10/31/24 07:09:00
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10/31 19:07 CDT Soto, Burnes, Buehler, Fried among 136 who become free agents
with 64 more awaiting pending options
Soto, Burnes, Buehler, Fried among 136 who become free agents with 64 more
awaiting pending options
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler
and Max Fried and first baseman Pete Alonso were among 136 players who became
free agents Thursday morning.
Third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy
Adames also went free.
There were 64 more players with pending option decisions who could become free
agents by Monday, the fifth day after the World Series.
Teams and players can start discussing contract terms at 5:01 p.m. EST on
Monday, after the deadline for teams to make $21.05 million qualifying offers
to eligible free agents.
Pitcher Justin Verlander became a free agent after he failed to pitch 140
innings this year, the amount that would have triggered his ability to exercise
a $35 million conditional player option. If he had exercised the option, the
New York Mets would have been obligated to give an additional $17.5 million to
Houston as part of last year's trade that sent the three-time Cy Young Award
winner back to the Astros.
St. Louis declined options on three right-handed pitchers, Kyle Gibson ($12
million), Lance Lynn ($10 million) and Keynan Middleton ($6 million). Each gets
a $1 million buyout.
Milwaukee said a $12 million mutual option had been declined on pitcher Wade
Miley, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May.
Among those with pending club options are Atlanta designated hitter Marcell
Ozuna ($16 million), and Yankees third baseman Anthony Rizzo ($17 million) and
reliever Luke Weaver ($2.5 million).
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole can opt out of his contract but the team can void
the opt out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029.
Those with player options include pitchers Blake Snell of San Francisco ($30
million, of which $15 million would be deferred), Nick Martinez of Cincinnati
($12 million), Sean Manaea of the New York Mets ($13.5 million), Jordan
Montgomery of Arizona ($22.5 million), Nathan Eovaldi of Texas ($20 million)
and Michael Wacha of Kansas City ($16 million), along with Chicago Cubs first
baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger ($27.5 million).
Snell and Flaherty are ineligible for the qualifying offers. A free agent can
be made a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously
since opening day and has never received a qualifying offer before.
Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 13 of 131 offers have
been accepted.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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