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Braves Decline Option On David Fletcher, Outright Four Players

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The Braves have declined their $8MM club option on infielder David Fletcher, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The team also announced today that they have outrighted LHP Austin Cox, RHP Joel Payamps, catcher Chuckie Robinson, and outfielder Carlos Rodríguez to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Fletcher, 31, was acquired from the Angels in December 2023 alongside catcher Max Stassi in exchange for minor-league first baseman Evan White and reliever Tyler Thomas. That was a financially-motivated move. Fletcher and the Angels had signed an ill-fated extension in 2021. White had also signed an extension that didn’t pan out, with the Mariners, though that deal was flipped to Atlanta. The Fletcher/Stassi/White/Thomas swap allowed the Angels to clear up some short-term cash while Atlanta saved money in the long run. Atlanta passed Fletcher through waivers shortly after acquiring him. He was selected back to the roster in 2024 but outrighted again shortly thereafter.

Broadly speaking, Fletcher has been a poor hitter but a good defender. He has a career .276/.323/.358 batting line, which translates to an 86 wRC+. He was more passable from 2018 to 2020 but his bat has tailed off in recent seasons. Atlanta presumably never viewed him as much more than an emergency depth option. His connection to an illegal gambling ring presumably didn’t improve his status in any way. Naturally, the club has gone with the $1.5MM buyout instead of the $8MM option.

The other moves clear out some roster space ahead of upcoming offseason business. Payamps is the most experienced of the four names here. Atlanta claimed him off waivers late in the season. Payamps didn’t have a good season in the majors, posting a 6.84 earned run average. He was eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $3.4MM salary. Atlanta didn’t want to pay that. Since Payamps cleared waivers, it appears no other club wanted to pay it either. He has at least three years of service time and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

As a free agent, he should garner interest from clubs looking for a bounceback. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Payamps logged 129 2/3 innings in the big leagues with a 2.78 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate. His major league results backed up in 2025 but he still showed some potential in the minors. His 4.73 ERA in 26 2/3 Triple-A innings wasn’t impressive but his 27.3% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate were in line with his peak.

Cox, 29 in March, has thrown 57 big league innings between Kansas City and Atlanta. In that time, he has a 6.16 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 40.2% ground ball rate. He doesn’t have three years of service time or a previous career outright but should qualify for seven-year minor league free agency.

Robinson, 31 in December, is a longtime depth catcher. Atlanta claimed him off waivers late in the year while Sean Murphy was on the injured list. His defense is well regarded but he has a .131/.169/.192 batting line in his big league career. He has been outrighted previously in his career and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

Rodríguez, 25 in December, was signed by the Brewers a year ago. He had no major league experience but was coming off a good season in the Brewers’ system. He couldn’t keep it going in 2025, as he hit just .247/.317/.323 in Triple-A for a 76 wRC+. He doesn’t have three years of service or a previous career outright but should qualify for minor-league free agency.,

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Marlins Claim Zach Brzykcy

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The Marlins have claimed right-hander Zach Brzykcy off waivers from the Nationals, per a club announcement. Miami also passed right-hander Christian Roa and infielder Jack Winkler through waivers. Both were assigned outright to Triple-A Jacksonville. Additionally, the Fish reinstated lefties Braxton Garrett and Andrew Nardi and righties Anthony Bender and Max Meyer from the 60-day injured list.

Washington signed the now-26-year-old Brzykcy (pronounced brick-see) as an undrafted free agent following the truncated 2020 amateur draft. He’s seen fairly brief action in each of the past two big league seasons, allowing 32 runs in just 28 2/3 innings of relief.

Brzykcy posted strong minor league numbers in 2022 and 2024 but missed the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery. His 2025 results with Rochester weren’t any better than they were in the majors, but in ’24 he logged 35 1/3 innings with a 2.04 ERA, a 33.1% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate across four levels as he worked his way back from that ligament procedure. Brzykcy still has a minor league option year remaining, and he’ll hope that a change of scenery can get him back to the minor league form he displayed prior to this year’s dismal showing.

Miami claimed Roa, also 26, off waivers from the Reds one year ago. The 2020 second-rounder tossed three scoreless frames in his first taste of MLB action this year and also logged a 2.83 ERA in 60 1/3 Triple-A frames. Roa has poor command but solid results in the upper minors and an average fastball clocking in at 96 mph. He doesn’t have the service time or prior outright needed to elect free agency. The Marlins are surely happy to hang onto a power arm with decent results, even if his command is suspect.

Winkler came to the Fish by way of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft’s minor league phase. The former A’s farmhand also made his debut in ’25, collecting four singles in 16 at-bats. He can play all over the diamond and has decent speed but minimal offensive production. Winkler hit just .225/.299/.333 in 281 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this year, though he also notched a perfect 25-for-25 record in stolen base attempts.

Garrett missed the 2025 season after undergoing UCL surgery in January. He’ll be back in the rotation mix next year, barring any setbacks, though he might not quite be ready for spring training. Nardi missed the 2025 season due to back injuries and is a non-tender candidate. Bender’s season ended in August due to a stress reaction in his right tibia. Assuming he’s healthy next year, he’ll reprise his role as a key late-inning arm for skipper Clayton McCullough. Meyer, the No. 3 overall pick in 2020, underwent season-ending hip surgery in June. It’s the second notable surgery of the promising right-hander’s career. He also missed half the 2022 season and all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers Exercise Club Options On Max Muncy, Alex Vesia

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The Dodgers have exercised a $10MM club option to bring back third baseman Max Muncy. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was among those to relay the news. They will also pick up their $3.65MM option on left-hander Alex Vesia, per Ardaya. In other news, Ardaya notes that the Dodgers are adding outfielder Ryan Ward to the 40-man roster.

There was never much suspense about these decisions. Munch has been a key contributor on the Dodgers for close to a decade now. He missed some time this year due to a bone bruise in his left knee and an oblique strain, but still managed to produce when he was on the field. He hit 19 home runs in 100 games and drew a walk in 16.5% of his 388 plate appearances. He put up a .243/.376/.470 line, which translates to a 137 wRC+.

He and the Dodgers clearly love each other, as the two parties have worked out multiple contract extensions. They signed a three-year, $26MM deal back in 2020. Late in 2022, they tacked another year on. After the 2023 season, they signed a two-year, $24MM extension with a $10MM club option for 2026 with no buyout. Barring some kind of surprising offseason trade, Muncy will be back to man third base for the Dodgers in his age-35 season.

Vesia, 30 in April, is going into his third and final arbitration season. In January of 2025, he and the Dodgers appeared headed for a hearing to decide on his 2025 salary. He had filed at $2.35MM with the team at $2.05MM. They avoided that hearing by agreeing to a one-year deal plus a club option for 2026. Vesia would get a $2.3MM guarantee in the form of a $2.25MM salary in 2025 plus a $50K buyout on the $3.55MM club option. Vesia could add $50K to the option by pitching in 60 games with another $50K for 65 games, plus another $75K for 70 games. He got into 68 contests this year, therefore bumping the option price to $3.65MM.

His performance was quite strong this year. He logged 59 2/3 innings with a 3.02 earned run average, 33.8% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate. He also made seven postseason appearances, though he had to miss the World Series due to a family matter.

Even if the Dodgers turned down the option, Vesia still would have been controllable via arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Vesia for a $4.1MM salary next year. If the Dodgers had similar projections internally, then picking up the option was the cheaper path. It’s also the easier path, when considering the sides almost went to a hearing last year and Vesia has been dealing with that aforementioned family matter. Put it all together and triggering the option was the obvious call.

Ward, 28 in February, gets added to the roster to prevent him from becoming a minor league free agent. The Dodgers selected him in the eighth round of the draft back in 2019. He has proven to be a reliable power bat in the minors, having hit between 21 and 36 homers in each season since 2021. He hit 36 long balls in Triple-A this year with a 12.7% walk rate and 18.7% strikeout rate. He slashed .290/.380/.557 for a 132 wRC+.

A grain of salt is required since that was his third year at the level. He’s a bit old to be considered a prospect. He is also graded as a poor defender, even in an outfield corner. However, the Dodgers didn’t want him to get away. The Dodgers obviously have a strong roster but the outfield is a relative weak spot. The Michael Conforto signing didn’t work out. Andy Pages saw his bat disappear in the playoffs. Teoscar Hernández had some timely hits but also some defensive and baserunning mistakes. Ward gives them a bat-first depth option with a full slate of options.

Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images

Nationals Outright Trey Lipscomb

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The Nationals announced Thursday that infielder Trey Lipscomb went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester. Washington also reinstated catcher Drew Millas, lefty DJ Herz and righties Trevor Williams and Josiah Gray from the 60-day injured list. The Nats currently have five openings on their 40-man roster.

Lipscomb, 25, was the team’s third-round pick in 2022. He’s seen limited MLB time in each of the past two seasons, struggling to a .206/.272/.237 batting line in 215 turns at the plate. The University of Tennessee product posted roughly average offensive numbers across multiple minor league levels in 2023, but he’s been below-average in Triple-A in each of the past two seasons, logging a combined .261/.320/.392 batting line.

The majority of Lipscomb’s time on the field has been spent at third base, but he’s seen some time at all three other infield spots and in left field. Scouting reports pegged him as a roughly average defender at the hot corner, and he’s indeed posted decent grades there in limited big league work. He lacks the service time or prior outright to reject this assignment to the minors, so he’ll stic in the organization and hope to hit his way back to the majors in 2026.

Millas suffered a broken finger that required surgery late in the season. He should be healthy next spring. Herz and Gray both had UCL surgery in 2024 and figure to be ready next spring as well. Williams underwent an internal brace procedure on his own UCL back in July and will miss most, if not all of the upcoming 2026 season as a result.

Mariners Claim Ryan Loutos From Nationals

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The Mariners claimed reliever Ryan Loutos off waivers from the Nationals, per a team announcement. The move brings Seattle’s 40-man roster count to 38.

Loutos joins the fourth organization of his career. He’s a former undrafted free agent signee of the Cardinals who debuted with St. Louis in 2024. He made three appearances. The Cards designated him for assignment in April and traded him to the Dodgers for cash. Loutos didn’t spend much time in L.A. (though he’ll collect a World Series ring for his brief stop), as he made just two big league appearances. The Dodgers lost him on waivers to the Nats in June.

The 6’5″ righty pitched ten times for the Nationals. He allowed 16 runs (12 earned) with six walks and strikeouts apiece over nine innings. He had a better season in Triple-A, where he combined for 43 2/3 innings of 3.50 ERA ball. Loutos recorded a league average 22.8% strikeout rate while walking a little over 10% of opponents in the minors. He averages 95 MPH on his heater and has a slider and changeup.

There’s minimal cost for the Mariners in using an open roster spot to stash Loutos as bullpen depth. There’s no guarantee he’ll stick on the 40-man all offseason. If he does, he can be sent to Triple-A Tacoma without going on waivers. Loutos still one minor league option remaining.

Orioles To Claim Pedro León

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The Orioles have claimed outfielder Pedro León off waivers from the Astros, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. It was reported earlier this week that Houston had put several players on waivers, including León, as they looked to clear out some roster space. The O’s will need to make space on their 40-man roster to make the move official.

Baltimore is taking a flier on a post-hype prospect. León was a high-profile signing out of Cuba several years ago. In January of 2021, the Astros gave him a $4MM signing bonus. He was ranked as one of the top prospects in the system for the next few years. He’s now 27 years old, turning 28 in May, but hasn’t yet delivered on that hype. He has only appeared in seven big league games thus far. He struck out in 10 of his 21 plate appearances as he has produced a .100/.143/.100 line.

That’s obviously a tiny sample of work but his minor league track record also isn’t great. From 2021 to 2023, he hit .233/.350/.419 on the farm. That offense translates to a 104 wRC+, indicating he was above average but barely. He struck out in 29% of his plate appearances in that time.

In 2024, he had a monster .299/.372/.514 showing in Triple-A. He still struck out at a fairly high 27% clip but that offense was good enough for a 130 wRC+, even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League. Here in 2025, a sprained MCL in his left knee limited him to just 22 Triple-A contests. He hit .241/.312/.422 for a wRC+ of 89 in those.

Obviously, the Astros were hoping for more when they signed him. The Orioles are hoping that a late-bloomer breakout can come in their organization. León is still optionable, so they could keep him in the minors. He showed big potential in 2024 before the injury-marred 2025. Ideally, the O’s will get a healthy and productive season from León in 2026. If that comes to pass, he could push his way into their outfield mix as the season goes along. Currently, that group includes Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Jeremiah Jackson, Leody Taveras and others.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Discussing Extension With Manager John Schneider

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The Blue Jays have had conversations with manager John Schneider about a contract extension, GM Ross Atkins confirmed at today’s end-of-season press conference (relayed by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). It seems likely that’ll get done at some point this offseason. For the moment, Atkins confirmed that the Jays have officially exercised their 2026 option on Schneider’s contract.

Schneider took over the position on an interim basis when Charlie Montoyo was fired halfway through the 2022 season. The Jays removed the interim tag and signed him to a three-year contract with an option over the offseason. The guaranteed portion of the deal expired at the end of this past season. The Jays weren’t going to make a managerial change on the heels of an American League title.

It was a formality that they’d exercise the option and entirely expected they’d open talks on a multi-year deal. Most teams prefer not to have their managers or top front office personnel working on expiring contracts. That’s especially true when the manager led the team tantalizingly close to a championship. The Jays pushed the Dodgers to the brink in Game 7 of the Fall Classic. They were a blown save and/or one timely hit away from their first title in more than 30 years.

As is the case with any manager, Schneider has made some decisions that came under fire with the fanbase. His handling of the pitching staff during the 2023 Wild Card series loss to the Twins was heavily criticized. One can quibble with how aggressively he pinch ran for many of his best hitters in Game 3 of this year’s World Series, which left the Jays with a mostly punchless lineup in a game that went 18 innings.

Still, the Jays have won just over 54% of their regular season games over three-plus years with Schneider at the helm. He has led the team to two postseason berths, an AL championship, and fostered what appears to be a close-knit clubhouse. That came into play when Shane Bieber exercised a below-market player option to give things another go in Toronto. The Jays’ offseason focus will be on getting a long-term deal done with Bo Bichette and further addressing the pitching staff.

Tigers Decline Mutual Option On Paul Sewald

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The Tigers have declined their $10MM mutual option on reliever Paul Sewald, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He will instead receive a $1MM buyout and become a free agent.

Sewald, 35, was acquired from the Guardians in July while he was rehabbing a right shoulder strain. The Tigers sent him on a rehab assignment in early September and activated him off the IL on September 18. He made his team debut the next day but only made four regular season appearances with Detroit, ultimately being left off the roster for the club’s playoff run. In 19 2/3 innings between the Guardians and Tigers in 2025, Sewald pitched to a 4.58 ERA while striking out 24.7% of hitters and issuing walks at a rate of 7.4%. While he has never been much of a ground-ball pitcher, he saw his ground-ball rate decline from 26.6% in 2024 to just 14.5% in 2025. His fastball, which he used 59% of the time this year, declined to 90.4 mph after sitting at 91.4 mph last year.

Mutual options are almost never picked up, so it was no surprise that the Tigers declined to bring back Sewald for $10MM given his injuries and underperformance this year. That said, he should garner plenty of attention on the market thanks to his track record. Between 2021-23, Sewald had a 2.95 ERA in 189 1/3 innings for the Mariners and Diamondbacks and posted a 25.3% K-BB rate that was tied with Jhoan Duran for 10th among qualified relievers. He also did well at limiting hard contact, with a better-than-average 85.9 mph in 2023. He was not as lucky in 2024. Sewald missed time with a left oblique strain and neck discomfort that year while posting a middling 4.31 ERA for the Diamondbacks.

Still, his track record from 2021-23 will be intriguing for teams seeking bullpen candidate. Sewald earned $7MM on his deal for 2025 and will be limited to a one-year deal given his age and recent injuries. Meanwhile, the Tigers will look to improve their bullpen after the unit finished 17th in the majors with a 4.05 ERA in 2025.

Thairo Estrada Elects Free Agency

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The Rockies announced Thursday that infielder Thairo Estrada passed through waivers unclaimed and elected free agency. Colorado also claimed right-hander Garrett Acton off waivers from the Rays. He’d been designated for assignment by Tampa Bay earlier in the week.

Colorado turned down its end of a mutual option on Estrada earlier this week, but since he has yet to accrue six years of major league service, he remained on the roster as an arbitration-eligible player. After Estrada missed most of the 2025 season due to injury and hit just .253/.285/.370 when healthy, the Rox will move on and Estrada will head to the open market in search of new opportunities.

Estrada, 30 in February, had a solid three-year run with the Giants from 2021-23, hitting a combined .266/.320/.416 with plus defense and plus baserunning. Injuries have tanked his production since late in 2023, however. Estrada suffered a broken left hand that year, then missed time with a ligament injury in his left wrist in 2024. He broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch this spring and, after returning, missed additional time due to thumb and hamstring injuries. He’s been limited to 546 plate appearances across the past two seasons and turned in a woeful .228/.258/.351 batting line in that time.

Second base has been Estrada’s primary position, though he’s also seen ample time at shortstop and briefer appearances at third base and across all three outfield slots. Statcast pegs him as a plus defender at second, though Defensive Runs Saved is on the other end of the spectrum. At the very least, he’s a fleet-footed utility man with experience at six defensive spots and a lower-than-average strikeout rate at the plate.

Acton, 27, signed a two-year minor league deal with the Rays going into 2024. He had undergone Tommy John surgery prior to signing that deal and missed the entire 2024 campaign. He was added to the 40-man late in 2025 and tossed one scoreless inning in the bigs. He threw 58 2/3 innings in Triple-A with a 3.68 ERA, 30.1% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate.

Red Sox, Cooper Criswell Agree To Deal For 2026

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The Red Sox and righty Cooper Criswell have agreed to terms on a contract for the 2026 season, reports FanSided’s Robert Murray. Criswell, a client of Republik Sports, was already on the 40-man roster but wasn’t necessarily a lock to stick all offseason. He’s now agreed to a fully guaranteed $800K, per Murray, which greatly enhances his chances of staying in place.

Boston could still pass Criswell through waivers at some point this winter. He’s out of minor league options and would thus need to break camp with the club or else be designated for assignment. The fully guaranteed $800K, while only a bit north of the league minimum salary, makes it less likely that he’d be claimed by another club and also ensures that Criswell would accept an outright to the minors. He’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment upon clearing waivers by virtue of the fact that he’s been outrighted in the past, but he doesn’t have the service time necessary to reject and retain the remainder of that guarantee.

The 29-year-old Criswell appeared in seven games for the Sox this year, logging 17 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA ball but with only an 11.3% strikeout rate. He’s totaled 154 2/3 innings across parts of five major league seasons and carries a career 4.48 ERA, 16.7% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate between the Angels, Rays and Red Sox. He also tossed 65 2/3 innings of 3.70 ERA ball for the Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester this season, working primarily as a starter.

While Criswell isn’t going to be penciled into next year’s rotation, he’ll be a depth option and could compete for a swing role in camp. Rotation help will be a focus for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow this winter. Ace Garrett Crochet will again lead the rotation. He’ll be followed by Brayan Bello, but the rest of the group is more in flux. Kutter Crawford missed the entire season due to oblique and wrist injuries — the latter requiring surgery in July. Tanner Houck had Tommy John surgery this summer. Hunter Dobbins’ season ended with an ACL tear. Lucas Giolito is a free agent.

Top prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early debuted late in the season and impressed to varying extents, but neither will simply be handed a rotation spot. Veteran Patrick Sandoval should be healthy after spending 2025 rehabbing from UCL surgery. Former top prospect Kyle Harrison, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, will be in the mix — as will righty Richard Fitts. There are plenty of in-house options, but some of those names could move to the bullpen and others may need more time in Triple-A. Adding a playoff-caliber arm to the rotation mix seems likely, whether that addition comes via free agency or trade.

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