The champagne has barely dried. The Dodgers’ flight home from New York has barely tickled the runway. A long-awaited parade unified Los Angeles around a World Series championship.
But who is going to sign Juan Soto?
Sure, he was a New York Yankees stalwart throughout the postseason. But now he’s a free agent, about to take offers from any team willing to cough up, what, $600 million, maybe more?
Major League Baseball moves from postseason fire to the offseason hot stove in a matter of moments. Free agents can negotiate only with their current teams for the first five days after the World Series. Contract options — either team or player — must be exercised within the same five days.
Clayton Kershaw says he plans to be “a Dodger for life,†but he’ll have to do it under a new contract for 2025 after declining his player option.
One more activity that occurred within the same time period is teams making qualified offers to their own free agents. Doing so means the team gets draft pick compensation if the free agent signs with another team. A qualified offer is $21.05 million for one season. Thirteen players received qualifying offers and only Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez accepted.
The new class of free agents includes lots of starting pitching when starting pitching is less important than ever and a dearth of leverage relievers when leverage relievers are coveted more than ever.
Impact hitters are available at each position, followed by a drop-off in talent. One clearly superior player — Soto — could challenge the record for most lucrative contract ever. His agent, Scott Boras, is the best in the business, and he doesn’t give hometown discounts or anything else that shaves numbers off the bottom line.
Boras, in fact, is the next most influential name. He represents seven of the top 10 players on The Times’ list and 10 of the top 24. He tends to drag out negotiations, so expect that several big names will remain on the market not only into 2025 but perhaps into spring training.
Scott Boras has been a baseball agent for 41 years, never representing players in other sports, never entertaining the idea of running a team. What keeps him going?
Here are the top 30 free agents with a longer list to follow:
Name, age, position, agent
Juan Soto, 26, OF, Scott Boras: Most free agents are on the wrong side of 30. Soto, on the other hand, turned 26 on Oct. 25 — the day his Yankees lost Game 1 of the World Series — and is expected to land a deal of 12 years or more and between $500 million and $650 million, a contract exceeded only by that of Shohei Ohtani. Expect him to stay on the East Coast and either re-sign with the Yankees or jump to the New York Mets.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
RÅki Sasaki, 23, SP, N/A: The Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks are chief among potential suitors for the next big thing coming from Japan. Sasaki has posted a 2.02 earned-run average over 415 innings in four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, who granted him permission to leave for MLB this offseason. He would be expensive given the benchmark 12-year, $325-million deal the Dodgers gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, because Sasaki is being posted under age 25, he will be limited to a minor league contract with a modest signing bonus, similar to when Shohei Ohtani, then also 23, signed with the Angels before the 2018 season for just $2.3 million.
QUALIFYING OFFER? N/A.
The Chiba Lotte Marines announce 23-year-old pitcher Roki Sasaki will be posted, making him a free agent and a potential target for the Dodgers.
Corbin Burnes, 30, SP, Boras: Burnes, who turned 30 on Oct. 22, should land a lucrative multiyear deal after not missing a start the last four years and posting an ERA under 3.00 in four of the last five years. The 2021 Cy Young Award winner was every bit as good in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles as he was in six years with the Milwaukee Brewers. Look for Baltimore to try to re-sign him and the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Yankees to take long looks.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Max Fried, 31, SP, CAA: Like Jack Flaherty, Fried is a product of Harvard-Westlake in Studio City. Also like Flaherty, Fried is a highly sought veteran starter with postseason experience and a knack for winning. He was 73-36 (.670) in eight years with the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers could use a left-handed starter and will have competition from the Braves, San Diego Padres and Orioles, among others.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Pete Alonso, 30, 1B, Boras: One of the most popular players in Mets history, the “Polar Bear†is a power hitter — 226 homers in five-plus seasons — and clubhouse jewel. The Mets will try to re-sign him, and he’ll be amenable to a return. But with Boras as an agent, he also will be aggressively shopped. The St. Louis Cardinals might be a landing spot because they’re unlikely to bring back first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and need to fill that power void.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Alex Bregman, 31, 3B, Boras: Like Alonso, Bregman is seemingly attached to the hip of his longtime team, in his case the Houston Astros. But like Alonso, Bregman is represented by Boras and likely will attract multiple offers. Bregman is a pull hitter who benefited from the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park. The Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and Yankees, among others, could use a consistently productive third baseman.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
The Dodgers should avoid the temptation of signing Juan Soto and run it back to defend their World Series championship in 2025.
Willy Adames, 29, SS, CAA: The Dodgers were linked to Adames as a potential trade acquisition for two years, and unless they want to hand the position to Tommy Edman, the need remains. Adames brings uncommon power for a shortstop and also uncommon swing and miss — he’s struck out more than 150 times in five seasons. The San Francisco Giants and Braves also have a need, and Adames might consider a return to the Brewers.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Blake Snell, 32, SP, Boras: The left-hander can only hope this foray into free agency goes better than a year ago if he opts out of the second year of his $62-million deal with the Giants. He wasn’t signed until well into spring training despite coming off a Cy Young Award season and went 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA in his first six starts. After a stint on the injured list, he was 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14 starts.
Cody Bellinger, 29, OF, Boras: The former Dodgers elite center fielder and enigmatic hitter can opt out of the last two years and $52.5 million of his three-year, $80-million contract with the Chicago Cubs. He’s still young enough to test the market again despite a dip in his production last season with 18 home runs and 78 runs batted in over 130 games.
OPTION EXERCISED: Bellinger exercised his player option for $27.5 million, the first of two opt-outs in his contract, meaning he’ll remain with the Cubs in 2025. He’ll have the same decision to make next offseason, and would make $25 million in 2026 if he again exercises the option. If he declines the option, he will become a free agent.
Sean Manaea, 32, SP, Boras: The left-hander’s late-season lowering of his arm slot was on full display in the postseason with the Mets, which could greatly elevate his market. He’ll be 33 by opening day, yet his 3.47 ERA was his lowest in a full season, and his 182 innings were the most he’s pitched in his nine-year career. He pretty much hasn’t missed a start in nine years, which also counts for something.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Jack Flaherty, 29, SP, CAA: The first of three Dodgers free agents bolstered his market by posting his best numbers since 2019 in his walk year. Flaherty was 13-7 with 194 strikeouts in 162 innings with the Tigers and Dodgers. He also exhibited poise and effectiveness during the playoffs.
Teoscar Hernández is having a career year with the Dodgers, and his agent says the one-year, $23.5-million deal he signed has worked out after he was criticized for it.
Teoscar Hernández, 32, OF, Republik: Hernández did exactly what he needed to do after conceding to a slow market and taking a one-year, $23-million deal with the Dodgers. He flourished, hitting 33 home runs and driving in 99 runs. He also smiled his way through the season, gleefully tossed sunflower seeds on teammates and became Ohtani’s pal. He’d like to re-sign with the Dodgers — and the probability of a reunion increased when the Dodgers said Mookie Betts will return to the infield in 2025 — but might get a better deal elsewhere.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Anthony Santander, 30, OF, GSE: A legitimate power hitter who strikes out a ton, doesn’t walk a ton and doesn’t hit for average, Santander is coming off a career year. He had 44 home runs and 102 RBIs with the Orioles and entered a market thin on corner outfielders. But he could languish the way Hernández and others did a year ago and end up with a short deal with a high average annual value.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Christian Walker, 34, 1B, CAA: Besides being an absolute beast at Dodger Stadium — batting .341 with 19 home runs in 34 games — Walker is a two-time Gold Glove winner with 30-home run power. The Astros and Cardinals could be landing spots and he’d also be a beast in Fenway Park for Boston. That also would dramatically reduce the number of games he’d play in Chavez Ravine.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Walker Buehler, 30, SP, Excel: Alarmingly ineffective in the regular season after coming back from a second Tommy John surgery, Buehler rehabilitated his value by regaining his command and his swagger during the postseason, pitching the ninth inning of the decisive Game 5 of the World Series two days after he pitched five innings. The franchise has invested so much in him that a reunion is a strong possibility, but a longer contract from another team might prompt him to leave.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
The Dodgers extend Teoscar Hernández a qualifying offer while declining to give one to right-hander Walker Buehler, who officially becomes a free agent.
Tanner Scott, 30, RP, MVP: The left-hander bolstered the Padres bullpen after being acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline. He’s averaged more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings in each of his eight seasons and has progressively improved over the last five years, capped by a 1.72 ERA and 22 saves in 2024. Scott is the top reliever on the market.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Shane Bieber, 29, SP, Rosenhaus: The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner underwent Tommy John surgery in April and won’t return until the middle of next season. The Dodgers love to latch onto pitchers such as this, with great upside potential upon recovery. His contract could include a modest base salary and incentives. The Laguna Hills High product could return to the Guardians, who drafted him out of UC Santa Barbara in 2016.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Nathan Eovaldi, 35, SP, ACES: A 13-year veteran who has made 275 career starts, Eovaldi isn’t slowing down. He won 12 games each of the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers, and was 5-0 during their 2023 World Series championship run. He triggered a vesting option of $20 million for 2025 by exceeding 300 innings the last two years but is expected to test the market instead.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Michael Wacha, 33, SP, CAA: The right-hander is improving with age, putting together three outstanding seasons in a row for three different teams, most recently going 13-8 for the Kansas City Royals. He could exercise a player’s option for $16 million but seems in line for a multiyear contract with an annual average value of at least that much.
SIGNED: Wacha will stick with the Royals, who signed him to a three-year, $51-million contract with bonuses and an option for the fourth year that could boost the deal to $72 million.
Dodgers rally from an early five-run deficit to beat the Yankees 7-6 and secure their first full-season championship since 1988. It’s the eighth championship in franchise history.
Tomoyuki Sugano, 35, SP, N/A: In 12 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, Sugano has gone 136-75 with a 2.45 ERA. He enjoyed a career year in 2024 with a 15-3 record and 1.67 ERA in 157 innings. Similar to Yamamoto and Yu Darvish, Sugano is a master of changing speeds and commanding as many as six pitches.
QUALIFYING OFFER? N/A.
Jurickson Profar, 32, OF, MVP: In his 11th season and on a one-year, $1-million contract, Profar figured it out in San Diego, setting personal bests of a .380 on-base percentage, 24 home runs, 94 runs, 85 RBIs and a .280 batting average. Re-signing with the Padres is a distinct possibility, especially since Profar left Boras for MVP, which represents Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Tyler O’Neill, 29, OF, Boras: O’Neill has played more than 100 games only twice in seven seasons, but he hit more than 30 home runs both times, including 31 in 2024 in his only year with the Red Sox. He’s an excellent outfielder with two Gold Gloves, but he’s had trouble staying healthy, experiencing back, neck and leg injuries over the years. The lack of durability might force O’Neill to take a one-year deal with options.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Yusei Kikuchi, 33, SP, Boras: The Japanese import has been generally disappointing since signing with the Mariners in 2019, but he was outstanding for the Astros after they acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline this season. Kikuchi went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts with Houston, which could boost his market this offseason.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
SIGNED: Kikuchi’s strong second half with Houston served as a springboard to a three-year, $63-million deal with the Angels, who remain surprisingly aggressive early in the offseason. The left-hander has posted a 41-47 record and 4.57 ERA in six MLB seasons.
Ha-Seong Kim, 29, SS, Boras: Kim’s four-year, $28-million contract with the Padres has expired, and he might get another medium-term deal because the only free-agent shortstop better than him is Adames. Kim, a Gold Glove winner in 2023, is coming off surgery on his right shoulder, and teams will need assurance that he is fully healed.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Dodger fans, still riding high from the team’s World Series victory, formed large crowds to meet Kiki Hernández and Walker Hernández in local appearances.
Jeff Hoffman, 31, RP, CAA: Not quite a closer, Hoffman nevertheless is perhaps the top setup reliever on the market and could elicit three-year offers at $35 million or so. After five seasons barely staying in the big leagues with the Colorado Rockies, followed by two decent seasons with the Reds, Hoffman blossomed the last two years with the Phillies, posting 158 strikeouts in 119 innings.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Gleyber Torres, 28, 2B, Octagon: Torres found new life after moving to leadoff in late August, posting an OPS of .856 down the stretch and into the postseason for the Yankees. Torres refused to move from second base to third when the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr., so any team signing him knows where he wants to play. Fortunately for him, free-agent talent at second is thin.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Carlos Estévez, 32, RP, Premier Talent: The closer with the same given name as Charlie Sheen is the top right-handed reliever on the market. Estévez became a closer with the Angels in 2023, notching 31 saves. He had another 20 when the Angels traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2024 deadline, and he pitched well in Philadelphia, posting a 2.57 ERA with six saves. He should have several suitors.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Nick Martinez, 34, RP, RMG: An accomplished swingman, Martinez made 16 starts and 26 relief appearances for the Reds in 2024, going 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA. He started for four years in Japan and made two starts for silver medal-winning Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics. Martinez has indicated he’d like to become a full-time starter and likely will sign with a team with an open rotation spot.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes. Martinez is the only player to accept the qualifying offer of $21.05 million, returning to the Reds.
Luis Severino, 31, SP, Rep 1: Severino is a comeback player of the year candidate after following a horrendous 2023 season with the Yankees (6.65 ERA) by making 31 starts (3.91 ERA) with the Mets. It was his best season since 2018 when he was 19-8 and one of the best young arms in baseball. Durability is still an issue, and a one-year bridge contract to prove 2024 wasn’t a fluke isn’t out of the question.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Blake Treinen says he doesn’t let high-pressure situations get to him. Maybe that’s why he has established himself as the Dodgers’ top World Series reliever.
Blake Treinen, 37, RP, Apex: When healthy, Treinen is as tough to hit as any reliever in baseball, mixing a Frisbee-like sweeper with a mid-90s fastball. Although he missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons with injuries, the right-hander posted ERAs under 2.00 in 2021 and 2024. The Dodgers are a favorite to re-sign him after the time and effort put into his rehab and development resulted in a huge World Series contribution.
QUALIFYING OFFER? No.
Nick Pivetta, 32, SP, CAA: Although Pivetta was 6-12 last season for the Red Sox, he is the epitome of a durable starter, having made at least 26 starts in each of his seven full seasons. He made $7.5 million last season, his last year of arbitration, and interestingly Boston made him a qualifying offer worth $21.05 million.
QUALIFYING OFFER? Yes.
Other free agents to watch by position and alphabetical order, with their ages in 2025. Current and former Dodgers are in bold.
Starting pitchers
Matthew Boyd, 34
Mike Clevinger, 34
Alex Cobb, 37
Patrick Corbin, 35
Anthony DeSclafani, 35
Kyle Gibson, 37
Andrew Heaney, 34
Kyle Hendricks, 35: The Angels signed the veteran right-hander to a one-year, $2.5-million contract.
Adrian Houser, 32
Clayton Kershaw, 37
Michael Lorenzen, 33
Lance Lynn, 38
Frankie Montas, 32
Charlie Morton, 41
José Quintana, 36
Colin Rea, 34
Max Scherzer, 40
Justin Verlander, 42
Trevor Williams, 33
Relief pitchers
Shawn Armstrong, 34
Scott Barlow, 32
Jalen Beeks, 31
Aroldis Chapman, 37
Danny Coulombe, 35
Buck Farmer, 34
Caleb Ferguson, 28
Dylan Floro, 34
Yimi GarcÃa, 34
Trevor Gott, 32
Clay Holmes, 32
Kenley Jansen, 37
Jakob Junis, 32
Craig Kimbrel, 37
José Leclerc, 31
Emilio Pagán, 34
Chris Martin, 39
A.J. Minter, 31
Héctor Neris, 36
Brooks Raley, 37
David Robertson, 40
Paul Sewald, 35
Brent Suter, 35
Luke Weaver, 31
Kirby Yates, 38
Catchers
Travis d’Arnaud, 36
Austin Barnes, 35
Elias DÃaz, 34
Yasmani Grandal, 36
Austin Hedges, 32
Kyle Higashioka, 35
Danny Jansen, 30
Carson Kelly, 30
James McCann, 35
Gary Sánchez, 32
First basemen
Josh Bell, 32
Wilmer Flores, 33
Joey Gallo, 31
Paul Goldschmidt, 37
Rhys Hoskins, 32
Ryan O’Hearn, 31
Anthony Rizzo, 35
Carlos Santana, 39
Justin Turner, 40
Second basemen
Brandon Drury, 32
Kyle Farmer, 34
Whit Merrifield, 36
Jorge Polanco, 31
Shortstops
Nick Ahmed, 35
Brandon Crawford, 38
Paul DeJong, 31
Jose Iglesias, 35
Kevin Newman, 31
Amed Rosario, 29
Third basemen
J.D. Davis, 32
Yoán Moncada, 30
Gio Urshela, 33
Left fielders
Mark Canha, 36
Michael Conforto, 32
Adam Duvall, 36
Travis Jankowski, 34
David Peralta, 37
Tommy Pham, 37
Rob Refsnyder, 34
Austin Slater, 32
Alex Verdugo, 29
Jesse Winker, 31
Center fielders
Harrison Bader, 31
Garrett Hampson, 30
Kiké Hernández, 34
Manuel Margot, 30
Michael A. Taylor, 34
Right fielders
Randal Grichuk, 33
Jason Heyward, 35
Max Kepler, 32
Designated hitters
Joc Pederson, 33
J.D. Martinez, 37
Andrew McCutchen, 38
Daniel Vogelbach, 32
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