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34 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

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Mariners Outright Jason Vosler

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Mariners infielder Jason Vosler went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Tacoma, the team announced Wednesday. He has the ability to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, although he can also become a minor league free agent at season’s end even if he accepts for now.

Vosler, 31, only appeared in 10 games with the M’s and tallied 30 plate appearances, batting .179/.233/.286 with a double and a triple in that cup of coffee. It’s the fourth big league season in which the former Cubs draftee (2014, 16th round) has appeared in the majors. Vosler has also played for the Giants and Reds, combining for 288 big league plate appearances with a .207/.274/.395 slash, 10 homers, 13 doubles and three triples.

Modest big league track record aside, Vosler has regularly been a productive Triple-A hand, including this year with the Mariners’ top affiliate in Tacoma, where he batted .299/.368/.566 with 28 big flies in just 485 turns at the plate. It’s the sixth partial season Vosler has spent in Triple-A, and he’s a lifetime .273/.347/.503 hitter in that time. He’s primarily been a third baseman, with more than 5000 professional innings at the position, but he’s also topped 2000 innings at first base and has a couple hundred innings of corner outfield work under his belt as well.

Whether it happens now or at the end of the season, Vosler figures to become a minor league free agent and look to latch on with another club seeking a lefty-swinging corner option with some pop in his bat. Given his track record in the upper minors, he should land another minor league deal this offseason.

Mariners Claim Austin Kitchen, DFA Jason Vosler

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The Mariners have claimed left-hander Austin Kitchen off waivers from the Marlins, per a team announcement out of Miami. In a corresponding move, Seattle has designated first baseman Jason Vosler for assignment.

Kitchen, 27, was designated for assignment over the weekend after a brief, but meaningful, stint with the Marlins. The club claimed him off waivers from the Rockies in June, and he made his MLB debut at the end of July. Unfortunately, his first few tastes of big league action in Miami weren’t particularly successful; he gave up 12 runs (11 earned) over seven innings before his DFA. On the bright side, he has a 2.96 ERA and 3.74 FIP across 48 2/3 minor league innings this season split between the Rockies and Marlins organizations.

The left-hander will now report to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. He will not be eligible to pitch for Seattle in the postseason, but he offers a bit of additional depth down the stretch. What’s more, he still has two option years remaining, so if the Mariners like what they see from Kitchen, they could easily choose to keep him around in 2025.

Vosler, 31, played 10 games with the Mariners this season during a brief call-up between mid-July and early August. He went 5-for-28 with a .519 OPS. However, he has looked much better at Triple-A, batting .299 with 28 home runs and a .934 OPS in 111 games. Despite his minor league success, he did not have a path to meaningful playing time in Seattle, so it’s not too surprising to see him cut from the 40-man roster. It’s likely he clears waivers, after which he will presumably elect free agency, either right away or at the end of the season. Vosler has played for five different organizations, including three at the MLB level, over a professional career that has spanned more than ten years.

Mariners Outright Jonathan Hernandez

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TODAY: Hernandez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, the Mariners announced.

AUGUST 8: The Mariners announced a quartet of roster moves tonight, including the news that right-hander Jonathan Hernandez has been designated for assignment.  Infielder Jason Vosler was also optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, while outfielder Dominic Canzone was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and righty Eduard Bazardo was called up from Triple-A.

Hernandez hits the DFA wire for the second time in just over a week, as the Rangers’ decision to designate the reliever led the Mariners to make a waiver claim.  Hernandez has already made three appearances in a Seattle uniform, but after throwing scoreless innings in his first two outings, he was charged with three earned runs in just one-third of an inning in the Mariners’ 6-2 loss to the Tigers yesterday.

Because Hernandez is out of minor league options, the M’s had to designate him and thus again expose him to waivers in order to bring Bazardo’s fresh arm into the bullpen mix.  If he clears waivers and is outrighted off Seattle’s 40-man roster, Hernandez doesn’t yet have enough MLB service time to reject such an assignment in favor of free agency, nor has he been previously outrighted during his career.

Over 43 1/3 combined innings with Texas and Seattle this season, Hernandez has a 5.40 ERA, 20.3% strikeout rate, and an ugly 14.6% walk rate.  The latter number is one of the worst walk rates of any pitcher in baseball, underlining the control problems that have marked much of Hernandez’s five-season run in the big leagues.  He was able to keep things in check for long enough to post a 2.93 ERA over 61 1/3 innings for the Rangers during the 2020 and 2022 seasons, with the 2021 campaign a complete write-off while Hernandez was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Though the 2023 season was also a struggle for the righty, Hernandez’s 2022 success is recent enough that another team in need of bullpen help could be willing to put in a waiver claim and bet on a turn-around.  Hernandez turned 28 last month, and he is still arbitration-controlled through the 2026 season.  Earning a $1.245MM salary this year, Hernandez still has about $363K remaining, and a new team would owe only the prorated portion of the average MLB salary.  The Mariners also paid only a prorated average rate during Hernandez’s brief time on the active roster, as the Rangers are covering the bulk of the remaining money.

Canzone last played on July 9, so he’s back after almost exactly a month recovering from a right adductor strain.  Between that absence and a prior IL stint due to a left AC joint sprain, Canzone has been limited to 54 games and 159 plate appearances this season, hitting .211/.289/.394 with seven homers.  Canzone’s left-handed bat can come off the bench and help balance out a Mariners lineup that mostly tilts to the right side, and he is a solid defender at all three outfield positions.

Mariners Select Jason Vosler

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The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Jason Vosler. Fellow infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned in a corresponding move. There was already a vacancy on the club’s 40-man roster due to right-hander Mike Baumann recently being designated for assignment and traded to the Giants.

Vosler, 30, signed a minor league deal with the M’s in the offseason and has been with Triple-A Tacoma all year so far. In 89 games with the Rainiers, he has hit 20 home runs and drawn walks in 8.4% of his plate appearances, striking out at a 21.6% clip. His .289/.357/.526 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 113 in the heightened offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.

Offense has been an issue for the Mariners all year, as they are hitting .218/.299/.367 as a team. That translates to a wRC+ 94, better than just nine clubs in the league. Seattle’s 28% strikeout rate is the worst in the majors by a significant margin, as the Athletics and Rockies are the nearest clubs at 25.7%.

Vosler has been playing the four corner spots this year and those are certainly positions where the Mariners could use some help. First baseman Ty France has a subpar line of .223/.312/.350 and 96 wRC+. The M’s are clearly willing to move on from him as he has reportedly been placed on waivers as the club hopes someone claims him for nothing but cost savings. Josh Rojas has been getting the bulk of playing time at third base and had a hot start but has since cooled, slashing .184/.269/.270 since May 15. In the outfield corners, Víctor Robles and Luke Raley have been doing well but Mitch Haniger is hitting .208/.287/.335 this year.

Ideally, Vosler will come up and give the lineup a boost. He’s played more first base than anywhere else this year and could simply take playing time away from France, who could perhaps wind up in the short side of a platoon. Despite his rough season overall, the righty-swinging France is still hitting .237/.356/.395 against lefties for a 123 wRC+, thanks to drawing walks at a 12.2% rate against southpaws compared to a 6.8% against righties.

Vosler hits from the left side and could perhaps shield France from right-handers. Vosler has slashed .303/.364/.590 against righties this year compared to .253/.339/.364 against lefties. But his defensive versatility will also give Scott Servais some flexibility in how he gets him into the lineup.

This will be Vosler’s third big league team of his career, as he has 97 games of experience with the Reds and Giants. He’s hit just .210/.279/.408 in the majors but has generally fared better at the Triple-A level. He has one option season remaining and can be sent down to the minors later without being exposed to waivers. He also has less than a year of service time and can stick around for a while if he puts up some decent numbers.

Mariners, Jason Vosler Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have agreed to a minor league pact with corner infielder Jason Vosler, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Vosler is represented by All Bases Covered Sports Management.

The 30-year-old Vosler has appeared in parts of three big league seasons between the Giants and, in 2023, the Reds. He logged 20 games and tallied 65 plate appearances in Cincinnati last year, getting out to a blistering start before quickly fading. Vosler belted three homers in his first 15 trips to the plate but managed just a .106/.160/.128 slash with 20 strikeouts in 50 subsequent plate appearances. The Reds designated him for assignment in late April and outrighted him Triple-A Louisville after he went unclaimed on waivers.

Vosler spent the remainder of the season in Louisville, where he batted .240/.333/.482 with 20 home runs in 363 plate appearances. The production was right in line with league-average levels in the International League, by measure of wRC+ (99). It was also rather closely in line with Vosler’s career output at that level; in parts of five seasons and in 1747 plate appearances in Triple-A, Vosler  is a .265/.342/.485 batter.

While Vosler has been primarily a third baseman in his professional career (5303 innings), he’s logged more than 1400 innings at first base and just shy of 200 in left field. He’s a left-handed hitter and will give the Mariners some lefty depth at positions where they’re lacking in that regard. Right-handed hitters Brian Anderson (third base), Michael Chavis (both corners) and Tyler Locklear (first base) are among the organization’s upper-level corner options, but the team lacks many lefty hitters of note at the infield corners.

Heading into the 2024 season, it seems like the Mariners will roll out a platoon of right-handed-hitting Luis Urias and lefty Josh Rojas at the hot corner. Urias has been slowed in camp by some shoulder soreness dating back to his offseason stint in the Mexican Winter League, but he recently made his Cactus League debut and should have time to ramp up for the year, barring any further setbacks.

Reds Place Wil Myers On Injured List, Outright Jason Vosler

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The Reds announced Thursday that they’ve place first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers on the injured list (retroactive to Wednesday) and assigned corner infielder Jason Vosler to Triple-A Louisville after he went unclaimed on outright waivers. Cincinnati also placed righty Graham Ashcraft on the bereavement list and recalled right-hander Casey Legumina from Louisville. The Reds are off today, so they’ll presumably add a position player to the roster tomorrow in advance of their series opener in Oakland.

Myers was scratched from yesterday’s game due to an illness and missed Tuesday’s contest due to neck spasms. The Reds didn’t list an injury designation or a timetable for his return in today’s announcement. Myers, who signed a one-year deal worth $7.5MM this offseason, has stumbled out to a .222/.292/.321 start with what would be a career-high 34.8% strikeout rate through his first 89 plate appearances.

With Myers and Joey Votto on the shelf, the Reds could turn to catcher Tyler Stephenson at first base with more regularity. The 26-year-old Stephenson has already started three games there and made five total appearances at the position, and Cincinnati is carrying two other catchers in Luke Maile and Curt Casali. Infielder Spencer Steer is another option; he started his first game of the season at first base when Myers was scratched and has made a total of four appearances there. It’s also possible the Reds will call up a first base option from the minors before tomorrow’s game.

With Votto yet to make his 2023 debut, the Reds’ two primary first basemen have been Myers and the now-outrighted Vosler, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Vosler got out to a blistering start with the Reds after signing a minor league deal late in the offseason. He cracked three home runs in his first 15 plate appearances but has since fallen into a protracted slump, batting just .106/.160/.128 with 20 strikeouts in his past 50 trips to the plate.

Vosler, 29, has logged big league time in each of the past three seasons. In 258 Major League plate appearances between the Reds and the Giants, he’s a .210/.279/.408 hitter who’s seen time at both infield and both outfield corners. Vosler has also appeared in 345 Triple-A games in his career, posting a vastly superior .272/.344/.485 slash along the way. This is the first outright assignment of Vosler’s career, and he has fewer than three years of MLB service time, so he doesn’t have the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. He’ll remain with the Reds organization and hope to play his way back onto the 40-man roster at some point.

Reds Designate Jason Vosler For Assignment

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The Reds announced Monday that they’ve designated infielder Jason Vosler for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos from Triple-A Louisville.

Vosler signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati late in the offseason and rode a solid .263/.341/.526 spring performance to a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster. He roared out of the gates with a trio of home runs in his first 15 plate appearances, coming over a span of five games, but has since gone cold at the plate. Dating back to April 7, Vosler has taken 50 turns at the plate and turned in a .106/.160/.128 batting line with 20 strikeouts.

The 29-year-old Vosler has now seen Major League time in each of the past three seasons, including a pair of stints with the Giants. He’s logged 97 Major League games and 258 plate appearances but has a rather unsightly .210/.279/.408 slash to show for it. He’s been vastly better in Triple-A, where he’s a .272/.344/.485 hitter in 345 games.

Vosler has plenty of power, substantial experience at both infield corners, and also seen brief spells at second base, in left field and even at shortstop. He still has a minor league option remaining, so a team looking for a left-handed bat and some corner depth might be inclined to take a look via a small trade or waivers. The Reds will have a week to find a trade partner or attempt to pass him through waivers.

As for the 31-year-old Ramos, he’ll get what’s just the second look of his big league career. The older brother to Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, Henry received a cup of coffee with the 2021 D-backs but only received 55 plate appearances, hitting .200/.255/.300 with a homer and two doubles. He also had a short stint with the Korea Baseball Organization’s KT Wiz last year, but the majority of his recent professional experience is in Triple-A. In parts of six seasons there, he’s .297/.352/.472 hitter — including a .314/.400/.486 start to his season in Louisville this year (41 plate appearances).

Reds Designate Nick Solak For Assignment

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s season opener. They have selected the contracts of right-hander Derek Law, left-hander Alex Young and infielder Jason Vosler. To open places on the 40-man roster, right-handers Tejay Antone and Justin Dunn were placed on the 60-day injured list, while infielder/outfielder Nick Solak was designated for assignment. Additionally, infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel and first baseman Joey Votto were placed on the 10-day injured list while right-handers Tony Santillan, Lucas Sims and Luke Weaver were placed on the 15-day injured list.

Solak, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect who had a strong debut with the Rangers in 2019. He hit .293/.393/.491 that year in 33 games but has struggled since and now carries a career batting line of .252/.327/.372. That amounts to a wRC+ of 93, indicating he’s been about 7% below league average. Concerns about his second base defense also pushed him into the outfield corners, putting more pressure on his bat to provide value. He was traded to the Reds in November but had a rough spring, getting just two hits in 24 plate appearances. Despite his rough showing of late, he might get a shot elsewhere based on his prospect pedigree. He also still has an option remaining and can be stashed in the minors by any team willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.

Young, 29, spent most of last year with the Giants, posting a 2.36 ERA over 25 appearances with an 18.1% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate. Despite that solid campaign, he was non-tendered at season’s end and landed a minor league deal with the Reds. He’ll give the club a second lefty in the bullpen alongside Reiver Sanmartin. The right-handed Law will also join that bullpen, which was reported earlier this week.

Vosler, 29, got into 77 games with the Giants over the past two seasons, hitting .228/.306/.421 for a wRC+ of 100. Like Young, he was also non-tendered by the Giants and got a minor league deal from the Reds. He’s played all four infield positions in his career, as well as the outfield corners, giving Cincinnati a versatile player to plug in around their younger players as needed.

Turning to the IL placements, none of them are particularly surprising. Dunn has a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for a couple of months. Antone has a flexor strain in his forearm that may keep him out until the All-Star break. Votto is still recovering from last year’s shoulder surgery, Weaver is battling forearm discomfort, while Santillan and Sims are dealing with lingering back issues.

Reds Sign Jason Vosler To Minor League Deal

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The Reds announced Wednesday that they’ve signed corner infielder Jason Vosler to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. He’s a client of All Bases Covered Sports Management. The deal with Vosler comes not long after the infielder looked to have signed a similar pact with the Mariners, only to be released a few days later. Cincinnati also confirmed its previously reported minor league deal with utilityman Chad Pinder.

The 29-year-old Vosler has spent parts of the past two seasons in the big leagues with the Giants, batting a combined .228/.306/.421 with seven homers in 193 trips to the plate. That includes a robust .265/.342/.469 showing in 111 plate appearances in 2022. Vosler, however, posted inferior numbers down in Triple-A, with a .242/.311/.433 output in a much larger sample of 398 plate appearances.

Solid showing in the big leagues notwithstanding, San Francisco designated Vosler for assignment when setting their roster in advance of this year’s Rule 5 Draft and non-tendered him shortly thereafter. He became an immediate free agent and will now hope to work his way into a generally unsettled infield mix in Cincinnati. Vosler has played all four infield positions and both outfield corners in his career, although the four innings the Giants gave him at shortstop marked his first appearance there since 2015. He’s been predominantly a corner infielder dating back to 2019.

Cincinnati is a hitter-friendly spot for Vosler to land, and one with a fair bit of opportunity. The Reds have 2021 Rookie of the Year Jonathan India locked in at second base, but first baseman Joey Votto’s return date from last summer’s season-ending shoulder surgery isn’t yet clear. It’s possible he’ll be behind schedule in camp, as Votto himself said early last month that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be ready for Opening Day.

Third base, meanwhile, will likely be up for grabs, with prospect Spencer Steer the current front-runner. The Reds picked up Steer from the Twins in the trade that sent Tyler Mahle to Minnesota, and while he hit just .211/.306/.326 in 108 plate appearances down the stretch in ’22, he also turned in a stout .274/.364/.515 showing between Double-A and Triple-A. Looking elsewhere on the 40-man roster, both Alejo Lopez and Nick Solak have experience at third base, though it hasn’t been either’s primary position. Lopez and Solak both have more experience at second base, and Solak has played more outfield than infield in recent years.

Both Vosler and Pinder stand as potential non-roster competition for that group at the hot corner, and the added versatility each brings to the table could further their cause when it comes to securing a spot on the roster. Vosler, in particular, could hold some appeal as a left-handed bat on an otherwise largely right-handed-hitting roster.

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