Major League Baseball's free agent frenzy is in full swing, and we all know who the top targets are. With Juan Soto, Max Fried, Blake Snell and other big names already off the board, most teams have turned to digging into the next tier of available players.
There are plenty of hidden gems in this free-agent class. What follows is a look at five of the most underrated players still available.
Joc Pederson, OF/DH (No. 30, SI Big Board)
Pederson finished his 2024 campaign by slashing .275/.393/.515, with 23 home runs, 64 RBIs and a wRC+ of 151 in 132 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He produced 2.9 WAR, which was his best since 2019, and his .908 OPS was a career high. So why isn't he getting more attention on the free agent market? Pederson is almost exclusively a designated hitter at this point in his career, and most teams prefer to rotate at the position.
Still, Pederson continued to reinvent himself in 2024, which bodes well for his future. He slugged a career-best .636 against fastballs and continued to crush right-handed pitching. He finished the season slashing .281/.392/.531 with an OPS of .923 in 335 at-bats against righties, and racked up 22 home runs in the process. The problem is, he still struggles against lefties, and hit .219 against them with one home run.
The 32-year-old Pederson will find a job but it'll take a while for the market to clear enough for him to get his shot.
Walker Buehler, SP (No. 25)
Buehler struggled for much of the 2024 season as he returned from Tommy John surgery. He went 1–6 with a 5.38 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP and 64 strikeouts against 28 walks in 75 1/3 innings pitched. But he seemed to find something in the postseason and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers secure a World Series title.
In the playoffs, Buehler had three starts and went 1–1 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 13 strikeouts against five walks in 15 innings. Over his final three appearances, he allowed no runs and five hits over 10 innings while striking out 13 and walking four. He took the win in Game 3 of the World Series after baffling the New York Yankees' lineup, going five shutout innings and allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five. He also came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 5 to close out the series, pitching a shutout inning and striking out Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo to secure the win and the championship.
Buehler has a ways to go to return to his status as an All-Star. But he's only 30 years old and there is tremendous upside here.
Carlos Santana, 1B (No. 44)
Santana continues to find jobs and hit well enough deep into his thirties to latch on somewhere year after year. The 2025 campaign should be no different despite the fact he’ll turn 39 in April. Last season with the Minnesota Twins, Santana slashed .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs, 71 RBIs and an wRC+ of 114. He also picked up the first Gold Glove of his career.
An All-Star in 2019, Santana is in the journeyman stage of his career, playing for five teams in the last three seasons. But he provides value as a switch-hitter and positively hammered left-handers, as he posted a .923 OPS and 161 wRC+ against them in 2024. He did struggle against righties, as he only put up a .676 OPS in 374 at-bats against them.
Santana will be a useful bat who can still get provide excellent defense at first base. He should be a low-cost option for teams in need of a placeholder there.
Kirby Yates, RP (No. 33)
Yates is one of the most underrated players in baseball. He was an All-Star in 2024 for the second time in his career and was named second-team All-MLB. He joined the Texas Rangers and went 7–2 with a 1.17 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and 85 strikeouts against 28 walks in 61 2/3 innings. He also converted 33 saves in 34 chances.
Yates will be 38 when the 2025 season begins, so he'll get a short contract, but he has proven again and again that he's an elite reliever. He only pitched 11 1/3 innings from 2020 through ’22 due to injuries, but around that he has had four consecutive seasons with an ERA below 3.30, and has 93 saves in 101 chances since ’18.
Someone will sign Yates and he'll likely continue to be an excellent piece at the back of a bullpen.
Max Kepler, OF (No. 48)
Kepler looked to be returning to his former self in 2023, as the 31-year-old posted a .816 OPS, a 123 wRC+, and produced 2.9 WAR. Unfortunately, last season made that seem like a momentary upward blip.
He broke out with 36 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2019, producing a 4.0 WAR season he has yet to duplicate. In 105 games last season he slashed .253/.302/.380 with eight home runs, 42 RBIs, an OPS of .682, a wRC+ of 94, and produced 1.0 WAR. It wasn't a great look for a guy headed into free agency.
Kepler is still a good defender who has the potential to hit 30 home runs if someone could fix his approach. This is a pure upside play for a guy who will be 32 and will be looking for a short-term, prove-it deal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Underrated MLB Free Agents Still Available to Sign.
