{"id":84435,"date":"2025-06-06T20:29:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T20:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/84435\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T20:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T20:29:10","slug":"early-grades-for-top-25-mlb-free-agents-from-this-past-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/84435\/","title":{"rendered":"Early grades for top 25 MLB free agents from this past offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a>\u2019 difficult start to the season took another unfortunate turn this week when ace Corbin Burnes<\/a>, in the first season of a six-year, $210 million contract, went on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation<\/a>. Burnes\u2019 velocity had dipped dramatically in the fifth inning of his most recent start,<\/a> prompting him to call for the team athletic trainer and cut his outing short. The team subsequently confirmed the ever-ominous diagnosis that it was indeed elbow-related, necessitating a visit to Dr. Neal ElAttrache to further clarify the injury.<\/p>\n

This is a devastating setback, depending on the severity of the diagnosis, for a D-backs pitching staff that was already in a rather tenuous position even with Burnes healthy and pitching well. The Snakes stunned the baseball world when they landed Burnes just before the new year, seemingly securing a certified ace to headline a rotation that was already quite talented on paper. Instead, the pitching staff surrounding Burnes, with the exception of Merrill Kelly<\/a>, who has been solid, has woefully underperformed. Now Burnes is out for at least half of this month, and even with an elite offense, the D-backs have quite an uphill battle to climb if they want to stay relevant in the NL West race, let alone the wild-card picture.<\/p>\n

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While Burnes\u2019 injury feels painful considering the massive contract he signed, he\u2019s hardly the only big-ticket free-agent addition whose tenure with their new team is off to a rocky start. Such is the nature of free agency: sometimes these splashy additions completely alter the complexion of the team for the better, but adding star-level talent for star-level prices does not always immediately provide star-level production. While it\u2019s certainly unfair to evaluate the totality of these long-term contracts after just a couple months, here\u2019s an early report card for this past offseason\u2019s biggest free-agent signings, featuring the top half of our top 50 list<\/a>:<\/p>\n

1. Juan Soto, Mets OF<\/p>\n

Contract: 15 years, $765M
Grade: B-<\/p>\n

Soto\u2019s uncharacteristic 16-game swoon in May, during which he went 7-for-59 with zero homers, put his overall statline in a hole that the spectacular slugger is still digging out of. A player who receives the largest contract in baseball history and is universally hailed as a generational offensive talent should be held to the highest possible standard, and he simply hasn\u2019t met it yet. That\u2019s not to say he has been downright bad on the whole. This modest grade reflects that. We all know how much better he can be. Soto\u2019s recent power surge and renewed shuffling swagger has rightfully restored optimism that he\u2019s trending in the right direction, which is great news for Mets fans and bad news for pitchers.<\/p>\n

2. Roki Sasaki, Dodgers RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: minor league deal; $6.5M signing bonus
Grade: C<\/p>\n

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Without a traditionally titanic free agent contract attached, and as a 23-year-old adjusting to a new league in a new country, Sasaki does not deserve to be graded nearly as harshly as his veteran counterparts on this list. But it\u2019d also be disingenuous to suggest that his first eight starts as a big leaguer were especially encouraging \u2014 and that\u2019s before even factoring in the shoulder ailment that now has him on the injured list without any clarity about when he could return to LA\u2019s rotation. There is still ample upside attainable here if Sasaki can get healthy, but there are also clear developmental hurdles for the right-hander to clear for him to become a reliable big league starter. For as special as his splitter is, Sasaki\u2019s fastball is just not a good pitch as currently constituted, and his command remains shoddy at best. There\u2019s plenty of time for Sasaki to figure these things out and become a star, but expecting it to happen in his rookie season may be overzealous at this point.<\/p>\n

3. Corbin Burnes, D-backs RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 6 years, $210M, opt-out after Year 2
Grade: B\/Incomplete<\/p>\n

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The ramifications of Burnes\u2019 injury cannot be fully understood until the severity becomes more clear. A short-term absence would obviously be an ideal outcome and a bullet dodged for the Snakes, but even a handful of missed starts could make a big difference considering how little margin for error the D-backs currently have in the standings. If it\u2019s indeed a longer-term injury and Burnes is out for the year, that\u2019s a much more daunting hole in the roster to overcome, especially with how unreliable the rest of the pitching staff has been. It could also influence the likelihood of Burnes opting out of the remaining four years and $140 million on his deal after next season \u2014 which could be viewed as good or bad news for Arizona, depending how he looks in 2026. For now, it\u2019s simply a massive bummer for both player and team, as Burnes has been such an enjoyable constant as one of baseball\u2019s aces over the past half-decade.<\/p>\n

4. Alex Bregman, Red Sox 3B<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $120M, opt-out after Year 1
Grade: A-<\/p>\n

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For all the drama involving the construction of the roster<\/a> that has swirled around the Red Sox since Bregman\u2019s arrival, Bregman himself was thoroughly fulfilling his obligations until his quad injury last month. Though he was striking out a bit more than usual, Bregman\u2019s slugging and underlying power indicators had skyrocketed to start the year, suggesting he was on track for a season resembling his 2018-2019 peak more so than the merely very good level he had performed at in recent years with Houston. It\u2019ll be fascinating to see where the currently scuffling Red Sox are in the standings when Bregman returns from his injury later this summer.<\/p>\n

5. Willy Adames, Giants SS<\/p>\n

Contract: 7 years, $182M
Grade: C-<\/p>\n

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Durability hasn\u2019t been an issue for Adames, who has started all 62 games for San Francisco, including 61 at shortstop. But Adames\u2019 track record of high-level offensive production from a premium position that warranted his sizable contract has yet to carry over as a Giant. While Adames\u2019 plate discipline metrics remain in line with his career norms, the quality\/genre of his contact has suffered this year, with a dramatic decline in how often he is pulling fly balls, which he was near-elite<\/a> at over the previous two seasons. After batting second for the first 41 games, Adames has been hitting fifth or sixth lately, depending on the matchup as he looks to find his stride. For now, Adames remains one of the more glaring holes in a San Francisco lineup that has collectively struggled to find a rhythm.<\/p>\n

6. Blake Snell, Dodgers LHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 5 years, $182M
Grade: D\/incomplete<\/p>\n

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Trying to predict which Dodgers starting pitcher was the best bet to stay healthy was a fool\u2019s errand from the beginning, yet it was especially frustrating to see Snell be the first one to hit the injured list this season after just two starts. Snell is reportedly working his way back from his shoulder injury and is scheduled to throw a bullpen in the coming weeks<\/a>, but for now, he\u2019s just another high-profile hurler on the shelf for the defending champs who has yet to meaningfully contribute on the field for his new team.<\/p>\n

7. Max Fried, Yankees LHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 8 years, $218M
Grade: A<\/p>\n

Fried\u2019s excellence would be praiseworthy in any context, but has proven especially crucial for the Yankees in the absence of ace Gerrit Cole<\/a> and reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil<\/a>. Fried\u2019s consistently crafty deployment of his ultra-deep arsenal has fit in brilliantly within New York\u2019s impressive pitching infrastructure, and he\u2019s formed one heck of a duo of southpaws atop the rotation alongside Carlos Rod\u00f3n<\/a>, another recent high-dollar free-agent addition who is enjoying his best season as a Yankee yet.<\/p>\n

8. Pete Alonso, Mets 1B<\/p>\n

Contract: 2 years, $54M with an opt-out after Year 1
Grade: A<\/p>\n

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As disappointing as it may have been for Alonso to not secure a monster contract in his first go at free agency \u2014 and several other teams should be regretting not pursuing Alonso more aggressively \u2014 this has worked out rather brilliantly for both sides so far. Alonso continues to anchor New York\u2019s new-look lineup with Soto and Francisco Lindor<\/a> while re-establishing his bona fides as one of the game\u2019s most reliable and fearsome sluggers, priming him for a deserved, if delayed payday this winter if\/when he chooses to exercise his opt-out.<\/p>\n

9. Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez, Dodgers OF<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $66M
Grade: B<\/p>\n

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From a slugging and run-producing standpoint, Hern\u00e1ndez has hardly missed a beat in his second year in Dodger blue, and remains a key contributor in the heart of Los Angeles\u2019 lineup. It\u2019s also been a strange season for the 32-year-old outfielder by certain measures, as he\u2019s currently running career-low strikeout (23.4%) and walk (3.6%) rates. The improved contact is a pleasant surprise, but his complete refusal to draw free passes has left his OBP (.306) in a less-than-stellar state. In this loaded lineup, Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s sketchy on-base skills are probably not a nit worth picking, but for a player whose value is entirely derived from his bat \u2014 the defense remains well below-average \u2014 it\u2019s something to monitor moving forward.<\/p>\n

10. Christian Walker, Astros 1B<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $60M
Grade: D+<\/p>\n

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No, Walker hasn\u2019t been quite as bad as Jose Abreu<\/a> was in the first year of the nearly identical contract (3 years, $58.5 million) signed to solidify Houston\u2019s first base situation, but he hasn\u2019t been markedly better either. It\u2019s been a discouraging introduction to the Astros for Walker, whose strikeouts have spiked and walks have plummeted. He\u2019s provided terrific defense at first, as expected, and he\u2019s still hitting the ball reasonably hard, so perhaps there is a hot streak ahead of him. But Walker has thus far failed to help backfill the offensive production lost by the departures of Alex Bregman<\/a> and Kyle Tucker<\/a>, and that\u2019s a troubling trend for a first baseman who just turned 34.<\/p>\n

11. Anthony Santander, Blue Jays OF<\/p>\n

Contract: 5 years, $92.5M
Grade: D-<\/p>\n

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Besides a career-high walk rate (11.5%), it is awfully difficult to find much positive about the first couple months of Santander\u2019s Toronto tenure. Coming off a 44-homer season with Baltimore, Santander was brought in to help address the Blue Jays\u2019 severe lack of power in the lineup outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> He has barely made an impact so far. His .304 SLG% ranks last among qualified Blue Jays bats and in the bottom 10 of all qualified<\/a> big league hitters. Now on the injured list with a shoulder injury, it\u2019s unclear when Santander will have a chance to validate his hefty contract in a Blue Jays lineup that could still use a power boost.<\/p>\n

12. Jack Flaherty, Tigers RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 2 years, $35M
Grade: B-<\/p>\n

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Flaherty has been more good than great in his return to the Motor City following a prolonged free agency that didn\u2019t seem to garner much interest from a wide swath of teams. His strikeout-to-walk ratio remains sterling, but he allows a bit more hard contact than you\u2019d prefer from one of your best starting pitchers. That said, Flaherty doesn\u2019t need to be a no-doubt ace for Detroit with Tarik Skubal<\/a> firmly entrenched as the ultimate frontline arm. He just needs to be good \u2014 and Flaherty has broadly met that standard thus far.<\/p>\n

13. Luis Severino, Athletics RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $67M
Grade: C<\/p>\n

Severino\u2019s performance hasn\u2019t been nearly the biggest problem on a problematic pitching staff that has completely sabotaged the Athletics in the standings in recent weeks. But as the pitcher who received the largest free-agent deal in franchise history, Severino\u2019s effectiveness has been a letdown. One key split worth noting: Severino has a 0.87 ERA in 31 innings across five starts on the road, but a 6.99 ERA at the supremely hitter-friendly<\/a> confines of Sutter Health Park, the Athletics\u2019 temporary home. Yikes.<\/p>\n

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14. Sean Manaea, Mets LHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $75M
Grade: Incomplete<\/p>\n

The popular lefty who endeared himself to the Mets’ fan base last season has yet to throw a pitch for New York this season after suffering an oblique strain during spring training. He\u2019s scheduled to make his first rehab start<\/a> with High-A Brooklyn this week.<\/p>\n

15. Jurickson Profar, Braves OF<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $42M
Grade: F<\/p>\n

You fail a PED test, you get an F in this exercise. Profar played just four games before being suspended 80 games for testing positive for a banned substance. He\u2019s eligible to rejoin the Braves’ lineup on June 29, but it\u2019s tough to know what to expect from the 32-year-old outfielder upon his return. He also would be unable to participate in the postseason, though that doesn\u2019t feel like an especially relevant concern at this stage considering Atlanta\u2019s current place in the standings.<\/p>\n

16. Gleyber Torres, Tigers 2B<\/p>\n

Contract: 1 year, $15M
Grade: B+<\/p>\n

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Torres\u2019 continued defensive deficiencies at second base keep this grade from being an A, but he\u2019s been a fantastic addition to the top of the Tigers’ lineup and is setting himself up well to secure a significant multiyear deal this winter. While he still isn\u2019t slugging anywhere near his early-career peak, Torres’ plate discipline has been elite with Detroit. He has a career-low strikeout rate, a career-high walk rate and the second-lowest chase rate in baseball, with only Soto ranking better<\/a>.<\/p>\n

17. Yusei Kikuchi, Angels LHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $63M
Grade: C+<\/p>\n

He\u2019s eaten innings and the ERA looks solid, but nothing about Kikuchi\u2019s underlying numbers indicate that he\u2019s having an especially strong season. Most notably, Kikuchi\u2019s command and control have regressed badly \u2014 his 12.9% walk rate isn\u2019t just a career-high mark, it\u2019s the highest of any qualified starting pitcher<\/a> in MLB.<\/p>\n

18. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $75M
Grade: A-<\/p>\n

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Before Eovaldi went on the injured list with triceps inflammation, Texas\u2019 decision to retain the right-hander was looking like one of the best moves any team made last offseason, as Eovaldi was downright dominant across his first dozen starts. This recent injury scare is a relevant data point for a 35-year-old who has had his fair share of ailments over the course of his career, hence the A- and not A. But strictly from a performance standpoint, it\u2019s tough to argue with Eovaldi\u2019s tremendous results.<\/p>\n

19. Nick Martinez, Reds RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 1 year, $21.05M (accepted the qualifying offer)
Grade: B-<\/p>\n

Many were surprised when Martinez accepted the QO coming off a quietly splendid season in 2024, and now it\u2019ll be interesting to see what kind of deal he can command this winter. He\u2019s been perfectly cromulent in his second year in Cincy, albeit hardly a standout in a Reds rotation that features some pitchers with far more eye-catching stuff, like Hunter Greene<\/a> and Nick Lodolo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

20. Ha-Seong Kim, Rays INF<\/p>\n

Contract: 2 years, $29M
Grade: Incomplete<\/p>\n

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Still working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Kim has yet to appear for Tampa Bay but is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham.<\/p>\n

21. Tyler O’Neill, Orioles OF<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $49.5M
Grade: D<\/p>\n

Much of the frustration surrounding Baltimore\u2019s wayward start to the season has understandably been directed at the ill-equipped pitching staff, but O\u2019Neill\u2019s complete lack of production stands out as another major blemish on the Orioles\u2019 front office\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Currently on the injured list with a shoulder issue, O\u2019Neill is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

22. Tanner Scott, Dodgers LHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 4 years, $72M
Grade: C-<\/p>\n

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For years, Scott\u2019s pure stuff from velocity and movement standpoints have been so overwhelmingly good that it hasn\u2019t much mattered that he\u2019d frequently walk batters \u2014 he could always find a timely whiff when he needed it to get out of trouble. Suddenly and strangely, Scott is throwing more strikes than ever in his first year with the Dodgers, but his stuff has not been nearly as nasty \u2014 and he\u2019s getting hit hard as a result. We\u2019ve still seen flashes of dominance, but Scott\u2019s struggles are a sobering reminder of how fickle relievers can be, even the best ones.<\/p>\n

23. Walker Buehler, Red Sox RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 1 year, $21.05M
Grade: C+<\/p>\n

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Amid a tumultuous first couple months for the Red Sox, Buehler hasn\u2019t been a stabilizing force in the rotation. He\u2019s had a handful of quality outings along the way but on the whole, he\u2019s looked like more of a No. 4 starter than the No. 2 starter Boston may have been hoping for after Buehler\u2019s high-profile postseason run last October.<\/p>\n

24. Shane Bieber, Guardians RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 2 years, $26M opt-out after Year 1
Grade: Incomplete<\/p>\n

Bieber appeared to be nearing his highly anticipated return<\/a> from Tommy John surgery before reporting soreness<\/a> after his most recent bullpen session. That\u2019s hardly the news Guardians fans want to hear at this stage, but if Bieber can get back on track and return sooner rather than later, he should provide a much-needed jolt to a Cleveland rotation that has sorely missed him since he went down last April. How he performs in the second half could play a huge part in whether the Guardians can return to the postseason.<\/p>\n

25. Jeff Hoffman, Blue Jays RHP<\/p>\n

Contract: 3 years, $33M
Grade: B<\/p>\n

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As with Scott, Hoffman represents another example of how volatile relievers can be. The 32-year-old right-hander looked completely invincible through the end of April but then had multiple catastrophic outings in May that completely tanked his statline. On talent alone, Hoffman is clearly still one of baseball\u2019s best bullpen arms, but the performance has undeniably been underwhelming of late.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Arizona Diamondbacks\u2019 difficult start to the season took another unfortunate turn this week when ace Corbin Burnes,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84436,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[72,383,22,145,42,191,143,5,114,141,2004,100,135,97,39,227,2281,95,633,139,2102,84,380,5098,134,813,29,774,2277,1327,108,660,101,4,394,1331,761,125,74,1511,149,297,89,110,378,1268,1271,2550,1089,382,1528,1567,282,93,115,103,142,809],"class_list":{"0":"post-84435","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-alex-bregman","9":"tag-anthony-santander","10":"tag-arizona-diamondbacks","11":"tag-arsenal","12":"tag-astros","13":"tag-atlanta","14":"tag-baltimore","15":"tag-baseball","16":"tag-blake-snell","17":"tag-boston","18":"tag-carlos-rodon","19":"tag-christian-walker","20":"tag-cleveland","21":"tag-corbin-burnes","22":"tag-dodgers","23":"tag-francisco-lindor","24":"tag-gerrit-cole","25":"tag-gleyber-torres","26":"tag-ha-seong-kim","27":"tag-houston","28":"tag-hunter-greene","29":"tag-jack-flaherty","30":"tag-jeff-hoffman","31":"tag-jose-abreu","32":"tag-juan-soto","33":"tag-jurickson-profar","34":"tag-kyle-tucker","35":"tag-los-angeles","36":"tag-luis-gil","37":"tag-luis-severino","38":"tag-max-fried","39":"tag-merrill-kelly","40":"tag-mets","41":"tag-mlb","42":"tag-nathan-eovaldi","43":"tag-nick-lodolo","44":"tag-nick-martinez","45":"tag-orioles","46":"tag-pete-alonso","47":"tag-pitching-staff","48":"tag-rangers","49":"tag-rays","50":"tag-red-sox","51":"tag-roki-sasaki","52":"tag-san-francisco","53":"tag-sean-manaea","54":"tag-shane-bieber","55":"tag-tampa-bay","56":"tag-tanner-scott","57":"tag-tarik-skubal","58":"tag-teoscar-hernandez","59":"tag-texas","60":"tag-toronto","61":"tag-vladimir-guerrero-jr","62":"tag-walker-buehler","63":"tag-willy-adames","64":"tag-yankees","65":"tag-yusei-kikuchi"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}