With the collective bargaining agreement expiring Dec. 1 and a wide gap between MLB players and owners, the entire industry is bracing for a lockout.
Before that happens, though, November could be a busy month as teams scramble to acquire talent before a labour dispute disrupts everything. On the position player side, there are no superstars available, but there are plenty of standout contributors who could change the complexion of a lineup.
Now that the World Series is over — congratulations to the small-market Milwaukee Brewers! — eligible players are officially free agents. To prepare you, here’s a look at Sportsnet’s ranking of the top 10 position players available.
Age: 31
Position: Outfield
2026 WAR (per FanGraphs): 5.5
A year ago, it would’ve been a shock to see Arozarena as the free-agent headliner. However, thanks to a career season, the left fielder is poised for a large payday. Arozarena clubbed 26 homers, stole 26 bases and produced a career-best .865 OPS — an improvement of more than 100 points from 2025.
Arozarena possesses an attractive blend of power and baserunning. He demanded the attention of the baseball world with his performance during the Tampa Bay Rays’ run to the 2020 World Series, but after a few consistent years, his production began to dip slightly. A trade to Seattle during the 2024 campaign seemed to re-energize the right-handed hitter, and last year he managed to cut down on strikeouts while improving his walk rate. It’s scary to think what the Mariners’ disappointing lineup would have looked like without him.
The Scott Boras client will make for a nice addition atop any prospective lineup, and given his age — he turns 32 in February — Arozarena should be able to deliver above-average production for years to come.
2. Seiya Suzuki
Age: 32
Position: Outfield
2026 WAR: 4.5
Suzuki has forged a reputation as a consistent run producer since coming over from Japan. The right fielder has averaged 30 doubles, 25 homers and 84 RBIs to go along with a 131 OPS-plus over his past four seasons with the Chicago Cubs. That type of production should entice teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, who are craving an injection of power.
While his bat is Suzuki’s carrying tool, he’s also turned himself into an elite defender. He possesses one of the strongest right-field arms in the majors and his 14 defensive runs saved led the National League at that position.
The intriguing bonus to signing a player such as Suzuki is that his presence can help an organization make inroads into the Japanese business market, as I detailed in this story from May. Should the Blue Jays manage to land him and pair Suzuki with his friend, Kazuma Okamoto, that could place the club just behind the Dodgers in terms of relevance in Japan.
3. Teruaki Sato
Age: 27
Position: Third base and outfield
2026 WAR: N/A
Sato is the headliner in this winter’s class of Japanese free agents. The six-foot-one, 207-pound left-handed hitter slashed .306/.383/.609 with 39 homers and 40 doubles for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, production that could earn him his second consecutive MVP award.
There are some industry questions about the swing-and-miss in Sato’s game. He owned a 27 per cent strikeout rate over the past two seasons and you don’t have to look far (Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami) to see that those percentages can rise when a Japanese player joins MLB.
Sato has spent most of his six-year career in Japan at third base but has also spent time in the outfield. Another question is whether his glove can last at third or if he’ll need to transition to first base. That’s a move Murakami made with the Chicago White Sox this past season.
4. Brandon Lowe (4.9)
Age: 32
Position: Infield
2026 WAR: 4.9
Lowe was traded to the Pirates from Tampa Bay last off-season and he responded with a fine 2026 campaign, clubbing 35 homers while slashing .260/.331/.493. There aren’t many second basemen as offensively consistent as Lowe, whose 155 homers since 2021 lead MLB at the position.
The knock on the left-handed hitter has always been health — he’s reached 110 games played just three times in his nine-year career. However, last season Lowe did manage to establish a career high with 150 games played while transforming into an elite defender. He generated a whopping 15 outs above average, which ranked in the 98th percentile and helped him become a Gold Glove finalist for the first time.
5. Jake Bauers
Age: 31
Position: First base and outfield
2026 WAR: 3.7
Bauers enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Brewers (26 HRs, 140 OPS-plus) and then further boosted his earning potential with a strong post-season showing for the World Series champions. He was named National League Championship Series MVP in part because of two epic plate appearances that displayed impressive discipline and tenacity.
In Game 2, the left-handed hitter worked a pivotal 12-pitch walk against right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in an at-bat that lasted 7:04 minutes. Then, in the next contest, he endured an 11-pitch battle with left-hander Blake Snell that resulted in a go-ahead, two-run homer.
The only red flag surrounding Bauers is his lack of track record. His production over his first six seasons in the big leagues: -1.2 WAR (per Baseball Reference), .672 OPS, 84 OPS-plus.
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Age: 28
Position: Infield
2026 WAR: 3.5
While Bauers helped his cause in October, Chisholm Jr. might have hurt his with some irresponsible defence and decision-making. The second baseman has often been a lightning rod for criticism during his tenure with the New York Yankees and, at times, that’s been warranted.
Remember when he played with a lollipop in his mouth?
Behaviour aside, though, Chisholm Jr.’s talent is unmistakable. He joined the 30-homer, 30-steal club in 2025 and has tallied 11.8 fWAR over the past three seasons, more than Bryce Harper (11.6), Jackson Chourio (11.5) and Mookie Betts (11.3).
7. Ryan Jeffers
Age: 29
Position: Catcher
2026 WAR: 2.6
The right-handed hitting catcher has been sneaky good for the Twins over the past four seasons, averaging 14.5 homers and 20 doubles with a .782 OPS. He’s the clear No. 1 free-agent backstop, but there are some questions about his defence, which graded out below average in most metrics last season.
8. Luis Arraez
Age: 29
Position: Infielder
2026 WAR: 4.1
Will this be the off-season where Arraez is finally valued? Last winter, the three-time batting champion lingered on the free-agent market until February, when he signed a one-year, $12-million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The second baseman responded by hitting .310 and producing a career-high 4.1 fWAR, helped in part by a standout defensive campaign.
He doesn’t hit for power, but his contact ability is elite, and perhaps a post-season where the Brewers and Rays highlighted that skill may boost the interest teams have in Arraez, who owns a .316 career batting average.
9. Ian Happ
Age: 32
Position: Outfield
2026 WAR: 2.6
You pretty much know what you’re going to get from the switch-hitting left fielder: About 150 games played, 3.0 wins above replacement, 20 homers and a .770 OPS. The longtime Cub is a solid player who can lengthen any lineup at a relatively affordable price.
10. Ty France
Age: 32
Position: First base
2026 WAR: 3.6
France signed a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres in spring training and, with the help of a subtle change to the load of his swing, proceeded to author a career season, slashing .295/.363/.502 with 21 homers and a 141 wRC-plus that was tied for fourth-best in baseball (minimum 500 plate appearances).
Impressively, the right-handed-hitting France was equally successful against righties and lefties, and the cherry on top of his free-agent case is that advanced metrics classify him as one of MLB’s best defensive first basemen.
Honourable mentions: Mauricio Dubon (2.4), Gleyber Torres (1.0), Taylor Ward (1.0)
