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The new year is just around the corner, and Major League Baseball teams are already gearing up for their upcoming practice camps in Florida and Arizona. Only six more weeks to wait patiently for the action to resume and for the regular rosters of the thirty clubs in both leagues to materialize before our very eyes.
For many teams, the annual shopping spree has either already ended or never begun, while others are still evaluating their chances of making a trade or two, or signing a free agent to fill a need.
Still, it's captivating that several big names are still available at this time of year, having been part of multiple rumors. Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger, and Framber Valdez are just a few examples.
In my opinion, in the cases of Bichette, Bregman, and Bellinger, the more time passes, the greater the chances of them staying with the team they played for in 2025. The Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees are still evaluating their options before concluding new agreements with the players concerned.
As for Kyle Tucker, it's a different story, as his association with the Chicago Cubs appears to be a thing of the past and the most coveted (but still available) free agent is likely to be playing under other skies in 2026. The Cubs expected more from the outfielder when they made a deal with the Houston Astros, and it left its mark. The Windy City organization was certainly hoping that Tucker would change the face of the franchise and become the long-awaited savior, but as good as he is, he unfortunately doesn't have what it takes to aspire to that title. Tucker needs to be well surrounded to find himself in the right chair, and that wasn't the case in Chicago.
With spring training starting in 6 weeks, the following top free agents are all still available:
Kyle Tucker
Cody Bellinger
Alex Bregman
Bo Bichette
Kaz Okamoto
Eugenio Suarez
Tatsuya Imai
Framber Valdez
Ranger Suarez
Zac Gallen– Danny Abriano (@DannyAbriano) December 26, 2025
Before re-signing Bo Bichette and playing him on the second cushion (he's open to making the transition), the Blue Jays are possibly waiting to make Tucker's move to Toronto official and come to an agreement with two of the biggest names taking part in the autonomy process right now. As we all know, the Jays have had the pedal to the metal for several weeks now, and are looking for the moon in the process.
In my opinion, if Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger had to leave Boston and New York respectively, they would have already signed new deals with other teams. The Red Sox are very active on the transaction market (especially with the Cardinals), but have identified Bregman's return as their number one priority, and have no choice but to bring him back at third base in 2026 if they hope to take another step towards the big leagues.
On the contrary, the Yankees are totally amorphous at the moment, which makes us think that Bellinger will stay in town failing to hit a home run by signing someone else. After all, the 30-year-old outfielder isn't a bad catch, as he did good service for the Bronx Bombers in 2025 and fits in well with the team's philosophy. Hitting .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs is no mean feat.
Pitcher Framber Valdez won't be returning to Houston, and he'll have trouble finding work because of his behavior. It's certain that a team will eventually sign him, but unfortunately for him it will be by default.
Ranger Suarez and Zac Gallen are excellent pitchers who have yet to find a buyer. Teams that come to terms with one of them will greatly improve their starting rotation.
This content was created with the help of AI.
