All but two teams have turned their attention to the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is an important part of preparation, so it’s worth paying attention to the players available at each position.
The 2025-26 class of left-handed relievers lacks high-leverage arm strength but has a plethora of reliable, serviceable veterans — plus a few wild-card prospects who could seek a big-league return after pitching overseas. Ages listed are for the 2026 season.
Previous entry in this series: Catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, Center field, corner outfield, designated hitter, starting pitcher, right-handed reliever
Veteran sets weapons
Jaylen Bueckers (32)
Bueckers signed a minor league contract with the Astros last offseason but opted out in late spring and signed a major league contract with the Defenders. The result is great. He pitched 57 1/3 innings, recorded 14 walks and one save, fanned 20.3% of his opponents, walked 8.7% and had a 3.77 ERA. Bueckers, who has four-seam speed of 94.4 mph, posted an above-average swing-hit rate in 2025 and has pitched primarily in mid- to high-leverage positions over the past four years. He won’t break the bank, but should get a modest one-year deal.
Danny Coon (36)
Coulombe, who just turned 36 yesterday, performed well in 31 innings with the Twins (1.16 ERA, 25.4 K%, 7.4 BB%), but struggled in 12 innings after being traded to the Rangers (5.25 ERA, 22.2 K%, 16.7 BB%). A trip to Illinois due to shoulder fatigue didn’t help his performance with the Rangers, and Coulombe also spent three weeks in Minnesota in May with a forearm strain. Coulomb’s average four-seam and sinker velocity barely tops 90 mph, but he has a 2.60 ERA and strong strikeout and walk rates in 173 1/3 innings since 2020. He’s making $3 this year and seems likely to sign another affordable one-year deal.
Caleb Ferguson (29)
Ferguson’s one-year, $3MM contract proved to be a wise investment for the frugal Buccaneers, who flipped him to the Mariners at the deadline after four months of solid performance. Ferguson was efficient with both clubs, posting a combined 3.58 ERA. His 18.9% strikeout rate was below average, but Ferguson’s 8.1% walk rate was solid, and no reliever in baseball limited hard contact as well as he did. His 27.7 percent opponent hard-hit rate was the best in baseball, and his average release velocity and field goal percentage ranked in the 99th percentile. Ferguson does not have excellent commanding ability or outstanding performance, but he is young, durable and relatively stable. He could be a candidate for a multi-year contract with a lower average annual value.
Hobey Milner (35)
Milner topped 64 innings for the fourth consecutive season, pitching 70 1/3 innings for the Rangers and posting a 3.84 ERA. He is a soft-throwing lefty with a below-average strikeout rate, good command, and a high ground ball rate. He’s spent time at middle linebacker in the past, but the Rangers used him as one of their preferred offensive options for much of the ’25 season, and he held a career-high 18 shutouts (eclipsing his previous mark of 17 with the ’23 Brewers). Milner signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with Texas last winter and should land in the area again.
Drew Pomeranz (37)
Welcome back, Drew Pomeranz. The 36-year-old lefty signed a minor league contract with the Mariners and traded to the Cubs in a cash deal in April. In Chicago, he made his first major league appearance since 2021, but it was more than just a brief cameo. The former fifth overall pick was dominant with a 2.17 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate in 49 2/3 plate appearances. Pomeranz is one of them Craig CounsellThe most reliable backup unit in the playoffs. He turns 37 in November, so it’s unlikely he’ll get a multi-year deal, but a major league deal should await Pomeranz this winter.
Tyler Rogers (35)
Although his All-Star days are behind him, Rodgers has been a reliable center back for three straight years. His teams haven’t used him often in high-leverage positions, but since 2023, he has a 3.16 ERA, a 26.4% strikeout rate, and a 10.2% walk rate. Rodgers’ 92.7 mph sinker average is down a full three miles from his 2021 peak, but his production and track record should earn him a major league contract.
Gregory Soto (31)
Due to his age and his power skills, Soto may be the most profitable prospect among lefties this winter. He’s one of the hardest-throwing lefties in the game, but despite that, he doesn’t produce the sensations one would expect. Soto was available every year but never broke through despite having higher velocity and a higher swing-hit rate. Soto has had trouble with command in the past but has posted a decent walk rate in two of the last three seasons. A two-year deal with funds set up at market value seems possible.
Caleb Tilba (39)
Tilba was successful in his first season with any team other than his hometown Twins. He pitched 58 innings for the Cubs and had a 2.64 ERA, tied with Brad Keller Leading the way with 25 runs. Thielba’s 2024 season was terrible, but he’s had an ERA of 3.49 or better every other year since 2020. He has average speed, good command and an above-average strikeout rate, but he’ll be 39 in January, so a one-year deal is more than likely.
Justin Wilson (38)
Wilson missed nearly all of the 2022-23 season due to Tommy John surgery, struggled with the Reds in 2024, and bounced back this year in Boston. Last winter, when the Red Sox signed him to a one-year, $2.25MM contract, Wilson went 48 1/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA, a 27.5% strikeout rate, a 9.7% walk rate, and 18 walks. He should get another one-year deal this winter, possibly with a nice small increase in salary.
Swingman/multi-inning arm
Sean Newcomb (33)
“Sean Newcomb, multi-year contract candidate” may not have been on too many bingo cards back in March, but the 2025 season has been great for the former top prospect and starter-turned-replacement player. Newcomb pitched 92 1/3 innings for the Red Sox and Athletics, posting a 2.73 ERA. He started five games, often pitching multiple innings – sometimes as a reliever in relief after the opener. The 2014 first-rounder had a slugging rate of 23.3% and a walk rate of 7.9%, both slightly above average. Newcomb easily earned himself a major league contract, and a modest two-year deal seemed feasible.
Ryan Yarbrough (34)
Yarbrough’s 2025 season was standard by his standards: eight starts, 11 relief appearances, a 4.00-ish ERA, a below-average strikeout rate and solid command. That’s what Yarbrough has brought to the table over the years, and while it’s not a skill set that will get him a big salary, it’s what keeps him on the major league roster as the sixth starter/bullpen lengthener every year. Yarbrough averages 87-88 mph but makes plenty of weak contact.
Possible NPB returner
Foster Griffin (30)
Griffin, a former first-round pick of the Royals, appeared in seven Major League Baseball (MLB) games from 2020-22. He spent the past three seasons in Japan, posting a combined 2.57 ERA in 315 2/3 innings. Griffin missed last season with a lower-body bone contusion. He is expected to have a normal offseason with the intention of returning to Major League Baseball. Griffin didn’t have anything overpowering in his initial outing in the secondary, but he posted a 1.62 ERA while striking out four of his opponents. He could sign a big contract around the league to compete for a rotation spot.
Anthony Kay (31)
Kai, a former first-round pick, has spent the past two seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball. He worked in their rotation with a 3.42 ERA in ’24 and a 1.74 ERA in ’25. Kay’s miss rate isn’t particularly high (20.8 K%), but he has good command and a decent ground ball rate overseas. Major league scouts have been keeping an eye on him, and while he may have a chance to start somewhere, other clubs may be interested in bringing him in as a swingman. Regardless, he’s at least a candidate for a major league trade.
Options/Opt-Out
An 80-game PED suspension casts a pall over Alvarado’s 2025 season, but the hard-throwing lefty has been one of the Phillies’ best relievers in years. Dating back to 2022, Alvarado has a 3.25 ERA and fanned 31.7% of his opponents, while his sinker averaged 98.7 mph and his cutter averaged 93.1 mph. His net income in free agency will easily exceed $8.5MM, so the Phillies should take this one.
- Tim Hill (36) – 3MM club option, $350,000 buyout
Hill, who turns 36 in February, is a ground-pounding specialist who rarely gives up a hit but rarely walks an opponent. Since joining the Yankees in 2024, he has a 2.68 ERA and has kept about two-thirds of his at-bats on the ground in 111 innings. That’s a good value for the Yankees, even considering their luxury tax status.
Minter underwent back surgery in May after pitching just 11 innings. His recovery timeline is still a little vague, but it seems likely he’ll take the $11MM option, return to the Mets and try to get better health next year.
- Vandy Peralta (34) – $4.45MM player option (contract also includes a $4.45MM player option for 2027)
Peralta posted a career-high 3.14 ERA in 71 2/3 innings and has a career-high 59.7% ground ball rate in 2025. His 20.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were below average. Peralta still averages above 95 mph with the sinker, but he’ll be 35 in July and is primarily used in the low-leverage position. He’s more likely to pick up his player option.
- Brooks Reilly (38) – $4.75 club option and $750,000 buyout
Reilly returned from Tommy John surgery and pitched 25 2/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate. His sinker average velocity dropped to 88-89 mph in 2023-24, but is back up to 90.7 mph this year, in line with his 2021-22 season with Houston and Tampa Bay. This option will most likely be selected.
- Brent Suter (36) – 3MM club option, $250,000 buyout
Suter posted a career-high 4.52 ERA in 67 2/3 innings this season, ending a six-year streak with a sub-4.00 ERA. He is a bowler who is good at dealing with weak contact where the bat is lost. This could be a buyout, but Suter is a Cincinnati native and clearly enjoys playing for his hometown club, so maybe he’d be willing to return on a smaller deal.
depth arm
