Alex Bregman, Nick Pivetta and the remaining free agents

Spring training camps across Florida and Arizona started to open this week. Players already assured roles for the upcoming season and some 700+ NRIs (non-roster invitees; players not already on a team’s 40-man roster who were invited to spring training) will arrive at camps and begin workouts in the coming days.

Yet several players remain on the free agent market without a home for the upcoming season.

When the offseason began, There was little indication that Bregman would still remain on the market once spring training arrived, but here we are. He has reportedly had a six-year, $156M offer on the table from the Astros since November but has held out for a bigger deal.

Various reports over these last weeks have had the Red Sox, Tigers, and a return to the Astros as focal points of the Bregman speculation. Still, no deal appears closer. Each team is believed to have a four-year offer out to Bregman, at least according to reporting from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The Cubs are in the mix, as well, but they aren’t interested in going beyond a three-year deal.

Pivetta likely wouldn’t be No. 2 on many lists if he hadn’t declined the qualifying offer from Boston. That a signing team will have to give up a draft pick and potentially part of next year’s international signing bonus pool, there’s been extra hesitation to sign a pitcher that wasn’t likely getting a big deal (more than 2-3 years or more than $50M) to begin with.

Pivetta eats innings and posted a better strikeout and walk rate over the last few seasons than perception would suggest, but also allows homers at a higher rate than most. He threw 145.1 innings for Boston last year with 172 strikeouts, 36 walks, and 28 homers allowed.

The Mets were linked to him before the Winter Meetings but they have since brought in Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas while re-signing Sean Manaea. Toronto was believed to have some interest in the Canadian right-hander before they signed Max Scherzer. The Angels make a lot of sense, given their ever-persistent need for reliable pitching and their likely payroll room.

Behind the plate there isn’t much available. Teams place too much value on catching depth for quality free agent catchers to linger long on the open market. It might take an early spring injury at this point for any of the remaining backstops to land an opportunity.

The best of the limited remaining bunch would be 36-year-old Yasmani Grandal, who didn’t sign with the Pirates last year until mid-February and would hit .228/.304/.400 over just 243 PA, splitting time with Joey Bart and Henry Davis.

The list of veteran bat-first first basemen who remain on the market is long, but it’s hardly a surprise. Nearly half the teams in baseball made a change of some kind at first base this offseason. Many of those changes have involved shifting a younger player to first, leaving fewer opportunities for some of these vets to hang on.

Justin Turner might be better suited at first base and designated hitter at this point in his career, but he still saw 539 PA last season at 39 years of age and hit .259/.354/.383 with 24 doubles and 11 homers.

The Cubs have reportedly considered Turner as an alternative if they don’t end up signing Bregman. There could be a fit in Boston, too, if they’re still seeking a right-handed bat.

Fewer options remain on the market up the middle. Brendan Rodgers hasn’t ever hit much (even at Coors Field) but his youth and defensive upside should still land him a deal somewhere.

Jose Iglesias may be the key player among the group remaining, even if he’s coming off a career-year in 2025. Iglesias joined the Mets last spring on an NRI and wound up getting called up in May after sticking with their Triple-A affiliate after camp. Over 291 PA he would bat .337/.381/.448.

A reunion with the Mets always seemed like the best-case scenario for Iglesias, but the club has since brought in Nick Madrigal and Donavan Walton to join an extensive list of internal options.

At the onset of the offseason, it would have been fair to call the outfield market top-heavy. Juan Soto stood clearly in a class of his own, but the next tier of outfielders all found homes without much struggle (though maybe Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar lingered longer than expected before signing big deals).

The collection that remains is a mixed bag of veterans at the end of their careers (Whit Merrifield, Michael A. Taylor, Adam Duvall). The “best” remaining option, at least in terms of projected WAR (per FanGraphs) for the 2025 season, would be Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo batted .233/.291/.356 in 621 PA for the Yankees last year and carries questions about his work ethic and clubhouse presence with him. He’s still only 28 years old though so someone will bring him into camp on a minor league deal.

Pivetta is out there. Clayton Kershaw is, too, technically, but he’s expected to return to the Dodgers. Lance Lynn reportedly drew some interest as a reliever not long ago, though nothing developed from those rumblings. Spencer Turnbull likely falls into similar consideration.

There aren’t many starting pitchers left on the market that are worth signing at this point. The option that hasn’t drawn much public speculation would be Kyle Hart, who is looking to return to the majors after a successful run in Korea.

Curiously, one could craft a full eight-man bullpen out of the available arms still on the market. Collectively, they’d actually make an interesting collection of arms.

Veteran closers Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel both remain on the market, as does Kyle Finnegan who saved 38 games for the Nationals before a surprising non-tender. David Robertson, Joe Kelly, Luis Garcia, Jalen Beeks, and Andrew Chafin all would add an additional wealth of experience over their respective careers.

Finnegan and Beeks should surely land deals before long. It’s surprising they’re both still available. The others are all 35 or older. Jansen and Kimbrel could be future Hall of Famers, but it’s unclear if this is the end for either (Kimbrel should return to the Braves for one final year).