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Players Avoiding Arbitration: 11/21/25

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The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.

These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who were borderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.

Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.

All salary projections in this post come via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are from The Associated Press unless otherwise noted.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

Rays Place Mason Englert On 15-Day Injured List

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The Rays announced that right-hander Mason Englert has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to an impingement in his throwing shoulder.  The placement is retroactive to September 4.  Righty Cole Sulser was called up from Triple-A to take Englert’s spot on the active roster.

After posting a 5.45 ERA in 77 2/3 innings with the Tigers in his first two Major League seasons, Englert has had a semi-breakout year since being dealt to the Rays in February.  The righty has a 3.83 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, and a particularly solid 5.9% walk rate across 44 2/3 innings and 29 appearances for Tampa Bay.  Fifteen of Englert’s 29 outings have been longer than one inning, adding to his value as a bullpen weapon.

Since impingements can vary greatly in severity, it isn’t yet known whether or not Englert’s season could be in jeopardy.  A minimal 15-day absence would allow Englert to still contribute to Tampa’s final nine games of the regular season, which could be important given how the Rays’ recent hot streak has brought the club back into the wild card race.

Englert is the second Rays reliever to hit the 15-day IL in as many days, as fellow righty Brian Van Belle was also sidelined by elbow inflammation yesterday.  Van Belle was slated to undergo an MRI yesterday to look for any structural damage.

Rays Promote Ian Seymour

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The Rays have called left-hander Ian Seymour up from Triple-A Durham, with right-hander Cole Sulser optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  No 40-man move was required, as Tampa already added Seymour to its 40-man roster last November in advance of the Rule 5 Draft.

The 26-year-old Seymour will be making his Major League debut whenever he makes his first appearance for the Rays.  A second-round pick for Tampa Bay in the 2020 draft, Seymour’s pro career hit some immediate roadblocks when flexor soreness and then a Tommy John surgery limited him to just 114 innings over the 2021-23 seasons.  If it wasn’t for these health issues, Seymour might well have been in the bigs years ago, as he had already been promoted up to the Triple-A level before the 2021 campaign was over.

Seymour kept the momentum going after his return from TJ rehab.  He posted a 2.35 ERA over 145 1/3 combined Double-A and Triple-A innings in 2024, and this season has a 2.95 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate over 61 frames with Durham (starting 11 of 12 games).  Baseball America ranks Seymour 15th on their list of the Rays’ top 30 prospects, while MLB Pipeline has him 19th in their ranking of the Tampa Bay farm system.

If these rankings seem a little modest for a starter with Seymour’s numbers, it could be because Seymour’s average fastball velocity only sits in the low-90s.  That said, the pitch is still effective, and acts as a nice secondary offering to Seymour’s plus changeup.  As Baseball America’s scouting report puts it, Seymour relies on a “combination of command and deception” more than pure stuff, and his results in the minors “will be hard to fully replicate” against big league hitters.  Seymour has started 69 of his 71 career games, though evaluators feel he might be more suited to a swingman or bulk pitcher role at the MLB level.

Given their long history of pitcher development and creative usage of their arms, the Rays are ideally suited to manage Seymour’s entry into the Show.  Seymour looks to be working as a reliever at first, since Tampa Bay could use a fresh arm after using seven different pitchers in yesterday’s 11-10 extra-innings loss to the Marlins.  The steady Drew Rasmussen is starting today but hasn’t gone beyond six innings in any of his 12 starts this season, and the Rays’ next off-day isn’t until Thursday.  Seymour joins Garrett Cleavinger and Mason Montgomery as the left-handed options in Tampa’s pen.

Rays Place Kevin Kelly On 15-Day Injured List

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Prior to Friday’s 6-3 win over the Braves, the Rays placed right-hander Kevin Kelly on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 10) with a left gluteal strain.  Righty Cole Sulser was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding roster move.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud and other reporters that Kelly woke up feeling sore on Thursday, following the reliever’s scoreless inning of work against the Angels the previous night.  There was some initial uncertainty over whether Kelly might’ve been dealing with a nerve issue or not, but Cash said “it’s an actual glute strain.  So, pretty unique in that fact.  We’ll see if it shrunk down in a couple days and get a ball back in his hands and see where he’s at.”

As Cash noted, a timeline isn’t yet in place for when Kelly might return, but the Rays will be without one of their more underrated relievers for at least the next two weeks.  The Rockies selected Kelly out of the Guardians’ organization in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, and after Tampa acquired Kelly in a trade that same draft day, the right-hander has become the latest in a long line of pitchers to blossom with the Rays.

Kelly posted a 2.88 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate, and a superb 4.3% walk rate over 137 2/3 relief innings for Tampa Bay in 2023-24.  That walk rate ranks among the best in the game over the last two seasons, and Kelly augmented that excellent control with very good soft-contact numbers.  His grounder rate also jumped from a very good 47.7% in 2023 to an elite 56.8% mark in 2024.  Kelly isn’t a hard thrower, but he rarely uses a traditional four-seamer, as he relies heavily on a devastating slider and an above-average sweeper to retire batters.

If that production wasn’t enough, Kelly is also a workhorse, often working multiple innings.  He has yet to go beyond one inning of work in any of his five outings this season, and his numbers are a bit more on the modest side in the small sample size of those five innings — a 3.60 ERA and an equal number of walks and strikeouts (two apiece).  All of the damage came on a two-run homer Kelly allowed to the Rockies’ Mickey Moniak on March 30, which marked only the tenth home run Kelly has surrendered in his MLB career.

In the short term, Cash said the Rays view Sulser as a candidate to take over from Kelly in that multi-inning capacity.  Tampa acquired Sulser from the Mets in a cash transaction last July, and Sulser tossed 11 2/3 scoreless innings for the Rays over the rest of the season.  Sulser had an excellent season out of the Orioles’ bullpen in 2021, but has since posted a 4.69 ERA over 55 2/3 innings with four different Major League teams.

Rays Designate Austin Shenton For Assignment

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The Rays have added left-handers Joe Rock and Ian Seymour to their 40-man roster, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (X links), protecting them from being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.  Tomorrow at 5pm Central is the deadline for players eligible for that draft to be protected by being selected to a club’s roster. The Rays had one 40-man vacancy and opened another by designating infielder Austin Shenton for assignment. The club also avoided arbitration with right-hander Cole Sulser by signing him to a deal for 2025, though the terms of his deal haven’t yet been publicly reported.

Rock, 24, was a competitive balance round pick of the Rockies in 2021 but came to the Rays as part of the March 2024 trade that sent infielder/outfielder Greg Jones to Colorado. Rock’s first season in his new organization went fairly well, as he tossed 139 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.58 earned run average, 21.6% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 45.3% ground ball rate.

Seymour, 26 next month, was a second-round pick of the Rays in 2020 with generally strong results since then. He has a 2.50 ERA in 259 1/3 innings over the past four years, pairing a 31% strikeout rate with an 8.6% walk rate. That includes 145 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, with Seymour posting a 2.35 ERA this year while striking out 28.1% of opponents and only giving out free passes at a 7.1% clip.

Given the strong results from both pitchers, the Rays decided they didn’t want any rival clubs plucking them away, so both southpaws get roster spots today. While that’s surely exciting for both of them, the flip side is that it’s bad news for Shenton.

Turning 27 in January, Shenton was drafted by the Mariners in 2019 but came to the Rays in the July 2021 trade that sent Diego Castillo the other way. In the upper minors and the majors, Shenton has generally shown a “three true outcomes” approach. He has taken 1,168 plate appearances in the minors over the past three years with 57 home runs, a 14.6% walk rate and a 28.6% strikeout rate. All that has led to a .276/.387/.522 line and 135 wRC+. In a small sample of 50 big league plate appearances, he has a 16% walk rate, 28% strikeout rate, .214/.340/.405 line and 120 wRC+.

There are some intriguing numbers in there but Shenton also has some flags. For one, health has been an issue, with 2023 being the only year of his career in which he played more than 102 games. His defense is also not a standout tool. While he can play both infield corners, his work at third isn’t well regarded. If he’s more of a first base only guy in the long term, that will put more pressure on his bat. While he has often been able to perform offensively, it will be challenging to keep it up in the majors with his strikeout tendencies.

Those flags have nudged him off the Rays’ roster but his positive qualities could get him a chance somewhere else. He still has a couple of option seasons and just a few days of service time, meaning he could be a cheap depth option for some other club willing to give him a roster spot, either via a trade or a waiver claim. DFA limbo can last a week but the waiver process lasts 48 hours, meaning the Rays will have five days to explore trades.

As mentioned, all clubs will be adding players to their rosters between now and tomorrow evening for Rule 5 protection, so perhaps roster spots will be at a premium and make it harder for one of the 29 other teams to take a shot on Shenton.

As for Sulser, 35 in March, he was acquired from the Mets in a July cash deal. He went on to toss 11 2/3 scoreless innings for the Rays after that deal despite subpar strikeout and walk rates of 18.6% and 14% respectively. He now has 149 career innings with a 3.74 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $1MM salary next year, not much above the $760K league minimum. It’s unclear how much he will make in 2025 but more information will likely be forthcoming as the offseason progresses.

Rays Place Colin Poche On 15-Day IL, Designate Erasmo Ramirez

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The Rays announced a series of roster moves today, including the news that left-hander Colin Poche was placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez was also designated for assignment, and right-handers Cole Sulser and Hunter Bigge were called up from Triple-A to fill the two spots on the active roster.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported on the moves shortly before the team’s official announcement, and also noted that catcher Logan Driscoll has been added to the taxi squad, perhaps in advance of a contract selection tomorrow when rosters expand to 28 players.

Poche has been a reliable bullpen arm for the last three seasons, with his excellent 2.23 ERA over 60 2/3 innings in 2023 sandwiched between 2022 and 2024 campaigns that were more solid than spectacular.  This year, Poche has a 3.67 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate over 34 1/3 innings for Tampa.

He missed a little over six weeks of the season due to back problems, and now this second IL stint could potentially put the rest of his 2024 campaign in jeopardy, given the lack of time remaining in the regular season.  However, Poche told Topkin that he hopes to pitch again before the year is out, and an MRI didn’t seem to reveal anything structurally wrong with his shoulder.

Sulser and Bigge will be tasked with covering the innings left over by Poche and Ramirez, who is headed to the DFA wire for the fourth time in the last 14 months.  The Rays previously designated Ramirez back in May and then outrighted him off the 40-man roster, only to select his contract again earlier this week.

Because Ramirez has a past outright on his resume, he has the ability to reject another outright assignment (if he clears waivers) and opt into free agency.  Since the veteran righty chose to remain in the organization in May, it would seem that he’s more likely than not to again accept the outright assignment, continuing his longstanding ties in Tampa Bay.  Ramirez first pitched for the Rays from 2015-17 before rejoining the team last season, and 377 1/3 of his 849 career MLB innings have come in a Tampa uniform.

This season, Ramirez has a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 frames for the Rays, working mostly in a mop-up capacity and eating multiple innings when he has been on the team’s 26-man roster.  Another team in need of experienced pitching could put in a claim to bring Ramirez aboard in a similar capacity, but chances are Ramirez will clear waivers and remain in Tampa’s farm system as bullpen depth.

Rays Acquire Cole Sulser From Mets

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The Rays announced they’ve acquired reliever Cole Sulser from the Mets for cash and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay had three openings on the 40-man roster, so no further moves were necessary.

New York had designated Sulser for assignment on Monday as the corresponding move for the signing of catcher Logan Porter. The righty had pitched four times for the Mets since they added him to their 40-man roster in April. He allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and three walks.

A former Cleveland draftee, Sulser made his major league debut with the Rays back in 2019. Tampa Bay lost him on waivers to Baltimore at the end of that season. The Dartmouth product had one excellent year out of the O’s bullpen in 2021. He turned in a 2.70 ERA across 63 1/3 frames behind a 28.4% strikeout rate. Sulser’s numbers fell off after the Orioles traded him to the Marlins the next winter, though. He has barely pitched in the big leagues since then, logging minimal action for the Diamondbacks and Mets.

The 34-year-old Sulser has spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A. He owns a 1.48 earned run average across 30 1/3 innings with New York’s top affiliate. Sulser has fanned an above-average 28.1% of batters faced while issuing walks to a lofty 13.2% of minor league opponents. He’s in his final option year and could get a look in the Tampa Bay bullpen after the deadline, especially if they trade someone like Pete Fairbanks or Jason Adam.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com first reported the Mets were trading Sulser to Tampa Bay for cash.

Mets Designate Cole Sulser For Assignment

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The Mets have designated right-handed reliever Cole Sulser for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to catcher Logan Porter, whose previously reported split major league deal is now official. Porter, who still has multiple minor league option years remaining, has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Sulser, 34, signed a minor league deal over the winter and pitched 4 2/3 innings for the Mets back in April and May. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks with seven punchouts during that short stint. He’s spent the majority of the season in Triple-A, where he’s posted a sparkling 1.48 earned run average in 30 1/3 frames. Excellent as that mark has been, however, Sulser has also walked 13.2% of his opponents and benefited massively from a .182 average on balls in play. Even with a sharp 28.1% strikeout rate and huge 56.7% grounder rate, it’s fair to expect a good bit of ERA regression.

For one season with the Orioles, Sulser looked to have broken out as a quality big league reliever. He pitched 63 1/3 innings for Baltimore in 2021 and turned in a 2.70 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate and 41.3% ground-ball rate. Traded to the Marlins alongside Tanner Scott the following offseason, Sulser hit an immediate wall. From 2022-24, he’s pitched 44 MLB innings between the Fish, D-backs and Mets but limped to a 5.93 ERA. He’s still fanned just over a quarter of his opponents, but Sulser has done so with an 11.3% walk rate and with immense susceptibility to home runs (1.84 HR/9). He’s also seen a heater that averaged 93.2 mph back in ’21 dip to an average of 91.9 mph this year (both figures via Statcast).

The Mets will either trade Sulser, release him or place him on outright waivers within the next five days. Waivers would be an additional 48-hour process from the point at which he’s placed. Within a week’s time, he’ll know the outcome of his DFA.

Mets Designate Yohan Ramírez, Select Cole Sulser

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The Mets have selected the contract of right-hander Cole Sulser and designated fellow righty Yohan Ramírez for assignment, with Tim Healey of Newsday Sports among those to relay the transactions.

Ramírez, 29 next month, was acquired by the Mets from the White Sox in a December cash deal. He’s made three appearances for the club so far this year but allowed seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six opponents but also gave out four walks. His outing on Saturday was particularly rough, as he entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with the Mets up 5-4 on the Reds. Ramírez pitched a scoreless frame but came back out for the eighth and then allowed five earned runs on four hits and two walks.

It seems that performance will get the righty bumped off the active roster and off the 40-man as well, since Ramírez is out of options. The Mets will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He could garner interest based on his work in previous seasons, as he has a career earned run average of 4.31 in 129 1/3 innings with the Mariners, Guardians, Pirates, White Sox and now the Mets. His career walk rate of 12.6% is on the high side but his 23.1% strikeout rate and 44.2% ground ball rate are both solid and he’s generally done well at limiting hard contact.

As pitching injuries mount around the league, perhaps some club will be willing to take a chance on him. Ramírez has under three years of service time and therefore comes with years of potential club control. But if he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would stick with the Mets as non-roster depth. He doesn’t have the service time or the previous career outright that would allow him to elect free agency instead of accepted an outright assignment.

His spot will go to Sulser, 34, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. He appeared to be in good form during the spring, tossing six scoreless innings while striking out ten opponents without issuing a walk. He’s made one Triple-A appearance since then, allowing an earned run while striking out one and walking one.

He has 132 2/3 innings of big league experience with a 3.87 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate. Injuries have often played a role in limiting him from taking on larger workloads. He tossed 63 1/3 innings for the Orioles in 2021 with a 2.70 ERA but was held back by shoulder strains in each of the two subsequent campaigns. He still has an option remaining and could be sent back to the minors at a future date without being exposed to waivers.

Mets Sign Cole Sulser To Minor League Deal

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The Mets announced that right-hander Cole Sulser has been signed to a minor league deal with an invite to major league Spring Training.

Sulser, 34 in March, began the 2023 campaign with the Diamondbacks. He made three appearances in the early going but a right shoulder strain landed him on the injured list in early April. He returned to make one more appearance at the end of July before getting designated for assignment. The Rays put in a claim but kept Sulser on optional assignment for the final two months of the season and then outrighted him as the offseason was kicking off.

Despite the mostly lost season, he’s not too far removed from an excellent 2021 season. Sulser threw 63 1/3 innings for the Orioles that year with an earned run average of 2.70. He struck out 28.4% of batters faced while walking 8.9%. The last two campaigns haven’t gone his way with injuries playing a role. A lat strain cost him over a month in 2022 as his ERA jumped to 5.29, which was followed by another injury-marred year in 2023. He was able to finish strong, however, posting an ERA of 3.86 over 18 2/3 innings at Triple-A Durham after the waiver claim.

There’s plenty of uncertainty in the Mets’ bullpen, with Adam Ottavino having opted out of his deal while the club non-tendered Trevor Gott, Jeff Brigham and Sam Coonrod last week. Edwin Díaz will be back in 2024 but he’ll be returning from missing all of 2023 due to knee surgery. If Sulser is healthy and resembling his 2021 self, he could earn his way onto the roster. He still an option year and has less than four years of service time, meaning he could be retained for future seasons via arbitration if things go especially well in the year to come.

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