MLB Free Agency Opens for All 30 Teams as Experts Project Top 2027 Landing Spots

Q: With contract estimates varying by over $100 million, which desperate MLB franchise will overpay to secure Freddy Peralta?

The Cubs look like the most plausible franchise to overpay for Freddy Peralta. Chicago’s need is the clearest and most urgent. Multiple reports describe the Cubs’ rotation as one of the weakest in baseball entering 2027, and CBS Sports repeatedly linked Peralta to them because they need frontline innings and have Craig Counsell, who knows him well from Milwaukee. That combination of desperation, familiarity and market size makes them a natural candidate to push past pure value. The contract gap around Peralta is unusually wide. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected four years and $96 million, MLB Trade Rumors had five years and $110 million, other estimates clustered around five years and $130 million to $140 million, and Spotrac went as high as seven years and $201 million. That spread shows how volatile his market is after a season in which he struggled badly with the Mets, then rebounded with the Rays and starred in October. The White Sox, Giants, Blue Jays and Phillies all make some sense, but each has a restraint. The White Sox have a history of avoiding massive free-agent pitching deals. The Rays may simply be priced out. The Phillies and Blue Jays have other payroll and roster-balance questions. San Francisco is a viable dark horse, but Chicago’s need is more acute and more public. If Peralta lands above the middle of the market — something like five years and $130 million-plus or higher — the Cubs are the likeliest team to be the one paying the desperation premium.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 4

Five days after Milwaukee won its first World Series, MLB free agency opened Monday, letting eligible players negotiate with all 30 clubs.
CBS Sports experts highlighted pitching as the market's early focus, with Adrian Morejon linked most often to the Cubs, Trevor Rogers to the Mets, Cubs or Braves, and Freddy Peralta to the White Sox, Rays or Mariners.
Position-player projections centered on Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Randy Arozarena, with Chisholm tied to the Blue Jays, Tigers or Diamondbacks and Arozarena viewed as a fit for the Rangers or Phillies.
The forecasts reflect team-specific needs already shaping the market — Chicago clubs seeking pitching, Toronto chasing left-handed power, and Philadelphia looking for corner-outfield help during a narrowing contention window.