💵 8 MLB Contract Year Players to Watch in 2026: Will Chisholm Cash in Next Winter?

Money is one of the most undefeated motivators, and that especially applies to the ball-mashers and gas-throwers in our 8 MLB contract year players to watch.

It's an important group to monitor as spring training games begin and you get set to make MLB futures bets for the coming season. The added motivation to reach higher milestones could propel the likes of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Freddy Peralta forward.

That applies perhaps even more to Bo Bichette, who just signed a gargantuan deal but could cash in again if he declines his player option for next season.

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💰 MLB contract year players to watch

Following along this season with our MLB picks based on the MLB odds.

Any foray into the future of MLB free agency comes with a few standard caveats, and one unique and possibly not very fun one for next winter.

First, a whole lot can change over the course of a season due to injuries, performance, and other factors. That can lead to any number of these players signing extensions, or in Bichette's case, deciding to exercise his player option with the New York Mets and not hit the open market again.

Also, keep in mind there's a CBA fight looming, which could result in a lockout next winter. However, that doesn't change much for this season and the extra motivation contract-year players feel.

What kind of player are we targeting here while looking ahead? Not the Tarik Skubals of the potential free-agent class.

A defending two-time Cy Young odds winner like Skubal has never shown the need for that extra little cash-induced push, nor is he rebounding from an injury or inconsistent performance. Skubal already sits atop the mountain, and he could fall from that summit a little and still surely earn a record-setting contract next winter if the lefty remains healthy.

Instead, we're looking for players who are trying to re-establish themselves or prove recent success is repeatable, perhaps even while contending in the MLB MVP odds.

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💵 MLB contract year predictions

Many of the players listed feature prominently on MLB playoff odds contenders.

Bo Bichette (Mets)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Games: 139
• Home runs: 18
• Average: .311
• OPS: 840

Bichette was just given a colossal contract worth $126 million over three years ($42 million annually). But there are player opt-outs available in the two years after this season.

He'll be 28 years old heading into 2027, and still very much amid peak earning years. The infielder just improved his OPS from .598 in 2024 to .840. However, there are massive questions about his durability after not playing at least 140 games in any of the past three seasons, bottoming out at 81 in 2024.

A healthy season would need to include showing some semblance of defensive competence while playing third base for the first time, and improving his sprint speed from horrendous to passable. But Bichette's power can rebound to 20-plus homer levels along the way, too.

Best bet: Over 17.5 home runs (-106 via FanDuel)

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Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Games: 130
• Home runs: 31
• Average: .242
• OPS: .813
• SB: 31

There's never been any doubting Chisholm's speed, and last year was his second 30-plus-steal campaign. The power surge to go along with that speed is brand new though, and Chisholm will feel the urgency to prove he can remain at the same level as his breakout 31-homer season last year.

Playing in the third-most homer-friendly ballpark, according to Baseball Savant, helps a whole lot as Chisholm swings for the short porch at Yankee Stadium. But he'll surely want to avoid completely selling out for power to truly establish himself as a slugger. Chisholm's strikeout rate sat in the bottom 8% leaguewide last year.

Best bet: To record 30+ stolen bases (-130 via DraftKings)

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Freddy Peralta (Mets)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Starts: 33
• Innings: 176.2
• ERA: 2.70
• Strikeouts: 204

There's always been an abundance of strikeout stuff from Freddy Peralta, who has tallied 200-plus punchouts in three straight seasons.

He's battled some control problems though, with a BB/9 of 3.4 of higher during the past two years. The difference last season is that those walks didn't hurt him as often, with his ERA plummeting from 3.68 to a career-best 2.70. However, his expected ERA sat at 3.43.

He'll be eager to prove that run-prevention success is repeatable, and we know he can do it largely through strikeouts.

Best bet: To record 200+ strikeouts (-120 via DraftKings)

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Trevor Rogers (Orioles)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Starts: 18
• Innings: 109 2/3
• ERA: 1.81
• K/9: 8.5

Durability concerns are a common refrain for many walk-year pitchers, as is the tantalizing potential if they can string together a healthy season.

We don't need to use our imagination for the latter with Trevor Rogers, who posted a shining 1.81 ERA across 18 starts last year. That was down dramatically from his 4.92 in 2024.

His availability is the issue though. The hurler's season started late due to a partial kneecap dislocation, and he's not too far removed from a 2023 campaign featuring only four starts. He's shown an ability to pile up strikeouts though if healthy, notching 103 last year despite not beginning his season until late May.

Best bet: To record 150+ strikeouts (+100 via DraftKings)

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Kevin Gausman (Blue Jays)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Starts: 32
• Innings: 193
• ERA: 3.59
• Strikeouts: 189

Kevin Gausman is among the contract-year players looking to prove aging gracefully is possible, even on the mound, where the mileage of physical exertion adds up more.

The 35-year-old remained mostly effective last year and was a core piece of the eventual American League champion Toronto Blue Jays. He's not a power pitcher, but the success of his lethal splitter leans on at least average fastball velocity to play along with the deception.

The concern with Gausman is that he's teetering on the line between average velocity and eyebrow-raising in a bad way. His fastball sat at 94.5 mph last year, which is right on league average. But he'll be able to pile up wins for a World Series odds-contending team if Gausman can keep hovering around that perch.

Best bet: To record 12+ wins (+125 via DraftKings)

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Jesus Luzardo (Phillies)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Starts: 32
• Innings: 183 2/3
• ERA: 3.92
• Strikeouts: 216

Much like Peralta, there's quality strikeout potential here for Jesus Luzardo. He's fresh off a career single-season high last year, and it was his second 200-plus-strikeout campaign.

But much like Rogers, there are glaring neon-light question marks about durability. Even more so in this case too, as in between Luzardo's brilliant 2025 and 2023 seasons was a year with just 12 starts. In fact, those two seasons are his only ones over a seven-year career reaching the 20-start plateau.

His 10.6 K/9 last season shows the healthy version of Luzardo can reach a sky-high strikeout total.

Best bet: To record 200+ strikeouts (-105 via DraftKings)

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Kris Bubic (Royals)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Starts: 20
• Innings: 116 1/3
• ERA: 2.55
• K/9: 9.0

Here again we see high variance, with a wildly appealing upside but scary downside.

The rock bottom for the latter would come from yet another season of Kris Bubic disappearing for long stretches. A year of being relegated to the bullpen and logging just 30 1/3 innings came in 2024. And he needed Tommy John surgery the season before that in 2023.

The possibilities with him are exciting though, as Bubic showed with his career-best 2.55 ERA last year, a season that featured his first All-Star appearance. It's worth a sprinkle on him to stay healthy.

Best bet: To record 140+ strikeouts (-120 via DraftKings)

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Randy Arozarena (Mariners)

🔢 Key 2025 stats

• Games: 160
• Home runs: 27
• Average: .238
• OPS: .760
• SB: 31

There will always be value in a player capable of topping 25-plus steals and homers. You need to overlook the strikeout totals with Randy Arozarena, as he was sent back to the dugout a career-worst 191 times last season.

But his combination of speed and power makes that easier to do, particularly when the latter ended up with him sitting in the top 10% leaguewide in hard-hit rate last year.

Arozarena could be eyeing one of his last chances to cash in while set to enter his age-31 season next year. Possible suitors will be hoping for positive regression back to earlier career levels with his contact ability. However, a lack of that hasn't prevented him from logging 140-plus hits in four of the last five seasons.

Best bet: To record 140+ hits (+120 via DraftKings)

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🤑 MLB contract year best bets

Need baseball sooner than Opening Day? Our World Baseball Classic odds have you covered.

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