With the World Series kicking off on Friday, we’re only a couple weeks from the opening of the offseason. It’s customary each offseason for dozens of players to hit the open market, separate from the players who reach MLB free agency at the end of the World Series based on the expiration of their contracts while having six-plus years of MLB service time.
Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of MLB service, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minor leagues has the right to elect free agency. Everyone in today’s group falls under that umbrella. The majority will take minor league deals over the winter, although one or two could find a big league deal as a bench piece or middle-inning reliever.
In recent weeks, we’ve provided periodic updates on players qualifying for minor league free agency. Here are the latest, courtesy of the MiLB.com transactions tracker.
Pitchers
- Anthony Banda (Yankees)
- Luke Bard (Yankees)
- Jacob Barnes (Yankees)
- Roenis Elías (Mariners)
- Robbie Erlin (Dodgers)
- Thomas Eshelman (Padres)
- Chi Chi González (Yankees)
- Ryan Hendrix (Reds)
Infielders
- Ryan Goins (Braves)
- Ronald Guzmán (Yankees)
Outfielders
- Alex Dickerson (Braves)
- Travis Demeritte (Braves)
- Michael Hermosillo (Cubs)
How does a player elect free agency when they were released ?
“Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of MLB service, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minor leagues has the right to elect free agency.” – first sentence 2nd paragraph of a 3 paragraph article?
Low talker – the two option are accept a spot on the MLB’s AAA roster. An example, would a player who was on the Red Sox loosing his 40-man roster spot would be “out righted” to AAA Worcester, and would not be able to be promoted to the MLB Boston Red Sox without being added back onto the 40-man roster.
We will be seeing this situation a lot as players from the 60-day DL/IL must soon be added back to the 40-man roster bumping current 40-man players out of a spot.
Sometime the reporting on a player “released” vs an “outright” is not differentiated when reported.
“13 bums becomes free agents”
“13 people who are far more successful at what they do versus anything I’ve ever accomplished in my life become free agents.”
Fixed it for you.
Btw, it’s “become” not “becomes”
Really? That is sad.
WillieMays – ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!
Even looking at only the monetary aspect only. All of those players spent at least some time on the MLB roster. The MINIMUM salary for an MLB players is $700,000 per season, which equates to a little under $4000 PER DAY. Two week in the MLB, even if the player sits on the bench, equates to $60,000 (or a little higher than the average household income in all 50 states). At the sum of about $120,000 per MONTH, most people would consider that pretty successful.
Thank WilleMays for refuting the attitude that AAA players are not successful (and I did not even mention the signing bonuses…..).
Yeah right, I’m more successful than these bums who suck at their jobs.
1. You probably don’t have have a job
2. It’s extremely hard to even get in the majors
3. “Suck at there jobs” they were good enough to get to this point imagine how whiny you would’ve been if you saw the minor league players
4. More successful? Only think successful thing I’ve seen you do is get ratioed so bad
5. bum1
/bəm/
a lazy or worthless person, sounds just like you.
He typed vigorously as the daily reminder of delivered garlic knots came from the top of the stairs.
Williemayshays out classing another idiot
The quote doesn’t have anything to do with players that have been released.
Neither does your comment.
If I was in their spot, I’d go to Asia. Payday is better and the odds of making the Show are slim.
Frahm, are you a Bill, Bobby, or Rich like I knew growing up?
My name of birth is Frahm.
Says the star if his coed softball team….as the catcher
I am a star in everything I do.
Was going through their bref pages and noticed that nobody on this list who played in the bigs in 2022 had a positive war. Kinda surprised because there’s some familiar names in this group.
Luke Bard & Elias did but we get your point.
I forgot Elias was even with us. He could have had a very good career. When he was in Seattle the first time. He would pitch great until there was an error or he gave up a hit ump missed a pitch or 2. Just didn’t have the fortitude to get past it.
New idea for MLBTR staff, not sure if they’ve done this. A comprehensive look of all AAAA players who elected free agency and where they ended up at the end of the off-season, plus a complete list of minor league retirees and other players who were released and where they ended up. Not that many other than me would care.
AAAA is subjective, but start the site and I’ll frequent it. If wilymopena.com isn’t taken; get at it.
Ahhh… Wily Mo.
Not that anyone cares, but he’s a case study regarding bad contracts. His deal with the Yankees coming out of the DR required that he be promoted to the MLB within four years.
Two years in, he was dealt to the Reds for Drew Henson. Peña was a fantastic prospect, but the Reds didn’t have any choice but to call him up before he was ready.
I can remember thinking (often) how much better it would have been for his development if he’d been on the farm instead of sitting on the bench in Cincinnati for three years.
Anyway. I think the idea of AAAA is great, and wilymopena.com is perfect.
You can email them that.
No such thing as an actual AAAA player. That would be an impossible list to pin down.
I know AAAA isn’t real. I’m saying milb free agents list, or a list of every players who elects free agency. Basically a minor league baseball free agents list and where they all ended up.
Ok. It’s just hard for someone to make a list if the criterion is vague and undefined but I get what your saying.
The AAA rosters churn so much the list would be outdated before it was even published.
An example, Worcester had 29 regulars and 35 pitchers (this does NOT include 7 rehabs), so 64 players. There were 12 pitchers released or traded during the season, and 8 position players.
Your can email your idea to them.
Alex Dickerson and Travis Demeritte aren’t trash. They both can bring good qyalities to a team, even if it is in AAA as quality OF depth…
I feel like Demeritte (and possibly Dickerson and maybe a few of the other guys on that list) is a great candidate to sign overseas to regain his approach. His minor-league numbers are outstanding.
Agree the Padres should bring Dickenson back no teal LH bench bat especially with power.
Sorry that Tom Eshelman didn’t get a crack at the Padres. My kids have crossed paths with his family, and local players doing big things for the team has been nice to see.
Oh no not chi chi—-
Don’t even think about it Farhan!
The stove, err dumpster, is HOT!
Ahhhh the quadruple A list one of my favorites
Every NL manager from 2022 onward has it easier than their predecessors – they don’t ever have to worry about double-switches.
The double-switch wasn’t exactly brain science.