All but two teams have already turned their attention to the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking a look at the players who will be available at each position.
The 2025-26 class of left-handed relievers is short on high-leverage weapons, but has plenty of solid, serviceable veterans — plus a few wild cards who could pursue a return to the big leagues after pitching overseas. The stated ages apply to the 2026 season.
Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base, second base, third base, short stop, center field, corner outfield, design hitter, starting pitching, right-handed relief
Weapons for veteran deployment
Jalen Beeks (32)
Beeks signed a minor league deal with the Astros last offseason, but opted out late in the spring and signed a major league contract with the D-backs. It turned out well. He pitched 57 1/3 innings, recording 14 holds and a save, and fanned 20.3% of his opponents at an 8.7% walk rate – all on his way to a 3.77 ERA. Beeks can reach speeds of 93 miles per hour with his four-seamer, posted an above-average swinging-strike percentage in 2025 and has primarily pitched to mid-to-high leverage pitches over the past four years. He won’t break the bank, but should get a modest one-year contract.
Danny Coulombe (36)
Coulombe, who just turned 36 yesterday, was great in 31 innings with the Twins (1.16 ERA, 25.4 K%, 7.4 BB%), but struggled in 12 innings after being traded to the Rangers (5.25 ERA, 22.2 K%, 16.7 BB%). An IL trip due to shoulder fatigue didn’t help his time with the Rangers, and Coulombe also had a three-week IL stint due to a forearm strain with Minnesota in May. Coulombe’s four-seamers and sinker averages barely reach 90 mph, but he has a 2.60 ERA with strong strikeout and walk rates in 173 1/3 innings dating back to 2020. He made $3 million this year, and another affordable one-year deal seems likely.
Caleb Ferguson (29)
Ferguson’s one-year, $3 million deal proved to be a good investment for the frugal Pirates, who sent him to the Mariners at the deadline after a solid four-month stint. Ferguson was effective with both clubs, pitching to a combined ERA of 3.58. His 18.9% strikeout rate was below average, but Ferguson’s 8.1% walk rate was solid and no reliever in baseball limits hard contact as well as he does. His opponents’ hard-hit percentage of 27.7% was the best in baseball, and he was in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity and barrel velocity. Ferguson doesn’t have plus command or generate plus pace, but he is young, durable and relatively consistent. He could be a candidate for a multi-year contract with a low average annual value.
Hobby Milner (35)
Milner topped 64 innings for the fourth straight season, throwing 70 1/3 innings with a 3.84 ERA for the Rangers. He is a lefty who throws softly, with a below-average strikeout rate, good control and a plus groundball percentage. He’s done a lot of mid-level work in the past, but the Rangers used him as one of their preferred setup options for much of the ’25 season and he recorded a career-high 18 holds (surpassing his previous best of 17 with the ’23 Brewers). Milner signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Texas last winter and should land in that environment again.
Drew Pomeranz (37)
Welcome back, Drew Pomeranz. The 36-year-old left-hander signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and was sent to the Cubs for a trade in April. With Chicago he made his first appearance in the big league since 2021, but it was much more than a quick cameo. The former No. 5 overall draft pick dominated with a 2.17 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate in 49 2/3 frames. Pomeranz was one of them Craig Counsell‘s most trusted relief arms in the playoffs. He turns 37 in November, so it’s not likely he’ll land a multi-year deal, but Pomeranz should expect a big-league contract this winter.
Taylor Rogers (35)
Although his All-Star days are behind him, Rogers has been a solid middle reliever for three years in a row. His teams haven’t used him regularly in high-leverage spots, but he has a 3.16 ERA, a 26.4% strikeout rate and a 10.2% walk rate since 2023. Rogers’ 90-mph sinker average is more than three miles off his 2021 peak, but his results and track record should earn him a big-league contract.
Gregory Soto (31)
Soto may have the highest earning power among this winter’s lefties, due to both his age and his power repertoire. He’s one of the game’s hardest-throwing lefties, but despite that fact, doesn’t generate the whiffs you’d expect. Soto has been useful every year, but has never broken through despite plus velo and a plus swinging-strike rate. Soto has had command issues in the past, but has posted nice step percentages in two of the past three seasons. A two-year deal at market value seems possible.
Caleb Thielbar (39)
Thielbar’s first season with a team other than his hometown Twins was a success. He pitched 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball for the Cubs, drawing a game-tying game Brad Keller for the team leader with 25 holds. Thielbar’s 2024 season was poor, but he has posted a 3.49 or better ERA every other year since 2020. He has average speed, good control and an above-average strikeout rate, but he turns 39 in January, so a one-year deal is very likely.
Justin Wilson (38)
Wilson missed almost the entire 2022-23 season due to Tommy John surgery, struggled with the Reds in 2024 and returned all the way to Boston this year. The Red Sox offered him a one-year, $2.25 million deal last winter, and Wilson responded with 48 1/3 innings, a 3.35 earned run average, a 27.5% strikeout rate, a 9.7% walk rate and 18 holds. He should get another one-year contract this winter, probably with a nice salary increase.
Swingmen / Multi-Inning Arms
Sean Newcomb (33)
“Sean Newcomb, candidate for multi-year contract” probably wasn’t on too many bingo cards in March, but the 2025 season has been excellent for the former top prospect and starter turned reliever. Newcomb threw 92 1/3 innings with a 2.73 ERA for the Red Sox and A’s. He started five games and regularly worked multiple innings – sometimes as a bulk reliever after an opener. The 2014 first-rounder struck out 23.3% of his opponents compared to a walk rate of 7.9% – both slightly better than average. Newcomb has easily earned a major league deal, and a modest two-year contract seems plausible.
Ryan Yarbrough (34)
Yarbrough’s 2025 season was on par by his standards: eight starts, 11 relief outings, a mid-afternoon ERA, a below-average strikeout rate and solid command. That’s what Yarbrough brings most years, and while it’s not a skill set that gets him paid that highly, it keeps him on big league rosters on an annual basis as the sixth starter/longman in the bullpen. Yarbrough averages 80-80 mph, but causes a ton of weak contact.
Possible NPB returnees
Foster Griffin (30)
Griffin is a former first-round pick of the Royals who made seven appearances in the MLB between 2020 and 2022. He spent the last three seasons in Japan, where he combined for a 2.57 ERA in 315 2/3 innings. Griffin missed time last season with what MLBTR has learned: a bone bruise in his lower half. He is expected to have a normal offseason and pursue a return to the MLB. Griffin didn’t have anything overwhelming in his first run in affiliate ball, but he’s coming off a 1.62 ERA while striking out a quarter of opponents. He could sign a big-league contract to compete for a spot in the back-of-the-rotation.
Antonius Kaij (31)
A former first-round pick, Kay played the past two seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He’s worked his way out of their rotation, posting a 3.42 ERA in ’24 and a 1.74 mark in ’25. Kay doesn’t miss bats at a particularly high level (20.8 K%), but he had good command and a nice groundball percentage overseas. Major league scouts have been keeping an eye on him, and while he may get a chance to start somewhere, other clubs will likely be interested in bringing him on board as a swingman. Either way, he’s at least a candidate for a major league deal.
Options/opt-outs
An 80-game PED suspension cast a shadow over Alvarado’s 2025 season, but the hard-throwing southpaw has been one of the Phillies’ best relievers for years. Dating back to 2022, Alvarado touts a 3.25 ERA and has fanned 31.7% of his opponents while averaging 93 mph on his sinker and 93.1 mph on his cutter. He could easily surpass that net $8.5 million in free agency, so the Phils should pick this up.
- Tim Hill (36) – $3 million club option with a $350,000 buyout
Hill, 36 in February, is a groundball specialist who rarely misses bats but rarely walks opponents. He has registered a 2.68 ERA and grounded about two-thirds of batted balls against him in 111 innings since joining the Yankees in 2024. This feels like a nice value for the Yankees, even with their luxury tax status.
Minter underwent lat surgery in May after pitching just eleven innings. The recovery schedule for him is still a bit murky, but it seems likely he’ll pick up that $11 million option, return to the Mets and aim for better health next year.
- Wanda Peralta (34) – $4.45 million player option (contract also includes $4.45 million player option for 2027)
Peralta posted a 3.14 ERA in a career-high 71 2/3 innings with a career-best ground-ball rate of 59.7% in 2025. His 20.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were worse than average. Peralta still averages over 95 mph on his sinker, but he turns 35 in July and has largely been used in low-leverage spots. It’s more likely than not that he picks up his player option.
- Brooks Raley (38) – $4.75 million club option with a $750,000 buyout
Raley returned from Tommy John surgery and pitched 25 2/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate. His average sinker speed had dropped to 80-90 mph in 2023-2024, but this year it was back to 90.7 mph, right in line with his 2021-2022 levels in Houston and Tampa Bay. This option will probably be taken up.
- Brent Suter (36) – $3 million club option with a $250,000 buyout
Suter posted a career-high 4.52 ERA in 67 2/3 innings this season, breaking a streak of six straight years with an earned run average under 4.00. He is a soft tosser who specializes in weak contact over missing bats. This will likely be bought out, but Suter is from Cincinnati and is clearly enjoying pitching for his hometown club, so perhaps he would be willing to return on a smaller pact.
Depth of arms
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