The 5 most interesting MLB non-tenders this offseason
Friday was the non-tender deadline for MLB teams to issue contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. Most players were tendered a contract but there were dozens of players that were not tendered a contract.
As a result, those players will hit free agency. They could re-sign with the team that they finished the 2022 season with or they could decide to sign with other teams.
Some of the non-tenders were already designated for assignment in the last week, as Tuesday was the deadline for MLB teams to add prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule V Draft. We already discussed some of the more surprising DFA’s earlier in the week and, as such, those players are not included in this list.
Here are the five most interesting MLB non-tenders from Friday.
Former Dodgers OF Cody Bellinger was an interesting MLB non-tender on Friday
It has been a huge fall from grace for Cody Bellinger, who was an All-Star, Gold Glove winner, Silver Slugger Award winner, and winner of the NL MVP Award in 2019.
He had a decent season in 2020 but he has been flat-out awful in 2021 and 2022. He was injured in 2021 as he only played in 95 games but he had an OPS+ of 44 and an rWAR of -1.5. He was better in 2022 as he was healthy (144 games) but he still only hit .210/.265/.389 with an OPS+ of 78.
In arbitration, he was slated to make about $18 million, which is way too much for a player that has been, at best, a league average player in the last two seasons (-0.3 rWAR since 2021).
Call To The Pen’s Kevin Henry looked at three possible landing spots for Bellinger on Friday.
Former St. Louis Cardinals closer Alex Reyes
The St. Louis Cardinals non-tendered their former closer Alex Reyes on Friday. Reyes was a closer in 2021 but he missed all of 2022 due to shoulder surgery so he should be able to contribute to a team in 2023.
In 2021, he went 10-8 in 69 appearances (all in relief) and he had 29 saves. He had a 3.24 ERA, a 122 ERA+, and an average of 5.7 H/9, and 11.8 K/9. His main problem was his control, as it has been for his entire career. He walked 6.5 batters per nine innings. He also was second in the NL in wild pitches with 10. The leader (Rockies starter Germán Márquez) had 15 wild pitches but he had 2.5 times more innings than him.
Former Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson can be a good third baseman but for the Miami Marlins in the last two seasons, he has taken a downturn offensively and he has been injured.
In the last two seasons, he has only played in 165 games and he has hit .233/.322/.359 with an OPS+ of 90 and a 1.6 rWAR.
In his first three full seasons in the majors (2018 through 2020), he played in 156, 126, and 59 games (pandemic season). In those three seasons, he hit .266/.350/.436 with an OPS+ of 112 and a 6.4 rWAR.
In addition to playing third base, he can also play right field, as he played 44 games there in 2022.
Former Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario
The former top prospect Jeimer Candelario has seen his ups and downs in the majors with the Detroit Tigers and, partially due to injuries in 2022, they decided to let him go.
In 2022, he only played in 124 games and he hit .217/.272/.361 with an OPS+ of 83 and an rWAR of 0.3. However, he was much better in 2020 and 2021.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he hit .297/.369/.503 with an OPS+ of 137 and a 2.0 rWAR. In 2021, he hit .271/.351/.443 with an OPS+ of 121, 16 home runs, 67 RBI, an MLB-leading 42 doubles, and 3.8 rWAR. That rWAR led the Tigers in 2021.
If he could produce that kind of season for a team, he could be well worth-signing but the issue is whether or not a team would get his 2021 season or 2022 season.
Former Washington Nationals first baseman Luke Voit
The Washington Nationals non-tendered Luke Voit after they acquired him from the San Diego Padres.
In 2020, Voit came in ninth in AL MVP voting after he led the majors in home runs (22) and he had a 157 OPS+. In 2021, he was injured for much of the season as he only played in 68 games.
In 2022, he played in 135 games and he hit .226/.308/.402 with 22 home runs, 69 RBI, and an OPS+ of 106 as a primary DH.
He won’t be the player that he was in 2020 (on pace for 64 home runs in a full 162-game season) but, nonetheless, there are a number of teams that could use a 20-25 home run bat at first base and/or as a DH.
Honorable mention: Former Mets 1B/OF Dom Smith (-0.4 rWAR in 2022 but had a 168 OPS+ in 50 games in 2020 with a 2.1 rWAR).
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