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Diamondbacks Activate Ryne Nelson, Recall Alek Thomas

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The D-Backs made a handful of moves on tonight’s off day. Arizona activated Ryne Nelson from the 15-day injured list and recalled outfielder Alek Thomas from Triple-A Reno. The Snakes optioned Yilber Diaz and Blake Walston to open spots on the active roster.

Nelson’s return is the biggest development. The right-hander has had a strong second half, working to a 3.39 ERA while striking out more than 27% of opponents since the All-Star Break. Nelson outpitched Jordan Montgomery to solidify his rotation spot. He held that job until the middle of September, when a bout of shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list.

That temporarily drew Montgomery back into the starting five. Arizona could use both Nelson and Montgomery out of the bullpen this weekend. The D-Backs will start Merrill Kelly tomorrow to kick off their weekend series with the Padres. They haven’t announced starters for their final two games. Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt would be on schedule. They’re the third and fourth starters on paper, although Nelson had been handily outperforming both in the weeks leading to his IL placement. Zac Gallen tossed 97 pitches over six innings against the Giants yesterday. He’s potentially an option for Sunday on three days rest if the D-Backs are playing a must-win game.

Thomas returns to the outfield mix as a speed and defense option off the bench. The D-Backs optioned him to Triple-A in the middle of August. He suffered an injury within a week and was out of action until September 17. Thomas has only appeared in 37 MLB contests this year. He’s hitting .191/.248/.362 across 102 plate appearances. Jake McCarthy has surpassed him as the primary center fielder.

At 88-71, the Diamondbacks currently hold the final Wild Card spot. They’re percentage points behind the #5 seed Mets. Arizona is technically one game up on the 86-71 Braves, but the teams have an equal number of losses with Atlanta holding the tiebreaker. If the Braves were to win out, they’d leapfrog the D-Backs.

Atlanta’s final two games — scheduled for next Monday after this week’s hurricane-related postponements — are against the Mets. That means the Diamondbacks control their destiny. If Arizona wins out, they’d hang onto the sixth seed over the Mets even if the Braves passed them by also finishing 91-71.

There’s a lot at play. The Atlanta-New York postponement means there’s a good chance the D-Backs won’t know their fate until Monday, even though Arizona’s regular season ends on Sunday. The Mets are headed to Milwaukee this weekend, while the Braves host a Royals team that only needs one win (or a Twins loss) to punch its ticket to October.

Previewing The 2024-25 Free Agent Class: Designated Hitter

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MLBTR continues its position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. Before we move on to the pitching, we’ll wrap up the offensive group by looking at the designated hitters. Every position player technically could play DH, of course, but the vast majority of the class has been covered in one of our prior positional previews. We’ll limit this look to players who are either DH-only or have taken at least 150 plate appearances at the position this year.

Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2025 season. Stats are through play on September 25. Only players who have appeared in the majors this year are included.

Other Entries: Catcher | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Base | Center Field | Corner Outfield

Regulars

Bell had a rough first few months, hitting .239/.305/.394 in 104 games with the Marlins. He has found his stride after a deadline trade to Arizona, where he carries a .281/.363/.439 slash with five homers through 161 trips to the plate. The aggregate production is still middling — a league average .250/.320/.406 line with very poor defensive grades — but Bell is finishing the season on a high note. He has been a streaky hitter throughout his career who can hit in the middle third of a lineup when he’s at his best.

Martinez lingered in free agency before signing a heavily deferred $12MM contract with the Mets. Martinez had a typically strong first half, carrying a .263/.349/.457 line into the All-Star Break. His bat has absolutely cratered down the stretch, especially this month. Martinez is hitting .194/.276/.339 in the second half — including a staggering .068/.180/.091 line in September. The overall slash line is alright — .234/.318/.407 with 16 homers across 482 plate appearances — but the finish to the season is a red flag.

McCutchen has hit 20 homers with a slightly above-average .236/.333/.418 line across 507 plate appearances. That’s not huge production out of a DH, but McCutchen has still been one of the better performers in a light Pittsburgh lineup. He’s a franchise icon who has made clear he wants to finish his career in the Steel City. McCutchen plans to play again next season and it feels like only a matter of time before he and the Bucs hammer out a new deal — probably for something close to this year’s $5MM salary.

The D-Backs signed Pederson to a $12.5MM deal last winter. That’s a hefty investment in a DH-only player who almost never faces lefty pitching. Yet the Snakes certainly have no regrets. They brought in Pederson to mash against right-handed pitching and he has more than held up his end of the bargain. He’s hitting .284/.394/.538 with 22 homers through 401 plate appearances versus righties. Pederson will probably decline his end of a $14MM mutual option in favor of a $3MM buyout. He’s a candidate for a multi-year deal.

Turner is primarily a DH but can rotate through the corner infield spots. He had a fairly modest .256/.350/.372 showing over 91 games with Toronto. It looked as if he might be slowing down at age 39, but he has found another gear since being traded at the deadline. Turner owns a .263/.360/.397 slash with five home runs in 46 games with Seattle — impressive output in a home park that has stymied a lot of the M’s offensive acquisitions. By measure of wRC+, Turner has been 15 percentage points above league average at the plate. That’s slightly better than last year’s .276/.345/.455 showing with the Red Sox. Turner got $13MM last offseason and still hasn’t dropped off.

Winker hit .257/.374/.419 over 379 plate appearances for the Nationals after signing a minor league deal. Washington flipped him to the Mets, where his production has tailed off (.248/.317/.372 in 46 games). Winker is a below-average defensive left fielder who doesn’t do much against lefty pitching. It’s a limited profile as a platoon corner/DH bat, but he’s hitting .260/.366/.425 against righties this season and has an excellent track record against right-handers.

Depth

Carpenter has played a veteran mentor role in his return to the Cardinals. He has made 56 appearances and turned in a .238/.322/.385 slash across 150 trips to the plate. Teams aren’t going to view Carpenter as a primary designated hitter, but he could find interest in a bench role. He told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week that he hopes to continue playing.

Vogelbach, who was a league average hitter for the Mets last season, appeared in 31 games for the Blue Jays early this year. He hit .186/.278/.300 and was released in June. He’s a minor league deal candidate.

Club Options

Ozuna’s four-year free agent deal with the Braves came with a $16MM club option or a $1M buyout. Ozuna has had a monster year, carrying an Atlanta lineup that has often floundered around him. He’s one homer away from getting to 40 for a second straight year. Ozuna has a .310/.384/.561 slash across 667 plate appearances. Carrying Ozuna and Jorge Soler on the same roster for a full season isn’t ideal, but that’s something the Braves can sort out after making the easy call to exercise the option.

If Ozuna’s option is a lock to be exercised, Jiménez’s is just as easy a decision in the opposite direction. The Orioles will buy this out for $1.5MM in lieu of a $16.5MM salary. Jiménez will collect a $3MM buyout overall; the White Sox are also on the hook for $1.5MM as part of the deadline deal that sent him to Baltimore. Jiménez looked like a burgeoning slugger early in his career. Injuries have set him back and his production has tanked this year. He’s hitting .238/.289/.336 across 349 plate appearances. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A on Tuesday.

The Orioles hold an $8MM option for next season. O’Hearn’s strong first half made that look like a clear bargain. The left-handed hitter went into the All-Star Break with a .274/.335/.456 line with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His plate discipline is still strong but his power has dissipated in the second half. He only has two homers with a .240/.327/.351 line since the Break. Baltimore should have a lot of payroll flexibility and could bet on O’Hearn to bounce back, but this is more of a borderline call than it seemed six weeks ago.

Clayton Kershaw Multiple Weeks From Return

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With the postseason getting underway next week, the Dodgers figure to be without Clayton Kershaw at least into the middle of October. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic) that the future Hall of Famer is “not going to be viable for a couple weeks.” Kershaw has been out since late August on account of bone spurs in his left big toe.

Roberts said earlier in the week that the three-time Cy Young winner was in a “holding pattern” on his rehab. That didn’t bode well for his availability for the start of the playoffs. That’s a lock now. The Dodgers would clinch the NL West and a first-round bye with a win over the Padres tonight. Assuming they wrap up the division — either tonight or during their weekend series in Colorado — they’ll punch their ticket to a Division Series beginning next weekend.

Kershaw clearly isn’t going to be ready by that point. The NLCS begins on October 13. Roberts’ timeline leaves open the possibility of Kershaw returning for that series if the Dodgers get there, but it’s far from guaranteed. The Dodgers have already ruled out Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone through the entire postseason. Kershaw’s return seems questionable at best.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty will take the ball in some order for the first two games of the postseason. Rookie righty Landon Knack probably lines up as L.A.’s Game 3 starter. The Dodgers haven’t managed to get Walker Buehler on track, while Bobby Miller pitched so poorly that he was optioned back to Triple-A a few weeks ago.

Kershaw’s regular season concludes with a 4.50 ERA over 30 innings. He didn’t make his season debut until shortly after the All-Star Break as he completed rehab from last November’s shoulder surgery. He made seven starts. That’s significant from a contractual perspective. Kershaw’s two-year, $10MM deal contained a ton of incentives. He tacked on $2.5MM to this year’s $5MM base salary. Getting to seven starts also added $5MM in escalators to next year’s player option. That option was initially valued at $5MM but will land at $10MM; Kershaw could boost that as high as $25MM if he makes 25 starts next year.

The Dodgers provided a few additional injury updates this evening. Miguel Rojas, who left last night’s game, said that he’s been diagnosed with a partially torn left adductor (groin) muscle (X link via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). The veteran infielder said he’ll need to undergo surgery in the offseason but believes he’ll be able to play through it during the postseason. Rojas has emerged as Roberts’ starting shortstop thanks to his defensive reliability and a solid .283/.337/.410 showing at the plate. He won’t play tonight. Tommy Edman moves in to play shortstop while Andy Pages steps into the lineup in center field.

The bullpen is also taking a hit. Roberts said that righty Brusdar Graterol is going back on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation (via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times). Graterol has battled shoulder problems dating back to Spring Training. He also lost a few weeks late in the year to a hamstring strain. The hard-throwing sinkerballer has been limited to seven appearances, during which he has thrown 7 2/3 frames of two-run ball. Graterol was one of the best relievers in MLB last year, turning in a 1.20 ERA across 67 1/3 frames.

Giants’ Reggie Crawford Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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Giants prospect Reggie Crawford has undergone shoulder surgery. “Will never be beaten,” Crawford said in a post on X along with a picture of himself recovering from the procedure. “Thank you to Dr. ElAttrache for taking care of the shoulder. I will be back soon [emoji of hands making a heart shape]” The club later announced to members of the beat, including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (X link), that the labrum surgery comes with an estimated recovery timeline of 10 to 12 months. He will therefore miss most or perhaps all of the 2025 season.

Crawford, now 23, was selected by the Giants with the 30th overall pick in the 2022 draft. A two-way player in college, the Giants let him both pitch and hit last year, though his workload was limited. He had undergone Tommy John surgery late in 2021 and didn’t pitch at all in 2022, then dealt with various other ailments during the 2023 season including mononucleosis and a strained oblique. He tossed 19 innings on the year and made 19 plate appearances, splitting his time between Single-A and High-A. He went to the Arizona Fall League but didn’t pitch, hitting .138/.282/.276 in his 71 plate appearances there.

The Giants decided to have him focus exclusively on pitching in 2024. He hadn’t hit much in a small sample of work since being drafted but he had impressed with his stuff from the mound. His fastball is in the triple-digit range while both Baseball America and FanGraphs praised his curveball earlier this year.

Crawford tossed 18 1/3 innings this year, split between Double-A and Triple-A. He allowed 2.95 earned runs per nine while striking out 38.5% of batters faced. His 15.4% walk rate was quite high, perhaps unsurprising for a guy with so much missed time.

But his last appearance was in June and he’s now slated for another lengthy absence. Crawford is clearly talented but the numerous bumps in the road are less than an ideal for a pitcher who is still developing and harnessing his stuff. At this point, between college and the minors, he’s only thrown 53 2/3 of official gameplay.

He’ll be eligible for the Rule 5 draft after sitting out the majority, or perhaps the entirety, of the 2025 campaign. Given his talent and status as a key prospect in the organization, the Giants will likely still protect him by giving him a roster spot. Still, this is a notable development for Crawford and the club. Getting the best version of Crawford was already going to be a project for the Giants and now he’s going to be on ice for close to a year, putting his development on pause.

Judge Rules Wander Franco’s Case Can Proceed To Trial

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Judge Pascual Valenzuela of the Dominican Republic has ruled that the charges against Wander Franco have sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, per Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. That trial does not yet have a date set. Franco faces a potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

In August of 2023, investigators in the D.R. began looking into accusations that the Rays shortstop had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The age of consent in that country is 18. In July of this year, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, as well as human trafficking. He will now stand trial in relation to those charges, in light of today’s ruling.

Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August last year when the accusations first emerged, standard procedure for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was reinstated for the offseason in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 campaign began.

Players on administrative leave are still paid, but Franco was transferred to the restricted list in July. Per Recio’s report, his administrative leave agreement between MLB and the Players Association had a provision that his time on administrative leave would end if he were charged. Recio adds that Franco’s bail agreement doesn’t allow him to leave the country, so the Rays were able to move him to the restricted list since he can’t physically report to the club. There has also been reporting of a second formal complaint against Franco, though the status of that case is less clear.

Marwin González Retires

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Former big league player Marwin González announced he is retiring, through a press release from the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, the club he’s played with for the past two years. Yahoo Japan had reported on his retirement plans prior to the official announcement.

“After two amazing years in Japan, it’s time for me to say goodbye,” González says in his statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to my teammates, coaches, and fans for welcoming me with open arms. Despite the language barrier, we formed a bond with ease, making every moment on the field special. Playing here has been a life-changing experience, especially getting to share it with my family. Japan will always hold a special place in our hearts. I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity, the memories, and the friendships made along the way. Thank you for welcoming me into your world and for the endless support. You have all my respect. Arigatou gozaimasu.”

Marwin Gonzalez | Erik Williams-USA TODAY SportsGonzález, now 35, got his professional start when the Cubs signed him as an international amateur out of Venezuela and he made his minor league debut in 2006. In the 2011 Rule 5 draft, the Astros had the first pick since they were rebuilding at that time and lost 106 games that year. They used that first pick to take Rhiner Cruz from the Mets but also apparently had their eye on González. With the 23rd pick of the draft, the Red Sox took González and promptly flipped him to the Astros for Marco Duarte.

The second of those pickups ended up being far more impactful for the franchise, as Cruz tossed just 76 1/3 innings for the Astros, posting a 5.31 earned run average over the 2012 and 2013 campaigns before going into journeyman mode for the rest of his career.

González would eventually become a solid multi-positional piece for the Astros, though not right away. In 441 plate appearances over 2012 and 2013, he hit just .227/.266/.323. That production translated to a 59 wRC+, indicating he was 41% below league average. The Astros didn’t seem to mind much as they were still quite bad at that time, losing 107 and 111 games in those two seasons respectively. González was at least able to provide them defensively versatility, spending time at second base, third base and shortstop.

He was able to break out in 2014, hitting .277/.327/.400 for a wRC+ of 110. He also added first base and outfield to his defensive repertoire that year. He would continue to produce in roughly similar fashion in following seasons as the Astros emerged from their rebuild and became the perennial powerhouse that they still are today.

From 2014 to 2018, González got into 643 games for the Astros and stepped to the plate 2,265 times. He slashed .271/.328/.438 in that time for a 111 wRC+ while bouncing all around the diamond, playing everywhere except the battery.

He also got into 30 postseason games in that time, including 18 as part of the 2017 club’s World Series run, though that title is now mired in controversy with the revelation of Houston’s cheating scandal. Data from the scandal points to González as one of the biggest users of the trashcan-banging scheme. His 144 wRC+ and 4.4 wins above replacement from FanGraphs that year are both easily the bests of his career, as he otherwise never topped 111 wRC+ or 1.8 fWAR. Though he later apologized for the team’s actions, the first position player on the club to do so.

He reached free agency after 2018 and signed a two-year, $21MM deal with the Twins going into 2019. His bat dipped a bit in his first year in Minnesota, at least relative to the league. His .264/.322/.414 batting line was fairly similar to his previous five years, but 2019 was the “juiced ball” season with huge offensive numbers around the league, so González’s production led to a 94 wRC+. It fell more significantly in the shortened 2020 campaign, with González slashing .211/.286/.320.

Going into 2021, the Red Sox gave him a $3MM deal, hoping that his most recent performance was just a small sample blip in the odd circumstances of the pandemic. Unfortunately, that bet didn’t pan out, as González hit .202/.281/.285 before being released in August. He then returned to the Astros but hit just .176/.222/.441 in 14 games for them down the stretch. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees going into 2022 and got into 86 games for that club, but hit .185/.255/.321 in those.

After three consecutive rough seasons in the majors, he headed overseas. He signed with the Buffaloes going into 2023 on a deal that paid him $1.5MM. He hit .217/.266/.385 in 84 games for that club last year. He returned for 2024 but dealt with injuries and only got into 23 games, per Yakyu Cosmopolitan on X.

González will primarily be remembered for that strong run with the Astros, which will provide fond memories to some fans while others will dismiss his accomplishments due to his involvement in the electronic sign-stealing scheme.

Regardless of how one feels about that, the record books have him with 3,882 plate appearances in 1,139 major league games. He collected 888 hits, including 183 doubles and 107 home runs. He scored 420 runs and drove in 415. He slashed .252/.310/.399 for a wRC+ of 94. FanGraphs considered him to have been worth 10.9 wins above replacement while Baseball Reference credits him with 14.3 WAR. B-Ref lists his major league earnings at just over $37MM, with González likely getting that up to around $40MM with the money he made in Japan. MLBTR salutes him on his unique career and wishes him the best in whatever comes next.

Cubs Release Shawn Armstrong

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September 26: Armstrong has been released, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.

September 20: The Cubs announced that they have activated right-hander Hayden Wesneski from the 15-day injured list, with fellow righty Shawn Armstrong designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic was among those to relay the moves on X.

Armstrong, 34, only joined the club three weeks ago. His results in a small sample of appearances since then have been fine and this move says more about the club than about him. He was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals at the end of August when the Cubs were within five games of a playoff spot with a month left to go. Now they’re seven games back with just over a week remaining on the schedule.

The veteran righty is an impending free agent, so the Cubs have little use for him now as they play out the string on this season. They will put him on waivers in the coming days. He wouldn’t be postseason eligible with any claiming club, so there’s little incentive for one still in contention to put in a claim as they would have to take on the remainder of his $2.05MM salary. That would be less than $100K by the time the waiver process plays out but the club would also only receive about a week of Armstrong’s services in exchange.

Armstrong has already pitched for three teams this year, tossing 66 2/3 innings between the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs. His 4.86 earned run average isn’t terribly impressive but his other numbers paint a nicer picture. His 22.4% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate are both fairly close to league average. His .362 batting average on balls in play seems to be hurting him, which is why his 3.58 FIP and 3.95 SIERA are significantly better than his ERA.

The Rays got good results out of Armstrong in the previous two seasons. He tossed 55 innings for them in 2022 with a 3.60 ERA. Last year, he gave the Rays 52 innings with a tiny ERA of 1.38. That number is surely a little misleading, as his .250 BABIP and 80.9% strand rate helped him out, but he did post a 26.1% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate.

This year, as mentioned, his ERA hasn’t been as strong. But the Cardinals evidently believed in the under-the-hood numbers, as they sent two-plus years of Dylan Carlson to the Rays in order to get Armstrong prior to the deadline. Just a few weeks into August, they had slid enough in the standings that they put Armstrong on waivers and saved a bit of money by having the Cubs claim him.

If Armstrong goes unclaimed in the coming days, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and keep what’s left of this year’s salary, so perhaps he will get his offseason started a few days ahead of schedule. That is unless some team in a tight playoff race will be interested in snagging him off the wire for the final week of the season.

Previewing The 2024-25 MLB Free Agent Class: Corner Outfield

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MLBTR’s positional preview of the upcoming free agent class continues with a look at the corner outfield. This is the highlight of the hitting group — led by a generational talent testing the market at age 26.

Player ages, listed in parenthesis, are for the 2025 season. Stats are through play on September 25. Only players who have appeared in the majors this year are included.

Other Entries: Catcher | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Base | Center Field

Top of the Class

Soto isn’t simply the prize of this class. He’s among the most desirable free agents in history. He’s a prime-aged superstar on an inner circle Hall of Fame track. Soto is the gold standard for plate discipline in MLB. He’s topped 40 homers this season for the first time in his career. His .288/.419/.574 slash across 700 plate appearances is 80 percentage points above league average, as measured by wRC+. That’s his best in any 162-game season and trails only teammate Aaron Judge among qualified batters.

Teams might have some concerns about how Soto’s average-at-best defense will age into his 30s. There’s no such question about his offensive profile. The Yankees should do everything in their power to keep Soto and Judge as one of the greatest 1-2 punches ever. They’ll face a challenge from Steve Cohen’s Mets. The Dodgers are usually involved on any player this talented. Soto’s former teams in Washington and San Diego could make long shot runs at bringing him back. He’s going to establish a new guarantee record (compared to the approximate $461MM net present value of the Shohei Ohtani deal). Soto should beat half a billion dollars. The biggest question is whether the number on his guarantee will start with a 5 or a 6.

Above-Average Regulars

Santander has been a productive power bat for a few years. He picked a good time to turn things up a notch. The switch-hitter carries a .237/.310/.513 line over 652 plate appearances. He has connected on 44 home runs, shattering his previous career high of 33. Only Judge and Ohtani have hit more. Santander isn’t an all-around superstar like those players, of course, but he’s been an elite power threat all year. He doesn’t walk much, so his on-base marks hover around league average. He’s a fringy to average defender in right field. It’s a somewhat limited profile, but Santander is ultra durable and fits comfortably in the middle of a lineup. He’ll decline a qualifying offer from the O’s and could land a four-year deal that gets into the $70-100MM range.

Hernández found a disappointing market last winter coming off a down year in Seattle. He took a deferred $23.5MM pillow contract with the Dodgers and has returned to form. The two-time Silver Slugger winner has clubbed 31 homers with a .269/.337/.495 slash over 150 games. It’s back to the level he showed over multiple seasons in Toronto, making his struggles with the Mariners look like a blip. The Dodgers should make a qualifying offer, which he’ll probably decline in search of a three- or four-year pact.

The Padres’ longstanding love for Profar has paid off in a huge way in 2024. Limited to a $1MM deal after a nightmare season in Colorado, the former #1 overall prospect has turned in a career year at age 31. He’s a first-time All-Star thanks to a .283/.382/.466 slash with a personal-best 24 homers over 654 trips to the plate. Profar has married his typically strong plate discipline profile with much improved batted ball metrics (career-high 91.1 MPH average exit velocity, 44.6% hard contact percentage). There’s a chance the Friars make him a qualifying offer. If he declines or hits free agency without draft compensation attached, he’ll likely pursue a three- or four-year deal.

Boston hit on a buy-low acquisition of O’Neill from the Cardinals last offseason. He leads the Red Sox with 31 home runs and sports a .240/.335/.512 slash across 469 plate appearances. He had a trio of brief injured list stints but has been one of the Sox’s best hitters when healthy. O’Neill has obliterated lefty pitching at a .313/.429/.750 clip in 156 trips to the plate. He’s tied with Judge for second in MLB (one behind Ketel Marte) with 16 home runs off southpaws. He’s a two-time Gold Glove winner in left field. There are questions about his durability and his streakiness associated with huge strikeout totals. Few players can match his raw power, though. O’Neill is a fringe QO candidate who could land three or even four years if the Sox let him hit the market unencumbered.

Rebound Hopefuls

Conforto’s two-year deal with the Giants has been a relative disappointment. He’s been a solid hitter but hasn’t returned to the best form he showed with the Mets before undergoing shoulder surgery. Conforto is hitting .234/.306/.450 this season and has a .237/.320/.418 slash in nearly 1000 plate appearances for San Francisco. He’s still a big leaguer but doesn’t have the perceived upside of his previous trip to the market.

Kepler has battled injuries en route to a middling .253/.302/.380 slash in his walk year. He was an above-average regular for the Twins just last season, when he hit .260/.332/.484 with 24 homers with plus defense in right field. Kepler is probably looking at a one-year deal as he tries to rebound — potentially outside Minnesota for the first time in his career.

Pham was hitting reasonably well for the White Sox early in the season. His production has fallen off since he moved to the Cardinals and Royals, and he now owns a .251/.310/.372 slash across 465 plate appearances. He could still land a big league deal but he might be better suited for a bench role than everyday playing time.

Verdugo started his tenure in the Bronx well. He was hitting .267/.358/.446 with more walks than strikeouts through the end of April. Since May 1, he carries a .225/.276/.332 slash line in nearly 500 plate appearances. Verdugo was a capable, if inconsistent and sometimes frustrating, regular during his time with the Red Sox. He’s going into free agency on the heels of a dismal five-month stretch.

Platoon Bats

Grichuk, a right-handed hitter, has teed off on southpaws this year. He’s hitting .315/.382/.522 in 180 plate appearances with the platoon advantage. The D-Backs have mostly shielded him from right-handed pitching, though he has popped five homers in 92 plate appearances against righties. Grichuk is a solid fourth outfielder who has earned a raise on this year’s $2MM deal. The D-Backs probably don’t want to exercise their end of a $6MM mutual option for next season but could look to bring him back at a slightly lesser salary.

Heyward is finishing the year with the Astros after being squeezed off the Dodgers’ roster. He hasn’t maintained last year’s rebound form. In 253 plate appearances, he’s hitting .210/.286/.411. Heyward is still a good defender in right field and could land a low-cost MLB deal as a rotational outfield piece.

The Padres have gotten good work from Peralta, whom they initially signed to a minor league deal. The 37-year-old is hitting .267/.332/.422 over 247 plate appearances — almost all of which have come against right-handed pitching. He could land a big league contract this time around.

Winker hit .257/.374/.419 over 379 plate appearances for the Nationals after signing a minor league deal. Washington flipped him to the Mets, where his production has tailed off (.248/.317/.372 in 46 games). Winker is a below-average defensive left fielder who doesn’t have a great track record hitting lefty pitching. It’s a limited profile as a platoon corner/DH bat, but he’s hitting .260/.366/.425 against righties this season and has an excellent track record against right-handers.

Infield/Outfield Hybrids

Canha has played more first base than outfield this season. That’ll probably continue as he gets into his late 30s. The right-handed hitter has combined for a .240/.343/.342 line over 492 plate appearances between the Tigers and Giants. He’s still drawing a ton of walks but not hitting for the kind of power needed at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. Canha should still land a big league deal, but it’ll be a pay cut from this year’s $11.5MM salary.

The Royals signed Frazier for $4.5MM last offseason. They’ll decline their side of an $8.5MM mutual option in favor of a $2.5MM buyout. The former All-Star is hitting .202/.283/.296 over 289 plate appearances. He’s likely looking at minor league offers.

Hampson is a speedy utilityman without any kind of power. He’s hitting .229/.273/.302 in 222 plate appearances for the Royals on a $2MM free agent deal. A minor league contract seems likely in his return to free agency.

Hernández has made a career off his defensive flexibility, clubhouse reputation and double-digit home run power. The Dodgers have used him most frequently at third base this season. Hernández has played nearly 150 innings in the outfield, two-thirds of which have come in the corners. He’s hitting .223/.275/.364 with 11 homers.

One of the game’s best contact hitters in his prime, Merrifield is better suited for a second base/left field role off the bench at this stage of his career. He had a rough tenure with the Phillies early in the season. He’s been a bit better since landing with the Braves but still has a middling .222/.311/.314 season line.

Rosario has moved from an everyday shortstop role into a utility capacity. He was hitting .307/.331/.417 in 76 games with the Rays through the trade deadline. Tampa Bay flipped him to the Dodgers and things have gone downhill. Los Angeles surprisingly moved on from Rosario after just five games. He landed with the Reds on a waiver claim. He has a putrid .158/.186/.211 slash through 22 games with Cincinnati. Rosario has logged nearly 200 innings in the outfield this season.

Depth Types

A former regular with the Marlins, Anderson only had five plate appearances in three MLB games with Atlanta this year. He hit .237/.326/.365 through 84 contests in Triple-A.

Duvall’s return trip to Atlanta hasn’t gone as hoped. One season removed from a 21-homer showing with the Red Sox, Duvall has been among the least productive players in the majors. He’s hitting .182/.245/.323 with 11 longballs over 330 trips to the plate.

Gallo is hitting .160/.277/.329 across 73 games with the Nationals on a $5MM free agent deal. Washington is going to decline its end of a 2025 mutual option. Gallo is striking out as much as ever and hasn’t hit for anywhere near the level of power necessary to offset that.

Gamel hit reasonably well in a tiny sample between the Mets and Astros this year. He broke his leg a couple weeks ago and is unlikely to participate in Houston’s playoff run. The lefty-hitting Gamel has a roughly average .252/.334/.382 batting line in more than 2300 career plate appearances.

The Marlins cut García two and a half seasons into his four-year free agent deal. He hit .217/.260/.322 for the Fish, who still owe him $17MM — a $12MM salary and a $5MM buyout on a ’26 option. García didn’t sign after being released in June. He’d only cost a new team the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. The Marlins are on the hook for the rest of his 2026 salary.

The switch-hitting Grossman takes plenty of walks and generally performs well against lefty pitching. There’s limited defensive value, and Grossman has only hit three home runs on the season. He carries a .218/.331/.302 slash in 239 plate appearances between the Rangers and Royals.

Hicks’ resurgent second half in 2023 earned him a big league contract with the Angels. The switch-hitter struggled to a .140/.222/.193 line and was released after 18 games. He has been a free agent since May.

A speedy depth outfielder, Jankowski has hit .208/.268/.251 over 100 games for Texas. He had a much better .263/.357/.332 showing for the 2023 World Series team.

The Twins are going to decline their end of a $12MM mutual option on Margot. He’ll pick up a $2MM buyout, for which the Rays remain responsible as a condition of last winter’s trade with the Dodgers. The right-handed outfielder owns a .237/.290/.336 line while splitting his time between all three spots.

Rosario has had a disastrous year. He hit .175/.215/.316 over 319 plate appearances between the Nationals and Braves. The famously streaky left fielder is going to be limited to minor league offers.

Slater has made a career of mashing left-handed pitching. The longtime Giant hasn’t produced against pitchers of either handedness in 2024, though. He owns a .205/.317/.263 slash in 81 games split between San Francisco, Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Player Options

Bellinger can opt out of his three-year, $80MM deal with the Cubs. He’d be leaving $50MM on the table to do so and has another opt-out chance after next season. Bellinger has had a nice season but hasn’t answered teams’ questions about his subpar exit velocities. He’s hitting .267/.326/.429 with 18 homers while striking out at just a 16% clip. The Cubs have used him primarily in right field in deference to defensive standout Pete Crow-Armstrong. Bellinger could probably beat $50MM if he simply wanted to maximize his guarantee, but he’s not likely to match next year’s $27.5MM salary on a multi-year pact. He could bet on himself and view the 2025-26 offseason as the right time to opt out.

Haniger isn’t opting out of his $15.5MM salary for next season. The Mariners hoped a return to Seattle would reignite his bat. It didn’t happen, as he’s hitting .209/.285/.338 with 12 homers in 118 games.

Renfroe has a $7.5MM player option for next season. He’ll very likely take it after hitting .229/.300/.381 in 414 plate appearances during his first year with the Royals.

Club Options

The Red Sox can keep Refsnyder via a $2.1MM club option. There’s a $150K buyout. The option price is a drop in the bucket for the Sox, who should retain him as a rotational righty bat in a lineup that skews heavily left-handed. Refsnyder hit .283/.359/.471 in 307 plate appearances this year. He’s tattooed lefties at a .302/.393/.548 clip.

Reds Outright Alan Busenitz

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Reds right-hander Alan Busenitz went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Louisville, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’ll have the opportunity to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, though he can become a minor league free agent at season’s end anyhow. Cincinnati also reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Nick Martini from the 60-day injured list and opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring southpaw Brandon Williamson from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. Martini was optioned rather than being added to the active roster.

Busenitz, 34, has allowed six runs in four innings with Cincinnati this season and eight runs in 11 frames over the past two seasons combined. The journeyman right-hander has spent the bulk of his time with the Reds organization in Triple-A, He’s had a solid season in Louisville this year, logging 66 1/3 innings of 4.07 ERA ball with a 21.6% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate.

Busenitz came to the Reds organization on a minor league deal after a nice four-year run in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he worked to a 2.83 ERA across four seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Prior to that NPB stint, he pitched in parts of two seasons with the Twins, posting a 1.99 ERA in 31 2/3 innings as a rookie in 2017 before being shelled for a 7.82 ERA in 25 1/3 innings the following season. In all, he’s pitched 68 big league innings with a 4.90 ERA.

Martini tore a ligament in his thumb back in July on a headfirst slide into second base. He underwent surgery a couple days later and ultimately missed more than two months of action. The 34-year-old opened the season on a tear, blasting a pair of Opening Day homers and hitting .290/.303/.677 through his first 11 games. He then fell into a prolonged slump before being optioned to Louisville in early May. The well-traveled outfielder hit .212/.272/.370 in 162 plate appearances with the Reds and carries a career .252/.336/.400 line in 575 big league plate appearances. The Reds can control him for another four seasons, but there’s a good chance he’ll be removed from the 40-man roster after the season and wind up a minor league free agent.

The Opener: Oakland, Rojas, AL East

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As the regular season nears its conclusion, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Oakland says goodbye:

After 57 years playing host to the Athletics franchise, the city of Oakland says goodbye to its beloved baseball team today as the club plays its final home game in the city. The club will move to Sacramento starting in 2025, though that stay is only temporary as they work toward construction of a new ballpark in their long-term home of Las Vegas. The club’s final few years in Oakland have been frustrating ones, as the club has slashed its budget amid a teardown that left the team to lose more than 300 games in the past three seasons.

The A’s leave Oakland on a sour note due to the team’s lackluster performance in recent years and ownership’s decision to pull out of stadium negotiations with the city in order to pivot to relocation. Even so, fans of the club can still look back fondly upon the club’s best years in the city. In all, the team brought home 21 playoff appearances, six pennants, and four World Series championships during its time in the Bay Area, including their 1972-1974 teams that accomplished the exceedingly rare feat of winning back-to-back-to-back championships. Today’s final game in Oakland, which will see the A’s pit rookie J.T. Ginn (4.40 ERA in seven appearances) against Rangers youngster Kumar Rocker (2.57 ERA in two starts), begins at 12:37pm local time.

2. Rojas nursing injury:

Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas exited last night’s win over the Padres with what he and manager Dave Roberts described to reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports) as an adductor issue that he’s been dealing with for several weeks. Rojas indicated that the plan is for him to get an injection in hopes of speeding up his recovery to allow him to get into a regular season game on Sunday, a path that would allow the Dodgers to make a more informed decision on whether or not he’s healthy enough to appear in the NLDS (or, should the Padres manage to run the club down for the NL West title, the NL Wild Card Series).

The 35-year-old Rojas began the season in a bench role but has emerged as L.A.’s starting shortstop, slashing a solid .283/.337/.410 to pair with his typical strong defense at the position. Tommy Edman figures to play shortstop in Rojas’ absence.

3. Orioles go for the sweep:

Both the Orioles and Yankees have clinched postseason spots, but that doesn’t mean the clubs have nothing to play for as the regular season nears its conclusion. The Orioles entered their series against the Yankees needing to win out for the remainder of the season while the Yankees lost out in order to run them down for the AL East crown. So far, they’ve taken the first two games of that series, keeping alive that long-shot possibility of Baltimore taking home its second consecutive division title. Today, the Yankees will look to finally clinch the AL East with ace Gerrit Cole (3.67 ERA in 16 starts) on the mound against Baltimore’s own ace, Corbin Burnes (2.95 ERA in 31 starts) in a game scheduled for 7:05pm local time. The winner of the AL East also earns a bye through the Wild Card round, raising the stakes of this evening’s contest even further.

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