Opening Day lineup predictions have been a staple of our MLB offseason content here at Bleacher Report the last several years, but it's time we showed the ever-important starting pitchers some love as well.

Blake Snell is the biggest pitching domino that has fallen so far this offseason, while Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd also secured multi-year deals. But there are a lot of big names still on the market, led by Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.

For now, we've assigned all of the top upcoming free agents to logical landing spots and projected a major trade on the way to predicting each MLB team's Opening Day starting rotation for the 2025 season.

This will be updated throughout the offseason, so this is just the start.

Note: Names in bold indicate a projected signing or trade pickup.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Zac Gallen
2. RHP Merrill Kelly
3. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
4. RHP Brandon Pfaadt
5. LHP Jordan Montgomery

Quick Thoughts: What is going to happen with Jordan Montgomery? Despite owner Ken Kendrick dragging him in the press after he struggled to a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings in 2024, he still exercised his $22.5 million club option.

Trading him is going to be next to impossible, so expect the team to try to get what it can out of that hefty salary as long as he turns in a capable spring training.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Ryne Nelson, LHP Tommy Henry, RHP Yilber Diaz, LHP Blake Walston, RHP Cristian Mena

Athletics

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP JP Sears
2. RHP Spencer Turnbull
3. RHP Joey Estes
4. RHP Mitch Spence
5. RHP J.T. Ginn

Quick Thoughts: The Athletics cobbled together a starting rotation that ranked 26th in the majors with a 4.76 ERA last season, and along the way found some useful pieces in JP Sears (4.71 FIP, 180.2 IP), Joey Estes (4.94 FIP, 127.2 IP) and Rule 5 pick Mitch Spence (4.21 FIP, 151.1 IP).

Spencer Turnbull would provide a welcome veteran presence, and in return he gets a guaranteed rotation spot he might not otherwise find on a contending team.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Osvaldo Bido, RHP Joe Boyle, LHP Hogan Harris, RHP Gunnar Hoglund

Atlanta Braves

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Chris Sale
2. RHP Nathan Eovaldi
3. RHP Reynaldo López
4. RHP Spencer Schwellenbach
5. RHP Grant Holmes

Quick Thoughts: The Braves will need to make at least one outside addition to account for losing both Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency, and Nathan Eovaldi would be a great workhorse veteran to help shoulder the load alongside Chris Sale at the top of the rotation.

They can then hold an open competition for the No. 5 starter job during spring training with the knowledge Spencer Strider will eventually return.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP Bryce Elder, RHP Ian Anderson, RHP Hurston Waldrep, RHP Allan Winans, LHP Dylan Dodd

Baltimore Orioles

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Zach Eflin
2. LHP Sean Manaea
3. RHP Grayson Rodriguez
4. RHP Dean Kremer
5. RHP Albert Suárez

Quick Thoughts: Losing Corbin Burnes is a blow for the Orioles, but they could do a lot worse than replacing him with left-hander Sean Manaea. The 32-year-old had a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings, and he rattled off a stretch of nine quality starts in 11 outings during the second half.

The No. 5 starter battle between Albert Suárez, Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich would be one to watch.

Other Internal Candidates: LHP Trevor Rogers, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Chayce McDermott

Boston Red Sox

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Tanner Houck
2. LHP Garrett Crochet
3. RHP Brayan Bello
4. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano
5. RHP Kutter Crawford

Quick Thoughts: Notably absent from this projected rotation is Lucas Giolito, who is expected to start the year on the injured list, but he should be ready to return well in advance of the All-Star break.

Swinging a blockbuster deal to acquire Garrett Crochet and rolling the dice on longtime Japanese League standout Tomoyuki Sugano who they have been tied to in the past provides a much-needed boost to the staff.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Quinn Priester, RHP Cooper Criswell, RHP Richard Fitts

Chicago Cubs

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Shōta Imanaga
2. LHP Justin Steele
3. RHP Jameson Taillon
4. LHP Matthew Boyd
5. RHP Javier Assad

Quick Thoughts: The Cubs signed left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal earlier this week, and while they could kick the tires on some of the market's top arms, there's a good chance that will be their only notable addition.

They have some quality depth to compete for the No. 5 spot, and a healthy Ben Brown could be an X-factor.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Ben Brown, LHP Jordan Wicks, RHP Hayden Wesneski

Chicago White Sox

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Joe Ross
2. RHP Jakob Junis
3. RHP Jonathan Cannon
4. RHP Davis Martin
5. RHP Drew Thorpe

Quick Thoughts: Joe Ross (25 G, 10 GS, 3.77 ERA, 74.0 IP) and Jakob Junis (24 G, 6 GS, 2.69 ERA, 67.0 IP) both pitched well while bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen last season.

The White Sox could lure them to the South Side by guaranteeing them a spot in the Opening Day rotation, and they would be obvious trade candidates at the deadline if they pitch well.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Sean Burke, RHP Jairo Iriarte, RHP Nick Nastrini, LHP Ky Bush, LHP Jake Eder

Cincinnati Reds

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Hunter Greene
2. RHP Brady Singer
3. LHP Andrew Abbott
4. RHP Nick Martinez
5. LHP Nick Lodolo

Quick Thoughts: With Brady Singer acquired in the deal that sent Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals and swingman Nick Martinez back after he accepted his qualifying offer, the Reds rotation appears to be set.

That said, it's not out of the question to think Rhett Lowder could force his way into the picture after he debuted with a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 innings down the stretch in 2024.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Rhett Lowder, RHP Graham Ashcraft, RHP Connor Phillips

Cleveland Guardians

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Tanner Bibee
2. LHP Andrew Heaney
3. RHP Gavin Williams
4. RHP Ben Lively
5. RHP Triston McKenzie

Quick Thoughts: The Guardians need to do something to shore up the rotation behind Tanner Bibee, and simply relying on Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen returning to form is too risky for a legitimate contender.

History tells us they are not going to break the bank, but Andrew Heaney would be a nice addition if he can be had for something similar to the two-year, $25 million deal he signed with the Texas Rangers two years ago.

Other Internal Candidates: LHP Joey Cantillo, LHP Logan Allen

Colorado Rockies

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Germán Márquez
2. RHP Ryan Feltner
3. LHP Kyle Freeland
4. RHP Antonio Senzatela
5. LHP Austin Gomber

Quick Thoughts: The Rockies are never going to be able to convince any quality free-agent starters to come watch their ERAs balloon while pitching half their games at Coors Field, so expect them to roll out a similar staff to a year ago.

Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela pitched a combined 16.1 innings in 2024, so getting them back healthy will be a nice in-house boost.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Tanner Gordon, RHP Bradley Blalock, LHP Carson Palmquist

Detroit Tigers

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Tarik Skubal
2. RHP Walker Buehler
3. RHP Reese Olson
4. RHP Casey Mize
5. RHP Jackson Jobe

Quick Thoughts: The Tigers bought low on Jack Flaherty with a one-year deal last offseason and it paid major dividends, so don't be surprised if they take a similar approach this winter and go shopping for a high-risk, high-reward reclamation project.

No one in this year's starting pitching class better fits that description than Walker Buehler, but he has a long list of teams vying for his services.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Keider Montero, RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Matt Manning, RHP Ty Madden

Houston Astros

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Framber Valdez
2. RHP Hunter Brown
3. RHP Ronel Blanco
4. RHP Spencer Arrighetti
5. RHP Justin Verlander

Quick Thoughts: The Astros are expected to get Luis García back in time for Opening Day, but they will still be without Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr. and J.P. France who are all recovering from arm surgeries.

There have already been reports of a potential reunion with Justin Verlander, so penciling him into the No. 5 starter spot seems like a reasonable expectation at this point.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Luis García, LHP Colton Gordon, RHP Ryan Gusto, RHP A.J. Blubaugh

Kansas City Royals

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Cole Ragans
2. RHP Seth Lugo
3. RHP Michael Wacha
4. RHP Alec Marsh
5. RHP Kyle Wright

Quick Thoughts: The Kansas City rotation was a revelation in 2024, and the Royals opted to trade from an area of strength when they sent Brady Singer to Cincinnati in exchange for infielder Jonathan India.

The open spot in the rotation is expected to be filled by Kyle Wright, who missed the entire 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery. But he is not long removed from going 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 180.1 innings in 2022 when he finished 10th in NL Cy Young voting.

Other Internal Candidates: LHP Noah Cameron, RHP Jonathan Bowlan, RHP Luinder Avila

Los Angeles Angels

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Yusei Kikuchi
2. RHP Luis Severino
3. RHP José Soriano
4. LHP Tyler Anderson
5. RHP Kyle Hendricks

Quick Thoughts: The Angels have already added Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks to the staff in free agency, and they might not be done spending as they again try to piece together a viable contender.

It's worth noting Luis Severino turned down a qualifying offer, so signing him would also mean draft pick compensation, but that hasn't generally scared the Angels away from free agents in the past.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Jack Kochanowicz, LHP Reid Detmers, RHP Caden Dana, LHP Sam Aldegheri, RHP Chase Silseth

Los Angeles Dodgers

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Tyler Glasnow
2. LHP Blake Snell
3. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
4. RHP Shohei Ohtani
5. RHP Tony Gonsolin
6. LHP Clayton Kershaw

Quick Thoughts: Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said it's a "fair bet" the team will use a six-man rotation in 2025, which should help keep guys healthy and allow Shohei Ohtani to ease back into work on the mound.

There are plenty of high-profile arms they could target, including Japanese League star Roki Sasaki. For now, though, now a reunion with Clayton Kershaw is the most likely outcome if he decides to pitch another year.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Dustin May, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP Landon Knack, LHP Justin Wrobleski, RHP Ben Casparius

Miami Marlins

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Sandy Alcántara
2. LHP Jesús Luzardo
3. RHP Edward Cabrera
4. LHP Ryan Weathers
5. LHP Braxton Garrett

Quick Thoughts: Getting Sandy Alcántara, who missed the entire 2024 season, and Jesús Luzardo, who didn't pitch after June 16, healthy again immediately elevates the Miami rotation. But it will still be without young phenom Eury Pérez as he continues his own Tommy John recovery after going under the knife last April.

It's unlikely the Marlins make any major additions in the early stages of rebuilding the roster.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Max Meyer, RHP Valente Bellozo, RHP Adam Mazur

Milwaukee Brewers

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Freddy Peralta
2. RHP Brandon Woodruff
3. RHP Aaron Civale
4. RHP Tobias Myers
5. LHP DL Hall

Quick Thoughts: A healthy Brandon Woodruff has the potential to be as impactful as any outside addition made this offseason, though there will be some rust after he missed all of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery.

The battle for the No. 5 starter job between DL Hall and Aaron Ashby will be interesting, and whoever loses out on a starting role could still be a major weapon as a multi-inning reliever.

Other Internal Candidates: LHP Aaron Ashby, RHP Carlos Rodriguez, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, RHP Logan Henderson

Minnesota Twins

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Pablo López
2. RHP Joe Ryan
3. RHP Bailey Ober
4. LHP José Quintana
5. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson

Quick Thoughts: The Twins need to do better than Chris Paddack and a parade of inexperienced young arms to round out the staff this time around, and things would have been even worse in 2024 if not for the emergence of Simeon Woods Richardson.

Veteran José Quintana would add a reasonably priced veteran to the mix and bring a bit more balance to an all-righty staff.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Chris Paddack, RHP David Festa, RHP Zebby Matthews, RHP Louie Varland, RHP Marco Raya

New York Mets

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Corbin Burnes
2. RHP Kodai Senga
3. RHP Frankie Montas
4. LHP David Peterson
5. RHP Tylor Megill

Quick Thoughts: With Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana all departing in free agency, the Mets entered the offseason with work to do rebuilding the starting staff. They already signed Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal, and they remain one of the favorites to land the market's top arm, Corbin Burnes.

A healthy season from Kodai Senga and the impending arrival of Brandon Sproat will also provide a nice boost.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Paul Blackburn, RHP Brandon Sproat, RHP Blade Tidwell

New York Yankees

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Gerrit Cole
2. LHP Carlos Rodón
3. RHP Clarke Schmidt
4. RHP Luis Gil
5. RHP Marcus Stroman

Quick Thoughts: Unless they decide to move Marcus Stroman in a salary dump this winter, it's hard to see how the Yankees end up targeting any top starting pitching talent.

That said, they are in serious need of some viable depth, so expect them to add at least a few low-cost veteran arms. That's how they ended up with Luke Weaver last offseason, and that worked out pretty well.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Will Warren, RHP Clayton Beeter, RHP Cody Poteet

Philadelphia Phillies

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Zack Wheeler
2. RHP Aaron Nola
3. LHP Cristopher Sánchez
4. LHP Ranger Suárez
5. RHP Max Scherzer

Quick Thoughts: The Atlanta Braves bought low on an aging Chris Sale last offseason hoping he could hold down the No. 5 starter job, and he ended up winning NL Cy Young honors.

The Phillies could take a similar approach with Max Scherzer, targeting him on a one-year deal and giving him a chance to pitch for a World Series contender in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career.

Will they cut their losses and release Taijuan Walker with two years and $36 million left on his contract?

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Taijuan Walker, RHP Andrew Painter, RHP Tyler Phillips, RHP Seth Johnson

Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Paul Skenes
2. RHP Mitch Keller
3. RHP Jared Jones
4. LHP Bailey Falter
5. RHP Luis L. Ortiz

Quick Thoughts: The arrival of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones brought some electric talent to the Pittsburgh rotation, and there is more on the way with Bubba Chandler (No. 28 on B/R Top 100) and Thomas Harrington (No. 86 on B/R Top 100) also knocking on the door to make their MLB debuts.

It remains to be seen whether everything will come together and add up to a contender in Pittsburgh, but things are trending in the right direction thanks to its young arms.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Bubba Chandler, RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Braxton Ashcraft, RHP Thomas Harrington

San Diego Padres

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Dylan Cease
2. RHP Michael King
3. RHP Yu Darvish
4. RHP Jeff Hoffman
5. RHP Matt Waldron

Quick Thoughts: The Padres will likely be in the market to add at least one starting pitcher with Joe Musgrove on the shelf recovering from Tommy John surgery, and they could be the perfect team to take a chance on Jeff Hoffman's potential move from bullpen to rotation.

After all, they were the team that gave Seth Lugo a shot at starting again when they signed him to a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season, and that worked out pretty well.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Randy Vásquez, RHP Jhony Brito

San Francisco Giants

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Logan Webb
2. RHP Jack Flaherty
3. LHP Robbie Ray
4. RHP Jordan Hicks
5. LHP Kyle Harrison

Quick Thoughts: After watching Blake Snell opt out of his contract and then sign with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, expect the Giants to push to replace him with another frontline caliber starter they can slot alongside Logan Webb atop the staff.

There is plenty of risk tied to Jack Flaherty given his injury and command issues prior to his resurgent 2024 season, but he also pitched like a legitimate No. 1 starter at times in 2024.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Landen Roupp, RHP Hayden Birdsong, RHP Mason Black

Seattle Mariners

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Logan Gilbert
2. RHP Luis Castillo
3. RHP George Kirby
4. RHP Bryce Miller
5. RHP Bryan Woo

Quick Thoughts: The Mariners led the majors with a 3.38 ERA from their starting rotation in 2024, and the five guys listed above made 149 of 162 starts on the year, so no major surprises as far as their projected staff is concerned.

Right-hander Emerson Hancock made 12 of the 13 remaining starts and had a 4.75 ERA in 60.2 innings, so he is the obvious next man up entering the year.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Emerson Hancock

St. Louis Cardinals

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Sonny Gray
2. RHP Erick Fedde
3. RHP Miles Mikolas
4. RHP Andre Pallante
5. LHP Steven Matz

Quick Thoughts: Depending on how aggressively the Cardinals decide to sell, they could move Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and Steven Matz before the start of the 2025 season. For now, all three are penciled into the projected staff.

If they blow things up, though, don't be surprised if top prospect Quinn Mathews makes a serious push to break camp with the big league club.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Michael McGreevy, RHP Roddery Munoz, LHP Quinn Mathews, RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Tink Hence

Tampa Bay Rays

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP Shane McClanahan
2. RHP Taj Bradley
3. RHP Ryan Pepiot
4. LHP Jeffrey Springs
5. RHP Shane Baz

Quick Thoughts: The Rays were major sellers at the trade deadline this past summer, and that could continue this winter with right-hander Zack Littell profiling as one of the more likely trade candidates on the roster.

Despite all of the roster shuffling, they still have the potential for a quality rotation, especially with two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan returning from Tommy John surgery.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Zack Littell, RHP Drew Rasmussen, LHP Mason Montgomery

Texas Rangers

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Jacob deGrom
2. RHP Jon Gray
3. RHP Tyler Mahle
4. RHP Trevor Williams
5. RHP Kumar Rocker

Quick Thoughts: With Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Max Scherzer all gone in free agency, the Rangers will have a new-look rotation in 2025. The health and effectiveness of Jacob deGrom will be a huge X-factor, and the same is true of the meteoric rise of Kumar Rocker.

Right-hander Trevor Williams had a 2.03 ERA and 2.79 FIP in 66.2 innings in 2024 before a flexor strain sidelined him the rest of the way, so while he comes with some risk, the Rangers showed a willingness to roll those dice when they signed Tyler Mahle.

Other Internal Candidates: LHP Cody Bradford, RHP Dane Dunning, RHP Jack Leiter

Toronto Blue Jays

Projected Starting Rotation

1. RHP Kevin Gausman
2. LHP Max Fried
3. RHP José Berríos
4. RHP Chris Bassitt
5. RHP Bowden Francis

Quick Thoughts: The Blue Jays look like a team poised to make a splash after they made a serious push to sign Shohei Ohtani last winter, and there is a looming sense of urgency to convince Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to stick around beyond the 2025 season.

Reeling in Max Fried would qualify as a splash, and it would give them one of the deepest rotations in baseball.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Yariel Rodríguez, RHP Jake Bloss

Washington Nationals

Projected Starting Rotation

1. LHP MacKenzie Gore
2. RHP Nick Pivetta
3. RHP Jake Irvin
4. LHP Mitchell Parker
5. LHP DJ Herz

Quick Thoughts: Despite posting an identical 71-91 record each of the past two seasons, the Nationals still look like a team headed in the right direction thanks to some exciting young pieces on the offensive side of things.

They still have work to do building out the rotation, and a reunion with Nick Pivetta would give them a quality veteran starter with swing-and-miss stuff. The 31-year-old was originally drafted by the Nationals in 2013, then traded to the Phillies in exchange for Jonathan Papelbon at the 2015 trade deadline.

Other Internal Candidates: RHP Cade Cavalli, RHP Joan Adon, RHP Jackson Rutledge