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All-Free-Agent Team: Closers and corner outfielders aplenty, harder to fill up the middle

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All-Free-Agent Team: Closers and corner outfielders aplenty, harder to fill up the middle

The offseason is built for free-agent rankings. Our resident scout Keith Law compiled his top 50 free agents, and our resident GM Jim Bowden ranked his own top 45. A handful of our writers worked together to develop a collective Big Board of the market’s top 40 free agents.

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But while rankings give a sense of the top talent available, we have to rearrange those lists to better understand where the market is deep and especially thin. Here, then, is a 26-man roster made entirely of free agents, illustrating the ample options for a needy rotation, bullpen or outfield corner, and the relative lack of options for almost any position up the middle.

Lineup

  1. Willy Adames, SS
  2. Juan Soto, RF
  3. Pete Alonso, 1B
  4. Anthony Santander, DH
  5. Teoscar Hernández, LF
  6. Alex Bregman, 3B
  7. Gleyber Torres, 2B
  8. Travis d’Arnaud, C
  9. Harrison Bader, CF

Power in the middle

If you’re in the market for a slugger, this offseason has some options. Five of the 18 players who hit over 30 home runs this season are now free agents (Soto, Santander, Alonso, Hernández, Adames). Bregman also has some pop, and d’Arnaud was top 10 among catchers in slugging percentage. Among the free agents who didn’t make our starting lineup, Randal Grichuk, Joc Pederson, Tyler O’Neill and Kyle Higashioka each slugged at least .475 this year.

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Depth at the corners

Our Big Board has enough corner outfielders near the top that we had to stick one of them at designated hitter just to fit them all in our lineup. Even then, there are enough everyday options that a second string could have plenty of impact, with Jurickson Profar (.839 OPS in 2024), Tyler O’Neill (.847) and Joc Pederson (.908) also ranking among our top 26 free agents. Another corner bat, first baseman Christian Walker (.803 OPS, three Gold Gloves), is No. 15 on our list.

Point of weakness

When Cody Bellinger chose to stay with the Chicago Cubs, the free-agent market lost its best center-field option. No other center fielder came particularly close to making our Big Board. For our Free Agents Team we chose Bader (coming off a 1.3 fWAR with the Mets) over other glove-first options Michael A. Taylor and Kiké Hernández. Center field is the market’s thinnest and weakest position, though the market isn’t particularly deep anywhere up the middle.


Jurickson Profar, ranked 17th on our Free Agent Big Board, was a first-time All-Star in 2024.  (Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)

Bench

  • Christian Walker, 1B
  • Ha-Seong Kim, SS/2B
  • Jurickson Profar, OF
  • Danny Jansen, C

Thin in the infield

Positionally, this is not a great way to build a big-league bench. There’s no backup third baseman, no backup center fielder, and we’re not sure when our utility man is going to be ready (or how much his shoulder surgery will impact his ability to play shortstop). But the options — especially in the infield — are limited. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt ranks No. 29, but our Big Board includes no other infielders who aren’t listed here. The ones that came closest are Carlos Santana, José Iglesias, Yoán Moncada and Korean infielder Hye-seong Kim, and there are reasons to wonder about each of those in an everyday role. Second baseman Jorge Polanco could be interesting as a bounce-back candidate, and shortstop Paul DeJong has hit his way back onto the map after a good season.

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Options behind the plate

There are no catchers on our Big Board, but d’Arnaud and Jansen did generate some bottom-of-the-list consideration, and the free-agent market also has Higashioka, Carson Kelly, Gary Sánchez, Elías Díaz, Jacob Stallings and others who have been solid big-league catchers in recent years. This market doesn’t necessarily have a standout everyday catcher, but those are few and far between in today’s game. For teams trying to build a catching duo, free agency might offer a few solutions.

Lefty bats

For our backup outfielder, we just went with the highest name remaining from the Big Board (Profar), but the market notably has a decent number of left-handed options that could be useful in a platoon. Joc Pederson (No. 26), Max Kepler (34), Alex Verdugo (38) and Michael Conforto (40) made our Big Board, and Jesse Winker just missed. Jason Heyward is also a free agent after providing some left-handed balance for a few contenders (the Dodgers and Astros) this past season.

Rotation

  • Corbin Burnes, RHP
  • Max Fried, LHP
  • Blake Snell, RHP
  • Jack Flaherty, RHP
  • Sean Manaea, LHP

Impact starters 

Our Big Board’s top 12 includes six starting pitchers, but we didn’t include No. 3 Roki Sasaki in our All-Free Agent rotation because his situation is unique and some of his value is tied to his youth (23 years old) and the fact he’ll have to sign relatively cheap. Among proven big-league starters, this free-agent market includes four of the top 20 in ERA this past season. Burnes is unmistakably the top arm in the class, and the depth of No. 1 starters depends on whether teams believe the recent performances of Flaherty and Manaea are sustainable.

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Next tier

Almost half of our top 25 free agents are mid-rotation-or-better arms — Nathan Eovaldi (No. 13 on the Big Board), Yusei Kikuchi (14), Shane Bieber (20), Walker Buehler (21), Luis Severino (23), and Nick Martinez (25) — but they come with a vast array of questions ranging from age to health to recent inconsistency. Bieber, in particular, is interesting given that he’s a Cy Young winner returning from Tommy John surgery and doesn’t turn 30 until the end of May. Martinez is 34, but he’s coming off a career year that saw him pitch well down the stretch as a full-time starter.

A question of age

The bottom of our Big Board is loaded with successful but uncertain starting pitchers. Tomoyuki Sugano, Matthew Boyd, José Quintana and Max Scherzer each rank between 35 and 39 on our list, and all will be aged between 34 and 40 next season. The first player who missed the cut for our Big Board was Charlie Morton, another stater who turns 41 later this month. A few spots below Morton was Justin Verlander, who’s almost 42. Sugano has never pitched in the majors. Boyd’s made 23 starts the past three years combined. Scherzer made just nine starts this season. Which can be trusted to carry a starter’s workload next year?

Bullpen

  • Tanner Scott, LHP
  • Jeff Hoffman, RHP
  • Clay Holmes, RHP
  • Carlos Estévez, RHP
  • Blake Treinen, RHP
  • Kirby Yates, RHP
  • Kenley Jansen, RHP
  • David Robertson, RHP

Impact at the top

Six of these eight relievers have been All-Stars within the past two seasons. The only exceptions are Treinen (who’s been an All-Star in the past and most recently was the top arm in the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen) and Robertson (another former All-Star who along with Yates, Scott, Jansen, Hoffman and Estévez ranked in the top 20 in Win Probability Added this season). Four other free agents — Chris Martin, Hector Neris, Paul Sewald and Lucas Sims — were top 10 in Win Probability Added in 2023. There’s potential for impact here.

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Closers for hire

 This free-agent class is especially deep in pitchers with extensive closer experience. Eleven free agents — Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Robertson, Will Smith, Neris, Yates, Sewald, Estévez, Treinen and Holmes — rank top 25 in saves among active players, and that list doesn’t include Scott, who’s had double-digit saves the past three years and made the All-Star team last year. Ninth-inning experience is readily available this winter.

From the left side

We chose our bullpen by picking every reliever on our Big Board, plus the two who came closest to making the cut. If we wanted a second lefty, though, Chapman and Danny Coulombe — surprisingly let go by the Orioles — would warrant some consideration. A.J. Minter, Tim Hill and Jalen Beeks are among the other free-agent lefties who could help balance a bullpen.

(Top photo of Pete Alonso: Harry How / Getty Images)

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Eli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan

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Eli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan

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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.

On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.

“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.

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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)

Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.

“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.

Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.

NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.

Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)

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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.

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The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.

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Rams coach Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is ‘doing really well’ after rehab stint

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Rams coach Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is ‘doing really well’ after rehab stint

Star receiver Puka Nacua will fully participate in voluntary offseason workouts, the Rams are getting closer to another contract adjustment with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead hope backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo decides to put off retirement and return for a third season and possible Super Bowl run.

McVay and Snead addressed those topics and the NFL draft on Tuesday during a videoconference with reporters.

Nacua led the NFL in receptions last season but also was involved in a string of off-the-field incidents the last few months, including an alleged biting incident that led to a civil lawsuit. Those situations put the brakes on any immediate discussion between the Rams and Nacua about a massive extension for the fourth-year pro.

In March, Nacua began a rehabilitation program in Malibu, but he was present for the first day of workouts on Monday.

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Nacua, 24, “looks great” and is “doing really well,” McVay said. McVay declined to detail discussions he’s had with the All-Pro, who was a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.

“He and I have a great relationship,” McVay said. “Feel really good about kind of the direction we’re going.”

Stafford, 38, led the Rams to the NFC championship game last season and is the reigning NFL most valuable player. According to overthecap.com, he is due to carry a salary-cap number of $48.3 million this season.

But Stafford has no doubt demanded, and will receive, a raise and a possible additional year in a deal that the Rams acknowledged two years ago is essentially a year-to-year situation.

“Progress has been made,” Snead said of negotiations.

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There is no timeline, Snead said, “but don’t expect any drama, per se.”

Garoppolo, 34, has backed up Stafford for two seasons, and he has been invaluable.

Last year, with Stafford sidelined for training camp because of a back issue, Garoppolo ran the offense and prepped the defense with a skillset honed during a 12-year career that included a Super Bowl appearance. Stafford joined workouts before the season and remained healthy throughout, but Garoppolo was perhaps the most valuable insurance policy in the NFL.

Last season, Garoppolo played on a one-year contract and earned $4.5 million, according to overthecap.com.

McVay expressed confidence in fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett, but said he was hopeful that “when the time is right,” Garoppolo will “change his mind,” and return.

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“You leave the door open,” McVay said when asked if there was a point that Rams would press Garoppolo to return. “I don’t think you want to press. What you don’t want to do is ever force a guy to play if in his mind he’s ready to move on.

“But you don’t want to minimize that, ‘Hey, if you do decide you want to play, let’s make sure it’s here with us.”

The Rams have the 13th pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Pittsburgh. They have one pick in the second and third rounds, one in the sixth round and three in the seventh.

Receiver, offensive line and edge rusher are among the positions the Rams could address with their first top-15 pick since they selected quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016.

“There’s a lot of possibilities,” McVay said. “We don’t control what happens in those 12 picks before, and so what we’ve done is a lot of contingency planning and a lot of conversations, and feel really good about that.”

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PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule

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PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule

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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.

The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area. 

An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)

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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.

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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.

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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.

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