Predicting landing spots for the top 10 remaining MLB free agents: Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and more

As the slow offseason inches toward its end, plenty of top talent is still on the market

Believe it or not, spring training is only about seven weeks away. Indeed, Major League Baseball's offseason is closer to the wind-down phase than not. That's something considering that, well, it hasn't yet achieved its full stride. More than half of the top 20 free agents in this class remain unsigned, with that count including each of the top four: outfielder Kyle Tucker, infielders Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette, and lefty Framber Valdez.

Even so, a slow winter is no match for tradition. We here at CBS Sports like to usher in the new year by making a new round of predictions about where the best remaining free agents will land. Below, you'll find that exercise for the 10 best remaining free agents. As you scroll, keep two things in mind: 1) this is for entertainment purposes only and 2) there is more than one sensible suitor per player.

Ranking top 50 MLB free agents for 2026: Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman at top, plus landing spots for every player

R.J. Anderson

Let's conduct some business.

1. OF Kyle Tucker

Tucker, the top talent in the class, is good at everything but not necessarily great at anything. That puts him on a lower level than the superstars who have headlined recent offseasons, like Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge. Nonetheless, Tucker is an All-Star player who should find a new home over the coming weeks. He's been tied to the Blue Jays a lot this winter, and they continue to seem like the cleanest fit since he can serve as both an upgrade over Nathan Lukes and insurance against Anthony Santander failing to rebound. The usual highrollers -- Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers -- have also been connected to him to various extents. Prediction: Blue Jays

2. 3B Alex Bregman

Despite missing nearly two months on account of a strained quad, Bregman had a strong enough showing with the Red Sox to opt out of his three-year contract. He's been linked to most of the same teams from last winter -- the Red Sox, naturally, as well as the Cubs and Tigers -- and some surprising clubs like the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks. Inertia is a most powerful force, making Boston the pick here. Wherever he lands, he's likely to set off a domino effect. Prediction: Red Sox

3. SS Bo Bichette

Bichette seems to be in a holding pattern until Tucker and Bregman figure out their plans. If the Blue Jays do land Tucker, that would seem to take away the possibility of Bichette returning to Toronto. Meanwhile, the teams who lose out on Bregman will likely renew their pursuits of Bichette. We'll guess Detroit because they could slot Bichette in at shortstop, but this is a low-confidence prediction that hinges on nailing the Tucker and Bregman guesses. Prediction: Tigers

4. LHP Framber Valdez

Valdez doesn't fit the modern archetype for a front-of-the-rotation starter. He's not an elite bat-misser or strikeout artist. In short, he's not new Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease. Valdez is valuable all the same as a contact manager who has averaged more than 30 starts over the last four seasons. The most obvious fit has had him joining the Orioles -- that's given Baltimore's obvious need for pitching help and also his shared history with top executive Mike Elias. That's still the case. Prediction: Orioles

5. OF Cody Bellinger

There's no reason to overthink this one either. Bellinger's game is a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium and he's coming off a great year with New York. Past reporting suggests the Yankees view the aforementioned Tucker as a fallback plan, making it all the more likely that Bellinger returns to the Bronx. Prediction: Yankees

6. LHP Ranger Suárez

Suárez may suffer in comparison to Valdez, but he's a quality mid-rotation arm whose market figures to pick up once Valdez makes his decision. The Orioles and Astros have been connected to Suárez at various points this winter. You could talk yourself into the Cubs, Yankees, or Mets as well. We'll go with an off-the-board landing spot here and place him with the Diamondbacks, who've already dipped into the free-agent pitching market once this winter to sign Merrill Kelly. Prediction: Diamondbacks

7. RHP Tatsuya Imai

Imai is an incoming transfer from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. He's on a lower level than someone like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he has a quality arsenal that includes a mid-90s fastball and a wrong-way slider. All the usual big spenders have been connected to Imai publicly, with the Yankees and Cubs probably making the most sense for him. Coin flip says Chicago.  Prediction: Cubs

8. C J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto isn't the elite backstop he used to be, but the lack of reported interest in him is still a little surprising to observe given the state of the position across the league. Maybe everyone just assumes he's going back to Philly? In that case, we'll do the same. Prediction: Phillies

9. 3B Eugenio Suárez

Suárez homered 49 times last season, but you wouldn't know it based on how quiet his market has been to date. Blame it on his advanced age (he'll turn 35 in July), extreme swing-and-miss tendencies, and lacking third-base defense. The path of least resistance points to a reunion with the Mariners. Perhaps the Red Sox (if they miss out on Bregman) or the Cubs (if they whiff on a higher-priced pitching pursuit) could factor into the equation too. Prediction: Mariners

10. RHP Zac Gallen

Gallen did what he could late to salvage an otherwise rotten walk year, but he still finished with a career-worst 89 ERA+. Coming into the winter, he felt like a candidate to take a pillow contract and try again next season … then he rejected the qualifying offer and added draft-pick compensation to the transaction cost. His landing spot may come down to a team who views this as a buy-low situation on a player who may otherwise be out of their price range -- remember, he's received Cy Young Award consideration three times. Prediction: Angels