3 Free-Agent Relievers Who Can Still Help Would-Be Contenders in 2026

Of all the segments of the MLB free-agent market, the relief pitching one moved fastest. By the time the calendar flipped to 2026, there were relatively few high-leverage arms left on what hadn't been an especially robust market in the first place. Even as January and February progressed, there has been a steady trickle of reliever signings, such that only a fistful of pitchers with meaningful big-league experience remain unsigned as teams look ahead to the start of Grapefruit and Cactus League contests.

Naturally, the best of the bunch have already found homes. To remain a free agent at this stage, one must have a significant wart on one's profile. Veteran righty Tommy Kahnle has always been so reliant on his changeup that teams slightly discounted him, and he had a woeful finish to 2025, leaving him in the cold this winter. Flamethrower Michael Kopech has tantalizing stuff, but huge health questions hang over his free agency. Apparently, no team is comfortable enough with his medical outlook to sign him to a deal he finds palatable.

Some of the same things are true of these three other free-agent relievers, but they have some real promise and could be key contributors to contending teams this year, despite the knocks that have prevented them from finding homes even after camps opened and teams' roster crunches slightly relaxed. Let's briefly break them down.

Luke Jackson, RHP
Jackson finished the 2025 season healthy, and was even on the Mariners' playoff roster as they came within a game of the World Series. That's the good news. The bad news is that the formerly dynamic setup man saw his strikeout rate crater and his already ugly walk rate tick up last season, as he bounced from the Rangers to the Tigers to Seattle. He's not considered a reliable arm at this point, despite his upside.

Nonetheless, that upside is considerable. Jackson still throws a fastball that sits on the high side of 95 miles per hour and can touch 98. With a very high arm slot, he creates some funk and gets good carry on the heater. His slider no longer functions as well as it once did, and he might be a good candidate to transition to more of a sweeper, something he's never seriously attempted in a fairly long big-league career. He has the feel for spin and supination to do it, and while sweepers are more common from pitchers with lower slots, 11 hurlers did throw a sweeper from a high arm slot at least 10% of the time last year. 

Exploring the sweeper is one option to fix Jackson. Another might be to move him over on the mound. He works from the third-base side of the rubber, leaving room for his fastball's natural cut to bring it over the plate, but he was often guilty of leaving the ball high and on his arm side last season. A slide to the center of the rubber would give him a better chance of consistently throwing strikes with the fastball at the top of the zone. It might also help his breaking stuff play up, obviating the need to introduce a chance to that set of pitches.

Max Kranick, RHP
Kranick throws even harder than Jackson, and has cut-ride action on his fastball. He doesn't have a breaking ball that he can consistently command and miss bats with, but the elements for one are there. His hard slider acts more like a cutter, playing well off the heat but not yielding many whiffs. The right team could help him perfect a kick-change or better command his curveball to unlock some strikeouts, but the fastball shape and speed alone make him a compelling arm.

His big problem is health. Kranick underwent surgery to repair his flexor tendon in July and won't be back on a big-league mound until at least midseason. For that very reason, a team might be able to sign him to a minor-league deal and keep him stashed in the organization for months, without using a 40-man roster spot. He's in an uncomfortable middle range, though, wherein he doesn't have the track record or the perceived upside to profile as a high-leverage arm in a playoff-caliber bullpen, but won't be back in time to be a valuable trade chip for a non-contender. Look for a team to try to sign him to a two-year minor-league deal. If Kranick can get healthy in time, he's an interesting arm to add to even a good bullpen; he just profiles better as a longer-term move.

Danny Coulombe, LHP
Lingering on the market is nothing new for Coulombe, who signed with the Twins on February 7 last year. This time, he's waiting even longer, which might be a clue about how his shoulder feels. The diminutive southpaw throws from an extreme over-the-top slot, and while he doesn't throw hard, he has a huge array of pitches for a reliever. He's dealt with shoulder fatigue somewhat often over the last two years, including a stint on the injured list near the end of last season with the Rangers. He admitted last spring that he nearly always feels some nagging soreness or fatigue, and a long ramp-up in camp might not serve him well at this point.

Should a team have a late-developing opening in their bullpen and/or on their 40-man roster, though, Coulombe makes a great candidate to fill it. He's smart, versatile and personable, and he has a 2.47 ERA in 124 relief innings since the start of 2023. He's 36 years old and only throws 90 miles per hour, but he might be the best remaining relief pitcher available in free agency.

None of these guys will be closing games in the playoffs this season. However, each has a path to helping a team who appears in the playoffs, if they can get or stay healthy and make the right adjustments. Though camps are open and the bulk of the offseason work is done, teams will still be calling and checking in with pitchers like these. It's not too late to dream on an under-the-radar addition that might turn out to be important for a competitive club.