Gina Schreier ’26, Sports Staff Writer

2025 free agent Juan Soto celebrates his go-ahead three-run home run to send the Yankees to the World Series. (Photo courtesy of the New York Post)

Now that the 2024 postseason has come to an end, baseball fans have one thing on their minds: the free agents and changes that this off season will bring. The latest slate of free agents are a star-studded group, including some of the most effective players from this past postseason. Several teams located around the NA community made it deep into October, notably the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and New York Yankees, American League Championship Series (ALCS) champions. 

All of these teams have key players who led them to success this year, with some coming up on free agency in 2025. Let’s dive into each team’s most impactful free agents and speculate what their free agency could mean for the player and the organization’s future.

Phillies: Carlos Estévez, right-handed pitcher

The 32-year-old reliever was traded to the Phillies from the Los Angeles Angels right before the trade deadline in July. Estévez posted career numbers for the Phillies this season, pitching in 20 games with an impressive earned run average of 2.57.  

In the annual postseason press conference, Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, spoke highly of Estévez’s performance “We liked Carlos Estévez. He did a good job for us. He was solid. He helped shape our bullpen,” he said. Despite this praise, Dombrowski also admitted that the club is unlikely to pursue Estévez, making it seem that his future will not be spent with the Phillies.

What will this mean for the team? The Phillies have shown that they are a team lacking in bullpen depth. Losing one of their more reliable pitchers in Estévez won’t be ideal, and they can be expected to look elsewhere for pitching staff if they decide not to bring him back.

Mets: Pete Alonso, first base

The 30-year-old just finished up his sixth season with the Mets. While he had a somewhat below-average regular season, his postseason performance, including a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning during Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series, shows how valuable he can be when it counts.

According to MLB.com, Alonso himself has made his goals clear: “I love this team. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special, and the memories that we’ve created together are just — wow.”

Losing Alonso would be upsetting news, but possibly more so for the fans than the club. Alonso reportedly turned down a seven-year, nine-figure deal with the Mets before the last trade deadline in hopes of a nine or 10 year deal, making it unclear whether the organization will continue to pursue him. While most fans would be devastated to see Alonso play somewhere other than Queens for the first time in his career, the Mets may have enough young talent to compensate for the lost offensive power — such as postseason breakout star Mark Vientos.

Yankees: Juan Soto, outfielder

The 26-year-old outfielder is currently one of baseball’s biggest stars. He had an impressive year in his first season with the Yankees and was influential during the postseason as well, with a series-clinching three-run home run to seal Game 5 of the ALCS.

Soto previously accepted a $31 million deal for just one season with the Yankees, and the organization seems to be highly interested in keeping him around. However, according to “The Athletic,” Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has made it clear that Soto is keeping his options open: “Juan is comfortable in a lot of places.”

What would losing Soto mean for the Yankees? Well, the fans who have embraced him as a part of the lineup will certainly be disappointed, and a Yankees roster filled with talent — think Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo — will lose one of their powerhouse hitters. There is also speculation that Soto will head to the Los Angeles Dodgers, joining yet another star-studded team. 

Surrounded by three baseball powerhouses, Phillies, Mets, and Yankees fans within the Newark Academy community have much to hold their breath for this offseason. Only time will tell which stars stay, which will move on, and which organizations will be able to withstand the changes and come back stronger in 2025.