The Six Best New Free Agents After the Non-Tender Deadline

All 30 MLB teams had to decide by Friday, November 21, at 5 p.m. EST if they were going to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players.

While there were 66 total players who were non-tendered across the league, I want to highlight a few of the more significant players who are now free to sign with any team of their choosing.

While they have all entered the same pool, their paths to this situation were all quite different. For the most part, it was largely due to poor play in 2025. However, for others, injuries or even being a victim of a roster crunch were the reasons why they will likely be calling a new city their home.

Adolis García (OF)

2025 Stats: 135 G, .227/.271/.394, 19 HR, 75 RBI, 83 wRC+, 0.7 fWAR

It has been some time since we have seen the Adolis García who provided so much electricity for the World Series champion Rangers in 2023. After two subpar seasons, he now finds himself on the open market entering his age-33 season.

The interesting thing about his falloff is that all of the advanced numbers remain similar to the ones he had during his better seasons. His contact rate, in-zone contact rate, and swing percentage in 2025 mirrored those of the years he was having success.

One statistic that does stick out is his dip in barrel percentage. Back in 2023, he had a 16.1% barrel percentage, which now looks like a true outlier. We saw dips in 2024 (12.2%) and 2025 (11.6%) that were more like what he was posting before the breakout.

It truly is an interesting case study. His wRC+ was well below average at 83, and he failed to produce 1.0 fWAR for the second consecutive year. His defense still showed to be above average, but the anticipated cost for a glove-first corner outfielder did not make financial sense for an organization that already has so much invested in its offense.

Nathaniel Lowe (1B)

2025 Stats: 153 G, .228/.307/.381 18 HR, 84 RBI, 91 wRC+, -0.4 fWAR

The start to the 2025 season was already going to be different for Nathaniel Lowe after being traded to the Nationals for Robert Garcia. Then, in August, his situation changed again when the Nationals designated him for assignment.

After he cleared waivers and was granted his release, the Red Sox signed him to their 26-man roster to help fill the void at first base they had been trying to fill since Triston Casas went down with a season-ending injury early in the year.

Ultimately, we just never saw the same version of Lowe at the plate that we had seen in seasons prior. All of his contact rates dipped across the board and led to him eventually becoming a part-time player for a Red Sox team that was pushing towards the postseason.

He hasn’t provided much with the glove since winning the AL Gold Glove at first base, but the former Silver Slugger Award winner is sure to find a job somewhere for the upcoming season. Once he acclimated himself in Boston, he was able to put up a .790 OPS to help them make the postseason.

JJ Bleday (OF)

2025 Stats: 98 G, .212/.294/.404, 14 HR, 39 RBI, 90 wRC+, -0.1 fWAR

The former fourth overall pick is going to presumably start the 2026 season with his third team since 2019.

JJ Bleday‘s 2025 season was a disappointment on both sides of the baseball diamond. His failure to put up a .700 OPS while only hitting .212 makes the Athletics’ decision to move on one that should not have caught us by much of a surprise.

While he predominantly plays center field, he grades out as below average in that spot, putting up -8 DRS this past season.

The intrigue with Bleday comes from his ability to hit for power from the left side of the plate. There is hope that he will be able to return to the .762 OPS player that he was just a season ago. The bat alone should convince an organization looking to add some lefty thump to give Bleday a chance.

Evan Phillips (RHP)

2025 Stats: 7 G, 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.08 FIP, 6 K, 0.2 fWAR

The 2025 season was just a wash for Evan Phillips after being sidelined for essentially all of it while dealing with a partially torn rotator cuff that lingered from the season before. The issues then led to Tommy John surgery in May.

Due to the surgery, Phillips is likely slated to return sometime after the All-Star Game in 2026. So, what we have to reflect on is what he put up before the injuries he sustained.

From 2022-2024, Phillips was one of the better relief pitchers in all of baseball. During that time, he put up a 2.21 ERA, a 10.4 K/9, and 44 saves for the Dodgers. There is reason to believe that a team will sign him solely based on those numbers alone.

As soon as he was non-tendered, reports already started to surface that the Dodgers were not closing the door on a Phillips return; it just wasn’t going to be at the $6.1 million price that he was projected to make in 2026 (per MLB Trade Rumors).

Nonetheless, Phillips is going to land a job somewhere and could end up being one of the better “deadline acquisitions” at the back half of the 2026 season.

Jonah Heim (C)

2025 Stats: 124 G .213/.271/.332 11 HR, 43 RBI, 69 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR

Jonah Heim is another 2023 hero for the Rangers who is now looking for his next home for the upcoming season. His -0.5 fWAR and 69 wRC+ in 2025 just didn’t sniff his 107 wRC+ and 4.0 fWAR from that breakout season.

The biggest red flag comes from his defensive falloff. Just this last season alone, he had a -7 DRS and a -3 FRV. It’s no surprise that the Rangers were not able to move Heim before deciding to non-tender him.

On the flip side, he had never had a full season with a DRS under 5 before this year. It would not surprise me if this was just an outlier season behind the dish for the 30-year-old backstop.

We have seen plenty of teams bring in veteran catchers, and Heim has a track record that would justify him serving at least as a backup for the upcoming season.

Mike Tauchman (OF)

2025 Stats: 93 G, .263/.356/.400, 9 HR, 40 HR, 115 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR

Mike Tauchman is one player who always seemingly finds himself on the roster bubble, despite putting up strong offensive numbers when he gets an opportunity on the field. The downside here is that he will be entering his age-35 season.

Even at his advanced age, the left-handed outfielder has continued to produce offensively. What was most surprising about the decision to non-tender him was that the White Sox held onto him at the deadline.

He was limited to only 93 games in 2025 because of a nagging hamstring injury, but all indications are that he will be ready to go come spring training. There will undoubtedly be a few contending teams looking for a top-of-the-order bat with a 12.6% BB% in his career.

Honorable Mention

Christopher Morel (OF)

2025 Stats: 105 G .219/.289/.396 11 HR, 33 RBI, 90 wRC+, -0.1 fWAR