Headlines

  • Braves To Exercise Club Option On Ozzie Albies
  • Jack Flaherty Exercises Player Option
  • Trevor Story To Decline Opt-Out Clause, Will Remain With Red Sox
  • Yu Darvish Undergoes UCL Surgery, Will Miss Entire 2026 Season
  • Orioles Acquire Andrew Kittredge From Cubs
  • Shota Imanaga Becomes Free Agent
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros Put Five Players On Outright Waivers

By Darragh McDonald | November 4, 2025 at 5:45pm CDT

The Astros have put five players on outright waivers, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. They are outfielders Chas McCormick, Kenedy Corona and Pedro León, left-hander John Rooney and right-hander Luis Garcia. Michael Schwab of The Ice Box reported on McCormick earlier today.

Some roster maintenance was inevitable for the Astros. They had a large number of injuries in 2025, leading to several players ending up on the 60-day injured list. The IL goes away five days after the World Series and doesn’t return until spring training, so the club would need to open some spots.

Garcia, 29 in December, was an easy cut. 2026 was slated to be his final arbitration season before he qualified for free agency. He underwent Tommy John surgery last month and is going to miss that entire campaign. The Astros weren’t going to tender him a contract, so he’s been bumped off the roster now.

For the same reasons, he should pass through waivers unclaimed, unless some club wants to work out a two-year deal covering his recovery and theoretical return to the mound in 2027. But it’s more likely that clubs wait for him to clear and become a free agent before discussing such deals with him.

McCormick, 31 in April, is the other guy in this batch with notable major league experience. He was a solid contributor for the Astros from 2021 to 2023. He struck out a lot but hit at least 14 home runs in each of those campaigns. He slashed a combined .259/.336/.449 for a 120 wRC+ in that span with 27 strikeouts and strong defensive grades, with contributions in the postseason as well.

Unfortunately, he’s been nowhere near that productive in the past two years. He has slashed .211/.273/.301 since the start of 2024, production that translates to a 64 wRC+. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $3.4MM arbitration salary next year. After two years of struggles, the Astros were probably going to non-tender him.

He is controllable through the 2027 season, so perhaps he gets claimed by some club who views him as a change-of-scenery candidate. However, it’s also possible that clubs wait for him to clear and then reach free agency, at which point they could try to sign him at a lower price point than the projected salary.

León, 28 in May, was once a high-profile signing out of Cuba but he hasn’t yet been able to deliver on the hype. He has only played in seven big league games so far. His minor league numbers have been more decent than amazing. A sprained MCL in his left knee put him on the shelf for most of 2025, limiting him to just 25 games.

It’s possible León garners interest from other clubs based on his past prospect pedigree. He still has options and could be stashed in the minors next year. While his 2025 was mostly a lost year, he slashed .299/.372/.514 in Triple-A last year for a 130 wRC+.

Corona, 26 in March, was an international signing of the Mets. He came to the Astros in the December 2019 trade which sent Jake Marisnick to Queens. Houston put Corona on their 40-man roster in November 2023, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

His numbers have backed up since then. He has only played in three big league games. He has a .217/.311/.309 batting line and 74 wRC+ in the minors dating back to the start of 2024. That was a big drop from his 2022 and 2023 production, as he slashed .264/.346/.475 for a 116 wRC+ over those seasons. Like León, he still has options, which could increase the chances some other club grabs him as a depth option.

Rooney, 29 in January, was just acquired from the Marlins in an August cash deal. He has one big league appearance under his belt, having allowed one earned run over 1 1/3 innings for the Astros on August 24th. He tossed 38 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 2.56 earned run average, 34.2% strikeout rate, 14.9% walk rate and 42.5% ground ball rate. The lefty underwent surgery late in the year remove bone spurs and address tennis elbow. Per Rome, he’s expected to miss the entire 2026 season.

Garcia and McCormick each have enough service time to reject outright assignments and elect free agency if they clear waivers. Rooney and Corona have been in the minors for at least seven years, meaning they would be eligible for minor league free agency five days after the World Series, if they are off the roster by then. León doesn’t have seven years in the minors, nor does he have three years of service or a previous career outright. If he clears waivers, the Astros should be able to keep him as non-roster depth.

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images

Share Repost Send via email

Houston Astros Transactions Chas McCormick John Rooney Kenedy Corona Luis Garcia (Astros RHP) Pedro Leon

17 comments

Braves To Exercise Club Option On Ozzie Albies

By Steve Adams | November 4, 2025 at 5:14pm CDT

The Braves are going to pick up their club option on infielder Ozzie Albies. The club hasn’t announced the decision yet but president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos confirmed the move in a radio appearance, per Mark Zinno of 92.9 The Game. Atlanta will pay him a $7MM salary instead of the $4MM buyout. There’s also a $7MM club option for 2027 but with no buyout.

Even coming off a down season, there was never any scenario where Atlanta would turn down what’s a net $3MM option to keep Albies in the fold. The 28-year-old switch-hitter (29 in January) posted a career-worst .240/.306/.365 batting line (87 wRC+) in 157 games/667 plate appearances this past season, but he’s also not far removed from a 33-homer campaign and .280/.336/.513 output back in 2023. Plus, Albies finished the season looking far more like his typical self; over his final 264 turns at the plate, he produced a .272/.330/.439 line that sat about 11% better than league average.

Albies is now entering year six of what can max out as a seven-year contract. He inked a five-year, $35MM extension that has long stood as one of baseball’s great bargains. That deal contained a pair of $7MM club options, the first of which is now guaranteed bringing the total to six years and $38MM. (The $4MM buyout was included in the original $35MM guarantee.)

Even if Atlanta brass had soured on Albies’ long-term outlook — and, to be clear, there’s no indication that’s the case — picking up the option was a no-brainer. Albies’ bargain-rate salary and matching club option (with no buyout) would still hold appeal to teams seeking second base upgrades on the trade market.

As things stand, Albies can be reasonably expected to serve as the Braves’ everyday second baseman again in 2026. He’ll return to a lineup that’s set at most positions. Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy will split catching duties. Matt Olson is locked in at first base. Third baseman Austin Riley is signed through 2032. Ronald Acuña Jr. is heading into the final guaranteed season on his contract but, like Albies, has a pair of no-brainer club options (his covering 2027-28). Jurickson Profar is signed through 2027. Michael Harris II, who like Albies had a terrible three months followed by a strong second half, is signed through at least 2030.

Shortstop is the lone position where the Braves aren’t set at the moment. They’ll need to upgrade their bench and have plenty of work to do on the pitching staff — both in the rotation and the bullpen — but that only makes the affordable nature of Albies’ contract all the more appealing. Atlanta’s projected payroll checks in at a hefty $214MM, assuming the club options for Chris Sale, Tyler Kinley and Pierce Johnson are exercised.

The Braves have several non-tender candidates, and cutting anyone from that group will trim next year’s total outlay and their luxury-tax ledger by a few million dollars. But the Braves have only crossed the tax threshold once during the current core group’s time together (2023), so if the aim it to again stay under that line ($244MM in 2026), they’ll need to be judicious in how they address the remaining holes on the roster.

Share Repost Send via email

Atlanta Braves Newsstand Transactions Ozzie Albies

11 comments

Red Sox Decline Mutual Option With Liam Hendriks

By Darragh McDonald | November 4, 2025 at 4:50pm CDT

The Red Sox have declined their end of a $12MM mutual option for right-hander Liam Hendriks, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The former closer will take a $2MM buyout and return to free agency.

The decision doesn’t come as a surprise, as Hendriks has hardly pitched over the past three years. In 2023, a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma kept him out of action for a while. He eventually won that battle and was declared cancer-free, only to require Tommy John surgery after just five innings pitched.

He reached free agency going into 2024 and the Red Sox signed him to a two-year deal with a $10MM guarantee. That took the form of a $2MM salary in the first year, a $6MM salary in the second, followed by the aforementioned option and buyout. The Sox knew they might not get any contributions from Hendriks in the first year but were hoping their investment would pay off in the second, with Hendriks ideally returning to his previous elite closer form.

It didn’t work out that way. Hendriks missed the entire 2024 season and then elbow problems lingered into the following year. He spent most of 2025 on the injured list, only throwing 13 2/3 innings. He underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery in September and has an uncertain timeline.

Hendriks will presumably be focused on getting healthy for a while. He will celebrate his 37th birthday in February. He’ll be a candidate for another bounceback deal at some point, though the shape of that deal will depend upon his future health outlook.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images

Share Repost Send via email

Boston Red Sox Transactions Liam Hendriks

4 comments

Martín Pérez Declines Mutual Option With White Sox

By Darragh McDonald | November 4, 2025 at 4:30pm CDT

The White Sox announced that left-hander Martín Pérez has declined his end of a $10MM mutual option for 2026. He will take a $1.5MM buyout and return to free agency. The Sox also announced that they triggered their club option on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., a decision that was previously reported.

Pérez, 35 in April, is coming off a mostly lost season. He signed with the Sox in January, a $5MM guarantee in the form of a $3.5MM salary for 2025 plus the aforementioned buyout on the mutual option. He made just four starts before elbow inflammation put him on the injured list. He was diagnosed with a flexor strain and didn’t return to the club until August. He finished the year with a 3.54 earned run average in 56 innings.

Given that he’s now one year older and is coming off a less impressive walk year, he should have less earning power compared to last offseason. That makes it somewhat surprising that he is turning down his end of the option. Perhaps he figured the club was going to turn him down anyway, so he proactively walked away and therefore avoided the awkward situation in which he would trigger his end but then be rejected by the team.

He will now return to free agency and look for his next opportunity. His 19.3% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate in 2025 weren’t especially impressive but he’s never been a huge strikeout guy. He at least finished the season healthy and could get another deal to serve as a veteran back-end guy in 2026.

The White Sox currently project to have a fairly inexperienced rotation. Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Grant Taylor, Yoendrys Gómez and Jonathan Cannon are some of the best options currently on the roster but no one in that group has more than 256 big league innings. Perhaps the Sox and Pérez could reunite but both parties will now be able to explore alternatives.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Share Repost Send via email

Chicago White Sox Transactions Martin Perez

13 comments

Jack Flaherty Exercises Player Option

By Steve Adams | November 4, 2025 at 4:01pm CDT

Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty will not opt out of his contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. He’ll exercise a $20MM player option and head back to Detroit for a third season. The Tigers formally announced the move just a minute or two after Passan’s initial report.

Flaherty, who turned 30 in October, had an uneven season, but it’s still a mildly surprising decision to pick up the player option. It’s unlikely he’d have commanded a $20MM annual value on the open market, but a multi-year deal at a slightly lesser rate doesn’t seem far-fetched. Middle-of-the-road starters like Luis Severino ($67MM), Taijuan Walker ($72MM), Jameson Taillon ($68MM) and Eduardo Rodriguez ($80MM) have all garnered notable three- or four-year contracts at this age or older.

That said, had Flaherty turned the option down, this would’ve been the third straight season in which he was a free agent. Perhaps there’s an element of fatigue there, particularly given that he lingered in free agency until early February last time around. Turning down the player option would probably also have emboldened the Tigers to make a qualifying offer (only $2.025MM more than Flaherty’s $20MM option). The prospect of another trip to the open market, this time with a QO hanging over him, may not have been especially appealing.

Flaherty started 31 games and pitched 161 innings for manager A.J. Hinch in 2025. He was tagged for a pedestrian 4.64 ERA, though there are plenty of encouraging rate stats that suggest he’s in line for better results moving forward. The right-hander struck out a well above-average 27.6% of his opponents, was slightly better than league-average in terms of swinging-strike rate (11.3%), and sat barely north of average in walk rate (8.7%).

Flaherty’s 92.9 mph average fastball was roughly in line with the prior season’s 93.2 mph mark. He was plagued by a slightly elevated average on balls in play and a lower-than-usual strand rate; metrics like FIP (3.85) and SIERA (3.67) felt that Flaherty was far better than his more rudimentary earned run average would suggest. The 18.9-point differential between his strikeout and walk percentages ranked 16th among the 53 MLB pitchers who tossed at least 160 innings, sandwiching him right between Freddy Peralta and Kevin Gausman.

The return of Flaherty provides some additional stability in Detroit’s rotation. Tarik Skubal will of course lead the staff again, taking aim at what would be a third consecutive Cy Young win (as he’s all but certain to win his second straight award in a couple weeks). He and Flaherty will be joined by Casey Mize and Reese Olson, health permitting, but the final spot is more up in the air. Rookie Troy Melton looked sharp down the stretch but hasn’t pitched a full season in the majors yet. Top prospect Jackson Jobe will miss most of next year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in mid-June. Keider Montero, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Ty Madden join Melton as an option for that last spot, but no one in that group brings much certainty to the table.

If the Tigers were hoping to see Flaherty decline and sign elsewhere, thus sparing $20MM from the books and allowing them to pursue a bigger fish in free agency, they still ought to be able to line up on a trade. Flaherty’s $20MM might feel a bit steep, but the going rate for innings continues to escalate. The Tigers themselves gave Alex Cobb $15MM last winter after a season in which he made just three starts with Cleveland. Aging veterans Charlie Morton ($15MM), Justin Verlander ($15MM) and Max Scherzer ($15.5MM) were all paid similarly — Verlander coming off a 5.48 ERA in 90 1/3 innings as he headed into his age-42 season.

Flaherty’s $20MM salary isn’t a raucous bargain but also isn’t out of line with modern-day contractual norms — particularly if one believes his true talent level lay closer to his fielding-independent metrics than his earned run average. Even with Flaherty now under contract, the Tigers’ projected payroll, per RosterResource, sits around $121.5MM. That doesn’t account for potential non-tenders or trades from a huge class of 14 arbitration-eligible players. Detroit has previously pushed payroll up to the $200MM range, albeit under the watch of now-late owner Mike Ilitch. The Tigers’ top Opening Day mark under his son, Chris Ilitch, has been last year’s $145MM number, though deadline acquisitions pushed the end-of-year figure up into the $155-160MM range.

Share Repost Send via email

Detroit Tigers Newsstand Transactions Jack Flaherty

26 comments

Brewers Announce Three Option Decisions

By Darragh McDonald | November 4, 2025 at 3:40pm CDT

The Brewers announced decisions on three options decisions today. First baseman Rhys Hoskins and left-hander Jose Quintana both had mutual options declined and are now free agents. The club also turned down a club option on catcher William Contreras, who remains under club control via arbitration.

Contreras, 28 in December, qualified for arbitration for the first time a year ago. He and the Brewers couldn’t agree on his salary for 2025, his first of three arb years, prior to the January 15th filing deadline. Late in January, they avoided a hearing by agreeing to a one-year deal with a club option. It was a $6.1MM guarantee in the form of a $6MM salary for 2025 and a $100K buyout on a $12MM club option for 2026.

In the season which just ended, Contreras still put up decent numbers but he played through a finger fracture and wasn’t quite at his previous level. His .260/.355/.399 line translated to a 113 wRC+, indicating he was 13% above league average, but he was 26-39% better than par in the three previous seasons.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Contreras for $11.1MM in his second arbitration season, a bit below the value of the club option. Presumably, Milwaukee’s internal projections are somewhat similar. They will give Contreras the $100K buyout for now. Later, they will try to get him signed for his second arbitration season with a salary below $12MM, therefore saving a few bucks.

The other two decisions were more straightforward. Mutual options are mostly an accounting measure designed to move part of the guarantee to the end of the deal. It’s been more than a decade since a mutual option was exercised by both parties.

Hoskins, 33 in March, signed with the Brewers going into the 2024 season. He had missed the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL. It was a two-year deal with an opt-out halfway through. He would make $12MM in 2024 with a $4MM buyout on an $18MM player option, followed by an $18MM mutual option for 2026 with a $4MM buyout.

Ideally, Hoskins would have returned to form before heading back to free agency, but it didn’t play out that way. He hit .214/.303/.419 in 2024. That translated to a 101 wRC+, indicating he was barely above average. That wasn’t awful but also wasn’t good enough for a guy who isn’t an especially strong defender or baserunner. He triggered his player option and returned to Milwaukee for 2025.

His bat ticked up slightly this year, as he hit .237/.332/.416 for a 109 wRC+, but he missed about two months with a sprained left thumb. He got Wally Pipped by Andrew Vaughn while he was out and was left off the club’s playoff roster.

The Brewers will move on while Hoskins will look for a new opportunity elsewhere. His reputation should be enough for a major league deal but his age and recent performance will likely limit him to one-year deals.

Quintana, 37 in January, lingered in free agency last offseason. The Brewers grabbed him in March, signing him to a one-year deal with a $4MM guarantee. That broke down as a $2MM salary and a $2MM buyout on a $15MM mutual option.

The lefty had a decent year, making 24 starts with a 3.96 earned run average, though he worked around a subpar 16% strikeout rate. His .259 batting average on balls in play was on the low side, which is why measures like his 4.81 FIP and 5.04 SIERA feel his ERA should have been about a full run higher. He’ll take his buyout and look for his next opportunity. Despite the low strikeouts, a solid veteran innings eater like Quintana will still be in line for a major league deal.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images

Share Repost Send via email

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Jose Quintana Rhys Hoskins William Contreras

17 comments

Trevor Story To Decline Opt-Out Clause, Will Remain With Red Sox

By Mark Polishuk | November 4, 2025 at 2:56pm CDT

Trevor Story will not be exercising the opt-out clause in his contract with the Red Sox, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports.  Story had the ability to leave after the fourth year of his six-year, $120MM deal, but he’ll remain with the Sox and collect the remaining $55MM owed to him rather than test free agency this winter.

The remaining salary breaks down as a $25MM salary in each of the 2026 and 2027 seasons, plus there is a $5MM buyout of a $25MM club option on Story’s services for 2028.  Story turns 33 in a couple of weeks and is coming off an okay but unspectacular 2025 campaign, so he has chosen to stick with the comfort and financial security of his current deal in Boston.

The fact that this decision was even somewhat debatable for Story is a testament to his bounce-back year.  The first three seasons of Story’s contract were essentially a disaster, as injuries limited the shortstop to 163 games and he hit only .232/.296/.397 over 670 plate appearances.  In 2025, however, Story was healthy and played in 157 games, batting .263/.308/.433 over 654 PA.  Story launched 25 home runs and also set a new career high with 31 stolen bases (against just one caught-stealing).

It was something of a comeback year within a comeback year, as Story had to overcome an ice-cold start before heating up considerably after the first two months of play.  The result was an almost exactly average 101 wRC+, and Story also had the lowest walk rate (five percent) of his career.  Story’s glovework had remained a constant even throughout his injury-plagued days in Boston, yet this season his public defensive metrics plummeted to a -7 Defensive Runs Saved and -9 Outs Above Average.

These less-favorable numbers were surely on the mind of Story and his representatives at Wasserman as they considered the opt-out decision.  Even with a lack of premium shortstop talent available in free agency, Story ultimately decided that testing the market wasn’t worth the risk.  Story also might have flashed back to his last time on the open market, when the lockout interrupted the 2021-22 offseason and kept Story from landing his Red Sox contract until more than halfway through March.

With Story now officially back in the fold, the Sox have one big piece of their infield set for 2026.  Alex Bregman did exercise his opt-out clause, so the third base position is a question mark for now unless Bregman re-signs or if the Red Sox install Marcelo Mayer at the hot corner.  The second base starter is also unclear and there has been rumors that Boston wants a first base upgrade over Triston Casas (who is returning from a 2025 season almost entirely lost to injury).

Share Repost Send via email

Boston Red Sox Newsstand Transactions Trevor Story

43 comments

Royals Place Kyle Wright On Outright Waivers

By Steve Adams | November 4, 2025 at 2:55pm CDT

The Royals have placed right-hander Kyle Wright on outright waivers, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He’s missed each of the past two seasons following shoulder surgery performed in October 2023. Assuming he clears, he’ll have the right to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent based on his service time (4.151 years).

Wright, 30, came over from the Braves two years ago in exchange for a fellow change-of-scenery first-rounder, Jackson Kowar. He was just a month removed from surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder at the time. Kansas City knew he wouldn’t pitch in 2024 but hoped that he could bounce back for the 2025 season. That didn’t happen. Wright’s recovery lingered into 2025, and he was pulled off a minor league rehab stint in May due to fatigue in his surgically repaired shoulder. He also eventually sustained an oblique injury, which further set him back.

Though he spent two years as a member of the Royals organization, Wright never pitched in the majors with Kansas City. He was projected for the same $1.8MM salary he earned in 2025, but the Royals weren’t comfortable making any form of commitment after two lost seasons. Perhaps another club will roll the dice — Atlanta has brought back several old friends as depth options over the past year — but if not he’ll become a free agent and sign a minor league deal somewhere.

Prior to his injury, Wright looked to have broken out. The former No. 5 overall draft pick took a good while to do so, but in 2022 he tossed 180 1/3 innings with a 3.19 ERA, a 23.6% strikeout rate and a 7.2% walk rate for Atlanta. Whether he can ever get back to that form is an open question. Wright hasn’t pitched in the majors in more than two years, and his once-95.1 mph average fastball was sitting at a flat 92.0 mph during his limited Triple-A work in 2025. There’s little harm in a team taking a flier on a minor league deal if and when he clears waivers, but he’s a pure depth option right now.

Share Repost Send via email

Kansas City Royals Transactions Kyle Wright

4 comments

Tigers Decline Club Option On Randy Dobnak

By Steve Adams | November 4, 2025 at 2:49pm CDT

The Tigers declined their $6MM club option on right-hander Randy Dobnak, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He’ll receive a $1MM buyout and become a free agent.

It was the expected outcome for Dobnak, who came to the Tigers alongside fellow righty Chris Paddack in the trade sending catching prospect Enrique Jimenez to the Twins this past July. Dobnak, who was earning $3MM this year and had a $1MM buyout on that option (plus now-moot club options for 2027 and 2028), was included in the trade simply as a means of clearing salary for Minnesota. He wasn’t on the 40-man roster, having already been outrighted multiple times in the past, and never pitched in the majors with the Tigers.

The now-30-year-old Dobnak was a remarkable story back in 2017-19, going from an undrafted free agent playing in a tiny independent league (and driving Uber on the side to make ends meet) to pitching for the Twins in the postseason in less than two years’ time. After pitching for Division-II Alderson Broaddus University in his college days, Dobnak signed with the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore League. He started only six games before the Twins caught a look at him and signed him.

Dobnak was the Twins’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2019 after working to a combined 2.07 ERA across 135 innings. He logged a 1.59 ERA in his first nine MLB appearances that season, made the playoff roster, and gave the Twins 10 serviceable starts during the shortened 2020 season. Minnesota signed Dobnak to a five-year, $9.25MM contract in spring 2021. It hasn’t panned out, though obviously the financial risk was minimal, particularly given that the contract’s three option years bought out three free-agent seasons.

Unfortunately for both Dobnak and the Twins, his results tanked shortly after signing the extension. He was shelled for a 7.64 ERA in 50 2/3 innings in 2021 and has pitched only 15 big league innings since. Dobnak has now posted ERA marks north of 5.00 in three of the past four Triple-A seasons. He’s never missed many bats or thrown particularly hard, but his once-sterling walk rate has ballooned to around 12% over the past four seasons.

The Tigers were never going to pick up Dobnak’s option. They’ll pay him a $1MM buyout, and he’ll become a free agent who’ll look to latch on as a depth piece on a minor league deal — or perhaps garner some interest from a team overseas.

Share Repost Send via email

Detroit Tigers Transactions Randy Dobnak

2 comments

MLB Mailbag: Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, Bichette, Tucker, Cubs

By Tim Dierkes | November 4, 2025 at 2:48pm CDT

MLBTR's annual Top 50 Free Agents list comes out Thursday evening!  We'll also be launching our free agent prediction contest at that time.

This week's subscriber mailbag covers possible Freddy Peralta and Sonny Gray trades, how the 2026-27 lockout might affect free agency this winter, where Bo Bichette will sign if not Toronto, the chances the Dodgers land Kyle Tucker, and how the Cubs will approach the loss of Tucker as well as a rotation upgrade.

Morris asks:

What would a realistic trade with Milwaukee for Freddy Peralta look like for the Braves? While I would love to see Cease in a Braves' uni, I think he may get a much better deal elsewhere with Atlanta's seeming insistence on being "logical" with every free agent (cue Friedman's famous quote). Milwaukee has a penchant for really getting something extra out of pitchers, and Peralta is a finished product who will be too expensive for them to keep much longer. Would something like Bryce Elder (Milwaukee could absolutely figure out how to make him better), a top-15 pitching prospect, and a top-30 position-player-prospect get the deal done?

At one point in our free agent deliberations, we had Dylan Cease signing a three-year, $93MM deal with two opt-outs.  We were having a bit of a hard time giving Cease the long-term contract he's likely seeking, mostly because of his 4.55 ERA.  For the most part, we've gotten past those reservations and expect Cease to sign for perhaps seven years, as Aaron Nola did coming off a 4.46 regular season mark.

It should be noted that the Braves were competitive in the bidding for Nola, so we can't completely rule out Alex Anthopoulos going long for the Georgia-native Cease.  But it's also true that in eight years atop the Braves' front office, Anthopoulos' biggest free agent deal in both years and dollars was Marcell Ozuna's four-year, $65MM pact in February 2021.  I agree that Cease feels unlikely in Atlanta.

On September 30th, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote, "The Braves could use another reliable veteran — someone in the mold of Charlie Morton as a pitcher who can provide steadiness, leadership and consistent innings."  The thinking is that with Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Spencer Strider locked in, the Braves need reliability more than they need a front of the rotation guy.  In my Top 50 picks, I've got the Braves signing Chris Bassitt.  I also find the idea of a paid-down Sonny Gray acquisition to be plausible.

But there's nothing that precludes Anthopoulos from thinking bigger and renting Peralta for a year, regardless of whether they can eventually extend him.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Share Repost Send via email

Front Office Originals Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag

1 comment
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Braves To Exercise Club Option On Ozzie Albies

    Jack Flaherty Exercises Player Option

    Trevor Story To Decline Opt-Out Clause, Will Remain With Red Sox

    Yu Darvish Undergoes UCL Surgery, Will Miss Entire 2026 Season

    Orioles Acquire Andrew Kittredge From Cubs

    Shota Imanaga Becomes Free Agent

    White Sox Exercise Club Option On Luis Robert Jr.

    Braves Name Walt Weiss New Manager

    Astros Receive PPI Pick For Hunter Brown’s Top Three Cy Young Finish

    Brewers Exercise Option On Freddy Peralta; Brandon Woodruff Declines Option

    Lucas Giolito Declines Mutual Option

    Ha-Seong Kim Opts Out Of Braves Deal

    Pete Alonso Opts Out Of Mets Contract

    Cody Bellinger Opts Out Of Yankees’ Deal

    Edwin Díaz Opts Out Of Mets’ Deal

    Robert Suarez Opts Out Of Padres Contract

    Top 40 Trade Candidates Of The 2025-26 MLB Offseason

    Gold Glove Winners Announced

    The 2025-26 Offseason Begins

    Dodgers Win World Series

    Recent

    Astros Put Five Players On Outright Waivers

    Braves To Exercise Club Option On Ozzie Albies

    Red Sox Decline Mutual Option With Liam Hendriks

    Martín Pérez Declines Mutual Option With White Sox

    Jack Flaherty Exercises Player Option

    Brewers Announce Three Option Decisions

    Trevor Story To Decline Opt-Out Clause, Will Remain With Red Sox

    Royals Place Kyle Wright On Outright Waivers

    Tigers Decline Club Option On Randy Dobnak

    MLB Mailbag: Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, Bichette, Tucker, Cubs

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • 2025-26 Offseason Outlook Series
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version