With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.
MLBTR’s Steve Adams kicked things off with a look at a generally weak catching class. There’s a stronger group at first base, even if age is an issue for a lot of these players. A quick note on eligibility: we’re looking only at players who have appeared in the majors this season and are either primary first baseman or have logged 100+ innings at the position. Utility players like Enrique Hernández and Brandon Drury can play first base but will be covered in future positional previews. Ages are for the 2025 season. Stats are through play on September 18.
Top of the Class
- Pete Alonso (30)
Alonso is in a tier of his own in this year’s first base class. He is one of the sport’s preeminent power bats. Even in a relative down year, he has drilled 33 homers while slugging .472. Alonso has topped 30 longballs in all five full seasons of his career and was on a 43-homer pace during the shortened schedule. His .246/.331/.472 batting line is 26 points better than league average, according to wRC+. That’s tied for fifth among first basemen (min. 400 PAs) and feels like Alonso’s floor for the next few years.
The Mets will make him a qualifying offer, which he’ll reject. Alonso reportedly declined a $158MM extension offer in 2023 — made under former GM Billy Eppler. He’ll probably take aim at $200MM, though it has been more than a decade since any first basemen hit that mark. The more recent Matt Olson ($168MM) and Freddie Freeman ($162MM) guarantees may be more realistic benchmarks.
Everyday Players
- Christian Walker (34)
Walker didn’t get a real MLB look until his age-28 season. He seized the opportunity once it finally presented itself and is one of the best all-around first basemen in the sport. Walker won consecutive Gold Gloves between 2022-23 while posting an OPS above .800 in three straight years. He has 26 homers — including seven in just 29 plate appearances as a visitor at Dodger Stadium — with an excellent .257/.342/.485 slash line. An oblique strain that shelved him through August is the main reason he might not get to 30 homers for a third straight year.
Arizona has an easy call to tag Walker with a qualifying offer. He’s likely to decline in search of a three- or four-year contract. Multi-year deals for first basemen in their mid-30s are rare, but Walker should be in high enough demand to merit it.
- Paul Goldschmidt (37)
Goldschmidt had one of the worst stretches of his career early in the season. As Steve Adams explored this week, the 2022 NL MVP has kicked things into gear in recent weeks. This will be Goldy’s worst season overall, as he has career lows in all three slash stats (.242/.302/.412). His .270/.322/.485 line since the All-Star Break is more in line with what the Cardinals were expecting. Goldschmidt has never hit free agency — he signed extensions with both Arizona and St. Louis — and therefore has never received a qualifying offer. It seems unlikely that St. Louis would risk him accepting a salary exceeding $21MM for next year, but that’d be an alright investment if the Cards expect him to carry his second-half form into 2025.
- Carlos Santana (39)
The Twins signed Santana for $5.25MM in February. He had a terrible April but has been a steady, productive player over the past few months. Since the start of May, the switch-hitter owns a strong .253/.339/.446 line with 18 homers across 446 plate appearances. He remains one of the three to five best defensive first basemen in the game despite his age. The ultra-durable Santana has again avoided the injured list and has reached 140 games for the 12th time in his career. He certainly doesn’t carry the upside of Alonso or Walker, but he has easily outperformed Minnesota’s modest investment.
- Justin Turner (40)
Turner is more of a designated hitter than a full-time first baseman, but he has gotten 35 starts at the position between the Blue Jays and Mariners. Turner had a fairly modest .256/.350/.372 showing over 91 games with Toronto. It looked as if he might be slowing down at age 39, but he has found another gear since being traded at the deadline. Turner owns a .260/.361/.420 slash with five home runs in 39 games with Seattle — impressive power output in a home park that has stymied a lot of the M’s offensive acquisitions. By measure of wRC+, Turner has been 17 percentage points above league average at the plate. That’s slightly better than last year’s .276/.345/.455 showing with the Red Sox. Turner got $13MM last offseason and still hasn’t dropped off.
Platoon and Part-Time Bats
- Josh Bell (32)
Bell had a rough first few months, hitting .239/.305/.394 in 104 games with the Marlins. He has found his stride after a deadline trade to Arizona, where he carries a .278/.364/.421 slash with four homers through 154 trips to the plate. The aggregate production is still middling — a league average .249/.320/.401 line with very poor defensive grades — but Bell is finishing the season on a high note. He has been a streaky hitter throughout his career who can hit in the middle third of a lineup when he’s at his best.
- Mark Canha (36)
Canha has logged a career-high 356 1/3 innings at first base, a bit more time than he has played in the outfield. That’s probably a sign of things to come as he gets into his late-30s. The affable veteran has a .238/.341/.342 slash over 451 plate appearances between the Tigers and Giants on the season. He won’t match this year’s $11.5MM salary but should have no trouble finding another big league deal.
- Donovan Solano (37)
Late-career Solano just hits. The righty-swinging infielder has been an average or better hitter in six straight seasons. Solano has carried that over in stints between the Giants, Reds, Twins and Padres. He’s sporting a .286/.340/.412 slash with seven homers through 285 plate appearances for San Diego this season. The market doesn’t value Solano’s skillset highly — he had to settle for a minor league deal last offseason — but he’s a nice player to have in a bat-first role off the bench.
- Rowdy Tellez (30)
Tellez started the season horribly, went on an absolute tear midway through the summer, and has crashed back to earth in September. In aggregate, he has a .245/.302/.395 slash with 13 homers over 410 plate appearances for the Pirates. It’s slightly below-average offense and sub-replacement production overall considering his lack of defensive value. Tellez has decent career numbers against right-handed pitching (.235/.302/.450) and is a better fit as a lefty bench bat than a regular at first base.
Depth Types
- José Abreu (38)
Abreu was one of the worst players in the league in the season’s first half. The former MVP hit .124/.167/.195 over 35 games. The Astros released him midway through the second season of his ill-fated $58.5MM free agent deal. Reporter Francys Romero tweeted in June that Abreu would sit out the rest of the season but could make a comeback effort next year. It’d be on a minor league deal, but if he gets back to the majors, he’d only make the league minimum with his new team. Houston still owes him the rest of his $19.5MM salary.
- Garrett Cooper (34)
Cooper appeared in 36 games between the Cubs and Red Sox, hitting .206/.267/.299 while striking out 30% of the time. He has been far better over a 19-game stint in Triple-A with the Orioles, where he sports a .299/.388/.493 slash with four homers.
- J.D. Davis (32)
Davis is in Triple-A with the Orioles, his fourth organization of the year. After being cut loose by the Giants in a late spring cost-saving move, he has slumped to a career-worst .218/.293/.338 line between the A’s and Yankees. Davis hasn’t hit at all in the minors either, striking out at a 44.4% clip while batting .150 in 30 games. He was a solid regular for San Francisco just last season and should be able to find a minor league deal somewhere.
- Joey Gallo (31)
Gallo is hitting .152/.276/.305 across 67 games with the Nationals on a $5MM free agent deal. Washington is going to decline its end of a 2025 mutual option. Gallo is striking out as much as ever and hasn’t hit for anywhere near the level of power necessary to offset that.
- Yuli Gurriel (41)
Gurriel spent most of the season in Triple-A with the Braves. He had an impressive .292/.378/.485 showing. While that didn’t earn him a look in Atlanta, the Royals acquired him in a minor trade after losing Vinnie Pasquantino to injury. Gurriel is hitting .385 over 10 games with Kansas City.
- Dom Smith (30)
Smith got a decent run as the Red Sox’s fill-in while Triston Casas was injured. The former Met took 278 plate appearances and posted a slightly below-average .237/.317/.390 line with six home runs. He briefly caught on with the Reds after Boston let him go. Smith didn’t hit over a minuscule nine-game sample in Cincinnati and has been a free agent since the Reds removed him from the 40-man roster earlier this month.
- Gio Urshela (33)
Urshela is primarily a third baseman, but he logged 15 starts at first base for Detroit this year. Between the Tigers and Braves, he owns a mediocre .241/.280/.335 slash with six homers across 422 plate appearances. It’s his least productive year since he broke out as an everyday player with the Yankees in 2019.
- Jared Walsh (31)
The former All-Star hasn’t been the same since a bout with thoracic outlet syndrome. Walsh hit .226/.317/.321 in 17 games for the Rangers while Nathaniel Lowe was on the injured list early this season. He subsequently hit .185 with a 37% strikeout rate in Triple-A for the White Sox and was released a couple weeks before the deadline.
Player Options
- Cody Bellinger (29)
Bellinger can opt out of his three-year, $80MM deal with the Cubs. He’d be leaving $50MM on the table to do so and has another opt-out chance after next season. Bellinger has had a nice season but hasn’t answered teams’ questions about his subpar exit velocities. He’s hitting .268/.330/.435 with 18 homers while striking out at just a 16% clip. He’s still capable of playing center field but has also gotten decent run in right field and at first base. Bellinger could probably beat $50MM if he simply wanted to maximize his guarantee, but he’s not likely to match next year’s $27.5MM salary on a multi-year pact. He could bet on himself and view the 2025-26 offseason as the right time to opt out.
- Rhys Hoskins (32)
Hoskins signed with the Brewers on a two-year, $34MM deal that allowed him to opt out after the first season. It’s a net $18MM call. He’d collect a $4MM buyout if he opts out or could secure an $18MM salary for next season (plus a matching $4MM buyout on a 2026 mutual option). This isn’t a great time to retest the market. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have each graded the typically consistent Hoskins as a replacement level player this year. He has 25 homers but personal lows in batting average (.212) and on-base percentage (.299) while striking out a career-high 28% rate. If he goes on a tear in the playoffs, maybe the calculus changes, but this looks like an option that’ll be exercised.
- Wilmer Flores (33)
Flores holds a $3.5MM option on his deal with the Giants. San Francisco would have an $8.5MM option if the veteran infielder declined his end. That won’t be necessary, as Flores looks like a lock to take the $3.5MM salary. He hit .206/.277/.318 across 242 plate appearances and suffered a season-ending right knee injury in July.
Club Options
- Ryan O’Hearn (31)
The Orioles hold an $8MM option for next season. O’Hearn’s strong first half made that look like a clear bargain. The left-handed hitter went into the All-Star Break with a .274/.335/.456 line with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His plate discipline is still strong but his power has dissipated in the second half. O’Hearn only has two homers with a .224/.317/.340 line since the Break, including a .163/.226/.245 showing this month. Baltimore should have a lot of payroll flexibility and could bet on O’Hearn to bounce back, but this is more of a borderline call than it seemed six weeks ago.
- Anthony Rizzo (35)
The Yankees are going to opt for a $6MM buyout in lieu of a $17MM option on Rizzo. The three-time All-Star is hitting .219/.285/.330 over 347 plate appearances. He missed a couple months earlier in the season after breaking his arm in a collision with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino. This has been Rizzo’s toughest year since his rookie campaign.
The top two are solid. Goldschmidt’s peripherals say he had some bad luck this year. He’s not worth a qualifying offer but he’s worth taking a $15 million risk in my opinion.
LH heavy lineup needing a DH/1B right handed bat. Definitely.
Solano is so underrated the dude can hit
He’s named Donnie Barrels for a reason!
How he had to settle for a minor league deal I’ll never understand
REALLY hope the Padres bring him back. Dude’s a machine, and fits the team and it’s personnel PERFECTLY.
Alonso is kicking himself. He won’t bag 158 in free agency.
Yes he will.
Would love the Pirates to swag Goldschmidt from the rival Cards.
That’d be one of those definitive moves that takes the reigns on the division.
Couldn’t ask for a more well rounded vet to place alongside Reynolds and Cruz in the lineup.
Rowdy is fun but too inconsistent. Can be a mild platoon with Goldy if a market doesn’t develop again for Tellez this offseason.
That would be “reins” not “reigns”.
Whatever Rudolph
Lol
Goku the UnKnowledgable One:
You are the perfect example of Ignorance being Bliss.
Ironic Moniker, dude.
The guy who didn’t understand the lighthearted joke thinks I’m the ignorant one.
Whatever Karen
Think there’s a better chance Reynolds moves to first than them spending money on Goldy.
“Couldn’t ask for a more well rounded vet”
Rowdy is much more rounded.
I see what you did there
So tiresome as a parrot-phrase.
Had Cherington not been so cheap and given Santana the money he wanted, there wouldn’t have been a reason for signing Tellez instead
There was only a $2 million dollar difference
Santana has 22 homers, driven in 65 runs, has 25 doubles and has drawn 57 walks which would be tied with Cutch for the team lead
And he hasn’t struck out 100 times either
Agreed. Even after his sub par season I was a massive fan of bringing Santana back
Next season is the season to go all out with a full year of Skenes
if they can’t spend 10-12 mil on a player to make a divisional push now, then they’re not ever worth the investment as a fan
One things for sure, with the lack of runs coming from that lineup, they absolutely can’t stand pat this offseason
Have arguably the best pitcher in baseball and 2 really good ones behind him. That’s a rarity in baseball and would be a shame for not just the Pirates, but for MLB as a whole if they waste it
Personally, I think the Mariners should sign every single one of these guys to platoon at first along with Luke Raley. Man, I’m really looking forward to 2025!
Luke Raley gunna ball out in 25
30HR/100RBI/20SB
However, you feel deep in your heart that Dipoto is going to trade for a couple of AAAA hitters, extoll their virtues, send them to Driveline and hope for the best. All of their payroll flexibility will be eaten up by salary increases of players already on the roster
Jonathan India talked openly about adding the Polar Bear to the Reds lineup. No way in hell that comes to pass, but shows where the players felt management failed them at the deadline for the second year in a row.
They will remember when they have choices, and the vicious cycle will occur all over again.
90% of the production for league minimum would make 3/60 a drastic overpay, so which is it?
Maybe Alonso takes a 1-yr deal with a Yankees or Astros, mash for a season, land a huge contract next year.
Even if he takes a 1 year deal and mashes, he’s still not beating Freeman or Olson. Mets would probably pay a bit more than others if there’s any bidding war and he would be smart to take. I’m guess teams won’t get in a bidding war because they will just use them to drive the Mets to match or beat. They will submit their bids, probably lower than Freeman or Olson, and the Mets will probably offer like 6/178.
where’s the ohtani 50/50 post? I think there should be one for this historic moment
Suit – The 50 SB is kinda tainted because of the new rule changes.
What’s more impressive in today’s game was his 6 hits and 10 RBI.
Gallo really took a big ole dump on the bed turning down the 5/$84 million extension offer during the 2021 season. Instead he’s gotten under $24 million since then and will have to settle for a minor league deal in 25.
Dood – At least we haven’t seen Gallo whine about it.
Pretty hard to whine about rejecting an extension and proceeding to play poorly. What’s he going to whine about? “Rangers offered me an extension pre-2021 trade deadline, I refused, so they traded me. I cannot believe they wouldn’t offer the same terms pre-2023 after I was terrible awful for 1.5 years prior to FA. Unbelievable!”
Dood – Gallo ….. whine …. get it? ;O)
I had to Google it. As you can tell, I am no sommelier. Well played pun.
I would have went with a sour grapes joke if I knew wine.
Yes, you indeed “would have went”.
I really hope the Pirates don’t sign Gallo in 2025. I feel like it’s someone they’d like. If by some chance they do, hopefully it’s just a minor league deal or something like 2-3M with incentives. He was never able to hit outside of Texas and now he doesn’t have nearly enough power or on base skills to make up for it.
Look at who his agent is. There is your answer as to why he rejected the extension.
Boris factor.
Tellez could be on the way to the HOF if his opponent was Boston 100g each season, alas? it ain’t, so he’s just a lousy defensive 1b who goes on usually 1 limited hot streak each season, then stinks the rest of the year.
Someone mentioned Holdy as DH. He’s is a gold glove 1B. Great base runner for average to below speed. Does everything right. Father Time may be catching up with his bat a bit. Cards probably need to let him go but Astros Maybe Mariners Maybe DBacks need to be on him. Needs to go to someone contending. He deserves that . Good player hood man and teammate
Goldy I need to proofread
Only a auto mechanic shop would hire a hood man.
If the Mets can’t land Soto, than they should probably resign Alonso, sign Bellinger (RF), and sign 2 SP’s ( Corbin Burnes plus 1 other SP) they can do all of this with all of the $$ coming off next season ($100-$150 mil).
I would cost much much more than that. Luxury tax is going to kill them
I think the Cardinals will resign Goldy to a one year deal and pray he plays more like he has as of late because they need their stars to hit like stars or next year will mirror this one
Not many good options out there for the Yanks. I get a bad feeling that if the Mets are able to grab Soto that the FO will overeact by overpaying Alonso.
Better options than they have this year.
Abreu and Gallo should just hang it up.
I can’t imagine anyone offering Rizzo a contract so this is probably it for him. Heluva career but he’s done.
At 35, he “shouldn’t” be done, but he’s a far cry from vintage 2015-2019 Rizzo.
Do you even watch him play with that comment about not being “done”…..a fan favorite, and good buddy of the Captain, but his defense is down, he’s much thicker in the middle meaning he’s not an asset on the bases, and his ability to turn on inside pitches isn’t working with the same consistency as in prior years so his days as a leadoff/middle of the order banger are over…..he won’t sign for what that’s actually worth, so we can see the Yankees going with a platoon of Rice and possibly Rizzo if he’s reasonable but anyone else given the list of mostly “old men” in this article….
Hoskins is interesting. The exit velo is down but he still has good barrel rates and hard hit rates. The batted ball profile is typical of him. Pulling everything which is good for the HR expectancy on fly balls but maybe not the BABIPs if he’s not putting the ball in play as hard. The K rate is up a bit but he’s still walking. He feels like a guy who is still himself just with a bit of a down year in a couple areas but that it could bounce back now that he’s had a season back in action. Looking at the monthly splits, it looks like two really bad calendar months tanked the overall season production. June but wasn’t he just back from a leg injury in May then? And August. Did it feel like a season that was that bad for Hoskins from a Brewers fan perspective?
He probably exercises his option but I wonder if the Brewers might like to move it and could see a team taking most of it on. Maybe ask Milwaukee to cover the $4m buyout. It’s a lot for the overall output he had this season but he’s still a good bet to have some power output and a team that needs power specifically, might value it enough.
Greg Bird is better than most of these losers
Whoever signs Alonso will regret the contract. He’s streaky, can’t got for average and is horrible defensively. I just hope the Mets pass
Agree
If the Orioles don’t exercise that option on O’Hearn he would be a bargain for a team needing a 1st Baseman. Low k rate hitter.
Houston should add Yuli Gurriell. He can still hit (0.279 in limited action this year) and he won the Gold Glove as first baseman. Not only was Jose Abreu miserable at the plate, his miscues at 1B cost them a few games. He can’t field or scoop throws. Singleton was able to replace him, but that 0.213 average is nothing to hang your hat on. And while an upgrade at 1B from Abreu, he is still not as good of a fielder as Gurriel.
The big bonus is Gurriel was a clubhouse asset. Okay, Gurriel is 40 but Singleton is no spring chicken. And Houston is facing the problem of paying their star players and facing financial disasters in Jose Abreu and McCullers, Jr.