Top MLB Free Agents Can't Find Teams

We're somehow just a few weeks away from the start of 2025 Major League Baseball spring training, and a number of star level players remain unsigned. 

Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Jack Flaherty were all widely considered to be among the top-10 free agents entering the offseason. All provided well above average production to their teams in 2024; Flaherty helped pitch the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title, Bregman contributed his typical excellent defensive numbers and offense, and Alonso hit 34 home runs and was 22 percent better than league average on offense.

They all also have something else in common: they're unsigned just a few weeks before pitchers and catchers report in Arizona and Florida. How is that possible? 

Because most MLB teams have decided it's better to be mediocre on a budget than great with any amount of financial risk.

Houston Astros third base Alex Bregman. Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

For his part, Flaherty recently expressed confusion as to the lack of interest coming off an excellent 2024 season.

"We’re waiting," Flaherty explained on the "Foul Territory" show Thursday. "I just want to play ball."

"You have a certain number of teams that want to win, they look at their rosters and they’re happy [enough] with it," he continued. "I think teams just want to get into the playoffs — [it’s] not World Series or bust, but ‘[Let’s] hope we get into the playoffs and see what happens.’"

That sums up the prevailing mindset across baseball in 2025. Why try to win the most games when the rewards for it are so minimal? 

There is one team actively trying to win as often as possible, trying to be aggressive with a "World Series or bust" mindset. It's the Dodgers, and they've been heavily criticized