The annual baseball winter meetings are expected to begin following Monday in Orlando. Most years, the week of the winter meetings is one of the more active weeks of the offseason in terms of transactions. While some major free agents, like Dylan Cease, Devin Williams, and Josh Naylor, have come off the board, there are many still on the market for teams to sign.
MLB Free Agency Updates Before the 2026 Winter Meetings
OF/1B Cody Bellinger
The Yankees remain front-runners to reunite with Cody Bellinger, with negotiations currently focused on years, not money. Bellinger, a Boras client, will likely shop his options before committing to a team. Offering a lot of defensive versatility and lefty power, it seems that Bellinger has become one of, if not the most sought-after, free agents on the market. The Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers remain involved.
OF Kyle Tucker
Once thought to land the next mega contact, Kyle Tucker’s market has remained a mystery. While teams like him and his game, reports were that teams did not “love” him the way they do others. After a down season in 2025, Tucker is looking for a permanent home, not a short-term deal with opt-outs. That still can’t be ruled out with ESPN projecting negotiations to go into January. Tucker is a tremendous hitter and a solid defender who would make any ball club better. The concern is more about the injury history. A lot of teams on Bellinger see Tucker as a fallback option.
DH Kyle Schwarber
The market for Kyle Schwarber is one of the most complicated markets this offseason. Schwarber is one of the best hitters in baseball, but since 2021, he has played just 4 games in the field. This automatically removes teams with DH commitments. While the Phillies want to retain Schwarber, a multitude of teams are involved, including the Mets, Pirates (yes, the Pirates), and Reds. Boston has connected with Schwarber, but with reluctance to go above the luxury tax and other holes on the team, Schwarber is not their top priority.
1B Pete Alonso
This is the second consecutive offseason that Pete Alonso is on the free agent market. The career Met is looking around the league at potential destinations outside of Queens. While the Mets would like to retain Alonso, they want him back on their price and contract, one that Alonso’s camp will likely seek more than. I mentioned holes in the Red Sox, and one of them is at first base. With Tristan Casas being on the IL more than he is not, and underproductive when on the field, Alonso would fit perfectly in Boston as a right-handed first baseman who could log some DH innings. Other teams, like the Angels and Phillies, could seek Alonso’s services.
RHP Tatsuya Imai
Tatsuya Imai is the belle of the international free agent ball this winter. The right-hander should be a fit on most teams, but it seems the list of teams has dwindled from what it once was. Imai is seeking a team without other Japanese players and wants to take down the Dodgers. Imai is also seeking a nine-figure deal, which eliminates several teams off the bat. The Yankees seem to be the front-runners for Imai’s services, with the Phillies on the outside looking in as of now.
LHP Framber Valdez
Framber Valdez is the best pitcher still on the market with a proven track record in MLB. He brings a rare combination of durability, postseason experience, and frontline upside. Across his MLB career, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to anchor a rotation, logging heavy workloads while maintaining above-average run prevention and elite ground-ball rates. Valdez’s track record speaks for itself: multiple seasons with a sub-3.50 ERA, All-Star-caliber stretches, and a reputation as one of the game’s most reliable big-game arms. In a market thin on true top-of-the-rotation options, his blend of experience, left-handed dominance, and playoff pedigree makes him the premier arm still available. The Mets, Orioles, and Giants are all potential destinations for Valdez.
Main Photo Credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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