Best and Worst Landing Spots for MLB's Top 10 Free Agents of 24-25 Class

Free agency is an opportunity for teams to bolster their in-house talent with some flashy outside additions, but not every player profiles as a good fit on every team that might be interested in signing him.

Whether it's a bad match from a home ballpark standpoint, a team better served spending money elsewhere, a poor track record of performance in a certain stadium or something else entirely, there are plenty of reasons a player can be a bad fit.

On the flip side, some players and teams look like a perfect match, plugging a clear hole on the roster with an ideal mix of tools.

Ahead, we've highlighted the best and worst landing spots for each of the Top 10 free agents set to hit free agency this winter, based on B/R's list of the Top 25 upcoming free agents that was published last month.

In case you missed it: MLB Free Agency Big Board: Looking Ahead to Top 25 Available Players

Best: Los Angeles Dodgers

Assuming the Mookie Betts shortstop experiment is over and he will remain in right field going forward, the Dodgers figure to be searching for an upgrade at the position this winter, even if they exercise their club option on veteran Miguel Rojas.

Not only would Adames serve as a significant upgrade at a premium defensive position, but he could also replace Teoscar Hernández as a right-handed hitting run producer in the middle of the lineup.

The 29-year-old posted a 118 OPS+ with 33 doubles, 32 home runs and 112 RBI in 161 games for the Brewers.

Worst: Atlanta Braves

The Braves already have $197.8 million on the books for 2025 and $140 million for 2026, so they may be hesitant to add another long-term contract, especially on the position-player side of things.

If the Atlanta front office is going to spend big this winter, it will likely be to upgrade the starting rotation. Incumbent Orlando Arcia is signed for $2 million next year with a matching club option for 2026.

Best: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have a glaring need for middle-of-the-order offensive help and a clear path to playing time at first base after Ty France was cut loose over the summer and Tyler Locklear struggled in his first taste of the big leagues.

With a stacked starting rotation and quality bullpen, adding a big bat will be the top priority this winter, and Alonso could be the perfect co-star for Julio Rodríguez.

The Mariners have dove into the deep end of the free-agency pool before with the Robinson Canó and Nelson Cruz signings.

Worst: San Francisco Giants

The Giants need offensive firepower, have a relatively clear path to playing time at first base and have consistently shown a willingness to go after the biggest names on the free-agent market in recent years.

Oracle Park was the worst place in baseball for hitting home runs last season, according to Baseball Savant. So much of Alonso's value comes from his over-the-fence production, it doesn't look like a logical fit on paper.

Best: Houston Astros

Bregman has spent his entire nine-year MLB career with the Astros, starting his pro career in the organization when he was taken No. 2 overall in the 2015 draft out of LSU. He has helped the team win two World Series rings and racked up 39.6 WAR in 1,111 games.

The Astros do need to consider how they want to distribute available funds with Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez both headed for free agency after the 2025 season, but if they are still committed to winning with the current core, keeping Bregman is a must.

The 30-year-old had his third straight 4-WAR season in 2024.

Worst: New York Yankees

Can you imagine?

The bad blood between the Astros and Yankees stemming from the sign-stealing scandal could make the idea of signing Bregman a non-starter.

However, it's interesting to consider how he might be received by the fanbase, and the Yankees do have a clear need at third base.

Assuming they let Gleyber Torres walk in free agency, Jazz Chisholm Jr. can slide back to his natural position at second base, leaving a hold at third base that should not be filled by DJ LeMahieu again.

Best: Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles plugged the biggest hole on their roster when they swung a blockbuster deal to acquire Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason, and letting him walk now would again create a major void atop the starting staff.

For Burnes, Baltimore has an exciting young core and still looks like an organization on the rise even after its early exit in the AL Wild Card Series. If winning is the goal, its long-term outlook is as promising as any team in baseball.

Worst: Texas Rangers

The Rangers have not been shy about spending big on pitching, reeling in Jacob deGrom in free agency and acquiring Max Scherzer via trade at the 2023 deadline.

With Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Scherzer set to walk in free agency, the rotation will be a focal point this offseason, but they would be better served signing multiple mid-level starters to provide support to a healthy deGrom in the rotation than they would shelling out the nine-figure deal it will take to sign Burnes.

Best: Houston Astros

If Cole decides to opt out this winter, the Yankees have the opportunity to add another year valued at $36 million to his current contract to void the opt-out.

However, with Juan Soto perhaps a bigger priority, the Yankees could opt to let the 34-year-old walk away from the final four years and $144 million of his current contract.

If that happens, a reunion with the Astros could be Cole's best option.

Veteran Justin Verlander is a free agent this offseason, and Cole was fantastic in an Astros uniform in 2018 and 2019. Adding him could also serve as a contingency plan if the club is unable to come to terms on a long-term extension with Framber Valdez before he hits free agency after the 2025 season.

Worst: New York Mets

It's a small sample size, but Citi Field is one of the few ballparks where Cole has struggled in his career, allowing 19 hits and 14 earned runs in 15 career innings. That includes an ugly start earlier this year when he surrendered seven hits and six earned runs in four innings while serving up four home runs.

Jumping ship to the Mets would also taint the his legacy with the Yankees, and while that may not be a top priority, it is a factor worth considering.

The Mets will be kicking the tires on the top tier of the starting pitching market, but there are better fits for both team and player than signing Cole.

Best: Detroit Tigers

The Tigers rolled the dice on Jack Flaherty with a one-year, $14 million deal during the offseason, and he successfully rebuilt his value to the point that he was one of the biggest prizes of the trade deadline.

He went 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings over 18 starts with the Tigers before he was sent to the Dodgers at the deadline, but that doesn't rule out a potential reunion this winter.

The Tigers are a team on the rise, Flaherty had significant success with them, and there is a clear need to find another reliable option to slot alongside Tarik Skubal.

Worst: Cincinnati Reds

A 37.8 percent fly-ball rate that was the highest of any of the starting pitchers on this list should be a major red flag for the Reds given the homer-friendly nature of Great American Ball Park.

The Reds could use a veteran starter to slot alongside Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and the rest of their young starters, and they have shown a willingness to spend when the right player comes along.

However, they would be wise to steer clear of Flaherty, who has a 5.23 ERA in 20.2 career innings in their home ballpark.

Best: Los Angeles Dodgers

With Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow expected to anchor the Dodgers staff in 2025, and guys such as Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan also in the mix, the Dodgers have become extremely right-handed in the starting rotation.

Slotting in the left-handed Max Fried would help bring some balance to the staff, and the Dodgers are in a position to offer a high AAV, a short-term or a long-term deal with more guaranteed money. The 30-year-old also has a wealth of playoff experience, albeit with mixed results.

Worst: Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox signed Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal last offseason, only to watch him spend the entire 2024 season on the injured list. Will that scare them away from pursuing another high-priced arm this winter?

Fried has dealt with some arm issues in recent years, and while he has generally been durable, the Red Sox might prefer someone with a longer track record of chewing through innings if they are going to make the type of investment it will likely take to sign him.

Best: Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City offense was sorely lacking in consistent production outside of Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino this year, and finding another middle-of-the-order slugger to alleviate some of the run-production load carried by that trio could go a long way.

The 29-year-old posted a 134 OPS+ with 44 home runs and 102 RBI this season, and his 105 long balls over the past three years trail only Aaron Judge (157), Shohei Ohtani (132), Kyle Schwarber (131), Pete Alonso (120) and Matt Olson (117) among all hitters.

Something similar to the four-year, $79 million deal Schwarber signed when he joined the Phillies might be a reasonable expectation for Santander's asking price, and that would be money well spent for a Royals team trending up.

Worst: San Diego Padres

Similar to Pete Alonso not being a great fit in the pitcher-friendly environment of Oracle Park, Santander might not be the best target for a Padres team that also plays its home games in a park that does not favor offense.

With Jackson Merrill in center field and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field, the Padres will have a hole to fill in left field if Jurickson Profar departs for greener pastures.

However, given his more well-rounded skill set and likely a more reasonable asking price, re-signing Profar might be the best move for San Diego.

Best: Cleveland Guardians

Left-hander Blake Snell only pitched beyond six innings three times in 32 starts during his Cy Young season in 2023, and he has posted elite-level numbers throughout his career while often making early exits from his starts.

For a Cleveland team in serious need of starting pitching help and with a stacked relief corps, only going five or six innings is not a concern, as it has the late-inning pieces to protect a lead.

It would be a major expenditure for a Guardians team that generally avoids splashy additions, but with the talent to contend for a title if it can make a few significant outside pickups, now is the time to spend and Snell is the perfect target.

Worst: New York Yankees

It's generally wise not to put too much stock in a pitcher's performance at away ballparks, but Snell has a large enough sample size at Yankee Stadium from his time in Tampa Bay that it's difficult to ignore his struggles.

In 12 starts and 48.1 innings at Yankee Stadium, he has a 2-5 record with a 5.77 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, though he hasn't made an appearance there since 2020.

The Yankees already owe Carlos Rodón a ton of money and have big free-agency decisions to make with Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole, so they should steer clear of the Snell market.

Best: New York Yankees

The optics of the Yankees letting Juan Soto get away in free agency after one year with the team might be reason enough for them to make every effort to re-sign the star outfielder this offseason.

Beyond that, the offense was so reliant on Soto and Aaron Judge to shoulder the load that it would likely take multiple outside additions and a similar spending spree to replace his production if they decided to spread that money over multiple positions.

At 25 years old and with a skill set that should age well thanks to his on-base ability and pure hitting skills, Soto is one of the best players to ever hit the open market, and locking him up will be money well spent for the Yankees.

Worst: Los Angeles Angels

The Angels front office has already made it clear they plan to spend this offseason, and the idea of pairing a superstar like Soto with Mike Trout is intriguing if L.A. is serious about winning with its current core of talent.

However, for Soto's sake, he should steer clear of a franchise that wasn't able to make the playoffs with Shohei Ohtani and Trout both playing together at an MVP level.

Trout is stuck with the Angels for better or worse thanks to his massive contract, and Soto will almost certainly prioritize a team with legitimate title potential in the present and future.