THE Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions – which means the MLB offseason is officially underway.

Nearly 150 players were declared free agents upon the completion of the 2026 season, and they can begin signing on Monday, November 2.

Baseball is in a weird position this offseason, with the MLB collective bargaining agreement set to expire on December 1.

It is widely known that no agreement is in place for a new CBA, and the sport is expected to go into a lockout at that point.

Which means teams will likely scramble to sign free agents before the December 1 deadline to get their rosters in shape before the work stoppage.

Here are the top players that could net big contracts before the impending lockout:

LHP TARIK SKUBAL

Tarik Skubal is the best starting pitcher to hit free agency in a long time, and he is by far the best player in this year’s class.

He will be the ace of whatever club he joins after posting a 2.72 ERA with 186 strikeouts in 158 innings.

Skubal performed terrifically even after coming off elbow surgery in May.

He has top-tier strike-throwing ability and brings a four-seamer, changeup, slider, and curveball to the table.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to re-sign Skubal after trading for him this year, but the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are also in the mix.

3B/1B TERUAKI SATO

Teruaki Sato is the latest slugger set to come to the United States in the recent Japanese invasion.

Sato is already 28-years-old, but he is coming off of a Triple Crown season in Japan in which he hit for a .306 average with 39 home runs.

There are some concerns with his swing-and-miss hitting style and below-average contact rate.

However, he has the tools that will make MLB clubs look at him as an enticing option as a corner infielder or potential designated hitter option.

The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres are considered top options for the Japanese slugger.

LHP ADRIAN MOREJON

Adrian Morejon has the looks to potentially become the next Clay Holmes.

Holmes signed with the Mets and was turned into an effective starter after spending his entire career as a back-end reliever.

Morejon had a spectacular season with the Padres this year, pitching to a 2.83 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 86 innings, and he might have the stuff to become an elite starter.

There is some concern about a potential injury, with Padres manager Craig Stammen holding him out of Games 2-4 of the NLDS due to “stickiness” in his shoulder, but if that clears up he will be an exciting project.

Look at the Mets, Yankees, and Chicago Cubs as potential suitors.

LHP TREVOR ROGERS

There is no question that Trevor Rogers is an elite pitcher, but you might not know it from looking at his 2026 stat line.

His 4.03 ERA with the Baltimore Orioles was inflated by some rocky early-season outings, but he still has a four-pitch mix that are highly-rated by analytical models.

Rogers will be 29 when the 2027 season begins (if baseball doesn’t strike the entire season) but he has the potential to see a rise to Cy Young-level similar to that of Zach Wheeler after he signed with the Phillies.

It isn’t hard to imagine a top team will splurge and give Rogers a massive contract.

Look at the Atlanta Braces or Cubs to take a shot on Rogers or the Orioles to possibly re-sign him.

2B JAZZ CHISHOLM JR

Jazz Chisholm had a chance to earn himself a massive payday in his contract year with the New York Yankees last season.

Instead, he put together his worst hitting season since his rookie year with the Miami Marlins in 2022.

In a year that Chisholm predicted he would hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, he hit for a .231 average with 19 home runs (he did nab 41 bases though).

Chisholm was a fantastic player in 2025, and it’s possible teams bank on the potential of future 30-30 seasons to hand him a sizable contract.

He feels destined to be a Pittsburgh Pirate, but the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers are potential options as well.