ESPN.com · Dec 18, 2025
Passan's MLB free agency, trade intel on Tucker, Bregman, more
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On this date last year, Major League Baseball teams had spent around $2.1 billion on free agents. So far this year, that number is shy of $1.4 billion. And as big as that difference seems, it's impossible not to notice the gap between the two numbers shares the same first digit as Juan Soto's $765 million megadeal with the New York Mets signed last December.
Each offseason has its own unique pace, but like last year's market, this year is moving quickly in some areas and more deliberately in others. This winter has seen an early emphasis on pitching -- owed, perhaps, to the scarcity of quality hitters. At the same time, a number of big bats remain available.