Five under-the-radar MLB free agents who could make a big impact next season

The 2026-27 MLB offseason is a little more than a week old now and we're still waiting for the first big trade or free agent signing. That isn't unusual, though. The hot stove, like the regular season, is a marathon, not a sprint. A lockout is expected when the collective bargaining agreement ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and there should be a flurry of activity before then.

We ranked the offseason's top 50 free agents, and although it is not a great class, there are dozens of quality players available. You just have to know where to look. Here now are five players who did not rank among our top 50 free agents, but would nonetheless be good options and solid pickups for teams that want to raise their floor and improve their supporting cast.

RHP Bryan Abreu

It was a tale of two seasons for the 29-year-old Bryan Abreu, who had a 5.81 ERA before the All-Star break and a 1.71 ERA after. The under-the-hood estimators, like FIP and xERA, were better in the second half as well, though Abreu lost close to 2 mph off his fastball this year and, not coincidentally, a whole bunch of swings and misses. Abreu is third in appearances and second in innings among relievers since 2022 and it's possible the workload is catching up to him. There's still enough bat-missing ability and late-inning experience here for Abreu to contribute to a contender's bullpen. It just might happen as a seventh-inning guy moving forward, not as the Moment of Truth™ reliever who pitches in the game's biggest moments.

IF J.P. Crawford

If you're looking for a bottom of the order guy who will take walks and give you 10-15 home runs, that's J.P. Crawford. His defense, specifically his range and arm, has slipped so much in his early 30s that he's no longer a viable shortstop, though he played 33 games at third base this past season. I like him better at second base, but third base works too. Crawford gets on-base at a decent clip and won't strike out excessively, plus he's long been regarded as an excellent teammate and grade-A clubhouse guy. It seems like his time with the Mariners is over and it's for the best. Crawford can go elsewhere, play a new position, and just be part of the lineup rather than one of the faces of the franchise.

LHP Sean Newcomb

Due to injury and ineffectiveness, it looked like Sean Newcomb was on his way out of baseball two years ago. He then reinvented himself as a sinker/curveball guy and carved out a nice second phase to his career as a workhorse utility reliever who won't beat himself with walks (an early career bugaboo) and will limit hard contact in the air. Newcomb, 33, worked at least 90 innings the last two seasons while pitching in every possible role. He closed out games, worked high leverage as a setup guy, soaked up innings in long relief, and opened a few times as well. Newcomb is likely miscast as a go-to bullpen option, though he can be a valuable third or fourth option for a contender. The utility reliever is all the rage these days and Newcomb fits the profile to a T.

RHP Emilio Pagán

Now 35, Emilio Pagán was sensational after returning from a hamstring injury in July, pitching to a 1.88 ERA with 34 strikeouts and only five walks in his final 28 ⅔ innings. The downside is the same as it's always been: Pagán is exceptionally home run prone (career 1.51 HR/9), which is a bad trait for a late-inning reliever who pitches almost exclusively in close games. His fastball remains firm, though, and his splitter is an elite swing-and-miss pitch that allows him to neutralize righties and lefties. As long as you're willing to live with the home run risk, Pagán remains a capable high-leverage reliever, one who is not out of place pitching important innings for a contending team.

DH Joc Pederson

Platoon DHs are not the hottest commodity, but Joc Pederson fills the role about as well as anyone in the game. He's a left-handed hitter, so he's on the heavy side of the platoon, and he authored a .245/.338/.496 line with terrific ball-tracking data (exit velocity, etc.) against righties. If you must play him in the field, Pederson can stand in right field or at first base for about six innings before being subbed out for a defensive replacement. He's essentially a bat-only player, though. Pederson will turn 35 in April and he's still a powerful and productive hitter against righties and an elite clubhouse vibes dude.

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