The 2026-27 MLB offseason is a little more than a week old now and we're still waiting for the first big trade or free agent signing. That isn't unusual, though. The hot stove, like the regular season, is a marathon, not a sprint.
A lockout is expected when the collective bargaining agreement ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and there should be a flurry of activity before then. We ranked the offseason's top 50 free agents, and although it is not a great class, there are dozens of quality players available.
You just have to know where to look. Here now are five players who did not rank among our top 50 free agents, but would nonetheless be good options and solid pickups for teams that want to raise their floor and improve their supporting cast. It was a tale of two seasons for the 29-year-old Bryan Abreu, who had a 5.81 ERA before the All-Star break and a 1.71 ERA after.
The under-the-hood estimators, like FIP and xERA, were better in the second half as well, though Abreu lost close to 2 mph off his fastball this year and, not coincidentally, a whole bunch of swings and misses. Abreu is third in appearances and second in innings among relievers since 2022 and it's possible the workload is catching up to him. There's still enough bat-missing ability and late-inning experience here for Abreu to contribute to a contender's bullpen.
It just might happen as a seventh-inning guy moving forward, not as the Moment of Truth™ reliever who pitches in the game's biggest moments. If you're looking for a bottom of the order guy who will take walks and give you 10-15 home runs, that's J.P. His defense, specifically his range and arm, has slipped so much in his early 30s that he's no longer a viable shortstop, though he played 33 games at third base this past season.
I like him better at second base, but third base works too. Crawford gets on-base at a decent clip and won't strike out excessively, plus he's long been regarded as an excellent teammate and grade-A clubhouse guy. It seems like his time with the Mariners is over and it's for the best.
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