Juan Soto just signed the biggest contract in American Sports History, worth $765 million over 15 years. Soto was the biggest international free agent on the market, and with him gone, many teams will look for a plan B. Here are the ten best international free agents still on the market.
Roki Sasaki
The fireball-throwing righty was just posted, and many teams are in the hunt for him. Unlike Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki is subject to amateur international free agent rules, so a team will have to use international money on him. That will limit him to a small deal, and will be under team control for six years. Sasaki is coming off another great year where he went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and struck out 129 batters in 111 innings. The Dodgers and Padres are touted as the favorites to land the young pitcher.
Anthony Santander
Anthony Santander is coming off a record-breaking season, during which he became the first-ever Rule 5 player to hit 40 home runs. He finished his year slashing .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs and 102 RBIs. Santander also became the eighth switch hitter to hit over 40 home runs. Santander is getting heavy interest from The Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.
Teoscar Hernandez
Another Plan B for the teams that missed out on Soto is NL All-Star and World Series champion Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez is coming off a tremendous one-year prove-it deal with the Dodgers, during which he slashed .272/.339/.501, hit 33 home runs and drove in 99 runs. Teoscar is an instant-impact slugger. The Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks are reportedly interested in him.
Carlos Estévez
Carlos Estevez marks off many boxes for teams looking to add to their bullpen. Estevez is coming off his best season, which started with the Angels before he was traded to the Phillies at the deadline. In 2024, Estevez pitched to an overall ERA of 2.45 and struck out 50 batters in 55 innings. Teams such as the Cubs and Phillies have shown interest in Estevez.
Gleyber Torres
Gleyber Torres ended his up-and-down 2024 season with a slashline of .257/.330/.378 while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 63 runs. Torres ended the year with three incredible months where his on-base was near .400. During the postseason for the Yankees, he was on base almost every game. Considered a good hitter with defensive struggles, Gleyber is receiving interest from teams such as the Seattle Mariners and the Blue Jays.
Hye-seong Kim
Hye-Seong Kim is another player who has been posted. The 26-year-old KBO star is expected to receive a lot of interest from teams. He is coming off a year in which he slashed .326/.383/.458 hitting 11 homeruns and 75 RBIS. The contact-hitting second baseman has not had a single full season with an on-base percentage below 300, and teams such as the Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, and Yankees have all been connected to the well-rounded KBO star.
Jurickson Profar
The utility star Jurickson Profar is coming off another strong year for the Padres. In 2024, he slashed .280/.380/.459, hitting 24 home runs and driving in 85 RBIs. Profar is expected to get a multi-year deal, and teams that have shown interest are the Dodgers, Padres, Orioles, Braves, and Diamondbacks.
Tomoyuki Sugano
Unlike Roki Sasaki, Tomoyuki Sugano is being posted the traditional way, meaning he can get a large contract from any team. Sugano is coming off a strong year in which he pitched to an incredible 15-3 record with a 1.67 ERA while striking out 111 batters in 156 innings. The 2017 World Baseball Classic star is expected to receive interest from the Blue Jays, Angels, and Giants.
Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen is another name receiving interest. The former Catcher turned Closer continued his success with another good year, posting a 3.29 ERA with 27 saves in 54 innings. Jansen has not had a season with an ERA above 3.71, and bullpen-needy teams will be interested.
Jose Quintana
Quintana is coming off his best and healthiest year as he hits free agency again. The lefty pitched a strong 3.75 ERA over 175 innings for the Mets. It was his first time pitching over 170 innings since 2019. The soft-contact lefty is gaining interest from teams such as the Athletics and Angels.
