Pitchers and catchers are set to report for spring training in less than two weeks. And yet, while the likes of Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette signed many weeks ago, a handful of notable players remain unsigned as MLB’s off-season draws closer to the finish line.

That includes Framber Valdez, the most prominent name still available, who’s watched Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Ranger Suárez (Red Sox), Michael King (Padres) and Japan’s Tatsuya Imai (Astros) all find homes while the search for his drags on. But he isn’t the only impact starter still on the board, as Zac Gallen — who’s also tied to a qualifying offer — continues to search for his next contract, too.

The starting pitching market also still includes several intriguing veterans, with Chris Bassitt presenting arguably the most upside amongst the remaining crop, especially given his proven versatility as a reliever (1.04 ERA and 1.52 FIP in seven relief appearances last post-season).

On the position-player side, all that remains are complementary hitters — most of whom are either above 30 or creeping up on that performance-declining threshold — now that the top-end talent is gone. Having said that, almost every team could still use an Eugenio Suárez to beef up the middle of their order.

We may not be any closer to finding out where these remaining free agents will sign. But there’s certainly enough evidence to suggest where they’d be best suited for the 2026 season.

Best Fit: Orioles

Baltimore’s staff, which now includes off-season acquisition Shane Baz along with Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin, still desires a front-line presence — a void Valdez could certainly address. Such a move would catapult them from a strong bounce-back contender into a legitimate AL threat alongside Toronto in the East.

This late into the winter, between Valdez’s lucrative demands and the character concerns associated with him, the 32-year-old southpaw might be best served accepting a short-term, high-AAV deal that includes multiple opt-outs (the running theme of this off-season).

Best Fit: D-backs

Arizona has already brought back one of its marquee free agents (Merrill Kelly) this winter. Why not do the same with Gallen, right? The Diamondbacks know him better than any other team, and after the 30-year-old hurler turned in a subpar platform performance last season, watching his strikeout rate plummet to a career low (21.5 per cent) while battling a near-five ERA and FIP, returning to the desert on a one-year, prove-it deal might be his best option.

That way, Gallen can re-enter free agency next winter — hopefully backed by much-improved walk-year results — without having a qualifying offer impact his market.

Best Fit: Red Sox

It’s been an interesting off-season for the Red Sox. Most of the heavy lifting has come via trade, making splashes for Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Johan Oviedo. They swung and missed at Alex Bregman, who called the front office’s bluff and left town for the Windy City. But that cleared the way for Ranger Suárez’s arrival in free agency.

Boston features a surplus of infielders, so adding to that group may get messy. However, their lineup craves a power hitter like Suárez, who hit 49 home runs in 2025 and has posted identical 28.6 per cent pull air rates (which includes line drives, fly balls and pop-ups) in consecutive seasons — seven per cent above the league average clip. His hitter profile would be an ideal fit for Fenway Park.

Best Fit: Braves

Most of Atlanta’s off-season business has revolved around bolstering the bullpen. Though the starting rotation could also benefit from a late, veteran addition like Bassitt, who’d perfectly round out the club’s rotation of Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider and Reynaldo López.

The Braves have multiple waves of young starting pitching on the way, headlined by Didier Fuentes, who struggled mightily in his first, albeit brief, major-league stint last season. They also possess Hurston Waldrep, currently projected as their No. 5 starter, but has an option left and could be used as valuable injury protection for the other four starters listed above — all of whom missed extended time in ’25.

Bassitt, meanwhile, has been incredibly durable in his career. Since 2022, only five pitchers have logged more innings than the former Blue Jays starter (723), and two of them are also currently unemployed — Miles Mikolas (731.2), former teammate Kevin Gausman (733.2), Gallen (734), Valdez (767.2) and Logan Webb (820).