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21 Players Elect Free Agency

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With the offseason quickly approaching, a number of players elect minor league free agency on a regular basis. Separate from MLB free agents, who reach free agency five days after the World Series by accumulating six years of service time in the big leagues, eligible minor league players can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season comes to a close. Each of these players were outrighted off of their organization’s 40-man roster at some point during the season and either have been outrighted previously in their career or have the service time necessary to reach free agency since they were not added back to their former club’s rosters. For these players, reaching free agency is the expected outcome, and there will surely be more in the coming weeks. Here at MLBTR, we’ll provide occasional updates as players continue to elect minor league free agency.

Here is the next batch, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

Angels Outright Six Players

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The Angels have outrighted first baseman Jared Walsh, outfielder Brett Phillips, catcher Chad Wallach, right-handers Jaime Barria and Carson Fulmer, and left-hander Jhonathan Diaz, per MLB.com’s Transactions page. It had not previously been announced that the group were designated for assignment, but each player evidently cleared waivers. Walsh, Phillips, Wallach, Barria, and Fulmer will each now have the opportunity to elect free agency and hit the open market this offseason.

Walsh, 30, is perhaps the most noteworthy of the group. A 39th-round pick by the Angels in the 2015 draft, Walsh made it to the majors in 2019 and broke out in a big way during the shortened 2020 season, slashing an incredible .293/.324/.646 with nine home runs in just 108 trips to the plate. He followed up that breakout campaign with a strong 2021 as the club’s regular first baseman. In 144 games that year, Walsh hit .277/.340/.509 with 29 homers in his first full season of big league action en route to his first career All Star appearance. Unfortunately, things went down hill for Walsh from there. The slugger has struggled with neurological issues in recent years and struggled to be an effective big leaguer as a result, slashing just .197/.258/.355 in 157 games across the past two seasons. Deep as Walsh’s struggles have been in recent years, if he can prove himself to be healthy it’s certainly feasible that a club with a need at first base could give him a look thanks to his significant success in the relatively recent past.

Phillips, 29, made his big league debut with the Brewers during the 2017 season, slashing a solid .276/.351/.448 in 98 trips to the plate for the club. That said, Phillips’s true calling card is his outfield defense, which has allowed him to appear in the majors for each of the past seven seasons of his career despite only posting a better-than-average slash line in 2021 besides his debut season. Though he’s slashed a paltry .187/.272/.347 for his career including an abysmal .152/.230/.269 line the past two seasons, Phillips has managed to bounce between the Brewers, Royals, Rays, Orioles, and Angels throughout his career and could enter free agency as a solid, glove-first depth piece for interested clubs, though it’s possible he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal.

Wallach, 31, made is MLB debut in 2017 and since then has bounced around the major and minor leagues as a depth option behind the plate, with previous major league stints in Cincinnati and Miami as well as Anaheim. 2023 was the journeyman’s first extended big league opportunity thanks to injuries to the club’s typical catching corps of Logan O’Hoppe and Max Stassi, and Wallach performed passably in the role with solid framing numbers and 70 wRC+ that placed him 49th among 69 catchers with at least 100 big league plate appearances this season. Wallach figures to once again receive interest as a potential depth piece for clubs in need of additional catching options this offseason.

Barria, 27, made his MLB debut in 2018 and has spent his entire career with the Angels to this point. His rookie season was an impressive one, as he posted a 3.41 ERA that was 23% better than league average by ERA+ in 26 starts, though his 4.58 FIP left something to be desired. Barria struggled in a swing role in 2019 before bouncing back with a 3.62 ERA and matching 3.65 FIP in 32 1/3 innings of work during the shortened 2020 season. That set off what has become a trend of Barria alternating between struggles and success every other season; while he posted excellent numbers in 2022 with a 2.61 ERA as a multi-inning reliever, he struggled in 2021 and especially the 2023 campaign, during which he posted a 5.68 ERA and 6.07 FIP across 82 1/3 innings of work. Still, given Barria’s relative youth and previous success, it seems like a reasonable bet that he’ll find interest in his services this offseason.

Fulmer, who was selected eighth overall by the White Sox in the 2015 draft, struggled to a 6.41 ERA and 5.93 FIP across 130 2/3 innings for the first six seasons of his big league career while bouncing between the White Sox, Tigers, Orioles, and Reds organizations. After a solid season at the Triple-A level for Fulmer with the Dodgers in 2022, he signed on in Anaheim and return to the big leagues late in the year. He pitched fairly well in ten innings of work, striking out six while posting a 2.70 ERA across three appearances. The 29-year-old figures to once again receive interest from clubs this offseason, though it seems likely he’ll once again be limited to minor league offers.

Diaz, meanwhile, will remain in the Angels organization as a player with less than three years service time who’s just received the first outright assignment of his career. The 27-year-old lefty made his big league debut in Anaheim back in 2021, and has posted a 4.84 ERA with a 4.83 FIP across 35 1/3 innings of work in the big leagues split across the last three seasons. Diaz sports identical 14.4% strikeout and walk rates for his big league career thanks to a brutal 2023 campaign that saw him walk seven batters in seven innings while striking out just four and posting a 10.29 ERA. He’ll remain a decent left-handed depth option for the Angels going forward.

Zach Plesac Files For Free Agency

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Right-hander Zach Plesac recently filed for free agency, according to his player profile on MLB.com. Plesac, 28, struggled to a 7.59 ERA and 4.47 FIP across five starts with the Guardians this season before being designated for assignment back in June. His struggles continued at the Triple-A level after he accepted an outright assignment, with the righty posting a 6.08 ERA in 19 appearances for the club’s affiliate in Columbus.

Plesac made his major league debut in 2019 and had the look of a solid mid-rotation starter, with a 3.81 ERA (126 ERA+) across 21 starts in his rookie season, though his 4.94 FIP and lackluster 18.4% strikeout rate both left much to be desired. During the shortened 2020 season, Plesac took a significant leap forward, with an incredible 2.28 ERA that was 96% better than league average by measure of ERA+ and a strong 3.39 FIP. In the shortened season, Plesac’s peripherals caught up to his performance as he struck out 27.7% of batters faced while walking just 2.9%.

Headed into the 2021 campaign, Plesac looked like he’d be a stalwart of Cleveland’s rotation for years to come. That did not come to pass, however, as Plesac reverted to his previous, low-strikeout rate form in 2021 and beyond. Unlike 2019, however, his results fell back down to Earth alongside his peripherals, leaving him with a 4.49 ERA (90 ERA+) and a 4.59 FIP across 274 1/3 innings between 2021 and 2022. During that time, he struck out a measly 17.2% of batters faced, the fifth-worst punchout rate among starters with at least 250 innings pitched between the two seasons.

Now that Plesac has elected free agency, he’ll be able to look for the chance to continue his career with any of the 30 big league clubs. Given his brutal results both in the majors and at Triple-A this year, it’s hard to imagine him finding anything better than a minor league offer with a contender. That said, it’s at least feasible that a team without hope of contending next season could offer Plesac a spot in the Opening Day rotation given the upside he flashed early in his career, his relative youth, and the fact that he could be controlled beyond the 2024 campaign.

If such an offer doesn’t materialize, Plesac could be one of the more interesting depth starters to be had on a minors pact this winter. After all, even his considerably diminished performance in 2021 and 2022 was just below league average for a starting pitcher, and even a contending club could do far worse than Plesac if looking for a stopgap option to cover for a midseason rotation injury. Further adding to his value on the open market is the fact that Plesac has minor league options remaining, meaning an interested club could shuttle him from the majors to Triple-A throughout next season without exposing him to waivers.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/13/23

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The latest minor moves from around the sport…

  • The Angels have re-signed catcher Tyler Payne to a new minor league deal, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC TV in Houston (X link).  Payne first joined the Halos organization last June, hitting .313/.369/.472 over 157 plate appearances with Double-A Rocket City.  Prior to signing with the Angels, Payne (who turns 31 later this month) had spent his entire pro career in the Cubs’ farm system since Chicago made him a 30th-round selection in the 2015 draft.  That stint with the Cubs culminated in Payne’s lone Major League game, back in 2021.

Rockies Outright Austin Wynns, Harold Castro, Matt Carasiti

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The Rockies announced that catcher Austin Wynns, infielder/outfielder Harold Castro and right-hander Matt Carasiti have been outrighted off the major league roster. Their 40-man roster is now at 37 with five players on the 60-day injured list who will soon need spots, though the impending free agencies of Brent Suter, Chase Anderson and Chris Flexen will open three more.

Wynns, 32, began his career with the Orioles but went into journeyman mode this year. He went through three fifths of the National League West in 2023, bouncing from the Giants to the Dodgers and then the Rockies. Between those three clubs, he got into 51 games and hit .208/.268/.277 with positive defensive grades.

He could have been retained via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $1MM, but it seems the Rockies didn’t plan to tender him a contract. Since Wynns was outrighted, that means he passed through waivers unclaimed. Players with more than three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject a further outright assignment in favor of electing free agency, with Wynns qualifying on both counts.

Castro, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies and cracked the Opening Day roster. He got into 99 games this year in a utility role, playing all three outfield spots and the three infield positions to the left of first base. Unfortunately, he didn’t offer much at the plate, hitting just .252/.275/.314 for a wRC+ of 43. Given that production, it’s unsurprising the club moved on instead of opting for a projected $1.8MM arbitration salary. He has over three years of service time and a previous career outright, giving him the right to elect free agency.

Carasiti, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies and was selected to the roster in May. He made 16 appearances at the big league level with a 6.49 earned run average, striking out just 14.5% of opponents while walking 10%. He doesn’t have three years of service but does have a previous career outright, meaning he also has the right to elect free agency.

Mariners Claim Kaleb Ort From Red Sox

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The Mariners have claimed right-hander Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Red Sox, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. It was reported earlier this week that Ort had been placed on outright waivers. The M’s will need to make a corresponding move to make room for Ort on their 40-man roster.

Ort, 31, tossed 23 innings for the Red Sox this year with a 6.26 earned run average. His 22.4% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate were both fairly close to average, but he allowed six home runs in that time. He landed on the injured list in July due to right elbow inflammation and never returned. The Sox were going to have to reinstate him from the 60-day injured list soon since it doesn’t exist between the World Series and Spring Training, but they decided instead to put him on waivers.

It seems the Mariners are intrigued enough to take a chance, despite the ERA. Ort has generally fared better in the minors, including a 3.09 ERA in his 131 Triple-A innings. The Mariners will see if they can help him have better results at the major league level, perhaps with their pitcher-friendly ballpark helping minimize the home run issue. The righty also has an option year remaining and has yet to reach arbitration.

Athletics Outright James Kaprielian, Sam Long, Carlos Pérez

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The Athletics outrighted three players, according to the transaction tracker at MiLB.com. Right-hander James Kaprielian, left-hander Sam Long and catcher Carlos Pérez have all been sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas. It wasn’t previously reported that these players were removed from the roster, so this opens up three spots on the Oakland 40-man.

Kaprielian, 29, had a frustrating season in 2023. He was able to toss 253 1/3 innings over 2021 and 2022 with a solid 4.16 earned run average but required shoulder surgery in December and never really got on track after that. The early results were poor and he wound up being used as a frequently-optioned depth arm throughout the first half. He then landed on the injured list in June due to a shoulder strain and required yet another surgery in August. He finished the year with a 6.34 earned run average in 61 innings.

The righty is just shy of three years of major league service time but was set to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player this winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a salary of $1.5MM but it seems the A’s weren’t planning to tender him a contract. Any of the 29 other teams could have stepped up and claimed him off waivers but it seems they all passed, based on this outright. This is his first career outright and he is just shy of three years of major league service time, meaning he technically can’t reject this outright assignment immediately. But he will qualify for minor league free agency on the fifth day after the World Series, as a player with parts of seven seasons in the minors.

Long, 28, was acquired from the Giants in a cash deal in April. He tossed 45 innings for the A’s this year with a 5.60 ERA, 16.1% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 42.7% ground ball rate. This is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, meaning he doesn’t have the right to reject this assignment right now. But like Kaprielian, he’ll qualify for minor league free agency in a few weeks.

Pérez, 33 this month, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in March and quickly cracked the roster. He got into 68 games this year, his first major league action since 2018, hitting .226/.293/.357 with subpar defensive metrics. He was eligible for arbitration with a projected $1.2MM salary but the A’s and the other clubs in the league passed on the chance to tender him a contract. He has over three years of service time, which gives him the right to elect free agency right away if he so wishes.

14 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR, including a list of 29 players last week. The next group, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

Outfielders

Pitchers

Red Sox Place Kaleb Ort On Outright Waivers

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The Red Sox have placed right-hander Kaleb Ort on outright waivers, reports Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The team will presumably wait until the waiver process is resolved before announcing the move.

Ort finished the regular season on the 60-day injured list, as he didn’t pitch after July 4 because of elbow inflammation. There is no IL over the offseason. The Sox would’ve needed to reinstate Ort onto the 40-man roster within five days of the conclusion of the World Series. They’ve decided against doing so.

There’ll likely be an indication within a day or two whether another team placed a claim. In either case, his time in the organization is likely coming to a close. Ort would have the requisite service time to declare minor league free agency at the start of the offseason even if he goes unclaimed.

Boston acquired Ort from the Yankees over the 2020-21 offseason in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The Aquinas College product pitched in parts of three seasons for the Sox, tallying 51 2/3 innings through 47 MLB appearances. He worked to a 6.27 ERA with slightly worse than average strikeout (20.9%) and walk (10.2%) rates. He consistently fared better in the minors, posting a sub-3.00 ERA in parts of three years at Triple-A Worcester. That included a 2.88 mark across 40 2/3 frames for the WooSox in 2022, when Ort punched out an impressive 31.5% of opposing hitters.

Reds Outright Five Players

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The Reds announced this afternoon that right-handers Vladimir Gutierrez, Alan Busenitz, Justin Dunn, Brett Kennedy, and Connor Overton have all cleared waivers and been assigned outright to the minor leagues. None of the five had previously been announced as having been designated for assignment, though the quintet have all now been removed from the club’s 40-man roster.

Gutierrez, 28, missed the entire 2023 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was a regular member of the Reds rotation during his 2021 rookie campaign, pitching to a roughly league average 4.74 ERA (99 ERA+) with a 5.76 FIP in 114 innings of work across 22 starts. Gutierrez struggled particularly badly down the stretch that season, with a 9.43 ERA and 7.17 FIP in his last six starts of the season. Prior to that awful stretch, Gutierrez had managed a 3.68 ERA and 4.78 FIP that gave him the look of a solid, back-of-the-rotation arm.

It was strong enough performance to earn Gutierrez a spot in the Cincinnati rotation to start his Sophomore campaign, though he struggled badly with a 7.71 ERA and 6.51 FIP in eight starts that saw him removed from the rotation at the end of May that year. Gutierrez made just two more appearances for the Reds in the big leagues that season before going under the knife in early July. Gutierrez eventually made it back onto a professional mound late in the 2023 season, though he struggled to an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this year. Now that he’s off the club’s 40-man roster seems likely that Gutierrez, who is eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player this offseason, will enter free agency this offseason barring the Reds deciding to both add him back to the 40-man roster and tender him a contract.

Busenitz, 33, has the option to elect free agency rather than accept the outright assignment as a player who’s been outrighted previously in his career, and will qualify for minor league free agency next month regardless. A 25th-round pick by the Angels in the 2013 draft, Busenitz made his MLB debut with the Twins back in 2017, pitching out of the club’s bullpen for two seasons with a 4.58 ERA and 5.49 FIP before joining the Reds on a minor league deal this past offseason. Busenitz was shuttled on and off the club’s roster throughout the season, ultimately posting a strong 2.57 ERA across his six appearances.

Dunn, 28, was a first-round pick by the Mets in the 2016 draft before being shipped to the Mariners in a package that also featured Jarred Kelenic in exchange for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. Dunn made his big league debut for the Mariners back in 2019 and pitched to a 3.94 ERA in 102 2/3 innings of work for the club over three seasons before being traded to Cincinnati in the deal that sent Jesse Winker to Seattle. Dunn struggled badly in 31 innings with the Reds last year, posting a 6.10 ERA in 31 innings before missing the entire 2023 campaign due to a shoulder issue that required surgery in September. Like Gutierrez, Dunn will be eligible for minor league free agency unless the Reds add him back to the 40-man roster and tender him a contract in the coming weeks.

Kennedy, 29, has been outrighted previously in his career, allowing him to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment. Like Busenitz, he figures to qualify for minor league free agency next month either way. Kennedy made his big league debut with the Padres in 2018 after the club selected him in the 11th round of the 2015 draft. He struggled to a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings with San Diego that year and didn’t receive another big league opportunity until this year, when he posted a 6.50 ERA across 18 innings with the Reds.

Overton, 30, has also been outrighted before in his career and will have the option to elect free agency rather than accept his outright assignment, with minor league free agency likely looming next month regardless of his decision. A 15th-round pick by the Marlins in the 2014 draft, Overton made his major league debut with the Blue Jays back in 2021 before being claimed off waivers by the Pirates that September, only to hit free agency after being outrighted off the roster that offseason. With a 4.70 ERA in 15 1/3 innings of work in his rookie season, Overton joined the Reds on a minor league deal and pitched well in 2022, with a 2.73 ERA in six appearances, including four starts. Things came off the rails for Overton in 2023, however, as he struggled to a 11.45 ERA in three starts with the Reds before ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery back in May.

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