Previewing Upcoming Club Option Decisions
The regular season is winding down, and while nearly half the league is still focused on postseason play (or qualifying for said playoffs), there are more teams than not beginning to shift their focus and look ahead to the offseason. The beginning of every offseason brings with it a slew of roster decisions, ranging from qualifying offers to player opt-outs and club options. This year will see more than 30 decisions on club options come due once the World Series has completed. We don’t have a complete picture of how all of these players will finish the season. Their play in the final week, plus any postseason heroics and of course the potential for a significant injury could all impact the teams’ final decisions. But with about 94% of the regular season in the books, most teams know which way they’re leaning with regard to these decisions.
Let’s take a look at each one from a high level…
Austin Barnes, C, Dodgers: $3.5MM club option
The Dodgers’ love Barnes’ framing skills. They probably don’t love that he’s 13-for-122 in throwing out base thieves over the past two seasons (10.6%). Barnes isn’t a good hitter, but he’s bounced back from last year’s abysmal .180/.256/.242 output to his .261/.327/.306 in 149 plate appearances this year. The Dodgers have a trio of younger options behind Will Smith, including Diego Cartaya, Hunter Feduccia and top prospect Dalton Rushing (though Rushing has been working in left field lately). Perhaps it’s finally time to move on, but the cost is cheap enough that they could consider the option.
Aaron Bummer, LHP, Braves: $7.25MM club option ($1.25MM buyout)
A pair of three-run outings over the past five weeks have inflated Bummer’s ERA from 3.16 to 3.71, but he’s still generally been a quality reliever after coming over from the White Sox in the offseason. Drilling beneath that earned run average, Bummer sports clearly plus rate stats: 28.8% strikeout rate, 6.9% walk rate, 60.4% grounder rate. That ground-ball rate ranks eighth in baseball among the 352 pitchers who’ve tossed at least 50 innings in 2024. That alone would make Bummer’s option likely to be picked up, but the fact that the Braves hold a 2026 option valued at $7.5MM only sweetens the pot. This feels likely to be exercised.
Andrew Chafin, LHP, Rangers: $6.5MM club option ($500K buyout)
Chafin was very good in Detroit prior to being traded and has struggled with the Rangers since the swap. He’s pitched 14 2/3 innings for Texas and logged a 4.30 ERA with more troubling underlying stats, including a 16.9% walk rate and 1.84 HR/9. Chafin has a strong track record and will get another big league deal this winter, but that’ll probably come after having this option bought out.
Seranthony Dominguez, RHP, Orioles: $8MM club option ($500K buyout)
Dominguez has had a bizarre Orioles tenure. He’s stepped into the ninth inning, saved nine games, punched out a huge 32.9% of his opponents and recorded a tidy 3.26 ERA. He’s also been clobbered for a staggering six home runs in just 19 1/3 innings. A ridiculous 37.5% of the hits he’s allowed with Baltimore have been home runs. Dominguez is averaging better than 98 mph on his heater and sporting elite strikeout/walk rates. If the O’s believe his home run troubles to be a small-sample fluke, this net $7.5MM is a reasonable price to pay for a flamethrowing late-inning reliever — even if he’s working as a setup man to a returning Felix Bautista next year.
Kyle Gibson, RHP, Cardinals: $12MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Gibson has been precisely the stabilizing innings eater the Cardinals hoped to be getting when they signed him. He’s tossed 159 2/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball, striking out 21.3% of opponents (his best since 2019). His 9.2% walk rate is higher than usual for the 6’6″ righty, but Gibson is limiting homers (1.13 HR/9), keeping the ball on the ground at an above-average clip (45.2%) and averaging better than 5 2/3 innings per start. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently noted how quickly the Missouri native has become a vital leader in the clubhouse as well. For a net $11MM, Gibson feels like a lock to be back in St. Louis.
Marco Gonzales, LHP, Pirates: $15MM club option
Gonzales began the season with three nice starts for the Pirates before enduring a three-month absence due to a flexor injury. He pitched well in his mid-July return, then struggled through three starts before landing back on the shelf and eventually undergoing flexor surgery that’ll keep him out for a significant portion of next season. This would be a no-brainer to decline even if there were a buyout of some magnitude, but there isn’t one, so it’s a foregone conclusion that this will be declined.
Luke Jackson, RHP, Braves: $7MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The 33-year-old Jackson has trimmed his ERA a bit since being traded from San Francisco back to Atlanta, but he’s still sitting on a 5.12 mark this season (4.50 with the Braves). He’s walked 11.1% of his opponents in 2024, including a grim 13.5% mark in 16 frames with Atlanta. The Braves already have a deep and pricey bullpen. Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez, Pierce Johnson and the aforementioned Bummer (assuming his option is indeed exercised) will earn a combined $39.25MM next year. Even if the Braves want to bring Jackson back, they could probably buy this option out and look to do so at a lower rate.
Eloy Jimenez, OF/DH, Orioles: $16.5MM club option ($3MM buyout)
After a hot start following his trade to the Orioles, Jimenez has been a disappointment in Baltimore. Heralded as one of the game’s top prospects and signed to a then-record contract for a player with no MLB experience, he homered 31 times as a rookie but has since battled injuries as his offensive output has dwindled. Jimenez still makes boatloads of hard contact, but most of it comes on the ground; his 56.3% grounder rate is one of the highest in baseball, and it negates his immense raw power. It’d be a shock if the Orioles picked this up for a net $13.5MM.
Merrill Kelly, RHP, D-backs: $7MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Shoulder problems have limited Kelly to 11 starts this season, and he’s posted a 4.00 ERA with uncharacteristic homer issues in 63 innings (1.57 HR/9). He’s also sporting a 19.1% strikeout rate that’s down more than six percentage points from 2023. Even still, this is a flat bargain price for a pitcher who’s given the Snakes 813 2/3 innings of 3.82 ERA ball since signing after a terrific four-year run in the KBO. Barring a scenario where his shoulder is in worse shape than anyone realizes, this option is one of the easier calls to exercise among this year’s slate.
Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF, Rays: $10.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
It’s been a fairly typical season for Lowe. He’s had strong production at the plate when healthy — but that’s again been a notable caveat. The 30-year-old slugger is hitting .244/.319/.476 with 18 round-trippers in only 379 plate appearances. An oblique strain cost him about six weeks early in the season. Lowe has never had a below-average season at the plate. This year’s 126 wRC+ is an exact match for his career mark. His salary might be getting steep for the Rays’ frugal owner, but a $10.5MM salary in 2025 and an $11.5MM club option for the 2026 season give him trade value for Tampa Bay.
Lance Lynn, RHP, Cardinals: $12MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Because of a knee injury that shelved him on July 31 and kept him out of action into September, Lynn hasn’t pitched as many innings as his rotationmate on this list, Gibson. He’s been effective when on the bump, posting a 3.96 ERA in 111 1/3 innings with respectable strikeout and walk rates of 21.3% and 8.6%. Lynn has been unable to complete five innings in nearly one-third of his starts this season, though, and he’s heading into his age-38 season (as opposed to Gibson’s age-37). With Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz and presumably Gibson all in next year’s rotation, plus younger arms like Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy and Sem Robberse all in the mix, Lynn could be bought out in order to reallocate those dollars to other areas of need.
Manuel Margot, OF, Twins: $12MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Twins acquired Margot in a trade that saw the Dodgers cover the majority of his salary. Minnesota is only on the hook for $4MM of what he’s owed in 2024. The Rays, who initially traded him to the Dodgers, agreed to cover the $2MM buyout on Margot’s option as part of the trade. The Twins aren’t bringing Margot back at $12MM. He’s hit lefties quite well but has floundered against righties and is no longer the premium defender he once was. This is a lock to be declined.
Phil Maton, RHP, Mets: $7.75MM club option ($250K buyout)
The Rays signed Maton to a one-year, $6.5MM deal in mid-February. He struggled throughout his time with Tampa Bay, with uncharacteristically poor strikeout and walk rates (19.7% and 11.9%, respectively). The Rays traded Maton to the Mets in an early July swap that netted them a PTBNL. It was a salary-driven swap and it’s worked out wonderfully for the Mets. Maton has not only returned to form but enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career. In 22 2/3 innings, he touts a 2.38 ERA, 27% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate. The net $7.5MM decision could still prove steep, particularly for a team that typically lives in the top luxury tax bracket and would thus effectively be paying a 110% tax on next year’s $7.75MM salary. The Mets can afford it if they feel this version of Maton will sustain his output over a full season, but it’s a borderline call.
Shelby Miller, RHP, Tigers: $4.45MM club option ($250K buyout)
Miller’s one-year, $3.25MM deal with Detroit included a $4.25MM club option, but he’s boosted that option value by $200K thanks to escalators in his contract tied to his number of games pitched. With a 4.53 ERA, below-average strikeout rate and a notable susceptibility to home runs, Miller is far from a lock to see the option picked up. He’s doing his best to make the Tigers think about it, however, with a 1.15 ERA and 16-to-4 K/BB ratio in 15 2/3 innings across his past 14 appearances.
Yoan Moncada, 3B, White Sox: $25MM club option ($5MM buyout)
Moncada missed more than five months with an adductor injury and now has a .236/.292/.387 slash across his past 207 big league games. The White Sox will buy him out.
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Orioles $8MM club option
O’Hearn’s big first half, which was fueled by an astonishing drop to a sub-10% strikeout rate, has given way to a pedestrian second half. Like many O’s hitters, he’s limping to the finish line. After hitting .274/.352/.452 through his first 364 plate appearances, O’Hearn has tanked with a .189/.240/.267 slash in his past 96 trips to the plate. That’s dropped his season line to a good-not-great .255/.328/.411 (111 wRC+). Baltimore has only given the lefty-swinging O’Hearn 39 plate appearances against left-handed pitching this year, and that $8MM salary is starting to feel like more than they’ll want to commit to a defensively limited platoon bat, particularly considering their crowded roster of position players.
Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves: $16MM club option ($1MM buyout)
The 34-year-old Ozuna is in the midst of his worst month of the season, but even that means he’s merely been about league-average at the plate in September. He sports a mountainous .303/.380/.550 slash and 37 dingers on the season. It’s the best performance of his career outside the 60-game 2020 season (.338/.431/.636). Atlanta will pick this option up, even with Jorge Soler locked into the roster for two more seasons following his deadline acquisition.
Freddy Peralta, RHP, Brewers: $8MM club option ($1.5MM buyout)
Among the easiest calls in this slate of club options, Peralta currently has a 3.75 ERA in 30 starts and 163 1/3 innings of work. He’s set down nearly 27% of his opponents on strikes and issued walks at a 9.2% clip. If his steady mid-rotation work over the years wasn’t incentive enough to pick up this option — and, for the record, it very much is — the contract contains a second club option for the 2026 season, which is also valued at $8MM.
Jorge Polanco, 2B, Mariners: $12MM club option ($750K buyout)
Like so many of the Mariners’ recent acquisitions, things just haven’t clicked in Seattle for Polanco. The switch-hitter was steadily (and quietly) a big contributor in Minnesota from 2018-23, hitting .270/.338/.445 — including a 33-homer showing in his peak 2021 campaign. With the Mariners, he’s slashed just .203/.296/.342 on the season. To Polanco’s credit, he picked things up around the season’s midpoint and posted solid numbers in July and August, but he’s in a dreadful September swoon and appears destined to have this option bought out.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Yankees: $17MM club option ($6MM buyout)
Rizzo missed 63 games with the 2023 Yankees and turned in a roughly league-average performance at the plate. He’s going to end up missing about 70 games this season, thanks to a broken forearm. At the moment, he owns a .215/.283/.325 batting line on the season — his worst output since his rookie season with the 2011 Padres. The 35-year-old’s option is likely to be declined.
Miguel Rojas, SS, Dodgers: $5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
A .297/.342/.421 batting line (115 wRC+) through 315 plate appearances, coupled with borderline elite defense at shortstop, for a net $4MM. Not much more needs to be said. This one is an easy call to exercise.
Max Stassi, C, White Sox: $7.5MM club option ($500K buyout)
Acquired in a salary-dump trade with the Braves over the winter, Stassi opened the season on the injured list with hip inflammation and eventually required surgery. He didn’t get into a game this year. This will be bought out.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, D-backs: $15MM club option ($2MM buyout)
Earlier in the season, Suarez’s struggles at the plate led the D-backs to reduce his playing time in favor of rookie Blaze Alexander. Things can change in a hurry. Since July 1, Suarez boasts a gargantuan .321/.369/.663 batting line (177 wRC+). He’s ripped 22 homers and 18 doubles in 274 plate appearances during that stretch. Suarez is now two big flies shy of his fifth 30-homer season. There’s no reason to think the D-backs will want to move on, but even if they did, they could pick up this $15MM option and find trade interest. There’s very little chance this one is bought out.
Brent Suter, LHP, Reds: $3.5MM club option ($250K buyout)
Suter came to his hometown Reds as advertised: middling strikeout rate, strong command, gobs of weak contact. He’s piled up 63 2/3 innings of relief work and notched a terrific 3.19 ERA. At a net $3.25MM, there’s no reason to decline this option.
Luke Weaver, RHP, Yankees: $2.5MM club option
There was plenty of understandable eye-rolling from Yankees fans when Weaver, who posted an ERA north of 6.00 in 2020, 2022 and 2023 signed a major league deal over the winter. It’s proven to be one of the best buys of the offseason for any team, however. The former top prospect has been a revelation in Aaron Boone‘s bullpen, tossing 78 2/3 innings of 3.09 ERA ball with a career-best 29.2% strikeout rate against an 8% walk rate. Weaver is throwing harder than ever and has leaned heavily on what was once a seldom-used cutter. This one is a slam dunk; there’s no way the Yankees would cut Weaver loose when he could be retained so affordably.
Devin Williams, RHP, Brewers: $10.5MM club option ($250K buyout)
Williams missed the first three-plus months of the season due to fractures in his lower back but has been excellent when healthy. In 17 1/3 frames, he’s put up a sparkling 1.53 ERA with a comical 43.8% strikeout rate against a 12.8% walk rate. The 29-year-old differs from the others on this list in that his club option season covers his final arbitration year. He agreed to the option year at a fixed price in order to avoid going to an arbitration hearing this past offseason. It’s at least possible that the Brewers could buy out the option and try to negotiate a slightly lower price. The $10.5MM price on his option only represents a 40% raise over this year’s salary, however. Even if the Brewers feel there’s a possibility for some marginal savings, they’d be so slight that it might not be worth the hassle and the potential for frustrating a key player like Williams.
Pirates Select Jake Woodford
September 18: The Bucs have now made it official. Right-hander Kyle Nicolas has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 17, with a left oblique strain. That opens an active roster spot. Righty Ben Heller has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. Heller landed on the 15-day IL August 30 due to right shoulder inflammation, so his season is over.
September 17: The Pirates will promote right-hander Jake Woodford to start tomorrow’s game in St. Louis, reports Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (X link). He’s on a minor league contract, so the Bucs need to select him onto the 40-man roster.
It’ll be Woodford’s second stint with the Bucs and his third appearance in the majors this season. The 27-year-old began the season with the White Sox, allowing 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings. He had a longer leash with Pittsburgh but continued to struggle. Woodford pitched to a 6.95 ERA across 22 frames before the Pirates designated him for assignment at the end of August.
This will be Woodford’s first appearance against the Cardinals. He’d played with St. Louis for his entire career until this season. The 39th overall pick of the 2015 draft, he pitched 184 2/3 innings over four MLB campaigns with the Cards. Woodford managed a respectable 4.29 earned run average overall, but he struggled to a 6.23 mark across 47 2/3 innings last season. The Cardinals non-tendered him as a result.
Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster is at capacity, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move tomorrow. Woodford is out of options and cannot be sent back to the minors without going on waivers. There’s a good chance the Bucs take him off the 40-man roster early in the offseason even if he sticks in the majors for the final two weeks of the regular season.
Dodgers Select Zach Logue
The Dodgers announced that they have reinstated right-hander Joe Kelly from the 15-day injured list and selected the contract of left-hander Zach Logue. Righties Bobby Miller and Michael Grove were optioned in corresponding moves. Righty Tyler Glasnow was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot for Logue.
Logue just signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last week. He had previously been with Atlanta but elected free agency after being designated for assignment. Since he signed after the end of August, Logue isn’t eligible to join the Dodgers for the postseason, but he’ll give them a fresh arm in the bullpen as they look to get through the regular season.
Despite briefly being on Atlanta’s roster, Logue hasn’t yet pitched in the big leagues this season, but his results on the farm have been good. He has made 25 appearances in the minors, 12 of those being starts. In his 97 1/3 innings, he has allowed 2.59 earned runs per nine. He has struck out 23.2% of batters faced while limiting walks to a 7.1% walk rate.
Since signing with the Dodgers, he made one start at Triple-A, lasting three innings. Perhaps he will provide the club with a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen, though Miller’s option also creates a hole in the rotation. The club also gives Yoshinobu Yamamoto more than four days between starts, meaning occasional bullpen games or spot starts are necessary.
Whatever shape it comes in, Logue’s contributions with the Dodgers should allow him to add to a spotty major league résumé. Once a notable prospect with the Jays, he went to the Athletics in the March 2022 trade that sent Matt Chapman north of the border. But Logue put up a 6.79 ERA with the A’s in 2022 and went to the Tigers on waivers. With Detroit, he put up a 7.36 ERA in 2023 and lost his roster spot.
That gives him a career ERA of 6.88 in 68 major league innings but his minor league results have been more encouraging this year. If he manages to hold onto a 40-man roster spot through the winter, he has less than a year of service time and can be retained well into the future but he’ll be out of options next year.
As for Glasnow, he landed on the 15-day IL August 13 due to right elbow tendinitis. It was revealed a few days ago that he has a sprain and is unlikely to return to the team this year. This transfer doesn’t close the door to a return in the playoffs. The 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement, so he could technically be reinstated in the middle of October if he can return to health.
Tigers Notes: Keith, Jung, Offseason
Tigers second baseman Colt Keith departed yesterday’s game after injuring his shoulder on a diving play. As noted by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the 23-year-old initially stayed in the game after the incident but took himself out later on after he realized he couldn’t throw at full strength.
Keith will be sent for testing by the Tigers but the club is hopeful the injury won’t prove to be significant. As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Keith suffered an injury to the same shoulder as a prospect back in 2022 that limited him to 48 games that year, though the rookie told reporters after the game that yesterday’s issue “felt different” than his old shoulder ailment.
An absence of virtually any length could have a significant impact on the AL playoff picture with just over a week remaining in the regular season and Detroit just 1.5 games behind the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot. Keith, who signed a pre-debut extension with the Tigers over the offseason that guaranteed him just over $28.5MM over six years, struggled early in his MLB career but has really turned things around in recent months, with a solid .293/.340/.444 slash line in his 403 trips to the plate that’s brought his full-season offensive performance to essentially league average (99 wRC+).
Utilityman Zach McKinstry, who has hit just .224/.284/.352 in 109 games with the club this year, would presumably see an uptick in playing time in the event that Keith misses any time or heads to the injured list. Top prospect Jace Jung is another option. He’s played third base exclusively since being brought up to the majors but has spent more time at second base in his minor league career. Jung is out to a .214/.337/.257 start through his first 83 MLB plate appearances, but he turned in a more impressive .257/.377/.454 slash in Triple-A prior to his promotion.
Both Keith and Jung have split their professional playing careers between second base and third base, with a bit more of an emphasis on the former. There’s potential for Jung to cement himself as the team’s everyday third baseman now that Keith increasingly looks to be the long-term second baseman, but Jung is still adapting at third base after spending his college career at second base. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggests that Jung may not end up as a fixture at the hot corner, in part because the Tigers stand as a viable fit for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who obviously has longstanding ties to Detroit skipper (and former Astros manager) AJ Hinch.
That scenario is framed in speculative fashion, to be clear. Conceptually, however, it’s sensible for the Tigers to consider premium free-agent additions and to be willing to move from the top tiers of their farm system. The team only has likely Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal under club control through 2026, and while an extension is always possible, those chances are lessened given that he’s represented by the Boras Corporation. There will surely be efforts to keep Skubal, be they via extension or free agency, but the two remaining years he has with the team do create something of a window.
Skubal headlines a growing core that also includes Riley Greene, Reese Olson, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows and the aforementioned Keith, among others. They’re still hopeful of getting meaningful contributions from former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize, but neither has lived up to expectations thus far (though Torkelson has been productive since returning from Triple-A, hitting .267/.330/.448 — albeit with a 32% strikeout rate and .375 BABIP). Jung and young Justyn-Henry Malloy could both be prominent players, and Detroit has two of the game’s top overall prospects in outfielder Max Clark and right-hander Jackson Jobe.
It’s hard to imagine Clark or Jobe on the table in offseason trade talks, but the Tigers have surged into the postseason picture and figure to have a relatively aggressive offseason in store whether they reach the playoffs or narrowly miss. But with room for additions at third base, on the pitching staff (rotation and bullpen) and perhaps another corner bat in the first base/outfield/designated hitter mold, the Tigers have myriad paths to bolstering the roster, any number of which could be accomplished via trading from their non-Clark/Jobe prospect depth.
In terms of payroll capacity, while the Javier Baez contract looms large as an albatross, he and Keith are the only players signed to guaranteed contracts beyond the 2025 season. There’s considerable room for the Tigers to make a splash or two — if not from the top tier of available names then certainly in the three- or four-year range for mid-market free agents.
Brandon Williamson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson has informed reporters that he has a full tear of his ulnar collateral ligament and will require Tommy John surgery. He will miss the remainder of this season and likely all of 2025 as well. Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer was among those who relayed the message on X.
The news is disappointing but not surprising. Williamson had obviously hurt his arm during last night’s game, as seen in video relayed on X by Pitching Ninja. The club later announced that he had suffered an elbow strain. Further testing has quickly revealed a ligament year, which will force Williamson to go under the knife.
It’s another frustrating development for the lefty, who hasn’t been able to build off his solid debut in 2023. He made 23 starts for the Reds last year, logging 117 innings with 4.46 earned runs allowed per nine. He struck out 20% of batters faced and limited walks to a 7.9% clip.
Ideally, he would have taken a step forward in 2024, but he never really got the chance. He began the season on the injured list due to a left shoulder strain and didn’t make it back to the active roster until September 1. He made just four appearances before suffering this elbow injury, making it mostly a lost season. Given the calendar, 2025 is almost certainly going to be a total wash, as recovery from Tommy John surgery often takes 14 months or more.
Williamson is now 26 but he will turn 28 in April of 2026, when he will be a factor for the Reds again. He should be transferred to the 60-day IL whenever the Reds need his roster spot, but there’s no IL in the offseason. Assuming he hangs onto his roster spot through the winter, he’ll spend 2025 on the IL as well, collecting major league pay and service time. If he does indeed stick on the roster through the 2025 season, he would have two years and 139 days of service time, putting him in line to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player.
For the Reds, they will have one fewer option for building their 2025 rotation. On paper, they have a solid group that includes Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Christian Roa, Nick Martinez, Rhett Lowder and Julian Aguiar, though most of those guys have spent significant time on the IL this year, which played a big role in Cincinnati’s disappointing season. Naturally, the club will be hoping for better health next year but one domino has already fallen with his Williamson news. Martinez could also opt out of his contract, something that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently explored in a piece for Front Office subscribers.
Tigers Sign Tomas Nido To Minor League Deal
The Tigers signed catcher Tomas Nido to a minor league deal, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Nido was announced in the lineup for the Triple-A Toledo MudHens today, so the signing is clearly already official. Nido, an ACES client, was with the Cubs and Mets earlier this season but was cut loose by Chicago at the end of August. Since he’s signed well into September, he won’t be eligible for postseason play in the event that the surging Tigers qualify, but he’ll give them some glove-first depth behind the plate in the season’s final couple weeks.
Nido, 30, has appeared in 49 games between the Mets and Cubs this season but struggled to a .192/.219/.315 batting line in 140 trips to the plate. As usual, he’s drawn strong grades for his defense at catcher. Nido’s 23% caught-stealing rate is better than league-average (21%), and he grades well in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt. However, this is his second straight season with a sub-.200 batting average and an OBP south of .220.
While Nido’s bat has cratered the past two seasons, he’s still not far removed from being a highly serviceable backup with the Mets. From 2020-22, he hit .236/.275/.338 in exactly 500 plate appearances and did so while grading out as one of the premier defensive backstops in the game. His offense during that time was about 28% worse than that of a league-average hitter, by measure of wRC+, but catchers are generally lighter hitters than the standard big leaguer. The average catcher tends to be around 10% to 12% worse than par with the bat, so Nido’s shortcomings at the plate during that three-year run weren’t as glaring as they’d have been at another position — particularly when coupled with his defensive contributions.
The Tigers traded Carson Kelly to the Rangers prior to the deadline and haven’t gotten any real offensive production out of Jake Rogers and rookie Dillon Dingler behind the dish. That said, Rogers himself is an elite defender at his position and has at least managed to pop 10 homers and 15 doubles on the season. Nido could get a look if either player requires a late trip to the injured list, but he’ll otherwise likely become a minor league free agent at season’s end.
Christian Scott To Undergo UCL Surgery
Top Mets pitching prospect Christian Scott will undergo a combined Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure, agent Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports announced this morning (X link). The hybrid procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister next week and will very likely keep Scott out of action for the entire 2025 season.
Scott, 25, made his big league debut this season and pitched to a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate in 47 1/3 frames. The 6’4″ righty, selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in late July and opted for non-surgical rest and rehab before committing to the upcoming surgery. Given the timing of the injury and the looming hybrid procedure, it was likely that Scott would’ve missed most or all of the 2025 season anyhow had gone under the knife back in late July at the time of his original IL placement, so at least attempting non-surgical rehab made plenty of sense.
Scott breezed through the minors across the past two seasons, posting sub-3.00 ERAs at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A along the way. He currently ranks as the game’s No. 63 overall prospect at Baseball America and was just a couple innings from graduating off that list prior to his injury. Scott will only pick up a partial season of major league service time in 2024 but figures to spend the entire 2025 campaign accruing service time on the 60-day injured list, as he was pitching in the majors at the time of his injury. He’ll be under club control through at least the 2030 season.
The loss of Scott for all of next season only further underscores a need for the Mets to pursue rotation upgrades this winter. While the team’s immediate focus is, of course, on the ongoing Wild Card battle in the National League, the front office will soon be tasked with restocking a rotation that’s on the cusp of thinning out in dramatic fashion. Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are both free agents at season’s end. Sean Manaea is signed through 2025 but has an opt-out clause in his contract that he’ll surely be taking on the heels of an outstanding 2024 season.
The only starters with big league experience whom the Mets have under control for 2025 are Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Jose Butto. Senga made only one start this year due to a shoulder strain and a calf strain. Blackburn has been limited to 55 starts across the past three seasons thanks to a variety of injuries (most notably a torn tendon in his middle finger in 2022). Peterson and Megill have both had strong seasons — the former, in particular — but have both been depth options who’ve yet to complete a full MLB season as a starter. Butto moved to the bullpen earlier this summer and has been very effective as a reliever.
The Mets do have some promising minor league arms on the rise, headlined by right-hander Brandon Sproat, who ranks 37th among the game’s prospects at MLB.com and 61st at Baseball America. He could very well debut next season. Still, given both the names they stand to lose to free agency and the injury and workload concerns for the rotation options in next year’s projected group, it’s easy to recognize that starting pitching will be among president of baseball operations David Stearns’ top priorities this winter. That would’ve been true even if Scott were given a clean bill of health, but the need is even more acute now that one of their top homegrown talents is likely down until the 2026 campaign.
Diamondbacks Outright Andrew Knizner
Diamondbacks catcher Andrew Knizner cleared waivers following his recent DFA and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Reno, reports Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. The D-backs designated Knizner for assignment over the weekend to open 40-man roster space for lefty Brandon Hughes.
While Knizner has the right to reject the assignment based on his four-plus years of major league service, he’ll likely accept it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he’s four weeks shy of five years of big league service time, which is the threshold needed to reject an outright assignment and retain the remaining salary on a guaranteed contract. Rejecting would mean forfeiting the remainder of his $1.825MM salary this season.
Secondly, Knizner would be an option for a return to the big league roster in the event of an injury to one or more of the catchers ahead of him on the 40-man roster. There’s at least a path, albeit a narrow one, to him being brought back up during the postseason. He’d be ineligible for postseason consideration with a new team and would likely wait until the offseason to sign a new deal anyhow at this point. As a player with more than three years of MLB service who’s been outrighted off a 40-man roster, Knizner can become a free agent at season’s end if he is not added back to the 40-man roster.
Knizner, 29, was non-tendered by the Cardinals last offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Rangers. He appeared in 37 games with Texas, working as a backup to Jonah Heim and batting just .167/.183/.211 in 93 trips to the plate. That was far and away the least-productive run of his career, though Knizner entered the season as a lifetime .216/.290/.331 hitter in 794 plate appearances with the Cards, so he’s never exactly been known for his bat (at least in the major leagues). Texas designated Knizner for assignment last month, and the D-backs claimed him and optioned him to Reno. He did not appear in a big league game with Arizona but has batted .274/.357/.397 in 84 Triple-A plate appearances with the organization.
Heading into the 2024 campaign, Knizner had 4.021 years of big league service, leaving him 151 days shy of reaching five years of service. He’d have been eligible for arbitration with Texas had he spent the entire year on the roster and subsequently ticketed for free agency in the 2025-26 offseason. However, he only accrued 123 days of service in the majors this year and will thus finish out the season at 4.144 years. Because of this, whoever signs him this offseason — presumably on a minor league deal — will have the ability to control him through the 2026 season via arbitration, should he rebound at the plate and once again play his way into a steadier big league role.
MLBTR Podcast: The Chapman Negotiations, Dodgers’ Pitching Injuries, And Strengths And Weaknesses Of Playoff Contenders
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The report that Buster Posey negotiated the Matt Chapman extension for the Giants. This was recorded prior to the subsequent report that pushed back on the notion that Posey and Chapman went behind the backs of Farhan Zaidi and Scott Boras. (1:05)
- The Dodgers are probably going to be without Tyler Glasnow for the rest of the year and are considering sending Shohei Ohtani to the mound in the playoffs (13:00)
- The Angels and Mike Trout considering plans for keeping him healthier (21:55)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- For each of the teams currently in postseason position, what is their biggest strength? What could power them through a postseason run? And what would you consider to be their biggest weakness? What might prove to be their ultimate downfall? (26:30)
- What should the Braves do in the offseason? (44:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Matt Chapman’s Extension, Star Prospect Promotions, Bo Bichette’s Future In Toronto – listen here
- Royals’ Reinforcements, Promoted Angels, And The Terrible White Sox – listen here
- Scott Servais, Perry Minasian, The Orioles’ Rotation, And Joey Votto – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
The Opener: Magic Numbers, Steele, Marlins
As the regular season winds down, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day:
1. Magic Numbers down to one:
It’s “Magic Number” season in baseball, as several clubs around the league look to clinch postseason berths and/or division crowns in the waning days of the 2024 season. Heading into play Wednesday, each of the Brewers, Phillies and Yankees have a magic number of 1. Two of those clubs, the Brewers and Phillies, square off against each other. Milwaukee sends Freddy Peralta (3.75 ERA) to the mound opposite longtime Phillies star Aaron Nola (3.52 ERA) in what should be a well-pitched matchup. Even though the two teams are facing one another, they can still both clinch playoff appearances tonight. The Brewers would clinch their division either by topping the Phillies or if the Cubs lose to the visiting A’s in today’s early game. Meanwhile, the Phils would clinch a postseason berth if they best the Brewers or if the Braves drop their road game against the Reds. As for the Yankees, they’ll send lefty Nestor Cortes (3.90 ERA) to the mound opposite Mariners righty Bryce Miller (3.12 ERA) as they look to punch their own ticket to October baseball.
2. Steele to return to the mound:
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele went on the injured list earlier this month with an injury scare that was eventually diagnosed as elbow flexor tendonitis. At the time, it was unclear if Steele would be healthy enough to return to action this year. Since then, he’s been symptom-free and even threw a 40-pitch bullpen session over the weekend, opening the door to a potential return. That possibility will become a reality today, as the lefty figures to take the mound in Chicago opposite A’s rookie Brady Basso (1.23 ERA in two starts) at 1:20pm local time.
Steele has been limited to just 22 starts between his most recent trip to the IL and a hamstring strain that occurred on Opening Day, but when healthy enough to take the mound he’s turned in his third consecutive excellent campaign with a 3.09 ERA (130 ERA+) and 3.13 FIP in 128 innings. The Cubs will need to clear a spot on the active roster before today’s game.
3. Marlins 40-man move incoming:
Steele isn’t the only left-handed starter returning from the injured list today. Marlins southpaw Ryan Weathers is scheduled to start today’s game against the Dodgers, facing L.A. rookie Landon Knack (3.70 ERA in ten starts) at 6:40pm local time this evening. Weathers, 24, posted a solid 3.55 ERA and 3.93 FIP in 13 starts with the Marlins earlier this year but has been on the injured list since June due to a finger strain.
The seventh overall pick of the 2018 draft was transferred to the 60-day IL in July, meaning the Marlins will need to clear both active and 40-man roster space prior to this evening’s game. With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, it’s possible the club could simply transfer an injured player who won’t return this year to the 60-day IL in Weathers’ place. Vidal Brujan, Derek Hill, Max Meyer, Calvin Faucher and John McMillon are all on the 10-day or 15-day injured list at the moment.