Top 5 Pending Free Agents for 2026 (& Expected Suitors)

It's down the stretch they come, as teams jockey for playoff spots and positioning, while others are already figuring out how to fix their rosters for next season. It's never too early to start figuring out how to spend money in the offseason, and there's no doubt that plenty of teams would be interested in the list of free agents slated for this coming winter.

Here are the Top 5 pending free agents for 2026, as outlined by Jim Bowden in The Athletic:

1. Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs

With the way things have been going for the Cubs lately, it's unlikely they're thinking about next year just yet. They've got to right the ship for the stretch drive. As for Tucker, his production has slowed down considerably of late, with just one homer and a .214 average and .631 OPS over the past 30 games. But overall, he's batting .271 with an .853 OPS along with 18 homers and 24 stolen bases, and is in line for a massive free agent contract probably of at least half a billion dollars.

Expected Suitors: Cubs, Phillies, Yankees and Dodgers.

2. Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox (opt-out option)

Bregman, who signed a three-year, $120 million contract last winter as a free agent, "will likely opt out of his deal," says Bowden. "His free-agent market should be even more robust than last offseason." He's batting .301 with a .923 OPS and 15 homers, despite missing 46 games to injury.

Expected Suitors: Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Astros, Phillies and Dodgers.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets (opt-out)

Petey will certainly be opting out of the two-year, $54 million deal he was squeezed into signing last offseason. All he's done is slug 26 homers with 93 RBIs (3rd in the majors). Especially after fellow first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got his outrageous $500 million deal from the Toronto Blue Jays, you can expect Alonso to get himself a nice nine-figure deal easily this coming winter.

Expected Suitors: Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Red Sox, Rangers and Mariners.

4. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

It's hard to see the Phillies letting Schwarber get away, at any cost. He's having another monster season, with 42 HR, 97 RBIs, and a .960 OPS. He's on pace for career bests in every category.

Expected Suitors: Phillies, Braves, Reds, Padres, Tigers, Royals and Guardians

5. Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays' shortstop has returned to his pre-2024 numbers across the board. Turns out last year was just a blip, an outlier. He's batting .298 with an .808 OPS, and his power numbers should wind up on par with his norm as well. "Bichette might have to be willing to move to third base for certain interested teams," writes Bowden, but he does expect him to reel in at least a $150M+ contract, which is not something anyone would have suggested at this time last year. Bichette might have earned himself over $100M with his performance this season alone.

Expected Suitors: Blue Jays, Tigers, Yankees, Dodgers.