Ranking MLB's Newest Free Agents Who Were Non-Tendered at the Deadline
The non-tender deadline marks the annual decision each MLB team faces on whether to offer or "tender" a contract to the arbitration-eligible players on their roster.
If they tender a contract, the team and player can continue to negotiate a salary figure for the upcoming season in an effort to avoid an arbitration hearing. If they do not tender a contract, the player is considered to be "non-tendered" and immediately becomes a free agent.
The biggest name cut loose at last year's non-tender deadline was Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, though that ended up being more of a procedural move as he was re-signed to a new deal that better lined up with his Tommy John recovery timetable.
The deadline for non-tender decisions was 8 PM ET on Friday night, so let's take a quick look at the most notable names that are now part of the 2024-25 MLB free-agent class.
Ahead is our top eight non-tendered players based on their expected contributions for the upcoming season and earning power.
Other Notable Non-Tenders
1 of 9
OF Dylan Carlson
A top prospect in the Cardinals system and the third-place finisher in 2021 NL Rookie of the Year voting, Carlson never developed into the franchise cornerstone he was expected to be in St. Louis. The Rays acquired him at the trade deadline, but he hit just .219 with a 78 OPS+ in 127 plate appearances with Tampa Bay and finished with minus-1.2 WAR overall in 2024.
RP Brent Honeywell Jr.
Honeywell had a 2.62 ERA in 18 appearances with the Dodgers, and he ended up tossing 8.2 innings in long relief during the team's playoff run. His 11.9 percent strikeout rate and 4.28 FIP paint a less promising picture of his performance, but he is capable of working multiple innings.
1B/OF Connor Joe
Joe has been a productive utility player for the Pirates at times over the past three seasons, hitting .238/.333/.384 for a 95 OPS+ while averaging 24 doubles, nine home runs, 35 RBI and 0.7 WAR in 452 plate appearances during that span. He can play first base and corner outfield, and had a 105 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBI in 2023.
IF Nick Madrigal
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft by the White Sox and the prospect centerpiece to acquire Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline, Madrigal never lived up to lofty expectations in Chicago. The 27-year-old is a career .274/.323/.344 hitter, and while his contact skills are solid, his lack of extra-base pop is glaring.
SP Cal Quantrill
Quantrill looked like a nice under-the-radar pickup for the Rockies early in the 2024 season, but he ultimately finished with a 4.98 ERA and 5.32 FIP in 148.1 innings while issuing a NL-leading 69 walks against just 110 strikeouts. The 29-year-old had a $9 million projected arbitration salary.
1B/OF Gavin Sheets
Sheets has hit double-digit home runs each of the past four seasons, though he has been miscast defensively by the White Sox as an outfielder. He had a 90 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 501 plate appearances, and could be worth a flier as a low-cost source of power.
OF Mike Tauchman
Tauchman posted a 106 OPS+ and a strong .360 on-base percentage in 751 plate appearances with the Cubs over the last two seasons, but a crowded outfield situation made him expendable. He should be able to catch on somewhere as a fourth outfielder who is capable of stepping into a bigger role if needed.
8. RP Jacob Webb
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2024 Stats: 60 G, 14 HLD, 3.02 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 0.9 WAR
Projected Salary: $1.7 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
This one was a bit of a surprise at surface level, though Webb did miss nearly two months during the second half of the season with elbow inflammation. He returned down the stretch and made one appearance in the postseason, but perhaps there are some lingering concerns over his health. The O's also cut ties with Danny Coulombe earlier this offseason, so they seem to be headed for a bullpen overhaul.
Free Agency Outlook
Webb, 31, is good enough to potentially secure a MLB deal now that he is on the open market. At the very least, there should be a long line of teams willing to offer up a minor league deal and an invite to spring training with a good chance he breaks camp in a big league bullpen in 2025.
7. 2B Brendan Rodgers
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2024 Stats: 135 G, 94 OPS+, .267/.314/.407, 43 XBH (13 HR), 54 RBI, 1.0 WAR
Projected Salary: $5.5 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
Rodgers has never come close to living up to the hype that came with being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft and Colorado's No. 1 prospect five years in a row from 2017 through 2021. The 28-year-old stayed healthy enough to top 110 games for just the second time in his career in 2024, but his 1.0 WAR was not enough to justify his projected salary.
Free Agency Outlook
Despite his lackluster 2024 season and lengthy injury history, Rodgers is still not far removed from a 4.3-WAR season in 2022 when he took home NL Gold Glove honors. He might have to settle for more of a utility role going forward, but his age and steady glove carries plenty of appeal.
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6. OF Bryan De La Cruz
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2024 Stats: 149 G, 77 OPS+, .233/.271/.384, 46 XBH (21 HR), 68 RBI, -1.5 WAR
Projected Salary: $4.0 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
The Pirates gave up some decent prospect pieces to acquire De La Cruz at the trade deadline, and he is controllable through the 2027 season, so it was a bit surprising to see him cut loose. The 27-year-old hit a career-high 21 home runs, but his 77 OPS+ was the lowest among 90 players who hit at least 20 long balls in 2024.
Free Agency Outlook
Those three remaining years of club control and the track record of power production will make De La Cruz an attractive buy-low target for small market clubs looking for a potential steal. He will likely have to settle for a one-year deal, and could conceivably find himself on this list again next year with a similar performance.
5. OF Ramón Laureano
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2024 Stats: 98 G, 107 OPS+, .259/.311/.437, 28 XBH (11 HR), 33 RBI, 1.3 WAR
Projected Salary: $6.1 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
Laureano hit .296/.327/.505 for a 128 OPS+ with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 226 plate appearances after joining the Braves as a free agent at the end of May. He was a terrific scrapheap pickup to plug the massive hole created by Ronald Acuña Jr.'s injury, but with Acuña expected back midway through the 2025 season, the Braves opted to keep Jarred Kelenic ($2.3 million projected salary) with his cheaper salary and higher ceiling.
Free Agency Outlook
Laureano had 11.9 WAR in six seasons in Oakland, and he was one of the best hitters in a banged up Atlanta lineup for much of the year. Even in a fourth outfielder role, his $6.1 million salary felt reasonable, and he could even secure a modest multi-year pact if a team fully buys into his resurgence in Atlanta.
4. RP Jordan Romano
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2024 Stats: 15 G, 8 SV, 6.59 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, -0.3 WAR
Projected Salary: $7.75 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
After back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023, Romano made just 15 appearances this season and struggled to a 6.59 ERA before undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery that ended his season. He made $7.75 million in 2024, and his past success set his arbitration bar high enough that he became an obvious non-tender candidate.
Free Agency Outlook
Romano was one of the best relievers in baseball during his three-year peak in Toronto, posting a 2.37 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 with 95 saves in 184 appearances. The 31-year-old's arbitration figure was too high for an injury returnee, but he will be one of the more attractive reclamation projects on the market with Kirby Yates-type upside heading into 2025.
3. IF Josh Rojas
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2024 Stats: 142 G, 91 OPS+, .225/.304/.336, 29 XBH (8 HR), 31 RBI, 2.2 WAR
Projected Salary: $4.3 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
The Mariners need to upgrade an offense that failed to back up the league's best starting rotation, and while Rojas has provided some nice value, he has never been a prototypical run producer at third base.
Free Agency Outlook
With significant experience at second base and third base, as well as some exposure at shortstop and the corner outfield spots, Rojas fits the mold of a productive super-utility player. He has some gap power, good speed and is a solid defender on the infield, so he should have no problem at least finding a bench job somewhere.
2. OF Austin Hays
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2024 Stats: 85 G, 101 OPS+, .255/.303/.396, 23 XBH (5 HR), 20 RBI, -0.1 WAR
Projected Salary: $6.4 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
The Phillies acquired Hays from the Orioles at the trade deadline in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez. He hit a middling .256/.276/.397 for an 86 OPS+ in 80 plate appearances during the regular season and went 3-for-15 with a double in the playoffs, leaving the Phillies to look for a more potent corner outfield bat this winter.
Free Agency Outlook
Hays posted a 109 OPS+ and averaged 32 doubles, 18 home runs, 66 RBI and 2.7 WAR in the three years leading up to the 2024 campaign, and he was an All-Star in 2023. Still only 29 years old, he now joins the likes of Alex Verdugo, Harrison Bader, Randal Grichuk, Max Kepler and others as second-tier outfield options capable of outperforming what will likely be a modest contract.
1. RP Kyle Finnegan
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2024 Stats: 65 G, 38 SV, 3.68 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
Projected Salary: $8.6 million
Why He Was Non-Tendered
With 38 saves and an All-Star selection to his credit in 2024, Finnegan was far from an obvious non-tender candidate. However, he had a 5.79 ERA and served up a .337 opponents' batting average in 24 appearances after the All-Star break, and that downturn in effectiveness made his steep price tag difficult to swallow.
Free Agency Outlook
Despite the ineffective second half, Finnegan still has 88 saves over the past four seasons, and that type of late-inning experience will generate interest. The 33-year-old should at least be able to find work in a setup role, though he could be a nice buy-low target for small market teams looking for a bullpen upgrade and a potential deadline trade chip.
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