Ranking MLB Free Agent, Trade Options at SP After Corbin Burnes to Diamondbacks

Verlander had a 4.16 ERA over 67 innings through his first 12 starts in 2024 before a brutal month of September, so his overall performance was not as bad as his final numbers might suggest. He no longer possesses elite velocity, but he is a future Hall of Famer who knows how to pitch, and he is still capable of being an effective back-of-the-rotation option.

Fedde won KBO MVP honors in 2023 when he finished 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 180.1 innings, and he returned stateside a different pitcher last year after inking a two-year, million deal with the White Sox. He was traded to the Cardinals at the 2024 deadline, and now that they are headed for a youth movement, he is squarely on the trade block and carries wide appeal thanks to a team-friendly .5 million salary.

Heaney led a banged up Rangers staff with 31 starts and eclipsed 150 innings pitched for the second time in his career in 2024, and he more than earned his two-year, million deal the past two seasons. With 1,070 strikeouts in 1,014.1 career innings, he has always missed plenty of bats, and he could provide solid value on a similar deal.

After an All-Star selection in 2023, Lorenzen was one of the last notable free agents to sign last winter, agreeing to a one-year, .5 million deal with the Rangers on March 22. He doesn’t miss many bats, striking out just 18.1 percent of the hitters he faced this past season, but he is a solid back-of-the-rotation option capable of pitching above that level at times.

A shoulder issue limited Scherzer to just nine starts last season, so his health is a question mark, but he was still an effective option when he did take the mound. He profiles more as a four- or five-inning guy at this point rather than a workhorse, but in the right situation he can still be an asset to the staff.