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Brandon Leibrandt Elects Free Agency

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Left-hander Brandon Leibrandt cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, according to his transaction log at MLB.com. Cincinnati had designated him for assignment on Monday as one of the corresponding moves to reinstate Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McLain from the injured list. The Reds also designated Amed Rosario on Monday; there’s no formal resolution on his DFA but he’ll be a free agent as soon as the World Series ends so it’s irrelevant.

That wasn’t necessarily the case for Leibrandt, who would’ve been under club control if another team had claimed him. It always seemed likely he’d go unclaimed and return to the market in search of another minor league deal. The 31-year-old cracked the roster as a depth arm at the end of August. He pitched twice at the big league level, surrendering seven runs across 6 1/3 innings. Leibrandt’s only other MLB experience came as a member of the Marlins during the pandemic season. He has allowed nine runs over 15 1/3 career frames, walking nine batters while striking out eight.

Leibrandt was pitching in the independent ranks when the Reds signed him to a minor league deal in May. He pitched reasonably well as an organizational depth starter with Triple-A Louisville. Leibrandt turned in a 4.41 ERA across 83 2/3 innings in a hitter-friendly environment. He struck out a league average 22.7% of batters faced against a 6% walk rate. That could earn him another minor league contract.

Phillies Sign Cody Stashak To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have signed right-hander Cody Stashak, according to a report from Ted Schwerzler. Per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, the arrangement is a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Stashak, 30, was a 13th-round pick by the Twins in the 2015 draft who first made his big league debut with the club back in 2019. It was generally an effective rookie season for the right-hander, who pitched out of the bullpen (barring one start as a two-inning opener) to solid results with a 3.24 ERA and 3.01 FIP in 25 innings. Stashak struck out 24% of opponents that year while walking just one batter all season. That impressive command over the strike zone showed up again during the shortened 2020 season, as Stashak turned in another strong season with Minnesota: across 15 innings of work, Stashak posted a 3.00 ERA with a 3.26 FIP, a 29.8% strikeout rate, and a 5.8% walk rate.

Unfortunately for the right-hander, his performance would take a nosedive during the 2021 season. Stashak saw his walk rate skyrocket to 13.3%, and while his strikeout rate was an excellent 34.7%, the additional traffic on the bases left the right-hander with awful results despite a solid enough 3.62 FIP. In 15 2/3 innings of work, Stashak surrendered 12 runs (all of them earned) for an ERA of 6.89. Despite those ugly run prevention numbers, Stashak’s strong track record and solid peripherals were enough to convince the Twins to keep him around for the 2022 season.

That proved to be a solid enough decision, as Stashak quickly bounced back to his old form. While his 3.86 ERA was somewhat pedestrian and his 23.1% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career, he had clearly recaptured his excellent command as he did not walk a single batter that season. Unfortunately, the righty’s season was cut short in early June when he went under the knife to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The Twins designated him for assignment the following offseason rather than keep him on the roster while he rehabbed, and he elected free agency rather than remain with the club in the minor leagues.

Since recovering from that surgery, Stashak had a brief stint in the Atlantic League with the Lancaster Barnstormers before signing with the Giants on a minor league deal. He struggled badly in his first outings following his return to affiliated ball late in the 2023 season, but the Giants nonetheless retained him on a minor league deal this past year. Stashak posted mediocre numbers at Triple-A for the club this past year with a 5.45 ERA in 36 1/3 innings of work, though that figure is a bit inflated thanks to the extreme offensive environment in the Pacific Coast League. Stashak’s trademark control was on display this year as he walked just 7.4% of opponents against a 27.2% strikeout rate, however.

Those solid peripherals were evidently enough for the Phillies to be intrigued by Stashak. He’ll join the club for Spring Training and look to show he’s returned to the excellent form he posted early in his career with the Twins in hopes of landing a spot in the Philly bullpen next year. There should be a handful of spots available, as leverage arms Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are both ticketed for free agency along with swingman Spencer Turnbull.

Carson Fulmer, Charles Leblanc Elect Free Agency

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Right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer and infielder Charles Leblanc elected free agency on Monday, according to the transaction log on MiLB.com. The Angels sent both players outright to Triple-A last week.

Fulmer won’t turn 31 until December but has already spent time with seven different organizations: the White Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, Mariners, and Angels. Over eight major league seasons, he has largely worked as a low-leverage reliever and occasional spot starter, pitching to a 5.38 ERA and 4.92 SIERA in 227 1/3 innings. Needless to say, that’s not the kind of pitcher the White Sox were hoping for when they selected Fulmer with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft. Nonetheless, teams always need arms to pitch innings, and Fulmer proved he could fill that role with the Angels in 2024. In his most productive season to date, he made 37 appearances (eight starts) and gave L.A. 86 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA and 4.39 SIERA. Outside of a brief stint on the injured list with elbow inflammation, he stuck with the club from the day he had his contract selected on April 8 to the end of the regular season. The promise and potential of the former first-round pick have long since evaporated, but there is value in a pitcher who can offer innings as both a starter and reliever, even if he doesn’t excel in any particular area. Fulmer shouldn’t have trouble finding a new team this offseason, although he might have to settle for another minor league deal.

Leblanc is not nearly as established a player, though he has played well in the brief opportunities he’s gotten at the major league level. Over 59 games split between the Marlins in 2022 and the Angels in 2024, he’s hit 10 doubles and six home runs, good for a .742 OPS and a 109 wRC+. A former shortstop, he now splits his time between all three bases. That versatility, along with his righty pop, are his primary selling points as a bench bat. The fact that he still has two minor league options years remaining could also make him attractive to potential suitors this winter. That being said, his mediocre Triple-A numbers over the past two seasons (.253/.381/.430, 108 wRC+) and his 31.5% strikeout rate in the majors explain why the 28-year-old hasn’t seen much playing time at the MLB level. He should be able to land somewhere on a new minor league deal, but he’ll have to earn his way back up if he’s going to get another shot in the big leagues.

Mets, Chris Devenski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mets and right-hander Chris Devenski are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X. The righty also receives a camp invite and will be competing for a job in next year’s spring training.

Devenski, 34 in November, has had an up-and-down career but is coming off a rough campaign. The Rays signed him to a one-year deal with a $1.1MM guarantee after getting a good look at him late in 2023. After being cut loose by the Angels, the Rays signed Devenski at the end of August last year. He posted a 2.08 earned run average over his nine appearances in Tampa so they decided to bring him back.

While the Rays are known for their savvy under-the-radar pickups, this one didn’t work out. Devenski tossed 26 2/3 innings for the Rays in 2024 but with a 6.75 ERA. His 19.7% strikeout rate, 11.5% walk rate and 25% ground ball rate were all below league averages. He missed about a month from late April to late May, going on the injured list due to right knee tendinitis. He was designated for assignment and released at the end of June.

He was then signed by the Mariners and spent the final months of 2024 with Triple-A Tacoma. He was able to finish his 2024 with a strong showing there in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, throwing 23 innings with a 2.35 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 43.1% ground ball rate.

The Mets are presumably intrigued by that performance with Tacoma, though the veteran’s longer track record may play a role as well. He had a dominant showing with the Astros to start his career, tossing 189 innings over 2016 and 2017 with a 2.38 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate.

But as mentioned, his career has been up-and-down, and those highs were followed with some serious lows. Over 2018 and 2019, he tossed another 116 1/3 innings for Houston but with an ERA of 4.56 in that time. His 6.9% walk rate was still good but his strikeout rate dipped to 24.9%. Elbow soreness limited him to just four appearances in 2020 and he eventually required Tommy John surgery in 2021. His attempts to get back on the mound in 2022 and 2023 were largely unsuccessful before his aforementioned stint with the Rays late last year.

Devenski has a 6.46 ERA since the start of 2020 but was injured for a lot of that. He showed some promise with the Rays late last year and with the Rainiers more recently. There’s no real risk for the Mets on a minor league deal, so they’ll take a look at what Devenski has come spring.

President of baseball operations David Stearns did plenty of tinkering with the bullpen this year. He gave one-year deals to Adam Ottavino, Jake Diekman, Shintaro Fujinami, Jorge López, Michael Tonkin and Austin Adams last winter as well as several minor league deals. As the season progressed, many of those guys ended up losing their roster spots while guys like Phil Maton, Huascar Brazobán, Ryne Stanek and others were acquired from other clubs. Ottavino and Stanek are now about to hit free agency with Maton likely joining them if the Mets turn down his club option. The 2024 Mets were only eliminated about a week ago and the World Series is still ongoing, but the club has already made one move to provide some bullpen depth for next year.

Reds Designate Brandon Leibrandt, Amed Rosario For Assignment

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The Reds announced that infielders Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McLain have been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. To open 40-man roster spots for those two, they designated left-hander Brandon Leibrandt and infielder Amed Rosario for assignment. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer relays on X that the moves were necessary because McLain and Encarnacion-Strand are technically on rehab assignments in the Arizona Fall League and they reached their maximum rehab time, therefore needing to retake spots on the 40-man roster.

The Reds suffered a large number of significant injuries in 2024, with McLain and Encarnacion-Strand two of the biggest losses. McLain underwent left labrum surgery in March and was hoping to come back around August. But he suffered a stress reaction in his rib cage while trying to make his way back and ended up missing the entire season.

Encarnacion-Strand played 29 games but may have been playing hurt as he put up a dismal .190/.220/.293 line in that time. He was hit by a pitch on his hand in April and an X-ray revealed an old fracture that CES couldn’t figure out how he suffered. He went on the IL in May with a right ulnar styloid fracture and eventually underwent surgery in June. That procedure came with a three-month timeline and he wasn’t able to return in the remainder of the regular season.

Both players missed significant time in 2024 but apparently got healthy as the season was ending, so the Reds sent both to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League to get some reps before the winter sets in. The Dogs played their first game on October 8 and rehab assignments come with a 20-day maximum for position players. It seems that MLB views their time in the AFL as a rehab assignment, so they had to be reinstated from the 60-day IL today with their rehab window closing.

The moves are largely technicalities, as both players would need to be reinstated from the injured soon regardless. There’s no injured list from five days after the World Series until spring training begins, so all players on the 60-day IL need to be reinstated soon anyway. This rehab formality just forced the Reds to do it slightly ahead of schedule.

Of the two players they bumped off, Rosario was slated to be off the roster soon anyway. He signed a one-year deal with the Rays for 2024, eventually getting traded to the Dodgers before landing with the Reds via waivers. There’s no reason for any club to claim him now, as 28 of the 30 clubs are eliminated. He wouldn’t be postseason eligible with the Yankees or Dodgers since it’s after the September 1 cutoff date. As a veteran with more than six years of service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment. He’ll soon hit free agency, a few days earlier than anticipated.

Leibrandt, 32 in December, could have been retained for next year as he has less than a year of service time but seemingly wasn’t in Cincinnati’s plans. He signed a minor league deal with the club in May and got added to the roster at the end of August. He stuck on the 40-man for the final month of the season but was mostly on optional assignment. He only got into two major league games this year, allowing seven earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

He was fairly serviceable in the minors this year, with a 4.41 ERA in 17 Triple-A starts. He had a 22.7% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. However, he was pitching independent leagues last year and at the start of 2024. As a journeyman sliding towards his mid 30s, he was surely viewed as a temporary option on the club’s roster this year as they dealt with numerous pitching injuries.

As a player with a previous career outright, he has the right to elect free agency as opposed to accepting another outright assignment. Most clubs are facing roster crunches in the coming days, so he’ll presumably clear waivers and return to the open market shortly.

Yankees Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees and right-hander Geoff Hartlieb are in agreement on a minor league deal, as noted in the transactions tracker on Hartlieb’s MLB.com profile page. The deal presumably includes an invite to big league Spring Training next year.

Hartlieb, 31 in December, got his start in pro ball as a 29th-round pick by the Pirates in the 2016 draft. The righty made a fairly speedy ascent up the minor league ladder in order to debut with the Pirates during the 2019 season. The then-25-year-old Hartlieb struggled badly in his first taste of big league action as he surrendered a 9.00 ERA in 35 innings of work during his rookie year, thanks primarily to a 10.5% walk rate and a whopping eight home runs surrendered during that time. Things seemed to turn around for the right-hander during the shortened 2020 campaign as he settled in at the big league level and posted a solid 3.63 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work, but a look under the hood revealed that Hartlieb walked as many hitters (19) as he struck out that year.

In the years since then, Hartlieb hasn’t gotten very much playing time at the big league level. He’s appeared in the majors during the 2021, ’23, and ’24 seasons but has combined for a total of just 22 innings during that time, posting an 8.59 ERA with a 17.3% strikeout rate against a 16.4% walk rate across stints with the Pirates, Mets, Marlins, and Rockies. Colorado was his most recent stop, and he surrendered ten runs (nine earned) while striking out seven and walking four in nine innings of work for the club this year before being outrighted off the club’s roster back in June.

Despite his lackluster results in the majors, the right-hander has looked solid enough at Triple-A throughout his career with a 4.30 ERA and a 24.8% strikeout rate across 226 career innings at the level. His control leaves something to be desired even at that level, however, as he’s surrendered free passes to 10% of his Triple-A opponents over the years. For a Yankees club that’s currently playing in the World Series, the addition of Hartlieb is far from an obvious needle-mover. With that being said, however, the club’s bullpen has generated generally impressive results by utilizing players like Luke Weaver, Tim Hill, and Ian Hamilton who hadn’t been able to find consistent success at the big league level prior to joining the club.

Given the club’s solid track record of turning the castoffs of other organizations into quality big league contributors in recent years, it’s easy to see why the Yankees might think they could turn Hartlieb and his 97.3 mph heater into a legitimate big league weapon. Unearthing another hidden gem for the bullpen this winter could be extremely helpful for the club given the impending free agencies of Hill, Tommy Kahnle, and Clay Holmes. Each of those arms have been a major part of the club’s success this year, with Holmes in particular serving as the club’s closer in the early part of the season before being replaced in the role by Weaver down the stretch.

Braves Sign Zach Thompson To Minor League Deal

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The Braves signed right-hander Zach Thompson to a minor league deal earlier this week, according to the the transactions tracker on his MLB.com profile page. Thompson went on to confirm the signing on his personal Instagram account yesterday. Thompson, who celebrated his 31st birthday earlier this week, did not sign with a club in 2024 after undergoing surgery last October to repair a partially torn flexor tendon.

A fifth-round pick by the White Sox in the 2014 draft, Thompson made his big league debut as a member of the Marlins back in 2021. It was an impressive rookie campaign for the right-hander, as proved to be a pivotal swing man for Miami during his lone campaign with the club. He started 14 of the 26 games he appeared in and generally looked good over 75 innings of work with a 3.24 ERA and 3.69 FIP. He struck out 21% of opponents while walking 8.9%. That first season in the majors was attractive enough to the Pirates that Thompson was shipped to Pittsburgh as part of the trade that sent Jacob Stallings to the Marlins during the 2021-22 offseason.

Unfortunately, Thompson’s 2022 campaign in Pittsburgh did not go nearly as well as his rookie year with the Marlins did. The right-hander pitched 122 1/3 innings of work for the Pirates that year across 29 appearances (22 starts), but saw his results take a nosedive as he surrendered a 5.18 ERA with a 4.87 FIP. While Thompson’s walk rate held largely steady at 8.5%, his strikeout rate dipped to just 16.6% and his home run rate nearly doubled, taking him from a well-above average swing option to someone the Pirates were comfortable designating for assignment in January of 2023.

Thompson was dealt to the Blue Jays in a minor trade shortly thereafter but did not make the club’s roster out of camp and was ultimately DFA’d by Toronto in June. He spent virtually the entire 2023 season as a start at the Triple-A level for the Jays, and posted a fairly lackluster 4.61 ERA in 105 1/3 innings of work across 24 starts while striking out just 17.4% of his opponents before going under the knife in October and electing free agency shortly thereafter.

Now that Thompson appears to be recovered from his surgery last year, he’ll look tor re-establish himself as a credible big league option with the Braves. Atlanta has done well helping other arms who have struggled elsewhere find success with their club, including 2024 bullpen pieces Grant Holmes and Jesse Chavez. With Chavez and lefty A.J. Minter both ticketed for free agency, it’s possible that Thompson could earn a bullpen job out of camp this spring if the Braves prioritize other areas of the roster like the rotation, where the club figures to watch both Max Fried and Charlie Morton depart from this year’s staff.

Angels Outright Six Players

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The Angels began the process of clearing space on their 40-man roster today, sending six players outright to Triple-A Salt Lake: right-handed pitchers Carson Fulmer, Andrew Wantz, and José Marte, and infielders Charles Leblanc, Jack López, and Michael Stefanic. Evidently, all six players were designated for assignment and cleared waivers earlier this week. They will be eligible to elect free agency and seek new opportunities in free agency this winter.

Fulmer, 30, made 37 appearances, including eight starts, for the Angels in 2024, pitching to a 4.15 ERA and 4.39 SIERA over 86 2/3 innings. It was the most productive season of his career, which began in 2016 with the White Sox and took him to the Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, and Mariners before he signed a minor league deal with the Angels in 2023. While his moderate success this year was promising, the former first-round pick has a career 5.38 ERA and 4.92 SIERA in 227 1/3 frames. He offers versatility as both a bullpen arm and a serviceable spot starter, though his splits aren’t much different whether he’s pitching out of the rotation or the bullpen.

Wantz, 29, was attempting to stretch back out as a starter in 2024 after several years as a bullpen arm. However, the initial results were poor in spring training and at Triple-A. Then, he managed to make just one appearance for the big league club before he landed on the IL with an elbow injury, which ultimately required surgery. It is not clear what, exactly, the surgery was, though it was not a Tommy John procedure. The Angels originally hoped Wantz would be ready to return next spring, but according to MLB.com, he suffered a setback in his recovery and it is unclear when (or if) he will be able to pitch in 2025. Prior to this past season, he had a 3.85 ERA and 3.93 SIERA over 117 innings pitched with the Angels between 2021-23.

Marte, 28, also finished the 2024 season on the IL. He pitched well for the Angels over 14 appearances, tossing 19 1/3 innings with a 2.33 ERA, and he made another 25 appearances with a 2.22 ERA at Triple-A. Unfortunately, a viral infection forced him to the IL in August. To make matters worse, he felt pain in his shoulder while attempting to return from the infection and ultimately underwent shoulder surgery in September. It’s unclear if he will be ready to pitch again by next spring. Despite his impressive ERA this past season, Marte has a career 5.56 ERA and 5.64 SIERA in 43 2/3 innings of big league work. His 4.46 ERA in 74 2/3 innings at Triple-A isn’t much more inspiring.

Leblanc, 28, made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2022. He performed reasonably well, slashing .263/.320/.404 with four home runs over 48 games but was outrighted over the offseason. Despite continuing to produce solid numbers at Triple-A (.807 OPS), he failed to make it back to the majors the following year. He inked a minor league pact with the Angels last November and appeared in a handful of games for the big league club in August and September, putting up an impressive .869 OPS in 28 trips to the plate. Leblanc split his playing time between all three bases in 2024, though he also has a bit of experience in left field. He still has minor league options remaining and can offer a team some defensive versatility and righty pop off the bench.

López, 31, made his way back to the majors with the Angels for the first time in nearly three years. After several seasons in the Royals minor league system and a brief stint in the Braves organization, he debuted with the Red Sox in 2021. He went 2-for-13 over seven games. The infielder spent the 2022 season at Triple-A for the Tigers before joining the Angels in 2023 and finally making it back to the big leagues in August 2024. He appeared in 27 games, splitting his time between second base and shortstop while slashing .254/.286/.343 (.629 OPS). López also has minor league options remaining, and his biggest asset is his ability to play shortstop.

Finally, Stefanic, 28, appeared in 40 games for the Angels this past season, largely at second base. He continued to tear the cover off the ball at Triple-A, which he has done for the past several years, but failed to make an impact at the MLB level. He slashed .218/.301/.255, and, unfortunately, his first big league home run continues to elude him. Stefanic has played 90 games for the Angels since his debut in 2022 and has yet to hit a single home run. He will be out of minor league options in 2025.

Pirates Sign Yohan Ramírez To Minor League Deal

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The Pirates have signed right-hander Yohan Ramírez to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He will presumably receive an invitation to major league spring training.

Ramírez, 29, returns to the Pirates, one of several teams he has pitched for in his career. The righty has logged 169 innings over the past five seasons with a 4.58 earned run average, suiting up for the Mariners, Guardians, White Sox, Mets, Orioles, Dodgers and Red Sox, in addition to his time as a Pirate.

When his career started, he was on the wild side. He has reined things in more recently, but has sacrificed a few strikeouts in the process. Over the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, he struck out 29.3% of batters faced but also gave out free passes at a 15.3% clip. Since then, he has only punched out 20.3% of opponents but reduced his walk rate to 9.8%.

Ramírez spent most of 2023 with the Bucs but went to the White Sox via waivers in September of that year. He was out of options going into 2024, which led a very nomadic season. He bounced to the Mets, O’s, back to the Mets, then to the Dodgers and Red Sox via small trades or waiver claims. Boston passed him through waivers in August and Ramírez elected free agency a few weeks ago.

Around all those transactions, he tossed 45 innings in 2024 with a 6.20 ERA but average-ish strikeout and walk rates of 21.6% and 8.2%. His .346 batting average on balls in play and 59.4% strand rate were both on the unlucky side, which is why ERA estimators such as his 4.26 FIP and 3.84 SIERA paint a rosier picture than his actual ERA.

The Bucs are about to lose Aroldis Chapman, Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki to free agency, so they’ll quickly add a bit of non-roster bullpen depth by bringing back a familiar face. Ramírez still has less than three years of service time and can theoretically be retained for multiple seasons, but his out-of-options status will make it hard for him to hang onto a roster spot if he gets one.

Franmil Reyes Re-Signs With NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

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After a strong first season in Nippon Professional Baseball, Franmil Reyes is planning an encore, as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced that the slugger has signed a new contract with the team for the 2025 season.  Japanese media reports from last weekend suggested that Reyes was likely to stay with the Fighters and the club was prepared to offer him a multi-year contract, but he’ll instead return on a one-year deal.

In taking the one-year contract, Reyes might well be keeping his options open about a possible return to the majors next winter, as another big season in NPB would help his case for a guaranteed contract with a North American team.  Reyes hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers over 368 plate appearances this season, mostly as a designated hitter and with a handful of appearances at first base.  This production helped the Fighers to a second-place finish in the Pacific League and then a victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines in the first postseason round, though a sweep at the hands of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks denied the Fighters a spot in the Japan Series.

It was a needed bounce-back season for Reyes after his MLB career seemed to stall out after a pair of very rough seasons.  Reyes hit only .217/.268/.356 with 16 home runs over 538 PA with the Guardians, Cubs, and Royals in 2022-23, plus a stint in the Nationals’ farm system came and went without a big league call-up.

Reyes hit a much more impressive .260/.325/.503 with 92 homers in 1540 PA over his first four seasons in the majors, slugging 92 homers for San Diego and Cleveland.  Though strikeouts were always a big part of his game and his shaky defense indicated a DH-only future, Reyes still seemed to be on track to be a three-true-outcomes type of force before his sudden decline.  While Reyes was still making a lot of hard contact in 2022, his walk rate dropped off sharply and his strikeout rate continued to rise.

Reyes is still only 29 years old, with his 30th birthday coming up in July.  He could well pursue a third act to his career back in the big leagues in the wake of what seems to be a successful second act in Japan, or perhaps likes it enough in NPB to eventually pursue a multi-year deal with the Fighters if he keeps hitting.

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