MLB free agent reset: Starters Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen top market after big bats sign

The top hitters on the free-agent market have found homes. Several accomplished pitchers remain unsigned, however, shifting the focus from run scoring to run prevention as spring training approaches.

Left-hander Framber Valdez and right-hander Zac Gallen, both of whom declined qualifying offers, are seeking long-term deals as front of the starting rotation options. Veteran starters and swingmen Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez, Tyler Anderson, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are also seeking jobs.

The Dodgers don’t figure to be in the market for a starter and likely will sit tight after signing right fielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Diaz.

With money again seemingly no object, they signed Tucker to a four-year, $240-million contract and Diaz to a three-year, $69-million deal.

The New York Mets had a hole in their lineup they hoped to fill with Tucker. When he turned to L.A., the Mets pivoted to infielder Bo Bichette, reaching an agreement of four years at $126 million.

And the New York Yankees ended their drawn-out negotiations with outfielder Cody Bellinger, re-signing the former Dodger to a five-year, $162.5 million deal that includes two opt-outs, a no-trade clause and a $20 million signing bonus.

Third baseman Eugenio Suárez, 34, settled for a one-year, $15-million deal with the Cincinnati Reds, for whom he played in 2015-2021. Splitting last season between the Diamondbacks and Mariners, Suarez tied a career high with 49 home runs and drove in 118 runs. He did, however, slump in the second half, perhaps limiting his market.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants are at least attempting to improve, even if their moves pale in comparison to those of the Dodgers. They signed elite center fielder Harrison Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million contract.

Bader cashed in after turning down a $6.5-million player option after compiling an excellent second half of the season with the Philadelphia Phillies. Expect the Giants to move Jung Hoo Lee from center to right field.

Tucker’s deal is for four years at a staggering $240 million and includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons, a $64-million signing bonus and $30 million deferred.

Slotting Tucker into right field should enable the Dodgers to move poor-fielding slugger Teoscar Hernandez from right field to less-demanding left field while leaving Andy Pages in center field and the versatile Tommy Edman at second base.

Essentially, Tucker replaces Michael Conforto in the lineup. The difference?

Tucker batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases in 2025 despite playing only 136 games and cutting his lone season with the Chicago Cubs short with a calf strain in September. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage was .841.

Over his eight-year career — his first seven with the Houston Astros — his average numbers per 162 games are an .865 OPS with 31 home runs, 103 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

Conforto was the worst everyday outfielder in the National League, batting .199 with 12 homers, 36 RBIs and one stolen base in 138 games. His OPS was a sickly .637. He was replaced by Kiké Hernandez in the postseason and is seeking employment elsewhere.

The flurry of signings in the last month began with Ranger Suárez and Alex Bregman. The Boston Red Sox turned to Suárez — the top left-handed pitcher on the market — after losing out on re-signing the slugging third baseman.

Suárez, 30, agreed to a five-year, $130-million deal to join an imposing Boston starting rotation that already includes fellow left-hander Garrett Crochett and right-handers Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello.

The definition of a crafty lefty, Suárez commands six pitches that have enabled him to lower his earned-run average the last several years while losing velocity on his fastball. He was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. He also has a 1.48 ERA over 11 postseason appearances.

Bregman spurned Boston’s offer of $165 million over five years by instead taking $175 million over the same span from the Chicago Cubs. The deal includes a no-trade clause that the Red Sox wouldn’t allow.

Two recent signings reached average annual values (AAV) of at least $30 million, noteworthy because both players are older than 30 and add little to zero value with their gloves. First baseman Pete Alonso, 31, signed a five-year, $155-million deal with the Orioles and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, signed a five-year, $150-million deal with the Phillies.

Juan Soto ($51 million AAV), Aaron Judge ($40 million) and Mike Trout ($35.5 million) are the only outfielders paid more than $30 million a year, although all three make significantly more. Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are expected to join the exclusive club this offseason.

The longest contract for a pitcher is the seven-year, $210 million deal Dylan Cease got from the Blue Jays. Japanese import Tatsuya Imai landed the highest AAV when the Astros signed him for $63 million over three years.

NAME, AGE, POSITION, 2025 bWAR, CAREER bWAR

Framber Valdez, 32, SP, 3.8, 18.8: Valdez was impressively consistent for the Astros and should be able to choose between several multiyear offers. His age works against a long-term deal, but Sportrac estimated his AAV at $33.3 million, easily the highest among free-agent pitchers.

Zac Gallen, 30, SP, 1.1, 20.8: On the plus side, Gallen posted 56 wins over 126 starts the last four years for the Diamondbacks and he‘s only 30. On the negative side, his ERA has risen each of those four years, peaking in 2025 at 4.83. The right-hander should be looking at a multiyear deal with an AAV of about $18 million.

Nick Martinez, 35, SP, 2.3, 11.2: Martinez is a swingman who has pined for the workload and pay of a full-time starter. The Reds gave him that opportunity in 2025 and he was moderately successful, posting a 4.45 ERA in a career-high 165 2/3 innings while earning $21 million. He’ll likely get another one-year deal for less money.

Chris Bassitt, 37, SP, 2.1, 18.1: Bassitt has been a dependable mid-rotation arm, making at least 30 starts four years in a row with league-average results. He is coming off a three-year, $63-million contract with the Blue Jays, but at 37 he might not be able to replicate that deal.

Justin Verlander, 43, SP, 1.2, 81.7: Alas, Verlander’s dogged pursuit of 300 wins wasn’t helped by a 4-11 season with the Giants. He deserved better, posting a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer made $15 million, and a one-year deal at two-thirds of that number seems reasonable. No financial worries: Verlander has been paid $419 million over 20 years.

Lucas Giolito, 31, SP, 2.1, 14.4: Giolito has been an effective starter for nine seasons, with a 1-6 record and 6.89 ERA in six starts with the Angels in 2023 the most glaring blemish. The right-hander from Harvard Westlake High missed the 2024 season because of elbow surgery but rebounded to go 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts for the Red Sox in 2025.

Tyler Anderson, 36, SP, 2.0, 16.8: The dependable former Angels and Dodgers starter is coming off a three-year, $39-million contract. Anderson‘s 2025 season ended in August because of an oblique strain, and he was 2-8 with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts. A two-year deal at a reduced AAV isn’t out of the question.

Max Scherzer, 41, SP, 0.2, 75.6: The future Hall of Famer has no intention of retiring, even after posting a 5.19 ERA and giving up 19 home runs in 85 innings for the Blue Jays. Scherzer might take a steep pay cut from the $15.5 million he made in 2025, but he’s already been paid $366.5 million in his 18-year career. Dodgers fans remember him as a 2021 trade-deadline acquisition going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 regular-season starts but bowing out of a start in the NLCS.