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Braves Activate Reynaldo Lopez

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TODAY: The Braves officially announced Lopez’s reinstatement from the 15-day IL.  Right-hander John Brebbia was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

SEPTEMBER 27: Reynaldo López will take the ball for the Braves tomorrow against the Royals, the team informed reporters (X link via Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). He’ll be reinstated from the 15-day injured list before the game. Atlanta will need to option a pitcher to open a spot on the MLB roster.

Atlanta has been without López for a couple weeks because of shoulder inflammation. That was the righty’s second IL stint in as many months. He also missed a couple weeks in August with a minor forearm issue. It’s not especially surprising that he’s battled some injuries down the stretch. López has taken on a significant workload jump in his return to the rotation. He has thrown 128 2/3 innings on the season, nearly doubling last year’s total of 66 frames while working out of the bullpen.

Aside from the injuries, the López signing couldn’t have worked out much better in year one. He has turned in a sparkling 2.03 earned run average. Among pitchers with 100+ innings, only rookie phenom Paul Skenes (1.99) has a lower ERA. While López’s peripherals aren’t quite that dominant, his 26.3% strikeout percentage and 8.1% walk rate are solid or better. If healthy, he’d slot behind likely NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale and Max Fried in a potential playoff rotation. Spencer Schwellenbach has had a fantastic rookie campaign and would be an excellent #4 option.

Of course, the Braves still have work to do if they’re to get into the postseason. They beat the Royals on Friday night to pull to 87-71. The Mets lost in Milwaukee, so the division rivals are tied with four games apiece to play. They have a doubleheader set for Monday. Splitting those would ensure the Braves have the tiebreaker. Both clubs are a half-game back of fifth seed Arizona pending the Diamondbacks’ result tonight.

Ha-Seong Kim Not Close To Return, May Require Offseason Labrum Surgery

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The Padres have had to lock down a Wild Card spot without Ha-Seong Kim. The shortstop jammed his right shoulder diving into first base on a pickoff attempt on August 18. The Padres placed him on the injured list a couple days later with a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation.

San Diego initially expressed optimism it would be a short-term absence. Kim has instead been out for more than five weeks and is not on the verge of a return. Manager Mike Shildt provided a disappointing update on the Gwynn & Chris show on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego tonight (X link).

“He just hasn’t been able to get over that hump with his throwing,” Shildt said. “The hitting’s not a problem, that part’s good, but he hasn’t been able to consistently throw with anything behind it. … We’re still weighing what’s taking place, but right now, he’s not in a spot where we can count on him in the very near future.” In response to a follow-up question as to whether there’s a date at which the window for Kim to return this season officially closes, Shildt replied “there is, and we may be getting there.”

Making matters worse, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on X) that Kim could require an offseason labrum repair. That’d be a brutal blow as he returns to free agency. The guaranteed portion of his four-year deal is coming to a close. As is the case with most players signing out of Korea or Japan, he’s eligible for free agency despite having less than six years of MLB service. Kim will decline his end of an $8MM mutual option for next season. He’ll collect a $2MM buyout and return to the market.

If healthy, he has a case for a strong four-year deal. Kim’s ability to play plus defense throughout the infield has been incredibly valuable. He stole 38 bases a season ago and has gone 22-27 on the basepaths this season. Kim doesn’t have overwhelming power, but he has gotten into double-digit home run territory in three straight years. He draws plenty of walks and rarely strikes out.

Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances during the regular season. He carries a .250/.336/.385 slash since the start of 2022. As of a couple months ago, Kim’s durability had ironically been one of his biggest selling points. This is the first time in his four MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured list.

It’ll take at least a few more weeks to learn the impact of the injury on Kim’s free agent stock. The more immediate focus for the Padres is on their playoff infield. San Diego has kicked Xander Bogaerts back to the left side of the dirt. Jake Cronenworth has moved over to second base. That opens first base playing time for Donovan Solano and some defensive reps for primary DH Luis Arraez, with David Peralta drawing into the lineup at designated hitter while Arraez is in the field. The Padres called up Nick Ahmed last weekend to work as a defensive specialist behind Bogaerts.

Soto, Steinbrenner Held Private Meeting In July

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Juan Soto and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had a one-on-one meeting in July, reports Brendan Kuty of the Athletic. The four-time All-Star confirmed the conversation, telling Kuty that “it was good to get to know the owner, get to see what he’s thinking about me and everything.”

Soto didn’t provide any specifics. However, Kuty reports that the general focus of the conversation was on Soto’s experience with the team. “It’s always good to see (an owner) coming over at least to say hi,” the outfielder told The Athletic, “see how we’re doing, what we have in mind, this and that. It’s great to have an owner that really cares for players.”

Steinbrenner hasn’t been shy about his desire to keep the superstar in pinstripes. The owner said in May that he was open to in-season extension talks. Soto closed that down a few weeks later, reiterating in June that he and agent Scott Boras would wait until the offseason to worry about contract terms. Considering Soto has reportedly declined a number of extension offers throughout his career, there was never much doubt that he’d test free agency.

[Related: Previewing The 2024-25 Corner Outfield Class]

The Yankees are going to face a push from the crosstown Mets and should have some amount of competition for Soto’s services from every high-payroll franchise. One meeting between Soto and Steinbrenner isn’t going to change the odds of keeping him around, but it’s presumably a bit of a preview of the months to come.

Soto has established a new career high with 41 homers during his first season in the Bronx. He leads the American League with 128 runs scored and is hitting .288/.418/.572 across 704 trips to the plate. By measure of wRC+, Soto has been 80 percentage points better than a league average batter. That’s his best mark in a 162-game schedule.

Rangers Recall Marc Church For MLB Debut

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The Rangers announced a few minor moves going into their final series of the season. Texas recalled relievers Marc Church and Daniel Robert from Triple-A Round Rock while activating Ezequiel Duran from the paternity list. The Rangers optioned Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker and Sandro Fabian to open active roster spots.

That’s most notable for the 23-year-old Church. He joins Bruce Bochy’s bullpen for the first time and could get a chance to make his big league debut. Texas had added him to the 40-man roster last offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He opened the season in Round Rock and missed a good portion of the year to a rotator cuff injury.

The injury has limited the former 19th-round pick to 22 1/3 innings. Church impressed in that relatively small sample, turning in a 3.22 earned run average with a near-26% strikeout rate and a solid 7.5% walk percentage. In July, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Church the #15 prospect in the Texas system. Longenhagen credited Church with a promising fastball/cutter combination but expressed concern about his strike-throwing consistency. The righty should be in the mix for a middle relief spot in camp next year.

Optioning Rocker and Leiter is essentially a procedural move. The former Vanderbilt teammates combined for all eight innings in yesterday’s loss to the A’s. Rocker tossed 73 pitches, while Leiter threw 48 pitches in relief. Neither was going to appear again this season. Texas will get a pair of fresh arms up to lengthen the bullpen and potentially offer Church his first work at the highest level.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held live chat today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Anthony took questions on the Tigers' surprising playoff run, the A's outlook for 2025, what the Giants should do this offseason, the status of the Nationals' rebuild, the state of the American League, Pittsburgh's catching situation, and much more.

 

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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.

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.

Craig Breslow Talks Red Sox’s Offseason

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The Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays tonight, minutes after wins by the Royals and Tigers. That officially eliminated Boston from playoff contention and turns their attention completely to the offseason. Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow met with the Boston beat before the game. While he didn’t go into too many specifics, he offered a few hints about where the Sox could turn in the winter.

Breslow pointed to the rotation, bullpen and a desire to balance a lefty-heavy lineup among the areas of focus (link via Sean McAdam of MassLive). That not coincidentally overlaps with the Sox’s impending free agents. Nick Pivetta, Tyler O’Neill, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Danny Jansen and Lucas Sims are all headed to the open market. That’s a pair of right-handed bats, one of their top starters, and multiple high-leverage relievers.

Asked about O’Neill specifically, Breslow said the Sox are “definitely interested in having some of those conversations” about a new deal (relayed by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). Boston hit on a buy-low acquisition of the slugger from the Cardinals last offseason. O’Neill leads the team 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 been a particularly key piece of maintaining some amount of lineup balance. He has obliterated lefty pitching at a .313/.429/.750 clip in 156 trips to the plate. He’s tied with Aaron Judge for second in MLB (one behind Ketel Marte) with 16 home runs off southpaws.

O’Neill is eligible for a qualifying offer. There’s a good chance the 29-year-old left fielder would accept a one-year offer worth more than $21MM. That’d be a massive jump over this year’s $5.85MM arbitration salary. The Sox may prefer a three- or four-year deal that comes at a more manageable annual rate. O’Neill’s camp will probably look to top the respective $42MM guarantees secured by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jorge Soler last winter.

Even if they retain O’Neill, that’d leave the Sox with the same lefty-leaning lineup they trotted out this year. They’ll need more contributors via some combination of free agency, trade and internal improvement. Vaughn Grissom is one of the higher-upside righty bats already on the roster. Grissom’s first season in Boston was underwhelming, as he battled injuries and struggled for most of the year. (Chris Sale, for whom the young infielder was traded, pitching his way to the NL Cy Young in Atlanta only adds to the disappointment.)

The Sox have split time at second base between Grissom and lefty-hitting Enmanuel Valdez with the season winding down. Breslow was noncommittal on whether the 23-year-old will enter next season as the favorite at second base. “I think he’s absolutely got the potential to do that,” the chief baseball officer said of Grissom being an everyday player (via Speier). “But ultimately it’s going to be the play on the field that dictates who our everyday second base is.”

Ha-Seong Kim, who’ll also draw attention as a shortstop, and Gleyber Torres headline the free agent class at second base. Jonathan India will probably be the subject of trade speculation yet again. It seems unlikely that the Sox would devote a ton of resources to the position. That’d impede Grissom and speedster David Hamilton next season. With top shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer potentially on the radar for a 2025 debut, the keystone could be the long-term home for Trevor Story.

The pitching staff is a clearer area for free agent investment. Jansen and Martin have been two of Alex Cora’s top three leverage arms for the past couple seasons. Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten will be back in the late innings. Liam Hendriks should be healthy and could compete with Slaten for the closing job. The Sox will probably look for multiple additions to solidify the setup corps in front of that duo. A reunion with Martin wouldn’t be surprising.

A rotation built around Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and hopefully a healthy Lucas Giolito has promise. Richard Fitts has had decent results in his first four MLB starts. Pivetta has absorbed a lot of innings while flashing strikeout stuff over the past few years though. The Sox will need to replace that volume if he walks.

Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty headline the free agent rotation class. Sean Manaea, Nick Martinez, Luis Severino and old friend Nathan Eovaldi (assuming he declines a $20MM player option with Texas) are among the middle-tier starters who’d more closely mirror last winter’s Giolito pickup.

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