Re-ranking the top 10 MLB free agents as elite stars remain unsigned

The stove has yet to heat up heading into the new year.

Kyle Schwarber returned to Philadelphia, Dylan Cease packed his passport for Toronto and Pete Alonso made a stunning move to Baltimore — but the relatively uneventful winter meetings left plenty of marquee free agents on the market, including the crown jewel of the class.

Here’s a look at MLB’s top ten remaining free agents after crossing names off the November free agent big board from The Post’s Jon Heyman.

1. Kyle Tucker, OF (Original ranking: 1)

The most coveted free agent on the market, Kyle Tucker is fresh off a Silver Slugger walk year with the Cubs, despite being hampered by injuries throughout. A former World Series champion with the Astros, the 28-year-old slugger is one of the most skilled hitters in baseball and owns a career slash line of .273/.358/.507 with a pair of 30-home run seasons (2021, 2022). 

2. Tatsuya Imai, SP (2)

The latest Japanese phenom to hit the major league market, the flamethrowing righty Tatsuya Imai boasted a 2.14 ERA across 49 starts over the last two years in the Japan Pacific League. He emphasized a desire to take the Dodgers “down,” rather than join them, and YES Network’s Jack Curry recently dispelled any links to the Yankees. 

3. Bo Bichette, SS (3)

A versatile infielder with strong bat-to-ball skills, Bo Bichette crushed a go-ahead three-run shot off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series. The former Blue Jays shortstop reportedly entertained a zoom meeting with the Boston Red Sox during the winter meetings.

4. Cody Bellinger, OF/1B (4)

According to Heyman, Yankees captain Aaron Judge is personally championing a reunion with Cody Bellinger — who crushed 29 home runs in a resurgent first season in pinstripes. Still, the multi-position slugger’s market remains active, with the rival Mets also in the mix. 

5. Framber Valdez, SP (5)

The Mets are “among teams” that have met with star southpaw Framber Valdez, according to Heyman, alongside the Giants and Orioles. The former World Series champ with the Astros held a 3.66 ERA across 31 starts last season and hurled a pair of complete games.  

6. Alex Bregman, 3B (7)

Star third baseman Alex Bregman is back on the market, opting out of his deal with the Red Sox after one season in which he boasted an .821 OPS with 18 homers across 114 games. The Blue Jays are said to have interest in the Silver Slugging, Gold Gloving former World Series champ in the event that Bichette heads back to the States. 

7. Ranger Suarez, SP (11)

Described as a “double-edged sword” by Heyman, Suarez boasts consistent effectiveness but less-than consistent availability. Still, the lefty owned a 3.20 ERA with a career-high 151 strikeouts across 157 1/3 innings with the Phillies in 2025.

8. Kazuma Okamoto, 1B/3B (12)

Following Munetaka Murakami’s signing with the White Sox, Kazuma Okamoto became most enticing Japanese slugger on the active market. While he wields less raw power than Murakami, the 29-year-old has led the NPB in home runs since he entered the league in 2018.

9. Eugenio Suarez, 3B (16)

The top chip at last year’s trade deadline, Eugenio Suarez provided the Seattle Mariners a colossal return on investment when he clobbered a go-ahead grand slam in Game 5 of the ALCS for the Seattle Mariners. The righty slugger hit free agency after crushing the MLB’s fifth-most home runs in 2025 (49). 

10. Zac Gallen, SP (17)

Zac Gallen’s brutal start to 2025 nixed his chances of getting shipped at the trade deadline, but the Diamondbacks righty finished strong with a 3.32 ERA in the last two months of the season. He’s just two seasons removed from an All-Star campaign that saw him finish third in NL Cy Young voting.