The list of free-agent pitchers this winter mirrors the collection of position players on the market in that there’s some serious game-changing talent here.
Need an ace? There’s one — maybe even a few, depending on what you think — available for hire. Want a solid mid-rotation arm who can take the ball in the post-season? Check. What about a closer? You can find that too.
Point is, there’s a player for the wish list of every general manager. Here’s a look at Sportsnet’s ranking of the top 10 pitchers available.
(In case you missed it, you can check out the position player list here.)
1. Corbin Burnes
Age: 30
Position: RH starting pitcher
2024 WAR (per FanGraphs): 3.7
The Orioles traded for Burnes last off-season with the hope he’d anchor a rotation that was previously a sore spot. And while it was a bold move for Baltimore’s normally conservative front office, considering it would only have the right-hander guaranteed for one season, Burnes was everything they’d hoped for. The Southern California native posted a 2.92 ERA over 32 starts and 194.1 innings. He also toed the rubber in Game 1 of the wild-card series and, despite being saddled with the loss, Burnes tossed a dominant eight innings in which he allowed just one run on five hits.
You could make the argument the right-hander is one of the true aces in the sport. He captured the NL Cy Young award in 2021 and, over the past four seasons, Burnes has averaged a 2.94 ERA and 3.08 FIP, as well as 31 starts and 189 innings. Simply put, he’s as durable as it gets. If you want to nitpick, you could highlight that his strikeout rate has declined in each of the past five years. However, his velocity has remained the same and he’s become one of the best starters in MLB at limiting hard contact.
2. Blake Snell
*Opted out of contract (1-year, $30M remaining)
Age: 31
Position: LH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: 3.1
Snell won the NL Cy Young award in 2023 and was atop this list last off-season, but a big contract never materialized so he signed a two-year, $62-million deal with the Giants. That essentially acted as a pillow contract as the left-hander, who’s represented by Scott Boras, recently opted out of the final year to re-enter free agency.
He missed spring training in 2024 due to signing in late March and dealt with a groin issue that twice landed him on the injured list during the season’s first half. When he returned on July 9 though, Snell finally put things together and went on a torrid run, posting a sparkling 1.23 ERA over 80.1 innings with 114 strikeouts during his final 14 starts. Next year will be the left-hander’s age 32 season, something that teams will take into account when considering a pitcher who’s only made 25 starts three times in his nine-year career.
3. Max Fried
Age: 30
Position: LH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: 3.4
Fried seems perennially underrated and that really shouldn’t be the case. He’s been an elite starter for some time now who’s produced a 2.81 ERA since the 2020 campaign. That mark is better than Zack Wheeler (2.94), Gerrit Cole (3.12) and Kevin Gausman (3.30), among others over that span. Fried won’t strike out a ton of hitters but does possess four-plus pitches and is a master at keeping the ball out of the air. The left-hander’s 59.2 ground ball percentage ranked in the 96th percentile last season and since 2020, only three starters have compiled a better rate than Fried. One reason for caution surrounding the left-hander is that he’s spent time on the IL in both 2023 and ’24 due to left forearm issues.
4. Jack Flaherty
Age: 29
Position: RH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: 3.2
Flaherty, who was dealt at both the 2023 and ’24 trade deadlines, has played for four teams over the past two campaigns. Despite some back issues over the years, his talent is such that organizations covet him. The right-hander tallied a 3.17 ERA over 28 starts and 162 innings with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He punched out 194 hitters for a 29.9 per cent strikeout rate that matches his career-best mark from the 2019 season.
5. Tomoyuki Sugano (NPB player)
Age: 35
Position: RH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: N/A
If we’re looking at his entire career, Sugano might be the best pitcher that North Americans have never heard about. The Japanese right-hander will reportedly come to MLB as an international free agent after a successful 12-year stint with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. The six-foot-one, 198-pound Sugano owns a 2.45 ERA across 1,873.1 innings and has captured two MVP awards in addition to being a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award — Japan’s version of the Cy Young. Sugano, who throws six different plus pitches including a fastball that averages around 92 m.p.h., produced a 1.67 ERA and 0.945 WHIP over 24 starts and 156.2 innings this past season.
6. Sean Manaea
Age: 32
Position: LH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: 2.8
Manaea commanded the baseball world’s attention in October with his work during the New York Mets’ post-season run, specifically a standout performance in Game 3 of the NLDS when he shut down the Philadelphia Phillies. The left-hander tweaked his delivery during the summer and completely transformed himself. Inspired by the resurgent Chris Sale, Manaea lowered his arm slot and instantly found success to the tune of a 3.09 ERA and .170 opponent’s batting average over his final 12 regular-season starts.
7. Yusei Kikuchi
Age: 33
Position: LH starting pitcher
2024 fWAR: 3.5
When the Toronto Blue Jays traded Kikuchi to the Houston Astros at the July deadline, his value was respectable. What he did with his new club exponentially increased that. The Astros altered Kikuchi’s pitch usage and he responded by producing one of the best stretches of his career. Here’s a look at what the left-hander accomplished across 10 starts with his new club:
|
Record |
5-1 |
|
ERA |
2.70 |
|
FIP |
3.07 |
|
Innings |
60 |
|
Hits |
42 |
|
Walks |
14 |
|
Strikeouts |
76 |
|
Opponents’ slash line |
.188/.234/.308 |
8. Tanner Scott
Age: 30
Position: LH reliever
2024 fWAR: 1.6
Scott is the highest-ranked reliever on our list and would be a fine addition to any bullpen. He spent time as a closer with the Miami Marlins and also contributed in that role, in addition to being a set-up man, after a mid-season trade to the San Diego Padres. Armed with a 97-m.p.h. fastball and a wipeout slider, Scott is effective against both left- and right-handed hitters. He’s incredibly hard to square up with his average exit velocity of 84.3 m.p.h. registering in the 100th percentile of big leaguers.
9. Jeff Hoffman
Age: 31
Position: RH reliever
2024 fWAR: 2.0
Hoffman is coming off the best campaign of his major-league career. He made his first all-star team and finished with a 2.17 ERA over 66.1 innings with 89 strikeouts for the Phillies. The hard-throwing right-hander was drafted by the Blue Jays as a starting pitcher and continued in that role when he was sent to the Colorado Rockies in the 2015 Troy Tulowitzki deal. He converted to a full-time reliever in 2021 and has steadily built himself into a reliable leverage option in the bullpen.
10. Carlos Estévez
Age: 31
Position: RH reliever
2024 fWAR: 1.2
Estevez was Hoffman’s longtime teammate with the Rockies and then joined him in the Phillies bullpen last season following a July deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Estevez is also entering free agency following a career season. He tallied a 2.45 ERA with 26 saves between the two clubs. He’s collected 82 saves over his eight-year career and that ninth-inning experience could help boost his value on the market. For context, Hoffman has just 12 career saves.
Honourable mentions: Nathan Eovaldi, Clay Holmes, Shane Bieber, Kyle Gibson, Justin Verlander, Kenley Jansen, Max Scherzer
