Five shocking non-tender decisions that have shaken up MLB free agency

On Friday night, the non-tender deadline expired, meaning teams had to decide whether to keep or release their arbitration-eligible players. If a player is non-tendered, then they become a free agent. If a player is tendered a contract, they will discuss a new deal with their team or go to arbitration to determine the terms of a one-year contract.

Every year, there are some surprising non-tenders that create a new wave of free agent targets for keen-eyed teams. Perhaps more than ever, this year's non-tender deadline featured some true surprises that will shake up the market.

5. Jordan Romano

The Toronto Blue Jays decided to part ways with one of the best closers during the 2021-2023 stretch. Romano posted a 2.37 ERA over 184 games and achieved 95 saves during this time.

However, his 2024 season was a completely different story. He pitched in only 15 games and had a 6.59 ERA. In July, Romano underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow and missed the rest of the season.

Romano was projected to make $7.7 million in arbitration. Clearly, the Blue Jays were unwilling to bet that much on a 2025 comeback season. Romano should have an easy time finding a new team, though. Many relief pitching-needy teams will have the 31-year-old on their radar, especially since his fastball velocity still ranked in the 86th percentile when he was healthy last year.

4. Austin Hays

Austin Hays was non-tendered by the Philadelphia Phillies after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles. Hays only played 22 games for the Phillies as he battled a kidney infection for most of September.

The outfielder was projected to make $6.4 million in arbitration. His power took a big dip after hitting at least 16 HRs and more than 60 RBIs each season from 2021-2023. In 2024, he hit only five HRs and 20 RBIs. Still, he has been a consistent threat at the plate, with an on-base percentage over .303 each of the last six seasons.

Being able to play all three outfield positions means the 29-year-old should be a popular target this offseason. The Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals have holes open in the outfield that could use a reliable bat like Hays's. After all, it was just last year that he was an All-Star and top-tier defensive outfielder.

3. Bryan De La Cruz

Bryan De La Cruz was non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Miami Marlins. De La Cruz struggled in Pittsburgh, as he was added for his power but only supplied a .200 batting average with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs in 160 at-bats.

He was projected to make $4 million in arbitration, but the Pirates felt their outfield options in Bryan Reynolds, O'neil Cruz, Joshua Palacios, and Nick Yorke are good enough with the rest of the offseason left to add to the mix.

De La Cruz is only 27 years old and can play all three outfield positions, though he may be best suited for right field with his cannon of an arm. The New York Yankees (if they lose Juan Soto in free agency) would make sense for Cruz, as would the New York Mets if they also fall short in the Soto sweepstakes. A reunion with the Marlins shouldn't be ruled off the table, either.

2. Kyle Finnegan

The Washington Nationals decided to part ways with their closer, avoiding a projected $8.6 million in arbitration. Finnegan had a modest 3.68 ERA this past season, though he did tally 38 saves, which was good for third in all of baseball.

He has pitched in at least 65 games in each of the last four seasons with the Nationals, tallying between 63 and 70 innings and between a 3.51 and 3.76 ERA in each campaign. That remarkable consistency alone should get him a gig elsewhere, even as he approaches his mid-30s.

It's worth noting that, outside of his fastball velocity, Finnegan was mostly an average pitcher in 2024, despite earning his first career All-Star selection. Like Romano, though, Finnegan should be signed quickly, since almost every team needs more relief pitching.

1. Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers was a surprising non-tender by the Colorado Rockies. Rodgers has been one of the Rockies' most consistent bats over the last four seasons. He has hit over a .258 batting average and higher than a .313 on-base percentage in each of those four years, and his OPS was always in the .700s.

However, he only played 46 games during the 2023 season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, and he's never played more than 137 in any season of his career. The third overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Rodgers has shown capable replacement-level production, without much ceiling for more.

He consistently gets on base but lacks power. He has never hit more than 15 HRs or had more than 63 RBIs, and when you play half your games at the high altitude of Coors Field, that's an issue. As such, the Rockies figured his projected $5.5 million arbitration price tag was worth the non-tender.

Rodgers will find his name being called by teams that need second baseman help and are looking to improve their bat-to-ball skills. He also won a Gold Glove in 2022, though he hasn't been strong defensively since then.

Any of the Yankees, Seattle Mariners, or San Francisco Giants could make sense this offseason, though as a cheap reclamation project with a lot of pedigree, Rodgers shouldn't have trouble finding a home for the 2025 season.

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