The 2026-27 MLB offseason is a little over a week now and we’re still waiting for the first big trade or free agent signing. This is not unusual, however. Hot stoves, like the regular season, are a marathon, not a sprint. A lockout is expected when the collective agreement ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, and there should be a flurry of activity by then.
We Ranked the 50 Best Free Agents of the Offseasonand while it’s not a big class, there are dozens of quality players available. You just have to know where to look. Now here are five players who have done it not rank among our top 50 free agents, but would still be good options and solid pickups for teams looking to raise their floor and improve their supporting cast.
RHP Bryan Abreu
It was a tale of two seasons for 29-year-old Bryan Abreu, who had a 5.81 ERA before the All-Star break and a 1.71 ERA afterward. Under-the-hood estimators, like FIP and xERA, were also better in the second half, although Abreu lost nearly 2 mph on his fastball this year and, not coincidentally, a whole bunch of swings and misses. Abreu is third in appearances and second in innings among relievers since 2022 and it’s possible the workload will catch up with him. There’s still enough missing bat ability and late-inning experience here that Abreu could contribute to a contender’s bullpen. This might well happen as a seventh inning player advancing, not as a Moment of Truth™ reliever pitching in the biggest moments of the game.
IFJP Crawford
If you’re looking for a guy at the bottom of the order who will take walks and give you 10-15 homers, it’s JP Crawford. His defense, particularly his reach and arm, has declined so much in his early 30s that he is no longer a viable shortstop, although he played 33 games at third base last season. I like him best at second base, but third base works too. Crawford gets on base at a decent pace and doesn’t hit excessively, and he has long been considered a great teammate and premium clubhouse guy. It appears his time with the Mariners is over and it’s for the better. Crawford can go elsewhere, play a new position and simply be part of the roster rather than one of the faces of the franchise.
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Mike Axisa
LHP Sean Newcomb
Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, it looked like Sean Newcomb was on his way out of baseball two years ago. He then reinvented himself as a sinker/curveball guy and carved out a nice second phase in his career as a utility reliever who won’t struggle with walks (an early career bugaboo) and will limit hard contact through the air. Newcomb, 33, has worked at least 90 innings over the past two seasons while playing every role possible. He closed out games, worked with great influence as a setup man, absorbed innings in relief and also opened several times. Newcomb is probably miscast as a bullpen option, although he could be a valuable third or fourth option for a contender. The utility reliever is all the rage these days and Newcomb fits the profile to a T.
RHP Emilio Pagan
Now 35, Emilio Pagán has been sensational after returning from a hamstring injury in July, posting a 1.88 ERA with 34 strikeouts and just five walks in his last 28 ⅔ innings. The downside is the same as it’s always been: Pagán is exceptionally homer-prone (career 1.51 HR/9), which is a bad trait for a late-inning reliever who pitches almost exclusively in close games. His fastball, however, remains firm and his splitter is an elite pitch that allows him to neutralize righties and lefties. As long as you’re willing to live with the risk of a home run, Pagán remains a capable, high-leverage reliever who isn’t out of place to pitch important innings for a contending team.
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Dayn Perry
DH Joc Pederson
Platoon DHs aren’t the hottest commodity, but Joc Pederson fills the role as well as anyone in the game. He’s a left-handed hitter, so he’s on the heavy side of the platoon, and he’s written a .245/.338/.496 line with excellent ball tracking data (exit velocity, etc.) against righties. If you have to play him in the field, Pederson can stay in right field or at first base for about six innings before being replaced by a defensive replacement. However, he is essentially a strikeout-only player. Pederson turns 35 in April and he’s still a productive power hitter against righties and an elite guy with clubhouse vibes.
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