Top 5 MLB Free Agent Shortstops For 2027

Baseball America’s data-driven coverage of MLB’s free agent season continues with the best shortstops available this year, complete with projected contracts for all players expected to receive $10 million or more.

• Top 50 MLB Free Agents For 2027
• Top 100 Prospects
• Top 30 Prospects For Every Team

We’ll look at players through a Statcast lens, while also considering on-field performance. Players expected to receive larger salaries are compared to similar free agents to get a better sense of their market value.

1. J.P. Crawford (Age: 32, UFA, Qualifying Offer Eligible)

• Contract Projection: Accepts qualifying offer if offered, or signs for 2 years, $32M

Crawford’s BABIP was an abysmal .253, but he was able to post yet another above-average batting line mostly due to his elite patience. He’s been remarkably consistent on the offensive side of the ball, posting a wRC+ of 103, 105, 136, 90, 113 and 105 over his past six seasons. The bigger question revolves around his glove, as very few shortstops can maintain plus defense as they age.

Let’s take a look at Crawford’s glovework through the lens of the three public metrics: FRV (Savant), DRS (Sports Info Solutions) and DRP (Baseball Prospectus).

All three systems see Crawford pretty consistently year to year. He’s had below-average fielding seasons in the past, but rebounded to being an above-average shortstop. So, the recent two-year swoon isn’t a guaranteed sign of impending defensive collapse, despite his age.

Here are a couple free agent comps for Crawford to consider:

Didi Gregorius (31 years old, 2021 free agent class, signed for 2 years, $28M)

Gregorius presented a very similar value proposition to Crawford as an above-average hitter with average-to-below-average defense at shortstop. However, his 2019 season leading up to his walk year was brutal, with an 84 wRC+ and subpar defense. Gregorius’ track record wasn’t as consistent as Crawford’s, and his 2020 season had some notable warning signs, including a paltry 104.7 mph maximum exit velocity. That was a major red flag for a player whose offensive production was predicated on hitting home runs.

Ha-Seong Kim (30 years old, 2026 free agent class, signed for 1 year, $20M)

Kim was coming off an injury-riddled 2025, and the Braves took a chance that he would return to his former self, which was a 3-4-win player with an average bat and a plus glove at short.

If Crawford receives a qualifying offer, he’d likely accept that. Failing that, he should get more than Gregorius did in 2021. There aren’t a ton of options in this year’s class, so it’s plausible a team splurges and gives him a three-year deal at a higher AAV.

2. Mauricio Dubón (Age: 32, UFA)

• Contract Projection: 2 years, $15M

Dubón is an excellent example of why people often mistrust WAR metrics. Let’s take a look at how FanGraphs, Baseball Reference and Baseball Prospectus view his value over the past four seasons:

The big difference in valuation comes from defense, with DRP being less bullish than FRV, suppressing Dubón’s value. If we take the consensus view, Dubón has been close to an average player over the last four years, which would put him in line for a $20 million or so contract.

We were tempted to rank Dubón above Crawford. However, he’s likely to have much less leverage in the free agent market. He’s in a somewhat similar situation as Aledmys Díaz in the 2023 class, or Isiah Kiner-Falefa three years ago, who both got roughly two years and $15 million. It’s plausible a team pushes a little higher, especially if their fielding model rates him highly, as he’s probably the best fielding shortstop of the entire class, even the more pessimistic win calculation from Baseball Prospectus suggests a free agent value of $10 million per year. If he gets something closer to three years, $30 million, it wouldn’t be a huge shock.

3. Ha-Seong Kim (Age: 31, UFA)

Kim is an enigma at this point, and could be the best free agent shortstop in this class based on pure talent. Let’s take a look at his WAR metrics since 2022:

Kim’s 2022-2024 stretch was excellent, featuring a rare blend of average-to-plus hitting with plus defense wherever he played on the dirt.

The closest comp we could find was Andrelton Simmons after the 2020 season. Simmons was an elite shortstop for four years, then got injured in 2019, and his batting collapsed. 2020 was even worse, as injuries sapped his major calling card (his glove), and his projection at the time was unclear. The Twins signed him to a one-year, $10.5 million contract hoping that he would return to his former self.

Kim’s bat speed has actually increased every year, so there’s reason to believe his struggles have more to do with timing than tools. He’ll almost assuredly sign for one year, around $10 million or so, and look to rebuild his value once again.

4. Edmundo Sosa (Age: 31, UFA)

Sosa has now accumulated 1,614 plate appearances with a career wRC+ of 97, very close to league average. His glove is average or better at second, short and third, giving him extra utility value.

However, he’s a strict platoon bat, with a career 119 wRC+ vs lefties and an 81 wRC+ against righties. He’s the ideal fit for a team that platoons heavily, as he can fill in almost anywhere on the field.

We have him listed here as a shortstop, but a team signing him and Brandon Lowe to play second base would be getting all-star-quality hitting every night.

5. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (Age: 32, UFA)

You can pencil Kiner-Falefa in for about one win, a wRC+ around 80 and a plus glove wherever you put him on the diamond. He doesn’t have a lot of upside, but he’s a reliable depth piece for a championship team.

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