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Out Of Options 2024

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Every spring at MLBTR, we publish a list of players who are out of minor league options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without first clearing outright waivers. Option status is particularly relevant as teams set their rosters prior to Opening Day. A lack of minor league options is often a key reason a certain player will make the roster over another who had a superior spring performance, and it’s a frequent factor in March trades.

The following is a list of all 40-man players throughout the league with fewer than five years of service time — players with more than five years of service can refuse an optional assignment — and no minor league options remaining. We’ve included players who have signed extensions or multi-year deals, even though they’re often less likely to be optioned.

Angels

Astros

Athletics

Blue Jays

Braves

Brewers

Cardinals

Cubs

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Guardians

Mariners

Marlins

Mets

Nationals

Orioles

Padres

Phillies

Pirates

Rangers

Rays

Red Sox

Reds

Rockies

Royals

Tigers

Twins

White Sox

Yankees

Navigation Improvements Made To MLBTR Mobile Website

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As you might imagine, as the owner of MLB Trade Rumors, I am a heavy user of the website.  When it comes to website traffic, 80% of ours comes via mobile devices, so I often navigate the site on my phone.  In recent years, I’ve experienced difficulty in getting good results from MLBTR’s search tool, as well as in general navigation.  This year, I set out to fix that.

I started by gathering data on what MLBTR users usually search for, and I found that in the offseason it’s almost always a player name, team name, or an attempt to find free agent-related links.  Within the limited real estate of MLBTR’s mobile web navigation bar, we’ve made it easier to find those things.

Previously, the search icon was not on the home screen; it was instead buried within the “three lines” menu.  We’ve moved that to the main navigation bar in the upper left, signified by the classic magnifying glass icon:

Given the indication that people tend to search for player or team names rather than specific post headlines, we’ve limited the autocomplete to players and teams.  Type a few letters of the player’s name and you’ll see the options:

This allows you to get to the player’s chronological archive quickly and easily, where you’ll see the latest posts on him at the top.  It’s also helpful for difficult-to-spell player names.  Here’s what a player page looks like:

When it comes to navigating to the team archives, I grappled with the best way to do it.  Previously, we had a Teams link in the navigation bar on the mobile website.  In practice, I didn’t think using this link on a phone was all that convenient – especially if you were seeking a team name in the middle or end of the alphabet.  You’d hit Teams and then often do a fair bit of scrolling and then pick out your team from the list of 30.

The new way to get to the team page is to type a few letters of that team name into the search box.  You can start with the city name or the team name.  Usually about three or four letters does the trick:

That’ll bring you to our team archive, with all posts tagged with that club in chronological order:

Though the autocomplete function in the search box gets you directly to player and team archive pages, there may be cases where you have a specific post in mind.  You can still type any phrase into the box and then hit the Search button on your phone to get more algorithmic results rather than our human-curated player and team archives.

I also wanted to solve the issue of finding free agent-related links easily, while keeping some flexibility to curate a few relevant links depending on the time of year.  To accomplish this, the “flame” icon was born.  Tapping that brings you to various “hot” and timely reference links:

We’ll change some of these links at different times of year, for example putting some trade-related links up in July.

In my experience, these changes to the MLBTR mobile website navigation bar have made the site faster and easier to navigate.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

Sign Up For The Free MLBTR Newsletter

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With the launch of our 2024-25 Top 50 Free Agents list, it’s the perfect time to sign up for the free MLBTR newsletter.  The newsletter is written by Cliff Corcoran, who has an extensive resume contributing to Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, Baseball Prospectus, and other outlets.  Cliff will take you through the hot stove highlights of the previous day, boiling down MLBTR’s posts into the essential stories and providing his analysis.  It’s a great morning read that will help you stay on top of the biggest MLB stories.

Additionally, we’ve introduced a new feature in the newsletter called MLBTRivia!  As the name suggests, this is a trivia question with a hot stove connection.  This feature runs Monday through Thursday.

On Fridays, we’ve added an Ask Darragh section to the newsletter.  MLBTR writer and podcast host Darragh McDonald will answer a question from a reader every week.

Sign up for the MLBTR newsletter in the box below:

 

This free newsletter arrives via email Monday through Friday in the morning.  Be sure to check your inbox and click the link in the confirmation email.  If you’re not seeing the box to input your email, you can simply click this link to sign up.

Improvements To Our MLB Contract Tracker

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Our MLB Contract Tracker is an amazing research tool, full of features and capabilities you can’t get anywhere else.  You can filter by player name, team, position, batting handedness, throwing handedness, contract type (MLB deal, minor league deal, extension), number of years, amount of total money, average annual value, type of option, age in the first year of the deal, age in the last year of the deal, service time for those who signed extensions, Super Two status, qualifying offer status, agency at the time of signing, and any date range from 10-5-09 to present.  Subscribe to Trade Rumors Front Office today to gain access!

We just finished data entry for the 2009-10 offseason, which was led by Matt Holliday, John Lackey, and Jason Bay.  Was anyone around here back then?  Throughout the year, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk and Bryan Grosnick will continue working backward to add more years to the database.  Of course, the MLB Contract Tracker is also updated daily as new deals come in.  Before you know it, we’ll have Jackson Holliday in there.

For the real contract data nerds, we have also upgraded our service time filter.  Now, we have a checkbox for players who signed extensions with zero MLB service:

We have also refined the service time filter so that you can select custom ranges.  For example, here’s a search of starting pitcher extensions for those with at least two and less than four years of MLB service:

We’re proud of the work that goes into the MLB Contract Tracker.  Subscribe today and gain access to this tool as well as exclusive articles, while also removing ads from this website!

Testimonials From Trade Rumors Front Office Subscribers

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There are many reasons to subscribe to Trade Rumors Front Office.  I thought they’d be more meaningful coming from real members:

Remove Ads, Support Our Writers

The information we get from the expert writers at MLB Trade Rumors just can’t be found elsewhere! Too many formerly independent outlets are now owned by commercial conglomerates who control the content! The economy is tough; do your part to keep this effort independent. As an added bonus, the banner ads will disappear; that alone is worth the cost!
J. Allen M.

Supporting the writers is by far the most important thing to me. I have been reading MLBTR for many years and enjoying it for free. Same with Fangraphs. When an option came to get a paid membership, I jumped on it for both. While I enjoy reading this, it’s important to remember that there are skilled professionals, who take a ton of time to scour the web, do research, and write wonderful articles. I don’t want MLBTR to go away, so I am glad to support it, and hope to be reading this for many years to come.
Dmitry C.

I love the ability to read all the information on MLBTR without the hassle of dealing with the many annoying advertisements. The site looks cleaner and the cost to sign up for a yearly subscription is minimal. It is well worth the investment to have one less place that attacks my eyes with advertising.
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The work of MLB Trade Rumors writers is outstanding – informative and well-written. They are at the top of their field, and it has been a good feeling to know that my subscription supports their work.
Robert A.

I subscribe in support of MLBTR writers as they provide some best analysis in the business. MLBTR is the best source for transactions bar none. I love that they cover even small transactions that are largely ignored by other sites. Great work that I am happy to support.
Philip P.

I subscribed to MLB Trade Rumors the day that option became available, and I’m so glad I did. I get value from this site every single day and am proud to support the great staff who create such quality content.
Rick S.

I cannot be happier with my Front Office subscription. I have been a passionate user of Trade Rumors since soon after its launch. One of the major appeals for me is that TR is a small team with great values – people who are open and honest about the goals of their small business. By supporting them with my extremely inexpensive subscription, I am proud to be supporting this small family of smart, passionate and talented sports fans.
Charlie S.

It is so nice to not see ads on the website or app – much cleaner look and easier to read. Plus the knowledge that I am directly supporting great writers and content.
Jeff O.

I have been a subscriber for more than a year, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. The baseball, hockey and pro basketball sites are my go-to for news about my Cards, Blues and Warriors, often times scooping local and national media sources. I check Trade Rumors several times a day, and the fact that I can do this, undisturbed by ads, makes the subscription even more valuable to me.
Tony B.

I’ve read MLB Trade Rumors for years and decided to subscribe so that it can continue to be the go-to site for details on free agent signings, contract extensions, and trade talks. Being ad-free is a bonus, but mostly I am proud to support the writers and the team that creates this valuable resource.
Mike O.

Getting rid of the ads makes the site a lot more delightful, and it’s nice to know that I’m helping the site stay in business and invest in making tools that make it even more useful.
Matt C.

I became a front office subscriber to support the site and its writers when there was a need. The amount is nothing for the value I get and the time I spend on the site – not only for the quality and timeliness of the posts, but also the accuracy. The content is clearly created by professional writers, and curated with thought.
Tom G.

As a long-time “free” user of MLBTR, I stepped up to being a paid subscriber for several reasons: primarily, to support the Trade Rumors staff and to ensure the continued flow of great content that goes beyond reporting news, or grinding statistics. The additional benefits of the subscriber-only posts and articles provide thoughtful insight for me as a fan, and fantasy player alike. At a mere eight cents a day, it’s an enormous value!
Randy C.

If your favorite time of year is the MLB Hot Stove league, you should subscribe to MLB Trade Rumors. MLB Trade Rumors is the best year round source of unbiased, no-hype, no clickbait MLB information. Every team receives attention. You can track current and future year Free Agents and receive expert analysis on a weekly basis. A great throwback internet site with no hot takes, no uninformed comments and no intrusions on your experience if you subscribe.
Chris K.

Expert Answers To Your Hot Stove Questions

MLBTR is an industry staple for information and analysis. We utilize their content daily, and it serves as a positive resource in our quest to remain informed with the best and latest information.
Matt Kleine, Milwaukee Brewers Assistant General Manager

I love the extra subscriber chats. MLBTR was already the best source for up-to-date news and opinion. But being a subscriber makes it even better. Plus, supporting this site is an easy decision, because they do such great work and deserve to be compensated. Thanks guys for all you do!
David M.

My favorite part of being a MLBTR subscriber is the Friday chats with Anthony Franco. My questions get answered, the regulars show up each week, and access to expert analysis is at my fingertips.
Michael D.

They provide excellent news coverage and analysis to a degree I haven’t found anywhere else. When you pair their content with knowledgeable and relaxed contributors who see baseball through different lenses, it makes for entertaining and thorough baseball reads.
Kalman W.

For 3 dollars a month, you get all the tools to become an amazing baseball fan. My favorite part are the Chats which you basically get automatically answered any baseball question you have! Support the best writers in America today with a MLBTR Front Office subscription!
Mendel C.

The Front Office chats and bonus material have really deepened my awareness of current events in baseball. I look forward to them each week and feel that they convey the kind of perspective we would get from interacting with actual MLB front offices.
Robert A.

The team provides additional very high level analysis of team trends, player agent insights, special private chats where you are sure to get answered because the groups are much smaller. This content alone is fascinating. My friends are constantly wondering how I have so much baseball insight.
Mark Z.

The subscriber-only chats and articles provide the best MLB conversation and insight available. Whether it’s related to roster construction, player performance, or predicting what’ll happen next, the MLBTR Front Office content offers well-rounded perspectives week after week.
Brian R.

In the age of mass-produced, lifeless articles, Trade Rumors Front Office provides a host of thought-provoking pieces and insider access to the experts whose content you’ve likely enjoyed for years. The value proposition is unmatched in sports media. There simply does not exist any outlet providing comparable coverage for $2.99 per month.
Patrick T.

As a Trade Rumors Front Office subscriber, not only do I get extra articles and chats each week but my chat questions almost always get answered due to smaller group size. Highly recommended!
Jeff O.

MLB Trade Rumors is an indispensable resource for fans who want to know more about possible trades and signings than just the players and the numbers. The site’s analysis reflects the staff’s deep knowledge and expertise. And I love that I get all of that good stuff without ads.
Wendy T.

I am constantly impressed with the depth of knowledge of the staff at MLBTR as to almost all aspects of all 30 teams. My subscription really enhances their excellent coverage with additional in-depth analysis and the weekly chat is great. Great value for the price.
John B.

Access Our GM-Caliber Tools & Analysis

The contract tracker and agency database that come with a Front Office subscription are the most powerful tools an avid fan or smaller agency can have. Knowing the tireless work that MLB teams and our data and analytics team puts in at Wasserman Baseball, I can assure any smaller agency or committed fan that does not have the resources available to them that we do that the premium content they will receive from MLBTR is well worth the investment.
B.B. Abbott, MLB agent

As a writer covering baseball, I consider the MLBTR Contract Tracker and Agency Database indispensable tools. Not only are they thorough and current, they’re one-of-a-kind. Simply put, there’s nothing else like this out there. As a longtime MLBTR writer, I may be a little biased here, but I believe the site’s trackers and databases allow baseball people to develop a far deeper understanding of the sport and how it works behind the scenes.
Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sportsnet.ca

The contract tracker alone would be worth the price of admission, but MLBTR amplifies its value by tacking on an agency database you can’t find anywhere else on top of the in-depth, year-round coverage of trades and rumors you’ve come to know and love from the site. I can’t imagine writing about baseball and not having MLBTR as a resource.
Carlos Collazo, Baseball America

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White Sox, Dylan Cease Avoid Arbitration

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The White Sox avoided arbitration with righty Dylan Cease by agreeing to an $8MM deal, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.

Cease, a client of the Boras Corporation, fell short of our projection in agreeing to a $2.3MM raise over last year’s salary.  As a player with four years of Major League service time, Cease will be eligible for arbitration once more for 2025 before reaching free agency.

Cease, who recently turned 28, had an off-year results-wise in 2023 with his ERA climbing to 4.58.  Still, his 97 starts over the last three seasons leads all of MLB, and he finished second in the 2022 AL Cy Young voting coming off a 2.20 ERA.  Cease averages about 96 miles per hour on his fastball and misses plenty of bats, though he also issues a lot of free passes.

Cease remains one of the top remaining trade candidates of the 2023-24 offseason.  New White Sox GM Chris Getz has been fielding inquiries, and there’s likely at least a half-dozen suitors.  You can read up on the latest Cease rumors here.

At present, though, Cease leads a projected White Sox rotation that also includes new additions Erick Fedde, Mike Soroka, and Chris Flexen, as well as holdover Michael Kopech.

2023-24 MLB Free Agents

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The following players are currently free agents.  Each player’s 2024 age is in parentheses.  The cutoff for this list is typically 50 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched in the Majors in 2023.

For a free agent list that can be filtered to signed or unsigned players, position, age, handedness, and much more, check out our MLB Contract Tracker.  The Contract Tracker is only available to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers.

Updated 3-27-24

Catchers

Manny Piña (37)

First Basemen

Brandon Belt (36)
Wil Myers (33)
Darin Ruf (37)
Donovan Solano (36)

Second Basemen

Hanser Alberto (31)
Jonathan Schoop (32)
Jean Segura (34)
Donovan Solano (36)

Shortstops

Adalberto Mondesi (28)

Third Basemen

Evan Longoria (38)
Jean Segura (34)

Left Fielders

Corey Dickerson (35)
Austin Meadows (29)
Tommy Pham (36)
AJ Pollock (36)
Raimel Tapia (30)

Center Fielders

None

Right Fielders

Wil Myers (33)

Designated Hitters

Kyle Lewis (28)
Austin Meadows (29)

Starting Pitchers

Matthew Boyd (33)
Mike Clevinger (33)
Johnny Cueto (38)
Zack Greinke (40)
Rich Hill (44)
Noah Syndergaard (31)
Julio Urias (27)
Vince Velasquez (32)

Right-Handed Relievers

Anthony Bass (36)
Brad Boxberger (36)
Codi Heuer (27)
Mark Melancon (39)
Zach Neal (35)
Alex Reyes (29)
Nick Wittgren (33)

Left-Handed Relievers

Jarlin Garcia (31)
Brad Hand (34)
Aaron Loup (36)

Marc Narducci: My Hall Of Fame Ballot

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Marc Narducci spent 37 years covering all sports for The Philadelphia Inquirer before retiring in July 2021. He covered everything from high school sports to the Phillies winning the World Series and the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. A lifelong southern New Jersey resident, he remains a freelance writer and broadcaster. Once again, Marc reached out to see if MLB Trade Rumors would be interested in publishing his Hall of Fame ballot. I am happy to do it and hope it can be an interesting topic of debate for our readers. Here’s Marc…

This was an extremely difficult baseball Hall of Fame ballot because it causes debate over those who prioritize longevity over others who place emphasis on shorter-term excellence.
Before going into the ballot, a little bit about the philosophy of this voter.

First off, I won’t criticize anybody’s ballot. There are many different opinions on what a Hall of Fame player should be and that is fine.

As stated last year at MLBtraderumors.com and in also in 2021, I have not voted for those associated with steroids.

As one can see from the comments sections, there are many of you who have disagreed and that’s fine. I’m not here to try to convince anybody to change his or her mind. This is just the way I feel, how the steroid era put such a stain on the game.

I have also not voted for Carlos Beltran, who admittedly was the mastermind of the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Those actions cost him his job as a manager and for now, this vote.
Again, I can see people who think this is crazy to keep such an accomplished player off the ballot. I’m not here to attempt to convince anybody either way, just to say this is what went into my voting.

I don’t think all the Astros should be punished, but that’s another story for another day.

Now, for the ballot.

There are two holdovers who I voted for last year and we will start there.

Todd Helton

Helton, now in his sixth year on the ballot, is close to the finish line. He received 72.2% of the votes. Just a refresher, a player needs 75% of the votes. For those who didn’t see last year’s story, we’ll reiterate his case.

The negative perception is that he was a product of playing his entire career at Coors Field. The splits were significant home and away.

Yet his .287/.386/.469 slash line on the road was impressive, but it did pale in comparison to his numbers at Coors – .345/441/.607.

His career line was .316/414/.539.

While the sabermetrics community may scoff at batting average, it takes a lot to hit .300 for a season, let alone a career. Last season just nine players with the required 502 plate appearance hit .300.

In 2000, Helton won a batting title hitting .372.

Here were his splits that season – home: .391/.484/.758. Away: .353/.441/633.

He was a first baseman who wasn’t known for his power, but he still hit 369 home runs and had 1,406 RBI, while playing all 17 seasons for the Rockies.

Helton was a five-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger winner and a three-time Gold Glove recipient.

It’s more than enough to put him on this ballot.

Billy Wagner

Wagner is in his ninth year on the ballot and keeps moving closer. (How a person fares on other ballots doesn’t impact this vote, but it is good to note how close or far somebody is from being elected).

Wagner last year earned 68.1% of the votes.

The two knocks against Wagner are his low innings total and his postseason struggles.

Both are valid points.

Wagner pitched just 903 innings. His postseason production, even though it only consisted of 11 1/3 innings over 14 appearances, was poor to say the least. He had a 10.03 ERA, although Wagne did convert all three save opportunities.

His positives outweigh the negatives.

In looking for a HOF player, I like to see excellence. Wagner’s 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings (minimum of 750 innings pitched) is the best in MLB history.

Wagner had 422 saves, and an impressive save percentage (86%). His career 2.31 ERA and 187 ERA+ are second best among HOF relievers. Only Mariano Rivera (2.21 ERA, and 205 ERA+) is better in both categories.

The newcomers

Adrian Beltre

There won’t be much convincing to do here. Beltre’s career 93.5 rWAR is surpassed by just two HOF third basemen – Mike Schmidt (106.8) and Eddie Matthews (96.0).

Here were Beltre’s career numbers – .286/339/.480 for his career with 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, 1707 RBI and a 116 OPS+. One thing that is interesting is that he was just a four-time All-Star. He won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and was a Top 10 MVP finisher six times.

The only question with Beltre is whether he will be a unanimous choice.

Joe Mauer

Here is where the debate starts. The knock against Mauer is that while he was an excellent catcher, he only played the position for a decade. Due to concussions from catching, he moved to first base for the final five seasons. He caught 70 or more games eight times. In total he caught 921 games, making 885 starts as a catcher.

In those 10 seasons he hit .323/405/.469 with a 135 OPS+.

When somebody does something historical, the feeling here is that it should add to his HOF candidacy. Mauer is the only catcher to win three batting titles, in 2006, 2008 and 2009. In those three years, he caught 120, 139 and 109 games respectively. He batted .347 in 2006, .328 in 2008 and .365 in 2009.

During those first 10 seasons, he was a six-time All-Star, won an MVP (in 2009) and finished in the Top 10 four times. Mauer also earned five Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Gloves.

Is that enough production in a decade of work?

Due to the demands of the position, we think so.

Plus, how much did the toll of catching and the injuries contribute to the decline after he switched positions?

His final five seasons were well below HOF worthy – .278/.359/.388 with a 105 OPS+. Never a big home run hitter, he hit 38 of his career 143 home runs in the final five seasons.

Still, even with the decline, here are his career statistics – .306/.388/.439 with a 124 OPS+.

Only eight HOF catchers have a higher career rWAR than Mauer (55.2).

He certainly did enough in his years as a catcher to make this ballot.

Chase Utley

The longevity issue is what hurts Utley. Utley had a five-year stretch that was definitely HOF standard. From 2005-2009, he hit .301/.388/535 and averaged 29.2 home runs. 110.6 runs, 101.4 RBI, 151 games and 675 plate appearances. His fWAR average for those five years was an astonishing 7.7.

During this span Utley earned four of his six All-Star appearances.

The Phillies made the playoffs the final three of those seasons, winning the World Series in 2008 and losing to the NY Yankees in the 2009 World Series. Utley hit five home runs in the 2009 series, which is tied for the most in MLB history. Reggie Jackson in 1977 and George Springer in 2017 also hit five.

He had other strong seasons, but none to match this five-year average.

His career numbers, especially for a second baseman were strong – .275/.358/.465 and a 117 OPS+. He had 1,103 runs and 1,025 RBI. Will the fact that he had fewer than 2,000 hits (1,885) hurt Utley?

Probably in the eyes of some, but he ended up being a six-time All-Star and earning four Silver Slugger Awards.

Only 10 HOF second basemen have a higher rWAR than Utley (64.5). Only four HOF second basemen have more home runs than Utley (259).

Injuries caught up to Utley, but he was more than a five-year wonder. Even after 2009, he would make two other All-Star teams and from 2010-2014 had an average OPS+ of 116.

Utley played the game hard, was a quiet leader of during the greatest run in Phillies history when they qualified for the playoffs five consecutive seasons 2007-2011.

It is understandable for those who feel he didn’t perform at a top level long enough, but he did enough to get on this ballot.

David Wright

New York Mets third baseman David Wright was on a HOF trajectory before spinal stenosis ended his career. Wright’s last full-time year was his age-31 season in 2014.

His counting stats, which included 1,777 career hits and 242 home runs, will be used against him, but Wright had an impressive nine-year peak, where he earned seven All-Star berths. The seven all-star games matched last year’s HOF inductee Scott Rolen.

From 2005-2013, Wright hit .302/.384./.505 with a 138 OPS+. Wright averaged 23 home runs, 90 runs and 93 RBI. During this time, he won two Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards, and finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting four times. After this period, he would play just one more full season, 2014 when the decline began.

His final career numbers were .296/376/.491 and a 133 OPS+. Only seven HOF third baseman have a higher OPS+ than Wright.

Should Wright be penalized for suffering what turned out to be a career-ending injury, that ended his full-time status after his age 31 season?

It can be argued that durability is part of being a HOF player and that is a good case, but Wright was the face of the franchise, a perennial All-Star and a strong two-way performer.

We can see both sides of this argument, just as we can for Utley and to a degree Mauer, but these players did enough to make it onto this ballot, even if their excellence was shorter than some would like.

Angels Sign Francisco Mejia To Minor League Deal

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The Angels signed catcher Francisco Mejia to a minor league deal, according to reporter Miriam Luz.  The deal includes a spring training invite.

Mejia, 28, put up a .227/.258/.400 batting line in 160 plate appearances for the Rays this year.  He split time behind the dish for Tampa Bay with Christian Bethancourt, logging 381 innings.  Mejia hit the IL in late July with an MCL sprain, an injury that cost him about a month.  Upon his activation in August, the Rays instead chose to designate Mejia for assignment, sticking with Rene Pinto as their backup catcher.  Mejia then accepted his outright assignment, so as not to abandon the remainder of his $2.155MM salary.  He then elected free agency in October.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, Mejia broke out as a bat-first switch-hitting Indians prospect in 2016.  Prior to the 2018 season, Baseball America considered him the 20th best prospect in the game, while MLB.com had him at #11.

In July of 2018, the Indians traded Mejia to the Padres for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber.  Mejia made the Padres in 2019 as the backup to Austin Hedges, though by the end of 2020 he was optioned to Triple-A.  In December of 2020, Mejia was again traded, this time heading to the Rays with Luis Patiño, Blake Hunt, and Cole Wilcox for Blake Snell.  Mejia and Patiño, the principals in that trade, have fallen far in these three years.  Patiño was claimed on waivers earlier today, returning to the Padres.  Snell, meanwhile, reached free agency, won his second Cy Young award, and was reported yesterday as an Angels priority by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mejia paired up with Mike Zunino to form the Rays’ catching tandem in 2021.  He posted a .260/.322/.416 batting line in 277 plate appearances, providing the best offense of his career to date.  In 2022, with Zunino on the injured list, Mejia led the Rays and set a career-high with 638 1/3 innings caught, despite injuries of his own.

Though Mejia is still relatively young, he generally hasn’t impressed defensively and his highly-touted bat never materialized.  Logan O’Hoppe holds the starting catching job for the Angels, and Mejia will have to supplant Matt Thaiss for the Halos’ backup role.  The Angels shipped catcher Max Stassi to the Braves earlier this month along with David Fletcher, who then flipped Stassi to the White Sox.  It’s been a quiet offseason otherwise for Angels GM Perry Minasian, who has seen Shohei Ohtani depart and has thus far added three relievers in Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber, and Adam Kolarek.

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