MLB free agency: The top 5 players who were non-tendered

As if there hasn’t been enough action already going on in the Major League Baseball world, the evening of November 30 was a key part of MLB free agency as it was the deadline for teams to make their decisions on whether they will tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players for this upcoming season or not.

This is the time when teams will either tender a contract to or non-tender (meaning no contract is offered to the player and they become free agents) a player that is eligible for arbitration. If a player is tendered, the team is agreeing to follow the arbitration route, typically either a negotiated salary for the upcoming season or a decision to go to an arbitration hearing to determine the salary.

Players are eligible for salary arbitration if they have played in more than three seasons but less than six years in the Majors and don’t have a set contract for the next season.

Should a team tender a contract to an arbitration-eligible player, they will not automatically go to a hearing. The two sides can come to a contractual agreement any time before a hearing starts. Players who do not agree to a contract by the second week of January will submit their figures for arbitration and the team will submit their numbers. If it goes to a hearing, a three-person panel gets together and will choose either the player’s number or the team’s proposed salary number.

Should a player be non-tendered, they officially become a part of MLB free agency, joining an already sizable pool of players.

This year saw a number of players get non-tendered that could potentially end up being under-the-radar steals for clubs looking to dig through the bargain bin.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 players who suddenly find themselves on the free agent market.

1. Matthew Boyd

Left-hander Matthew Boyd spent the better part of seven seasons in the Detroit Tigers system after coming over in a trade with the Blue Jays back in 2015. To call his tenure in Detroit a rollercoaster of emotions is a complete understatement. Boyd, now 30, showed admirable durability (two 30+ start years in the past three 162-game seasons) and brief glimpses of his potential to turn into a top-of-the-rotation starter over the years, peaking in 2019 when he put up 3.4 WAR in 32 appearances as well as a crazy-good 11.6 SO/9 on the back of his career-high 238 strikeouts.

A two-time Opening Day starter (2020 and 2021), Boyd is a strikeout artist who limits the walk well. One of his biggest (arguably the biggest) flaws is the fact that he has struggled to prevent the long ball. Boyd led the league in home runs allowed in both 2019 and 2020, but was able to bring that number back down to Earth in 15 starts for the Tigers in 2021.

Matthew Boyd has shown small glimpses of greatness over the past few seasons, so look for a team in need of some rotation help to scoop him up on a low-cost salary for the 2022 season.

2. Chad Kuhl

A Pittsburgh Pirate for the past five seasons, Chad Kuhl does not possess many traits that will jump off the page and make him stand out. He is, however, a relatively reliable and durable pitcher that virtually any team could use.

Kuhl, 29, has functioned as both a long relief option and a starting pitcher since his debut in 2016 for Pittsburgh. Despite missing all of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Kuhl gave the Pirates an innings-eater that could be relied on to take the mound every fifth day until midway through the 2021 season.

In 2021 Kuhl was placed on the COVID-19 injured list in August and upon his return the Pirates opted to try him out of the bullpen, where he would stay for the remainder of the season. Even as his fellow Pirates pitchers continued to go down with injuries, the club made it clear that Kuhl was not going to be a rotation option for the rest of the year. That was a move that the right-hander did not seem to fully agree with.

“I think it was more about what they wanted to see out of me (as a reliever),” Kuhl said Tuesday. “Whether I agree with it or not, it’s just one of those things I can’t control. It’s gonna be their decision moving forward. They’ve communicated to me that this will be my role until the end of the year, no matter what happens with the (rotation).”

Chad Kuhl actually looked good out of the Pirates bullpen in 2021, although his numbers are inflated by a five-run outing where he gave up two home runs in only a third of an inning. Kuhl is a flexible pitcher that can come out of the bullpen or give teams innings out of the rotation. He, like Boyd, will surely be on a Major League club in 2022.

3. Richard Rodriguez

Richard Rodriguez, another former Pittsburgh Pirate, has quietly been a solid, underrated relief pitcher since the 2018 season. Rodriguez, 31, has never had an ERA over 3.72 in a full season, has experience as a closer (14 saves in 2021) and has a career WHIP of 1.127 – a number that is nothing to scoff at.

Rodriguez heavily relies on his fastball and has continuously been known to limit baserunners. His strikeout numbers have dipped quite a bit as he has aged (11.4 SO/9 in 2018 and 13.1 in 2020, only 5.9 in 2021) which could be viewed as alarming but his numbers as a whole have not faltered.

Also one to limit walks and home runs, Richard Rodriguez is a durable relief pitcher who is capable of filling multiple roles be it middle relief, setup or even closing games. He was one of Pittsburgh’s top trade chips at the deadline this season and while there was widespread interest, the Atlanta Braves are the one that landed the righty.

Upon joining the Braves, Rodriguez saw almost every statistic to his name trend dramatically downward which is somewhat concerning. In 26 innings as a Brave, Rodriguez sported a FIP of 6.17 and struck out only nine batters, walking five. His hits per nine innings and home runs per nine innings spiked as well. However, looking at his career statistics, there’s reason to believe that he is a good bounce-back candidate for 2022.

Richard Rodriguez is a low-risk relief option that many teams will take a look at this offseason. He can be had at a low-cost and is capable of putting up solid numbers. Best case scenario, he makes his way on to a club where he can contribute as a successful closer. Worst case scenario, he continues to struggle as he did in Atlanta and his new team can easily cut ties without being on the hook for a significant financial hit.

5. Robert Gsellman

Robert Gsellman, a six-year veteran making all of his Major League appearances in a New York Mets uniform, will undoubtedly be finding himself a new home in 2022.

Gsellman, 28, is similar to Chad Kuhl in that he is able to function in many different roles. Since his debut in 2016 as a 22-year old, Gsellman has appeared as a starter, long-reliever, middle-reliever and even a closer for a short time in 2018.

While he doesn’t have the shiniest statistics to his name, there is reason to believe that he is capable of performing at at least league-average across the board. Throughout his career, Gsellman has been at or even slightly above-average in FIP, WHIP, BB/9 and HR/9. He doesn’t allow too many baserunners or long balls – traits all teams are seeking in today’s game.

Injuries have been something of an issue for Robert Gsellman over the years, he has been placed on the 60-day injured list in 2019, 2020, and 2021, including right lat strains multiple times.

In 2021, Gsellman appeared in 17 contests for the Mets before going down with his second career right lat strain. In 28.2 innings, the righty struck out 14.3% of batters he faced and walked 5.9%. Neither number looks very good on paper. However, Gsellman, as others mentioned before him, has a track record of solid performances that will ensure there is interest in his first career trip to free agency.