For those new to baseball, the free agency period is already underway. However, the Winter Meetings are an annual offseason event where members of every team's front office, primarily general managers and owners who handle trades and signings, gather to possibly make deals with other teams or splurge on free agents.
These free agents could also be in attendance at the Winter Meetings, along with their agents, so they could visit multiple teams in one area without having to fly all over the country - but it's not mandatory for them.
Now, let's take a look at the pitchers who could make an immediate impact for any team they sign with now that the top closer Edwin Diaz signed a record-setting three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And be sure to keep up with our MLB Free Agency Tracker!
Framber Valdez
With Dylan Cease signing a $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, Valdez is now the most coveted starting pitcher still available in free agency.
The latest reports as of December 5th have both the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles as the top two teams to land the lefty starter, both of whom sat down with Valdez to address character concerns after he drilled catcher Cesar Salazar last season while on the Astros.
Valdez finished the 2025 season with a 13-11 record in 31 starts, tossing a 3.66 earned run average. He gave up 171 hits and 68 walks through 192.0 innings with 187 strikeouts.
Opponents hit .238 off Valdez in 2025 - the highest average in a season he's allowed since 2020 (.240) - while also leading the league in wild pitches (12). He was, however, just one of three pitchers to throw at least two complete games.
But since 2020, Valdez has never once finished a season with an ERA higher than 3.70 as he has proven to be one of the most capable starters in all of baseball.
For any team that signs Valdez, they'll be signing a top-end starter who would be an ace on many teams.
Danny Coulombe
Perhaps the most underrated relief pitcher in all of baseball, Coulombe would instantly make any team's bullpen that much better.
He spent last season with the Minnesota Twins before being dealt to the Texas Rangers at the deadline, finishing the season with a 2.30 ERA, striking out 43 batters in 43 innings, giving up 32 hits and 18 walks.
Coulombe was on my list last offseason before signing with the Twins and look what he did for them - 1.16 ERA, 31 strikeouts, nine walks, and 21 hits through 31 innings.
From Opening Day on March 29th to June 12th, Coulombe threw 21 straight innings without giving up a single run and only seven hits with 19 strikeouts - making it one of the best streaks from any reliever in all of baseball last season.
The veteran lefty fell off with the Rangers, throwing a 5.25 ERA in 15 games.
But if the right team signs the 36-year-old left after coming off the best season of his career, they could potentially have one of the top bullpen lefties heading into the 2026 season.
Tatsuya Imai
Speaking of Japanese starters who can make an impact, Imai is the most highly sought-after international pitcher this offseason.
Imai, who many just shrugged their shoulders to expect him to sign with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has made it very clear he doesn't want to sign with them - he wants to compete against them.
Now, signing international players has always been a gamble for teams willing to dish out the big money to obtain them. But Imai, a three-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star with a career 3.15 ERA, might be worth it.
He's coming off a career season in which he tossed a mind-blowing 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings with 178 strikeouts - 10 short of setting a new career high, which he set in 2024 with 187.
At this point, it's no secret that Japan is producing some of the best pitchers in the entire world. They're a mecca for baseball outside of the United States, along with Latin America. So if some team would like a 27-year-old stud out of Japan to immediately plug a hole in their starting rotation, Imai could be the guy to make a difference.
Ranger Suarez
Suarez was a very capable third man in the Phillies' starting rotation this past season and could find himself being the same for another contending team. That is, if he doesn't sign back with Philly.
In fact, he put up career numbers as a starter. Suarez finished 2025 with a career-best 3.20 ERA and a career-high 151 strikeouts through 157.1 innings.
His 38 walks were also the fewest he's allowed in a season since becoming a full-time starting pitcher, as he's now also finished back-to-back seasons with a 12-8 record.
Suarez may not be an ace, but the 30-year-old would undoubtedly be a solid No. 2-3 for any contender team in baseball right now looking for a strong lefty to add great depth in their rotation.
Robert Suarez (signed with Braves)
No relation to Ranger, Suarez is one of the top free agent relief pitchers on the market this season.
Suarez is coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons for the Padres, tossing a 2.77 ERA (2024) and 2.97 ERA (2025), respectively.
His 40 saves this past season were the most in the National League and just two behind Carlos Estevez (Kansas City Royals) for the most in all of baseball.
Suarez has allowed 16 walks in each of the past two seasons, but upped his strikeout count from 59 in 2024 to 75 this past season in just 4.2 more innings (65.0 in 2024, 69.2 in 2025).
At 34 years old, Suarez won't be signing any long-term deals. But with an arm like his, contenders would receive an instant boost to the back end of their bullpen.
Pete Fairbanks
Fairbanks may not come up in many discussions, but he was one of the Tampa Bay Rays' best relief pitchers last season and one of the best closers in baseball, outright.
His 27 saves were the seventh-most in the American League last season. Opponents hit just .201 off of him in 2025 as he also brought his WHIP down to a solid 1.04.
Could he simply be a product of the Rays' phenomenal system of getting the best out of players other teams simply can't? Absolutely. He was batting practice for the Rangers during his rookie season before the Rays took him in that same year.
Since then, he has yet to finish a season with an ERA above 3.60, posting a great 2.83 in 2025 with 59 strikeouts and 18 walks through 60.1 innings.
If any contending team needs a reliable guy in the bullpen, the reliable 31-year-old would be a great signing for whoever snags him.
Michael King
King's name has been thrown around a bunch this offseason as one of the bigger-named starting pitchers, but the concern comes from injury.
The 30-year-old racked up 15 starts in 2025 after missing half of May and all of June and July due to a long thoracic nerve issue in his right shoulder (throwing arm) and a knee injury.
In 10 starts before his injuries, King tossed a 2.59 ERA through 53.1 innings with 64 strikeouts and 17 walks. Then, in the five starts following his return, King posted a 6.72 ERA, giving up 12 runs in 17.2 innings.
So teams do have to be cautious around King, especially giving nerve issues in your throwing shoulder is nothing to scoff at for pitchers.
But if some team takes a shot on King, and he returns to form like he did pre-injuries during this year's postseason, they'll have themselves a solid No. 2-3 starter who could undoubtedly bolster a rotation.
Justin Verlander
Hear me out. Yes, Verlander is 42 years old. But the three-time Cy Young handled himself well with the Giants last season and could be a very good back-end rotation piece that could also help pitchers around him.
Verlander tossed a solid 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts through 152.0 innings of work - better than most could say their No. 4-5 guys did last season. He gave up 155 hits, which would mark the first season since 2014 in which he gave up more hits than innings pitched, along with 52 walks, the most since 2017.
But Verlander won't cost an arm and a leg at this point in his career and was healthy last season, making 29 starts.
I never said this list would be pitchers who would make a franchise-defining impact - simply an impact.
For teams looking to make a push for a World Series run, Verland could be a very reliable pitcher who's been in those big-game situations before.