Top 20 MLB free-agent pitchers

With the offseason underway, theScore's MLB editors rank the top free-agent pitchers available, choosing 10 starters and 10 relievers (statistics from 2020).

Top 20 MLB free-agent position players

Starting pitchers

1. Trevor Bauer, 29

Will a reigning National League Cy Young winner sign a one-year contract in free agency? Bauer, the clear front-runner for the hardware, has said in the past he's only interested in committing to lucrative short-term deals. However, his agent said in mid-October that the star hurler will consider all offers. The 29-year-old is easily the best starting pitcher available and it's hard to imagine the righty turning down a monster multi-year pact.

2. Marcus Stroman, 29, Mets*

*Accepted 1-year, $18.9M qualifying offer from Mets

Stroman's decision to opt out looks like it could pay dividends in the offseason. The former All-Star didn't lose any value while some starters struggled immensely during the shortened campaign. The 29-year-old posted a career-best 3.22 ERA in 2019 and has the potential to be a No. 2 or 3 in a contending team's rotation.

3. Masahiro Tanaka, 31

Tanaka would provide stability to any rotation. The two-time All-Star authored a 3.74 ERA across 1,054 1/3 innings (173 starts) with the Yankees over the last seven years. The 31-year-old also doesn't give up many homers or walks, allowing just 1.4 HR/9 during his career while walking only 1.8 per nine innings.

4. Charlie Morton, 36, Braves*

*Agreed to 1-year, $15M contract with Braves

Although Morton - who will be 37 by the time 2021 rolls around - is the elder statesman on the list, he continues to post solid numbers. The right-hander is coming off a down season but redeemed himself in the playoffs. Over four starts and 20 innings in the postseason, Morton authored a sterling 2.70 ERA and 2.59 FIP while taking on the best lineups in baseball. There's a possibility the veteran decides to retire but, until he does, he's still a top dog.

5. James Paxton, 31

Paxton's agent Scott Boras said the lefty is now healthy after struggling to fully recover from back surgery in February. The 31-year-old is one of the best southpaws in baseball when he's on. He compiled an 11.6 fWAR with a 3.26 FIP and 11.07 K/9 from 2017-19.

6. Kevin Gausman, 29, Giants*

*Accepted 1-year, $18.9M qualifying offer from Giants

The Giants made the somewhat surprising decision to tender Gausman a qualifying offer, which will undoubtedly hamper his value in free agency. The right-hander does not have a long track record of success, so a team would have to put a fair amount of stock into a 60-game sample pitched primarily in San Francisco's haven. However, observers of Gausman's career will notice the peripherals began to show promise in 2019. Over the past two years, the former first-round pick has increased his strikeout rate to an impressive 27.7% while maintaining a low walk rate and manageable home run rate.

7. Chris Archer, 32

Archer has declined over the past couple of years, and a comeback from thoracic outlet syndrome is daunting. That being said, the two-time All-Star moved away from what worked for him with Tampa Bay when he arrived in Pittsburgh. Almost immediately, Archer started throwing his four-seam fastball less while introducing a sinker and curve. It didn't work; the strikeout rate looked good, but the walk and homer rates were brutal. If a team can get Archer to buy back into his four-seamer then he could be more than just a reclamation project.

8. Jake Odorizzi, 30

Odorizzi found a new gear in 2019, striking guys out with impunity while also dropping his home run rate. Among pitchers with at least 150 innings, the right-hander ranked fifth in getting opposing hitters to swing and miss on pitches inside the strike zone. Only Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer were better. It was so good, Odorizzi was hit with the ominous qualifying offer and accepted. Now, he's back on the open market after an injury-shortened campaign where the results were not sharp, but at least prospective suitors won't have to worry about draft-pick compensation.

9. Corey Kluber, 34, Yankees*

*Agreed to 1-year, $11M contract with Yankees

* Statistics combined from 2019-20

The Klubot may need some reprogramming, but if anyone is capable, it's the two-time Cy Young winner. Entering free agency at 34 after throwing 36 2/3 innings over the past two seasons due to arm injuries presents some serious red flags. However, if Kluber can get healthy, he has the potential to recapture his form from 2018 when he was a Cy Young finalist.

10. Taijuan Walker, 28

The 28-year-old looked sharp this season after only pitching a combined 14 innings between 2018 and 2019 due to multiple injuries. Walker authored a 1.37 ERA in six starts with the Toronto Blue Jays following a trade deadline deal. There's certainly risk given his injury history, but his performance when healthy makes him an intriguing arm.

Relief pitchers

1. Liam Hendriks, 32, White Sox*

*Agreed to 3-year, $54M contract with White Sox

Hendriks has been nothing short of incredible since taking over as the A's closer two years ago. In fact, over the past two seasons, Hendriks has been the best reliever in all of baseball by FanGraphs WAR - and it isn't particularly close. The 31-year-old leads second-place Nick Anderson by 2.2 WAR which, incidentally, is also the gap between second and 59th (Ryne Harper). It's unclear what toll 108 1/3 innings will have on his arm but a team looking for a closer this winter couldn't possibly do better.

2. Brad Hand, 30

The Indians made the surprising move to decline Hand's $10-million option for 2021 and now the lefty should easily surpass that amount (perhaps not in average annual value but certainly in total value). The three-time All-Star didn't allow a single home run this year, maintaining an elite 33.7% strikeout rate while improving his walk rate to a minuscule 4.7%.

3. Trevor Rosenthal, 30

Rosenthal had a renaissance season after it appeared his career might be over following an atrocious 2019 campaign. The 30-year-old reliever posted a 1.90 ERA with 11 saves and a 14.5 K/9 across a combined 23 appearances between the Royals and Padres. The former All-Star looks like he's back on track after being one of the best closers in baseball in 2014 and 2015.

4. Kirby Yates, 33*

*Agreed to 1-year, $5.5M contract with Blue Jays

Yates is hard to peg given the elbow injury that kept him sidelined for most of the year. Looking at his body of work, the 33-year-old had a season to forget and his peripherals indicate some regression. However, it's difficult to pinpoint how much of his struggles were due to the ailment. Worry aside, it's hard to overstate just how elite Yates was in 2019 - when he was top 1% in the league in barrel rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate.

5. Alex Colome, 31

Colome has been one of the best and most underrated closers in baseball since 2016. His 138 saves over that time period are second to only Kenley Jansen and Edwin Diaz. The 31-year-old also posted a combined 2.62 ERA over his last five seasons. Colome didn't allow a single home run in 2020 across 21 appearances for the White Sox.

6. Jake McGee, 34

For his career, McGee has been almost impossible to pin down. The lefty looks unhittable one year and then on the verge of getting released the next. However, the 2020 campaign was the 34-year-old's greatest so far. During his best years, McGee's strikeout rate hovered north of 30%. This season, he posted a 41.8% K rate (fifth in MLB among qualified relievers). Even further, his walk rate was a career-best 3.8% and he suppressed homers at a respectable clip. What really points toward future success is that McGee was better against righties than lefties - a huge bonus for the lefty in the three-batter minimum era.

7. Sean Doolittle, 34

The 2018 All-Star appeared in just 11 games this season after dealing with multiple injuries, including an oblique strain that ended his campaign in the second week of September. Doolittle, when healthy, is a reliable late-inning option who owns a career 3.07 ERA with a 10.5 K/9 and 111 saves.

8. Greg Holland, 34, Royals*

*Agreed to 1-year, $2.75M contract with Royals

What year is this? Holland's best work seemed like it was behind him, but he clearly just needed to return to the city where he once dominated. The strikeout rate isn't what it once was, but the 34-year-old has adjusted to life as a veteran, dropping his walk rate and suppressing homers (he allowed one home run all year).

9. Trevor May, 31, Mets*

*Agreed to 2-year, $15.5M contract with Mets

May is a presence on the mound. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, the big right-hander was a nightmare for opponents during the 2020 campaign, accruing a 14.7 K/9 after striking out 38 hitters across 23 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old has all the tools to close games or could serve as a high-leverage setup man.

10. Jeremy Jeffress, 33

The 11-year veteran ended up serving as the closer for Chicago after Craig Kimbrel struggled. Jeffress' 4.09 FIP indicates he was lucky, considering he walked 4.6 batters per nine and only struck out 17 across 23 1/3 innings. However, the 33-year-old has a proven track record and is just two years removed from a stellar All-Star season.