Yearly, MLB’s non-tender deadline sees golf equipment permit a few of their gamers who stay underneath workforce management to check the open market early, whether or not or not it’s as a result of an rising price ticket in arbitration or a necessity for added house on the membership’s 40-man roster. Earlier seasons have seen quite a lot of high-profile gamers wind up non-tendered, together with Brandon Woodruff final winter and Cody Bellinger the yr earlier than that. Kyle Schwarber and Kevin Gausman are amongst a handful of different star gamers who’ve discovered themselves non-tendered for one purpose or one other throughout their careers, and all besides Woodruff (who is predicted to return to the mound subsequent yr after lacking the 2024 season as a result of shoulder surgical procedure) have gone on to take pleasure in huge league success following their respective non-tenders.
Whereas gamers of that caliber reaching free company by the use of a non-tender are extraordinarily uncommon, loads of gamers discover themselves lower unfastened early by their golf equipment solely to make an affect elsewhere down the road, whether or not as a daily within the lineup or rotation or just as a strong contributor off the bench or out of the bullpen. With the vast majority of groups within the recreation signalling on some degree or different that they hope to compete in 2025, golf equipment who get outbid in free company or on the commerce market this winter will certainly be incentivized to try to uncover a diamond within the tough this winter as they hunt for offensive upgrades. Let’s check out 5 hitters who hit free company following final week’s non-tender deadline and may very well be price keeping track of all through the approaching offseason. Gamers are listed in alphabetical order, with their age for the 2025 season in parentheses.
Austin Hays (29)
Hays is maybe probably the most stunning non-tender on this listing, as he was an All-Star for the Orioles simply final yr and has been a dependable league-average bat able to taking part in all three outfield spots all through his profession. That regular manufacturing is what satisfied the Phillies to commerce Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache to the Orioles in an effort to purchase him over the summer time. Whereas he didn’t reside as much as these expectations in 22 video games with Philadelphia down the stretch, his lackluster .256/.275/.397 slash line throughout that point comes with an enormous caveat: Hays spent the second half of the yr battling by a kidney an infection that significantly hampered his capacity to play, as was mentioned at size in a latest article from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Given the intense sickness that Hays throughout his time as a Phillie, it appears prudent to look at his free company within the context of his profession general. By that metric, the outfielder can be a helpful addition to nearly any outfield combine within the huge leagues. Over his three seasons as a full-time participant with the Orioles from 2021 to 2023, Hays slashed a strong .261/.313/.439 (108 wRC+) in 420 video games for Baltimore. Throughout that point, he generated 6.1 fWAR, a quantity that positioned him forward of quite a lot of strong regulars throughout that point reminiscent of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Orioles teammate Anthony Santander. What’s extra, Hays has continued to place up wonderful numbers in opposition to left-handed pitching even throughout this yr’s illness-plagued season that noticed his position lowered to extra of a part-time participant: in 49 video games in opposition to lefties this yr, he hit a wonderful .354/.407/.537, even higher than his profession line of .277/.331/.469 in opposition to southpaws. If Hays can rebound to the shape he confirmed from 2021 to 2023, he may very well be a strong common for a workforce with a emptiness within the nook outfield, particularly one which struggles in opposition to left-handed pitching.
Ramon Laureano (30)
Early in his profession, Laureano seemed to be a key piece of the Athletics’ core alongside Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Sean Manaea, and Frankie Montas. Over his first two seasons within the huge leagues, Laureano hit an outstanding .288/.345/.508 (128 wRC+) in a mixed 657 journeys to the plate whereas taking part in strong protection in proper discipline. After that, nevertheless, Laureano’s profession was thrown astray by three shortened seasons: the 60-game shortened marketing campaign in 2020 and the 2021 and ’22 campaigns that had been truncated for Laureano by an 80-game PED suspension. Throughout these three seasons, Laureano hit simply .225/.310/.400 with a wRC+ of 103 and noticeably much less spectacular protection within the discipline. That lackluster manufacturing continued all through the 2023 season, as he posted a 90 wRC+ general between stints with the A’s and in Cleveland. His second season with the Guardians bought off to an atrocious begin in 2024, as he hit simply .143 in 31 video games earlier than the membership lower bait.
If that’s the place Laureano’s story for the 2024 season ended, he’d be a reasonably unremarkable title relegated to hoping for a minor league deal this winter. That’s not the case, nevertheless, as a result of he joined the Braves lineup to fill in for Ronald Acuna Jr. after the reigning MVP suffered a torn ACL. He appeared just like the hitter he was earlier in his profession throughout his time with Atlanta, hitting a wonderful .296/.327/.505 (129 wRC+) in a part-time position that noticed him accumulate 226 plate appearances throughout 67 video games. Whereas that efficiency wasn’t sufficient to persuade the Braves to deliver him again regardless of Acuna’s pending return early subsequent yr, loads of groups may benefit from a solidly above common nook outfielder who crushes lefties (.305/.343/.526 in 102 PA this yr) and places up respectable sufficient numbers in opposition to righties to be a satisfactory common.
Brendan Rodgers (28)
The youngest participant on this listing, Rodgers appeared to be coming into his personal as a participant in the course of the 2021 and ’22 seasons. As the first second baseman for the Rockies, Rodgers hit a decent .274/.326/.434 (95 wRC+) whereas bettering sufficient on protection to win the Gold Glove award on the place in 2022. Sadly, what ought to have been a chance to observe up on that sturdy efficiency was lower brief when he underwent shoulder surgical procedure in March of 2023, which left him sidelined till the top of July. He acquired common taking part in time with Colorado upon returning, however didn’t look fairly pretty much as good as he had beforehand. In 181 video games since returning, he’s hit simply .265/.314/.402 (85 wRC+). His protection has additionally fallen from the Gold Glove-caliber displaying he flashed in 2022, with him posting comparatively common protection by the metrics over the previous two seasons.
Whereas the crimson flags in Rodgers’s profile post-surgery are apparent, his youth, pedigree as a former top-20 prospect within the sport, and the skinny infield market this winter appear prone to earn him some actual consideration in the marketplace. In spite of everything, if getting one other yr faraway from his shoulder harm will help him rediscover the shape he flashed in 2022, it’s simple to think about him posting a powerful season as a daily second baseman for a workforce with no clear reply on the place such because the Mariners, Yankees, or Giants. Not like the outfielders on this listing, Rodgers’s competitors on the infield market is equally flawed, with solely a handful of gamers like prone to land multi-year offers.
Josh Rojas (31)
Rojas was a considerably stunning non-tendered, given his standing as one of many Mariners’ higher inner infield choices headed into 2025. Evidently, the membership wasn’t prepared to pay a projected $4.3MM wage for his companies subsequent yr after an up-and-down 2024 marketing campaign that noticed him slash an honest .204/.304/.336 (91 wRC+) general. That slash line doesn’t inform the entire story, nevertheless, as Rojas hit simply .192/.273/.301 (72 wRC+) after all of the All-Star break this yr. That’s an untenable slash line for an on a regular basis participant, significantly given the truth that Rojas is a relatively pedestrian defender at each second and third base.
With that being stated, Rojas figures to be profit from a lackluster infield market simply as Rodgers does. Over the previous 4 seasons, Rojas has been a roughly league common hitter (97 wRC+) with the Diamondbacks and Mariners. It’s additionally price noting that he stands out as a strong candidate for a platoon position; left-handed hitting infielders are considerably scarce, and Rojas made probably the most of his platoon benefit by posting an above-average 104 wRC+ in opposition to right-handed pitching this yr. With a lefty-mashing platoon associate or in a bench position that helps to restrict his publicity to same-handed pitching, it’s simple to think about Rojas having fun with a strong season in 2025. One other notable think about Rojas’s free company ought to be that he figures to stay arbitration-eligible subsequent winter, which means his subsequent membership may retain him for a second season if the primary one goes nicely.
Mike Tauchman (34)
Tauchman is the oldest participant on the listing, however he’s noteworthy for being the one participant right here to submit an above-average wRC+ in every of the previous two seasons. After a quick sojourn to South Korea to play within the KBO throughout 2022, Tauchman latched on with the Cubs and excelled in a fourth outfielder position with the membership. In 217 video games with Chicago over the previous two years, he’s slashed .250/.360/.372 with a wRC+ of 110 and a very good 13.7% stroll charge that even earned him a stint because the membership’s common leadoff hitter. Tauchman discovered himself non-tendered regardless of that strong manufacturing thanks largely to his shrinking position with the membership within the second half final yr; the Cubs have Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong all penciled into the lineup for normal taking part in time, and kids like Alexander Canario, Owen Caissie, and Kevin Alcantara on the 40-man roster as depth choices.
That made Tauchman expendable to Chicago, however he ought to be an attention-grabbing free agent possibility for a workforce in want of a gentle, high-OBP veteran presence of their outfield combine. Whereas he’s a pedestrian defender in any respect three outfield spots, Tauchman’s capacity to play a satisfactory heart discipline ought to additional add to his worth, and like Rojas he comes with a further season of workforce management after 2025 ought to the membership that indicators him have curiosity in his companies the next yr. The Astros, Dodgers, Cubs, and Mets had been the one golf equipment to submit a 110 wRC+ of upper within the outfield in 2024, and 13 golf equipment bought below-average offensive manufacturing on the grass general, which means Tauchman may very well be a comparatively cheap match for quite a lot of golf equipment in want of outfield assist this winter.
