With less than two weeks until pitchers and catchers report for the 2026 MLB season, several high-profile free agents remain unsigned after three months on the market. Standouts include starting pitchers Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen, who declined qualifying offers, alongside veterans like Justin Verlander and Paul Goldschmidt. The market has slowed, but teams continue to eye options to bolster rosters before Spring Training begins.
The 2026 MLB free-agent market has seen notable movement, with recent deals including Luis Arraez's one-year, $12 million agreement with the San Francisco Giants and Eugenio Suárez's one-year, $15 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, complete with a mutual option for 2027. However, a deep pool of talent persists, particularly among starting pitchers, which MLB.com describes as the deepest position in terms of quality and quantity.
Framber Valdez, a two-time All-Star who declined a qualifying offer from the Houston Astros, ranks among the top available arms. Since 2022, he trails only Zack Wheeler, Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal, and Kevin Gausman in WAR among starters, but his market has developed slowly, possibly due to draft-pick compensation and off-field concerns, including an incident where he appeared to cross up catcher Cesar Salazar. Potential suitors include the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Giants. Similarly, Zac Gallen, who also rejected Arizona's qualifying offer, has drawn interest from the Orioles, Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Angels, though a return to the Diamondbacks remains possible. Gallen's performance dipped to a 4.31 ERA over the last two seasons, but he posted a 3.32 ERA in his final 11 starts of 2025.
Veteran Justin Verlander, turning 43 in February, impressed with a 2.60 ERA over his last 72 2/3 innings with the Giants and could pursue his 300th career win—needing 34 more from his current 266—with teams like the Orioles, Tigers, or Astros. Other notable pitchers include Lucas Giolito (3.41 ERA in 145 innings post-elbow surgery), Chris Bassitt (sub-4.00 ERA, 170+ innings), Max Scherzer (standout postseason for the Blue Jays), and Jose Quintana (3.96 ERA for the Brewers).
On the position-player side, first basemen Paul Goldschmidt and Rhys Hoskins stand out. Goldschmidt, after a strong start with the Yankees followed by a .226/.277/.333 slash line in his final 89 games, may return part-time. Hoskins offers underrated power but has injury concerns. Outfielders like Miguel Andujar (125 OPS+ in 94 games) and Starling Marte (111 OPS+ with the Mets) provide corner options, while the catcher market features Jonah Heim (double-digit homers for five straight years) and Gary Sánchez (57.8% hard-hit rate). Relief pitching is thin, with David Robertson's retirement thinning the top tier further.
As Spring Training nears, with some teams reporting in 10 days and games in under three weeks, the remaining signings could shape rotations and lineups significantly. Teams missing out on Valdez and Gallen may pivot to mid-tier options like Zack Littell or Bassitt for innings-eating reliability.
