The New Year serves as a symbolic halfway point of the offseason. It has been just under two months since the Dodgers came back in Toronto to repeat as World Series champions. We’re exactly six weeks away from pitchers and catchers beginning to report to Spring Training.
Twenty eight of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents have come off the board, though most of the marquee names remain. Seven of the top 10 are unsigned. We’re less than two days away from resolution on #7 free agent Tatsuya Imai, whose posting window closes on Friday afternoon. The overall volume of free agent activity is similar to last offseason, when 26 of our top 50 players were off the board on New Year’s Eve. However, a lot of last winter’s early activity was concentrated at the top of the market, as five of our top six free agents had signed before the close of December. Dylan Cease and Munetaka Murakami are the only two of our top eight who have signed so far this offseason.
Using MLBTR’s Contract Tracker (a tool available to Front Office subscribers), we can find every team’s free agent activity thus far. Players who accepted the $22.025MM qualifying offer are treated as free agent signings. Four contracts negotiated between the end of the regular season and November 6 — the Guardians’ deal with Austin Hedges, Baltimore’s signing of Dietrich Enns, the Royals’ deal with Salvador Perez, and the Cubs’ contract with Colin Rea — are excluded. Those all came before those players were permitted to speak with other teams and are thus extensions rather than free agent contracts.
As always, this is not meant as an exhaustive look at a team’s offseason activity. The Royals (Maikel Garcia) and Athletics (Tyler Soderstrom) have each signed a significant contract extension. The Red Sox are one of two teams that has yet to sign an MLB free agent contract, but they’ve taken on nearly $40MM in 2026 salary via trades for Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Johan Oviedo. This is strictly a look at what teams have so far accomplished through free agency.
For this exercise, we’ll take the total amount even if the contract includes deferred money. Teams are ordered by overall spending.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Total guarantees: $277MM
- RHP Dylan Cease: Seven years, $210MM
- RHP Tyler Rogers: Three years, $37MM
- RHP Cody Ponce: Three years, $30MM
2. Baltimore Orioles
Total guarantees: $195.1MM
- 1B Pete Alonso: Five years, $155MM
- RHP Ryan Helsley: Two years, $28MM
- RHP Zach Eflin: One year, $10MM
- OF Leody Taveras: One year, $2.1MM
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Total guarantees: $182MM
- DH Kyle Schwarber: Five years, $150MM
- RHP Brad Keller: Two years, $22MM
- OF Adolis García: One year, $10MM
- RHP Zach Pop: One year deal, salary unreported
4. New York Mets
Total guarantees: $113MM
- RHP Devin Williams: Three years, $51MM
- INF Jorge Polanco: Two years, $40MM
- RHP Luke Weaver: Two years, $22MM
5. Atlanta Braves
Total guarantees: $106.25MM
- RHP Robert Suarez: Three years, $45MM
- OF Mike Yastrzemski: Two years, $23MM
- SS Ha-Seong Kim: One year, $20MM
- RHP Raisel Iglesias: One year, $16MM
- RHP Joel Payamps: One year, $2.25MM
- LHP Danny Young: One year split contract
- RHP Ian Hamilton: One year non-guaranteed deal
6. Seattle Mariners
Total guarantees: $99.75MM
- 1B Josh Naylor: Five years, $92.5MM
- OF Rob Refsnyder: One year, $6.25MM
- C Andrew Knizner: One year, $1MM
7. San Diego Padres
Total guarantees: $91.2MM
- RHP Michael King: Three years, $75MM
- INF Sung-mun Song: Four years, $15MM
- LHP Kyle Hart: One year, $1.2MM
- RHP Ty Adcock: One year deal
- RHP Daison Acosta: One year deal
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
Total guarantees: $74.5MM
9. Detroit Tigers
Total guarantees: $59.025MM
- 2B Gleyber Torres: One year, $22.025MM qualifying offer
- RHP Kyle Finnegan: Two years, $19MM
- RHP Kenley Jansen: One year, $11MM
- RHP Drew Anderson: One year, $7MM
10. Chicago Cubs
Total guarantees: $53.525MM
- LHP Shota Imanaga: One year, $22.025MM qualifying offer
- RHP Phil Maton: Two years, $14.5MM
- RHP Hunter Harvey: One year, $6MM
- LHP Caleb Thielbar: One year, $4.5MM
- LHP Hoby Milner: One year, $3.75MM
- RHP Jacob Webb: One year, $1.5MM
- 1B Tyler Austin: One year, $1.25MM
11. Chicago White Sox
Total guarantees: $50.5MM
- 1B Munetaka Murakami: Two years, $34MM (plus $6.575MM posting fee to NPB’s Yakult Swallows)
- LHP Anthony Kay: Two years, $12MM
- LHP Sean Newcomb: One year, $4.5MM
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
Total guarantees: $50.25MM
- RHP Merrill Kelly: Two years, $40MM
- RHP Michael Soroka: One year, $7.5MM
- C James McCann: One year, $2.75MM
13. Pittsburgh Pirates
Total guarantees: $36.75MM
14. San Francisco Giants
Note: Salary terms on San Francisco’s one-year deal with Tyler Mahle remain unreported. Once finalized, that’ll likely push them into the mid-$30MM range. Their placement above the Yankees assumes Mahle’s guarantee is north of $4MM.
Total guarantees: More than $25.4MM
- RHP Adrian Houser: Two years, $22MM
- RHP Jason Foley: One year, $2MM
- LHP Sam Hentges: One year, $1.4MM
15. New York Yankees
Total guarantees: $29.025MM
- OF Trent Grisham: One year, $22.025MM qualifying offer
- LHP Ryan Yarbrough: One year, $2.5MM
- INF Amed Rosario: One year, $2.5MM
- RHP Paul Blackburn: One year, $2MM
16. Cincinnati Reds
Total guarantees: $25.9MM
- RHP Emilio Pagán: Two years, $20MM
- LHP Caleb Ferguson: One year, $4.5MM
- OF JJ Bleday: One year, $1.4MM
- RHP Keegan Thompson: One year split deal
17. Tampa Bay Rays
Total guarantees: $25MM
18. Milwaukee Brewers
Total guarantees: $22.025MM
19. Texas Rangers
Total guarantees: $20.625MM
- C Danny Jansen: Two years, $14.5MM
- RHP Chris Martin: One year, $4MM
- LHP Tyler Alexander: One year, $1.125MM
- RHP Alexis Díaz: One year, $1MM
20. Miami Marlins
Total guarantees: $15MM
21. Los Angeles Angels
Total guarantees: $12.95MM
- RHP Kirby Yates: One year, $5MM
- LHP Drew Pomeranz: One year, $4MM
- RHP Jordan Romano: One year, $2MM
- RHP Alek Manoah: One year, $1.95MM
22. St. Louis Cardinals
Total guarantees: $12.5MM
23. Cleveland Guardians
Total guarantees: $7.9MM
- RHP Shawn Armstrong: One year, $5.5MM
- RHP Colin Holderman: One year, $1.5MM
- RHP Connor Brogdon: One year, $900K
- RHP Pedro Avila: One year split contract
24. Minnesota Twins
Total guarantees: $7MM
25. Kansas City Royals
Total guarantees: $6.15MM
26. Washinton Nationals
Total guarantees: $5.5MM
27. Houston Astros
Total guarantees: $3.95MM
28. Athletics
Total guarantees: $2.85MM
T-29. Boston Red Sox/Colorado Rockies
Total guarantees: $0
- Boston and Colorado have yet to sign a free agent to a major league deal this offseason.
Good job Rockies
In all honesty, I would love them to sign a couple stars that could rake at Coors Field
Thank you my Yankees, for doin’ Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, so far.
Did you fail to read the article?
15. New York Yankees
Total guarantees: $29.025MM
OF Trent Grisham: One year, $22.025MM qualifying offer
LHP Ryan Yarbrough: One year, $2.5MM
INF Amed Rosario: One year, $2.5MM
RHP Paul Blackburn: One year, $2MM
Not saying they lit the world on fire but that’s a lot more than as you put it “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”
You took it too seriously bud.
Why must you torment me so, Anthony. (Happy New Year to all the writers and everyone who comes by the site!)
Damn Boston is being beat by the A’s in spending
No they’re not. Red Sox have spent way more, just not in free agency.
The Sox have made 3 significant trades that add up to around $40 million. They aren’t signing free agents but they are spending
Happy New Year everybody. I love you all.
Never thought I’d see the Buccos winning the off-season in their division. Happy New Year!
@2026 Free Agency Contest Award Winner
Going off and average of all Fangraph’s WAR projections for the current team, Pirates are looking at a 77-85 record next year. Sure, not going to the playoffs or anything but an increase of 6 wins with all the moves so far this offseason.
Best of luck in 2026. It would be nice if they could at least be somewhat competitive next year and even hand around the .500 line.
Buster Posey and the Mighty Giants spending like a little small market team. LOL
The A’s left town so they have the whole market to themselves. They also just raised season ticket prices flat out gaslighting their fanbase.
What’s odd is that their fans put up with it and there is zero push from Bay Area writers
That’s cute. Maybe the padres should focus on winning the division for the first time since 2006. Seems like you forgot 2010, 2012 and 2014
Win the division? The Padres have been to the post sesaon 3 out of the last 4 seasons while the shiz Giants have been on the Couch.
They’ve only had one winning season since 2016. LOL
lot of big names … top loaded and little depth … gets to the playoffs and does nothing with appearances …. makes a lot of random trades that doesnt really improve the team overall … division leader gets to or wins the big series …. MLB version of the Dallas Cowboys?
I’d be pretty upset too if my team had been around for 60 years and zero World Series Championships to show for it. #povertyfranchise
This “PadreJoe” is literally the same Giants-hating troll who masquerades as a Padres fan and uses his alts to get 5+ likes right away.
Tim, do something about this guy, please.
What kind of world is this when Bob Nutting outspends the New York Yankees in free agent signings???? Someone please wake me up. Weird dream I had…
Still a lot of time left in the off season and some big names still available
Happy New Year 🎊👨⚖️🗽
Happy New Year Everyone!!
John Henry needs to sell the Red Sox.
I like that the Sacramento A’s have focused on extensions for their young bats. It would be nice if they could also pick up a couple of number 4-5 starting pitchers on short term deals.