Free agency shifts the landscape of Major League Baseball every offseason. We’ve seen multiple All-Stars change teams already in the current offseason. This certainly has fantasy baseball impact as well.
The spectre of a lockout will hang over Major League Baseball all season unless an unexpected agreement is met. For this article, we’re going to assume that does happen and business continues as normal. That would mean the following 10 players will be looking for a new contract in 2026
The 2026 Contract Year Players are five hitters and five pitchers who will be free agents after this season. Narrowing a list like this can be difficult, but the 10 players chosen have all been consistently fantasy relevant throughout their careers.
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2026 Contract Year Players
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, 3B – NYY)
The most prominent batter of the 2026 Contract Year Players is Jazz Chisholm Jr.
There is a fallacy that being in a contract year automatically means you will have your best season. Look to Cedric Mullins or Dustin May from this last offseason to see that isn’t always true. Typically, players are more willing to play through nagging injuries, which has been an issue for Chisholm. Last season, he played in 130 games and was a 30-30 player. If we get even more games played, he could be even better in 2026.
Nico Hoerner (2B – CHC)
One of the more reliable profiles in fantasy baseball belongs to Nico Hoerner.
Hoerner will only be turning 29 during this upcoming season, so he is still in the prime of his career. Power is never going to be a part of his profile, as he consistently posts some of the lowest exit velocities in baseball. He makes up for that by having elite bat control, as evidenced by a miniscule 7% strikeout rate. He pairs that with the potential for 30 stolen bases to be a top-10 second base option.
Alec Bohm (3B – PHI)
While not the speed option of Hoerner, Alec Bohm is also a safe bet for batting average.
Last year was Bohm’s lowest expected batting average in the last four seasons, but it was .275. His actual batting average exceeded that as he hit .287. He has hit at least .274 in five of his six seasons, but he doesn’t offer the power that we typically get from corner infield options. Last season, he hit 11 home runs in 120 games. That was essentially pacing for another 15 home run which is typically what he offers. If he shows more power before free agency, it would make him a more desirable name on the market.
Ian Happ (OF – CHC)
It’s hard to believe, but 2026 will mark a decade that Ian Happ has been in the outfield for the Cubs.
Happ’s real-life value to a baseball team exceeds that of his fantasy value because he has won four straight Gold Glove awards. As a fantasy option, he is another reliable option. While not a fantasy statistic, OPS+ is a quick way to check whether or not a batter is performing at an above-average level. He has posted an above-average mark every season of his career, including last season’s 122.
Seiya Suzuki (OF – CHC)
The third Chicago Cubs player on the 2026 Contract Year Players list is Seiya Suzuki.
Suzuki had nine professional seasons in Japanese baseball before coming to the Cubs. Because of that, he will be entering free agency for the first time at the age of 32. While he was always a fine slugging option, he raised his barrel rate to a new career best of 16% in 2025. If he can maintain that going forward, he could approach 40 home runs in a more favorable hitting environment than Wrigley Field.
Kris Bubic (SP – KC)
If Kris Bubic can duplicate his 2025 performance again in 2026, he will be a highly desirable free agent next season.
The most important aspect of Bubic’s contract year is proving he is healthy after ending 2025 injured. His season ended at 116 innings in late July with a strained rotator cuff. It’s a bit frightening for a player who has dealt with injury issues before, including Tommy John surgery in 2023. What was encouraging was his performance when healthy was the best we’ve ever seen from him as a starting pitcher. Even with the shortened season, he finished with new career bests in wins (8), ERA (2.55), and strikeouts (116).
Freddy Peralta (SP – NYM)
The recently traded Freddy Peralta is still set to be a free agent after this season.
The assumption is that the New York Mets made the trade for Peralta with the intention of signing him to an extension. As of now, it still hasn’t happened, which sets him up as a contract year player in 2026. He is already coming off a career season, which saw him post new bests in wins and ERA. That was despite his ERA indicators being essentially the same as we’ve seen the last five seasons, so expect a pullback this season.
Jesus Luzardo (SP – PHI)
2025 was the best version yet of Jesus Luzardo.
Most importantly for Luzardo was that he was able to make 32 starts covering 183 innings. It’s only the second time in his career that he has reached at least 120 innings. The new team context with Philadelphia and extra volume helped him to set new career-best marks in wins and strikeouts. While his 3.92 ERA was better than average, it masked a 2.90 FIP, which was sixth in baseball among qualified starters.
Chris Sale (SP – ATL)
At some point, Chris Sale will retire and begin awaiting his Hall of Fame induction, but there are no signs that it’s imminent.
While Sale was injured again last season, it wasn’t a concerning elbow or shoulder injury. Instead, he fractured his rib while fielding a groundball that cost him a couple of months. When he returned at the end of August, he was his usual dominant self with 51 strikeouts to six walks in 36 innings. As long as he wants to keep pitching, he will be a desirable free agent for a Major League team.
Tarik Skubal (SP – DET)
The prize of next year’s free agent class will be Tarik Skubal.
It’s hard to expect another level from Skubal just because he is going into a contract year. How much better can he really get? Over the last two seasons, he has led all qualified starting pitchers in three of the four rotisserie categories for starting pitchers. He leads in strikeouts (469), ERA (2.30), and WHIP (0.91). The one category he doesn’t lead in is wins, where, instead of being first, he falls all the way to second with 31 wins. Another season even close to what he has done the last two seasons, and the contract he gets in free agency will be shockingly large.
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