Previewing The Lefty Relief Class ...Middle East

With the regular season in the books, MLBTR is taking a position-by-position look at the 2026-27 free agent market. All that remains: a look at the bullpen market. We’ll begin with the lefties, a smaller group that nonetheless includes the best reliever who’ll be available.

Player ages are for the 2027 season, and names within each tier are listed alphabetically, not “ranked.” Only players who appeared in MLB (or on major league 60-day injured lists) this year are included.

Previous entries in this series: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Center Field, Corner Outfield, Designated Hitter, Starting Pitcher

Top of the Class

Morejon is the best non-closing reliever to hit free agency in years. He’s an elite setup man who presumably would’ve been a high-end closer if he hadn’t shared a bullpen with Robert Suarez and Mason Miller.

The Cuban-born Morejon will hit the market coming off a third straight sub-3.00 ERA season. He worked a career-high 86 innings (third-most of any reliever in MLB) with a 2.83 earned run average. Morejon punched out more than 30% of opponents while running an elite 58% ground-ball rate. He kept his walks to a manageable 8% clip. Morejon’s fastball averaged 99 mph, making him the hardest-throwing southpaw in the game. Oh, he’s also a former top prospect who made his MLB debut at 20 and accordingly is hitting the market before his 28th birthday.

To the extent there’s any concern with Morejon, it’s probably the injury history. He moved to the bullpen largely because he couldn’t stay healthy over his first couple seasons. Morejon underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and continued to battle elbow discomfort through the ’23 season. He’s avoided the injured list for the last three years, seemingly putting the health concerns behind him. His status is a little up in the air again after he was unavailable for last night’s Game 3 of the NLDS due to a balky shoulder. That said, the Padres haven’t taken him off the postseason roster and there’s no indication he’s facing anything serious.

The Padres could issue Morejon a $23.15MM qualifying offer. A single-inning reliever has never accepted the QO. It’s typically reserved for closers (e.g. Josh Hader, Edwin Díaz, Raisel Iglesias), but Morejon is so talented that the Padres should be comfortable making the QO — presuming he’s healthy at season’s end. Though he’ll have a hard time matching Díaz’s record-setting $23MM average annual value over multiple seasons, Morejon is younger and arguably better than Tanner Scott was when the latter commanded four years and $72MM from the Dodgers.

Solid Setup Arms

One could reasonably argue for having Bubic in the swingman section or excluding him from a reliever preview altogether. He’s been a starter for the bulk of his career, only moving to short relief after the Dodgers acquired him from Kansas City at the trade deadline. Bubic may well seek out another rotation opportunity in free agency.

Durability has always been the question more than talent. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was limited to relief work in the second half of ’24. He excelled over four months in a return to the rotation in 2025 until suffering a season-ending rotator cuff strain. This year, elbow and shoulder soreness knocked him out from the middle of May until the final couple weeks of the regular season. Bubic fired five scoreless appearances in short relief to earn a spot on L.A.’s playoff roster.

Minter rebounded from 2025 lat surgery with a solid season between the Mets and Twins. He combined for a 2.56 ERA across 45 2/3 frames after beginning the year on the shelf. Minter’s velocity picked up later in the year with Minnesota, and while he struggled with home runs, he had some of the best control of his career. He’s unlikely to match the two-year, $22MM contract he commanded during his last trip through free agency but won’t have any problem finding a big league deal.

Okert has found a second act since signing a minor league deal with the Astros over the 2024-25 offseason. He’s coming off a 2.13 ERA with a strong 26% strikeout percentage and modest 5.4% walk rate through 67 2/3 innings. Okert doesn’t throw hard but has befuddled hitters with a low-80s breaking ball he throws two-thirds of the time. He has a chance at two years entering his age-35 season.

Puk fits in this group on talent. Between 2022-25, the former sixth overall pick combined for a 3.38 ERA while striking out 30% of batters faced. Puk has barely pitched over the past two seasons, though, undergoing UCL surgery last April and suffering a capsule sprain in his throwing shoulder this August. It’s probably going to be an incentive-laden, one-year deal.

Raley works mostly with a low-80s breaking ball and a mid-80s cutter to generate weak contact. He turned in excellent results for the Mets from 2025-26 before scuffling after a deadline trade to Philadelphia. Raley finished the season with a 3.25 ERA and average strikeout and walk marks in 52 2/3 innings. He’ll be on one-year deals for the rest of his career.

Romero has a decent chance at a two-year contract after his fourth straight solid campaign. He pitched into leverage spots with the Cardinals and has managed a 3.36 ERA or lower in three straight seasons. This year, Romero combined for 56 1/3 frames between the Cards and Brewers with a 3.36 mark, an average strikeout rate, and a lot of ground-balls.

Soto has plus velocity from the left side, averaging 97 mph on his four-seam and 96 on his sinker. He signed a one-year, $7.75MM free agent deal with the Pirates last offseason. Soto had a decent season, recording a 3.63 ERA while striking out nearly 28% of opponents and collecting 16 saves. Soto’s entire career has been a bit of a roller coaster as his command comes and goes. The inconsistency might limit him to another one-year term.

Vesia has a good shot at the second-largest contract among lefty relievers. An unheralded trade pickup by the Dodgers in 2021, he’s been a consistent presence at the back of Dave Roberts’ bullpens six years running. Vesia churned out another strong season, leading L.A. with 20 holds while turning in a 2.64 ERA through 58 innings.

It’s a bit of an unconventional profile. Vesia doesn’t have overpowering velocity, averaging 92 mph on his fastball. Yet no pitcher generates the kind of induced vertical break (essentially ride at the top of the strike zone) that Vesia does. Batters struggle to square it up, year in and year out. Vesia has fanned upwards of 30% of opponents in three straight seasons and gets a ton of weak fly balls from hitters who expect the heater to be an inch or two lower than it arrives at the plate.

Despite the fringy velocity, it’s a stuff over command profile. Vesia can get himself into trouble with free passes and walked more than 13% of opponents this year. He was dialed into the zone during a dominant September and has started the postseason well. Vesia should have plenty of interest on multi-year contracts and might pull a three-year deal at an eight figure salary.

Specialists/Middle Relief

Alvardo probably has the highest ceiling of anyone in this group. He’s been a key leverage reliever in the past but was erratic virtually all season for Philadelphia. Alvarado stumbled to a 5.86 ERA over 58 1/3 innings. His 25.6% strikeout rate was a little above average but down a few points from his career marks. Alvarado still sits close to 98 mph with his sinker but had career-low whiff and ground-ball rates. The stuff is going to net him a big league contract, yet he’s looking at a one-year deal.

Burke surely secured himself another big league contract with a solid year in Cincinnati. He worked 74 1/3 frames of 2.30 ERA ball while only blowing one lead all season. Burke sits around 96 mph and gets a lot of weak contact. His strikeout and walk profile was middling, so he’s probably looking at a one-year contract.

Hill is a submariner ground-ball specialist. He had a low-3.00s ERA in 2024 and ’25 before a home run spike jumped him to a 4.60 mark over 58 2/3 innings. No pitcher in MLB gets more ground-balls, though, which should be enough for Hill to find a cheap big league deal.

Mayza held a bullpen spot for the Phillies all season after signing a minor league contract. He had a nice year, pitching to a 3.48 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate over 67 1/3 innings. Mayza sits around 94 mph and held lefty batters to a .231/.272/.343 line across 115 plate appearances. He probably did enough to earn a big league deal this time around.

It’s a similar story with Milner, a soft-tossing sidearmer who has made a career off weak contact. Milner’s ground-ball rate was just alright this year, though he still managed a 3.64 ERA over 42 innings. The Cubs released him in late August and he finished the season in Seattle.

Rogers is a former All-Star closer who returned to the Twins as an elder statesman this year. He tossed 60 1/3 innings of 4.33 ERA ball with mediocre strikeout and walk numbers. He’s a borderline candidate for another big league deal.

Thilebar had an excellent season for the Cubs in 2025. A home run spike this year left him with a 4.86 ERA across 50 innings. The soon to be 40-year-old Thielbar didn’t lose any velocity and still punched out 28.3% of opposing hitters.

Long Relievers/Swing Options

The Rangers signed Alexander for $1.125MM last offseason. It was a nice pickup, as he tossed 73 innings of 3.70 ERA ball. He doesn’t miss many bats but got ground-balls at a near-50% clip. Alexander’s numbers faded down the stretch, yet the TCU product could return to Arlington in a similar role for barely more than the league minimum.

Newcomb has made good on a $4.5MM free agent deal with the White Sox. He worked to a 3.09 ERA with league average strikeout and walk rates while absorbing 90 1/3 frames over 60 appearances. His fastball is back up into the 95 mph range after sitting around 93 for the A’s in 2025. Newcomb should comfortably find another big league deal and has a chance at a two-year contract, especially if he finds a club willing to let him compete for their fifth starter job.

Suter had his typical season, churning out results behind a ton of soft contact. The soft-tossing Harvard product pitched to a 3.36 ERA despite a modest 20% strikeout rate and sub-90 mph fastball. Suter combined for 91 innings between the Reds and Braves and should secure another modest MLB deal.

Yarbrough worked almost exclusively mop-up spots with the Yankees. He turned in 63 1/3 frames of 3.69 ERA ball with an 18% strikeout rate. His fastball is down to 87 mph on average. He’s an inning eating long reliever.

Player Options

This could be an interesting call for Matsui, who has progressively improved over three years in the majors. He turned in a sterling 1.83 ERA across 64 frames this year to emerge as the Padres’ second-best lefty behind Morejon. Matsui, 31 this month, doesn’t have big velocity (92 mph fastball) but can rack up whiffs with an excellent splitter and slider. The problem is that he’s too infrequently in the zone, walking almost 14% of opponents this year. It seems likelier he’ll opt in, but Matsui would probably find a similar contract to the two years and $13.5MM remaining on his deal if he tested the market.

Peralta has bypassed opt-out opportunities on his four-year deal with San Diego in the last two offseasons. He’s likely to do the same here, as there’s limited contractual upside beyond his $4.45MM salary. Peralta ate 77 1/3 innings of 3.61 ERA ball but only struck out 15% of opponents and has been left off San Diego’s playoff rosters.

Club Options

Hart has earned $1MM and $1.2MM in each of the past two seasons with San Diego while compiling a 5.30 ERA in a swing role. The Friars have shuttled him between Triple-A and the majors, but he burned his final minor league option year in 2026. San Diego may want him back, but probably on a minor league deal as opposed to a guaranteed $2.5MM. The buyout seems likely.

Minor League Deal/Reclamation Types

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