\n\n**Díaz from 2024-25:**\n\n* **Slider:** .182 BA / .304 SLG allowed, 42% whiff rate, 39% strikeout rate, 104 K’s\n* **Fastball:** .160 BA / .249 SLG allowed, 38% whiff rate, 38% strikeout rate, 78 K’s\n\nThe slider numbers for 2024-25 might not be as ludicrous as they were from 2020-22, but they’re still really, really good. And so are the fastball numbers.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

Edwin Díaz, K’ing the Side. 🎺🎺🎺 pic.twitter.com/WdTnyRN0M4

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2025

\n\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” encouraging to see how Díaz has found such a lethal balance between his fastball and slider, because his fastball numbers have improved even as he’s lost a little bit of velocity coming back from his injury.\n\nDíaz averaged 98.6 mph on his four-seamer from 2020-22, and has averaged 97.3 mph since 2024. Obviously, that’s still high-end velocity. But lower velo carries the risk of more damage allowed, even in the upper 90s, and Díaz has found a way to avert that.\n\nHow? Part of it is, he’s getting his fastball to more effective locations. From 2020-22, Díaz elevated his fastball — threw it in the upper third of the strike zone or higher — just over 50% of the time. Since 2024, he’s elevated his fastball 60% of the time. It’s easier to rip a heater by a hitter at the top of the zone.\n\nA big part of it is also Díaz’s more even pitch mix.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Image”,”caption”:null,”contextualCaption”:null,”contextualAspectRatio”:null,”credit”:null,”contentType”:null,”format”:”png”,”templateUrl”:” his most dominant seasons with the Mariners and first few years with the Mets, Díaz leaned on his fastball more heavily before putting hitters away with his slider.\n\nSeeing the completely dominant results he was getting from that slider, Díaz flipped the script in 2022, and just started firing slider after slider. No one could hit it. That was the season Díaz had a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings for the Mets.\n\nBut then he got hurt. And when he came back, Díaz adjusted his pitching style.\n\nFor the last two seasons, Díaz has been close to a 50-50 split between his four-seamer and slider, against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Image”,”caption”:null,”contextualCaption”:null,”contextualAspectRatio”:null,”credit”:null,”contentType”:null,”format”:”jpg”,”templateUrl”:” even with a little less heat on the fastball, and a little less swing-and-miss on the slider, the unpredictability between the two — particularly when Díaz gets ahead in the count, and in putaway situations — has let him keep overpowering hitters with both offerings.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Image”,”caption”:null,”contextualCaption”:null,”contextualAspectRatio”:”1:1″,”credit”:null,”contentType”:null,”format”:”png”,”templateUrl”:” balance, and success, he’s achieved with both pitches is not something every reliever can pull off. Díaz is one of six relievers whose four-seamer and slider have both been worth at least +10 runs prevented over the last two seasons.\n\n**RP with +10 run value on both 4-seamers and sliders, 2024-25**\n\n* Edwin Díaz (+12 on 4-seamers, +12 on sliders)\n* Mason Miller (+12 on 4-seamers, +23 on sliders)\n* Jason Adam (+11 on 4-seamers, +10 on sliders)\n* Carlos Estévez (+14 on 4-seamers, +11 on sliders)\n* Alex Vesia (+16 on 4-seamers, +10 on sliders)\n* Dennis Santana (+11 on 4-seamers, +11 on sliders)\n\nDíaz isn’t your typical two-pitch closer, he’s a two-elite-pitch closer. His fastball is electric, his slider is electric, and the combination of the two of them is electric. That’s why he’s *the* closer to get in free agency this winter.”,”type”:”text”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/edwin-diaz-fastball-slider-combo-top-free-agent-reliever”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”Edwin Díaz, the best reliever on the free-agent market, is a two-pitch pitcher. Fastball, slider, that’s it.\nAnd there’s nothing out of the ordinary there. Elite closers relying on two pitches is par for the course. But what’s interesting for Díaz entering 2026 is how his balance of his two”,”tagline({\”formatString\”:\”none\”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”david-adler”,”title”:”David Adler”,”type”:”contributor”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-621242″,”title”:”Edwin Diaz”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:621242″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”rumors”,”title”:”rumors”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”savant”,”title”:”savant”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”type”:”story”,”thumbnail”:” 2-pitch combo that makes Edwin Díaz the top free agent 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  Kiley McDanielDec 4, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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  • ESPN MLB Insider
  • Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
  • Has worked for three MLB teams.

  Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’

Now that we’ve projected contracts for the top 50 free agents in this winter’s class, let’s take a look at which players could provide the most — and least — bang for their expected buck.

Over the past two years, I’ve done pretty well — investing in Sonny Gray, Shane Bieber and Shota Imanaga as free agents while avoiding the end of Justin Turner’s career and megadeals for players the market also avoided going long-term with that offseason, like Blake Snell, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger. And now I’m back again to try to hit the bull’s-eye a few more times.

The projected contracts in my rankings provide important context for this exercise, as my choices are based on return on investment — how I expect the players to perform over the length of their deals at their projected prices.

The rules for this edition are the same I set out for myself last winter: Each group of three players must have one player projected to land more than $50 million, one projected for a one-year deal and at least one pitcher and one position player.

Here are my three free agents to invest in and three to avoid for the 2025-26 MLB offseason.

Free agents to invest in

Michael King, RHP

Projected contract: 3 years, $57 million

King looked to be in line for one of the biggest deals in this free agent pitching class entering 2025, coming off of a breakout 2024 where he threw 173.2 innings with a 2.95 ERA and peripherals not that much behind, with predictive ERA figures in the low-to-mid 3s, good for 3.9 WAR.

His 2025 season was somewhat lost though, as shoulder and knee issues cost him half the season, his strikeout rate dipped from 28% to 25% and he gave up more damage on contact. You could read that platform season as a setup for a make-good one-year deal with incentives, but there are enough unique qualities to King that I think he’ll land a multi-year deal.

Michael King, 93mph Sinker and 83mph Sweeper, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/8peVFu9zVU

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 30, 2025

That’s a good visual representation of what King does well: Wiffleball-level raw stuff. When he got hit around more in 2025, it was concentrated mostly in his four-seam fastball and sweeper. What changed? His zone rate on his heater dropped from 54% to 48%, and on his sweeper it dropped from 44% to 38%. The runs saved on those two pitches combined was +2 on over 1200 pitches in 2024 and -13 on 528 pitches in 2025. The rest of his arsenal played basically the same and all had steady to rising zone rates last season.

An eight-figure decision isn’t as simple as “he should just throw more strikes,” but King looked like a nine-figure free agent before some injuries that now seem behind him, stuff that was the same throughout it, and some location tweaks. That seems like a nice gamble in a world where a No. 3/No. 4 starter goes for $15-20 million per year.

Ha-Seong Kim, SS

Projected contract: 1 year, $16 million

The sales pitch for this former Padre isn’t that different from King. Kim was really good — from 2022 to 2024, he posted a combined 10.5 WAR, which is more than what Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. posted in that period, despite` more plate appearances than Kim.

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Then Kim tore the labrum in his shoulder in August 2024, which led to offseason surgery that caused him to miss roughly half of the 2025 season. Kim also had lower back and hamstring issues last season, while his sprint speed and arm strength were objectively not the same. The Braves claimed him off of waivers in September from the Rays, who paid him roughly $11 million for 24 games and 0.1 WAR. Kim turned down a $16 million player option earlier this offseason to hit the open market, and I’m guessing that’s roughly what he’ll end up with, though maybe with more incentives and maybe an option.

There isn’t a ton to look at in 2025 to give hope, but you can also look at Kim’s 2025 season as he wasn’t fully back and may have rushed a bit, then caused other injuries by overcompensating. I don’t have access to his medicals, but if my medical team clears him, it would appear 2026 is the season to bet on him looking something like his old self, the first full season after a major surgery. His track record of being a 3-win player that is solid average in all aspects is enough for me to gamble here, even though the downside is the 30-year-old is actually closer to his 2025 self going forward.

Brad Keller, RHP

Projected Contract: 2 years, $22 million

Every November, media reports start to trickle out about which free agent relievers teams are considering converting into starters. Reynaldo Lopez, Jordan Hicks, and Clay Holmes are some recent examples, and Keller actually has some similarities to Holmes. That’s one reason Keller’s contract could end up with similar terms to Holmes’ three-year, $38 million deal from last winter.

Keller found some success as a big league starter for Kansas City from 2018 to 2022, then had a bout with thoracic outlet syndrome, leading to up-and-down performances for the Royals, White Sox and Red Sox in various roles in 2023 and 2024, before his breakout role as a setup man for the Cubs in 2025.

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One big reason for that change is Keller’s velocity jumped by about 3.5 mph in 2025, helped a bit by the shorter stints, as well. With that added bump, Keller threw his heater in the zone a lot more, jumping his zone rate from 53% to 60%. His lively sinker, slider, sweeper, and changeup are all located to tunnel off of that center-cut 95-99 mph heater. The cutter shape of his fastball is a favorite for pitch design-focused teams due to this movement inclination giving a chance for a seam-shifted sinker, kick changeup and multiple standout breaking pitches. I wrote more about this supinator type of arm in reference to Max Fried and Corbin Burnes here.

You can see why teams look at this situation and think that stretching Keller out to longer outings like he has in the past, giving back some velocity and whiffs, and getting a 150-inning starter with No. 3/No. 4 starter upside is worth a gamble, with a late-inning reliever as the fallback option. If a couple teams really believe he could find success in either role, the bidding could jump to three years at an eight-figure AAV.

I also seriously considered Kazuma Okamoto (more here) and Kyle Finnegan (more here), but the parameters of the exercise pushed me to Kim (due to his projected one-year deal) and Keller (the upside of a potential starter).

Free agents to avoid

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Projected Contract: 2 years, $45 million

I’m going to cheat a bit here and use Suarez as my $50 million-plus contract since I don’t see a clear big-money guy to bet against, particularly because I picked Pete Alonso last year and he had a nice bounceback year on a prove-it deal, and Kyle Schwarber, an even older DH-only hitter, was even better. I think they’ll both be good for a few more years, then fall off, but that’s true of every giant hitter deal for a player in their 30s. I could even stretch and make a case for Kyle Tucker on those same grounds if he gets a 10-year-plus deal.

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On to Suarez: There are a lot of blinking red lights here. He’s 34 years old, and his defensive metrics at third base have gone from +8 to +3 to -3 in the past three seasons. He has played six regular-season innings at first base in his big league career, so you’re either dealing with an aging, below-average defensive third baseman who you’re hoping to move somewhere else, paying big money for him to learn a new position on the fly, or you’re signing a designated hitter.

At the plate, his pitch selection and high-end exit velos are just OK, so you’re basically buying Suarez’s elite ability to slug with little else to back it up. His isolated slugging in 2025 was his best since 2019 and just a hair off of a career best, so I’d bet on that backing up to some degree, but possibly a lot if Suarez’s bat speed also dips.

Zach Eflin, SP

Projected contract: 1 year, $8.5 million

Normally, I’d look at Eflin’s dominating 2023 season (177.2 innings, 3.50 ERA, 4.9 WAR), slightly lesser 2024 (2.8 WAR) then disastrous 2025 season (-0.3 WAR) and see him as a nice bounceback option for some bulk innings. It’s hard picking someone to avoid in the low-risk one-year deal bucket, but I don’t like the indicators I’m seeing in Eflin’s data.

His four-seam fastball velocity has slipped two years in a row and his secondary pitches are getting less crisp. Eflin’s best offspeed pitch in 2023 was his curveball, saving +9 runs. Since then, the pitch has lost 1 mph and went to -7 runs in 2024, then -12 runs in 2025. His primary fastball is a sinker, and it has gone from +13 to +4 to -3 runs from 2023 to 2025. Eflin’s changeup has emerged to save the day as his only run-saving pitch (+4) in 2025.

It seems like Eflin is becoming a pitch-to-contact guy and holding his breath on roughly two-thirds of his pitches. If he can get his velo to hold and then also locate well, he could still end up being a useful backend starter in 2026, but this set of facts also can result in an unconditional release before the All-Star break.

J.T. Realmuto, C

Projected Contract: 2 years, $32 million

Marcell Ozuna, DH

Projected Contract: 2 years, $30 million

Harrison Bader, OF

Projected Contract: 2 years, $25 million

I’m going to cheat a little bit again here, because the cases to avoid all three of these players are similar but focus on slightly different parts of their games. And I also had trouble picking just one, so this is easier.

Realmuto, 34, is still a standout athlete for a catcher and an excellent controller of the running game. The rest of his game has been regressing, and at his age as a catcher, things can sometimes fall off a cliff if you have to count on multiple years of performance.

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We can sum up his offensive contributions pretty well with expected wOBA, which strips out ball in play luck and predicts his offensive production based on the exit velo, launch angle, etc.: .351 in 2022, .334 in 2023, .339 in 2024, .315 in 2025. His isolated power (slugging minus batting average, so stripping out the singles to focus on extra bases) in that same span: .202, then .200, then .163, then .127. Realmuto’s bat speed dropped 23 percentile points, to below average, in 2025: You get the idea. His framing numbers went from positive in 2022 to a combined -30 over the past three years, negative each year. I think he’s still a solid starter next year, but it’s hard to be confident after that given these trends.

Ozuna is a right-handed-hitting designated hitter who just turned 35, so he’s already generically in the danger zone when it comes to multiyear deals. He also battled a hip issue starting in roughly May of last season, and if you split his season in half on June 1, you get a stark contrast: .284/.427/.474, 155 wRC+ (55% better than league average as a hitter) in 241 PA before, .199/.306/.354, 86 wRC+ (14% worse than average) in 351 PA after. He might be fully recovered from this in 2026, but I’m not willing to bet much on something like that not happening again, or his decline (.402 xwOBA in 2024, .351 in 2025) accelerating in a fully healthy season when there’s no defensive or baserunning value to protect against it.

Bader had a huge 2025, with his WAR jumping from 1.2 in 2024 to 3.2. This was driven almost entirely by what he did at the plate, with his wOBA jumping from .285 to .346. Here’s where expected wOBA can tell a predictive story: His xwOBA was an identical .295 in both seasons. Bader’s 2.0 WAR jump was entirely created by his hitting, but his underlying performance was exactly the same in both seasons.

He’s 31 years old now and has long been considered a standout defender in center field, but those numbers also dipped last season. Bader is still a championship-level fourth outfielder who can start for certain teams, but that’s what he was last year when Minnesota signed him for one year, $6.25 million plus incentives. He shouldn’t get much more than that, but I think he will.

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