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With MLB owners expected to lock the players out when the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, this figures to be a bizarre offseason.
What may happen is two jolts of free agency sandwiched around months of an owner-induced lockout where no action will be permitted. Given the uncertainty about whether a salary cap will return after the lockout, players might be inclined to get paid before it. Heck, there might be urgency to sign in the days and weeks before the lockout just to have certainty about where you'll live and play next season.
This isn't a free-agent class where you're going to find the face of your lineup for the next seven years. However, there are some very good complementary pieces available. Let's take a look at the top 10 hitters expected to be available in this free-agent class.
2026 Stats: .295 BA, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 37 BB, .865 OPS, 3.6 WAR
Age in 2027: 32
It's always difficult to know what to make of players like this heading into free agency. Between his All-Star season with the Seattle Mariners in 2022 and an excellent 2026 campaign for the Padres this year, Ty France posted a 95 OPS+ for four different teams. He was a below-average MLB player for three seasons.
At the same time, he turned 119 games this past season into the fourth-highest WAR (3.6) among qualified first basemen, with FanGraphs saying that only Pete Alonso (4.2), Willson Contreras (4.0) and Matt Olson (3.9) posted better marks than him. In addition to great offensive production, France was tremendous at first base, as evidenced by his 15 defensive runs saved and seven outs above average.
A resurgent 2026 doesn't erase 2023-2025, but it should earn France a nice multi-year free-agent deal. The two-year, $29 million deal that Ryan O'Hearn signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates last winter should be the baseline.
2026 Stats: .310 BA, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 34 BB, .765 OPS, 4.1 WAR
Age in 2027: 30
Luis Arraez remains one of the most polarizing players in baseball. His 2026 campaign was not only a tale of two teams but also of two halves.
He was excellent with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .324 with a 3.8 WAR in 105 games. He wasn't the same player after getting dealt to the Phillies, batting a more modest .278 with a 0.3 WAR in 46 games before a bad left ankle sprain prevented him from suiting up in the NLWCS.
The thing with Arraez is he almost has to hit .310 to have value. The good news is he's a .316 career hitter. Because he doesn't draw many walks or hit for power, his value is pretty much exclusively tied to hitting for a high average.
Additionally, while he showed improvement at second base under the tutelage of Ron Washington this past year, defensive metrics (minus-four defensive runs saved and 12 outs above average) were divided on his work. From someone who covered the second half of his season, here's the eye test: He's passable at second base, but doesn't have the range that elite defenders at the position have.
Arraez will probably get a two-year deal, though that could feel underwhelming, considering he seemed to be trending towards a longer commitment based on how he performed from April to July.
2026 Stats: .218 BA, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 81 BB, .738 OPS, 2.6 WAR
Age in 2027: 32
There are old-school baseball fans who will take one look at Happ's .218 batting average and dismiss him. However, it's easier to live with a low batting average when you walk 81 times. He also hit .251 between 2022 and 2025, so you can probably expect some level of positive regression in 2027.
Additionally, Happ provides tremendous defense in the outfield. He's won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards in left field and is once again a finalist after posting 10 defensive runs saved and two outs above average in 2026.
Happ is a switch-hitter, but much better from the left side. He doesn't provide the same type of offensive ceiling as some of the other outfielders on this list, but if you like 20-25 home runs with great defense every year, you'll love Happ.
2026 Stats: .266 BA, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 94 BB, .874 OPS, 3.7 WAR
Age in 2027: 31
The only player on this list whose 2026 season isn't over is Jake Bauers. He's a major reason why, as he won NLCS MVP to help the Brewers reach the World Series for the first time since 1982.
Somewhat like France, it can be hard to know what to expect from Bauers moving forward. His .874 OPS in 2026 was tied for 10th among all qualified hitters in baseball. So far this postseason, he's got an .867 OPS. At the same time, he was a journeyman with a .672 career OPS before this season. Is Bauers a late bloomer, or is he just in the midst of a Linsanity run?
The guess here is that Bauers will get a nice two-year deal this winter, probably not from the Brewers. Then the Brewers will churn someone else completely off the radar into that spot next year and win 100-ish games.
2026 Stats: .231 BA, 19 HR, 55 RBI, 56 BB, .711 OPS, 3.5 WAR
Age in 2027: 29
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is kind of the opposite of France and Bauers. He has a pretty long track record of being a good-to-very-good player, but he had a disappointing contract year.
Chisholm entered the year hoping to join Shohei Ohtani in the 50/50 club. While he did steal 41 bases, he wound up hitting just 19 home runs. There's a pretty strong case to be made that Chisholm is young enough that if the Yankees offer him a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer, he should take it and try to rebound.
If that doesn't happen, though, Chisholm could still be a candidate to get a multi-year deal in free agency. He's on the right side of 30, can slide around the diamond and is just a year removed from homering 31 times and posting an .813 OPS. A year from now, it might look like a mistake that the two-time All-Star was only at No. 6 on this list.
2026 Stats: .260 BA, 35 HR, 96 RBI, 62 BB, .824 OPS, 4.9 WAR
Age in 2027: 32
The Pirates weren't able to reach the postseason. They did finish with their first winning record since 2018. A major reason for that was a significant improvement in their offense, with Brandon Lowe being one of the big offseason acquisitions.
After spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, Lowe homered 35 times, drove in 96 runs and posted a 121 OPS+, all while playing in a career-high 150 games.
It's difficult to project how owner Bob Nutting will act, but the right move for the Pirates would be to extend the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to Lowe. If he accepts it, you get a really good player for another season. If he declines it, his market could be suppressed enough that you re-sign him, or you'll get draft-pick compensation if he leaves in free agency.
Given he's 32 and has dealt with injuries before, Lowe should decline the QO if the Pirates extend him and take the best long-term deal he can get. He's not going to have a better contract year than he did in 2026.
2026 Stats: .260 BA, 18 HR, 78 RBI, 49 BB, .702 OPS, 1.9 WAR
Age in 2027: 29
More than anyone on this list, Bo Bichette comes with an asterisk. His first season with the Mets didn't go particularly well, so he might opt into the second year of a three-year, $126 million deal and try to set himself up for his major payday next winter.
Then again, the Phillies offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million contract last offseason, even with a qualifying offer attached. This year, any team signing Bichette wouldn't have to give up draft-pick compensation because he's ineligible for a QO. He's still under 30 and has led the AL in hits twice. With so few impact right-handed hitters available, teams will talk themselves into Bichette if he's on the open market.
Perhaps the biggest question for Bichette will be what defensive position teams will want him to play moving forward. He has a career minus-21 defensive runs saved at his natural position of shortstop. The Mets—with Francisco Lindor at shortstop—primarily used him at third base in 2026, but he posted minus-eight DRS there. Could a team sign him with the plan to use him at second base?
2026 Stats: .306 BA, 39 HR, 106 RBI, 68 BB, .991 OPS
2027 Age: 28
Based on his product in Japan, there will definitely be some who have Teruaki Sato ranked as the top offensive player available in this year's free-agent class. There are a few areas of concern, but that's hardly an outlandish opinion.
Let's start with the good: Sato has homered 79 times and driven in 208 runs over the last two seasons for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's top league. He won't turn 28 until next March, so if he clicks stateside, he could be a long-term lineup anchor.
There are some concerns about his defensive position. Jon Heyman of The New York Post shared this scouting report of Sato's work at his natural position of third base back in July:
"Like Munetaka Murakami, who's thrived at 1B slugging for the White Sox, Sato, a former Central League MVP with a 1.026 OPS, has "good pop" but is "questionable" at 3B, via scouts."
If Sato hits like he did in Japan, the defense doesn't matter. Move him to the outfield, first base or DH. Who cares. If he's gonna hit 40 home runs and post an OPS above .800, you make it work.
In addition to questions about his defense, there are questions about how frequently he chases. Also, while his 68 walks last season are nice, you would expect a mark closer to 100 from a player with this much power (and a tendency to swing and miss).
As with many players who come over from Asian countries, there will be some variance in how teams think about the ceiling and floor for Sato. But those who like Sato will probably really like him.
2026 Stats: .270 BA, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 81 BB, .841 OPS, 4.6 WAR
Age in 2027: 32
Seiya Suzuki had his best MLB season yet just in time to hit the free-agent market.
It's not surprising that Suzuki continued to perform at a high offensive level, combining power production with a .368 on-base percentage. What is surprising is that Suzuki—who at times has felt more like a DH—posted 14 defensive runs saved and five outs above average across 972.2 innings in right field. By comparison, the Cubs only utilized him in right field for 282 frames in 2025. He finished with minus-four DRS and minus-one OAA.
Perspective suitors will have to decide how much they want to commit to Suzuki's best defensive season, especially since he's likely to command a four- or five-year deal. He'll also come with a qualifying offer attached. With the dearth of productive right-handed hitters in baseball right now, Suzuki is going to make out well this winter, whether it's from the Cubs or someone else.
2026 Stats: .281 BA, 26 HR, 79 RBI, 68 BB, .865 OPS, 5.5 WAR
Age in 2027: 32
Randy Arozarena received my vote for B/R's 2026 All-MLB team as one of the top three outfielders in baseball this past regular season. He couldn't be hitting free agency at a better time.
Still, Arozarena is hardly a perfect free agent. On one hand, he just posted an .865 OPS, a remarkable accomplishment for someone who played their home games at T-Mobile Park, a spot where many hitters go to die. On the other hand, Arozarena had a much more modest .756 OPS from 2023 to 2025.
The concern with Arozarena—who is also going to receive and decline a qualifying offer—is that you would be paying for an A-level player and wind up getting B-level production. But the former ALCS MVP is a red-light player. In such a weak market, he figures he'll get over $100 million.
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