With the World Series getting underway this evening, those who don’t want to watch the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers go head to head can take solace in the fact that with each passing day, we are closer to free agency and the drama that is set to unfold. Juan Soto, one of the game’s biggest stars in the game, is a free agent for the first time in his career this winter and the 2025 free agent class appears stacked already and could become even more potent depending on how some players decide on whether to exercise their respective options or not (as well as some potential team options being declined as well).

Last season, 17 Canadians graced a Major League field, a respectable number that flirted with the 18 mark until Joey Votto announced his retirement. With so many Canucks finding themselves in the big leagues – and more on the way as well – one pitcher is heading to retirement (James Paxton) while three others are heading to free agency and looking for a home for the 2025 campaign.

Let’s take a look at which Canadians are heading to the open market.

A player that Blue Jays fans are quite fond of already given the trade rumours over the years, Tyler O’Neill was dealt to the Boston Red Sox last winter from the Cardinals and took his plus power to the AL East for a full season. In a contract year before hitting free agency for the first time in his career, O’Neill posted a .241/.336/.511 slash line with a .847 OPS through 113 games and 411 at-bats – the most since his breakout 2021 season.

On top of his impressive slugging numbers, O’Neill mashed 31 home runs – the second time in his career hitting the 30+ mark – and collected 61 RBIs while boasting a 98th percentile barrel % (17.3%) and 90th percentile xSLG, hard-hit %, and bat speed numbers that have him in the upper tier of hitting the ball for power and distance.

The drawback is his injury history, as O’Neill hit the IL twice in 2024 and was limited to just 168 games from 2022 through 2023. He’s dealt with a variety of ailments and injuries, including a foot sprain, hamstring sprains,  knee inflammation, back strains, and a leg infection that have limited him over the years.

A corner outfielder by trade with more experience in left field versus right, any team looking for a power bat with plus speed will be giving the Burnaby, B.C. product a call this winter. If he can stay healthy, he could be the steal of the winter if he makes it to free agency, as the Red Sox have to decide on whether or not to present him with the ~$21 million qualifying offer (and whether O’Neill will accept or reject it if he does get the offer).

Sticking with the Red Sox theme, right-hander Nick Pivetta is also heading to free agency this winter after spending the past five seasons donning a Boston uniform.

The Victoria, B.C. product made 27 appearances this season (26 starts) and authored a 4.14 ERA through 145 2/3 innings to a 1.13 WHIP. He also found success with his control on the mound, boasting a 2.2 BB/9 combined with a 7.9 H/9 that helped him put together a 4.07 FIP. That value is a bit higher than Pivetta likely hoped for given his 1.7 HR/9 rate but he still racked up 172 strikeouts on the campaign – ranking in the 88th percentile (28.9%).

Pivetta missed some time early in the season with an elbow sprain and he has a bit of shaky history, with the Red Sox moving him to the bullpen in 2023 for some time midway through the campaign after a slow start to the year. The underlying values still shade Pivetta’s favour.

While this free agent class is more stacked than last season, the right-hander is due for a sizeable raise from the $7.5 million salary he earned last year and should be an option for multiple teams as a back-end rotation piece. He too is eligible for a qualifying offer but it is unlikely he will receive one from the Red Sox at this time.

The 2024 season was full of ups and downs for Longueuil, Que. product Abraham Toro.

The infielder began the season on the Oakland A’s Opening Day roster and was humming along to begin the year, owning a .288/.332/.429 slash line by the end of May to go along with 13 doubles, five home runs and 20 RBIs. That all started to fade once the calendar turned over into June, with Toro collecting just 11 hits through 65 at-bats and landing on the IL with a hamstring strain that kept him on the sidelines until mid-July.

Once he returned, Toro continued to struggle and started to become more of a bench piece. He appeared in just 60 at-bats from July 21 to August 24 and collected just nine hits, with the A’s designating him for assignment shortly after and he finished the campaign in triple-A. He would finish the season with a .643 OPS and 26 RBIs while posting a +1 DRS at third base.

For the Quebec product, he is likely looking for a minor league deal heading into the new year as he looks to get back on track and there will likely be multiple teams lining up to give him a shot in Spring Training, considering there is no such thing as a bad MiLB deal.