With Monday’s 8 PM ET contract tendering deadline past, it’s official: 56 players were not tendered contracts and are now free agents, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports. There were over 200 players, so roughly 75 percent of eligible players were tendered contracts.
We mentioned that shortstop Addison Russell is among them. Other notable players not tendered contracts include outfielder Kevin Pillar (who received an MVP vote), shortstop Tim Beckham, second baseman César Hernández, third baseman Maikel Franco, starter Taijuan Walker, starter Jimmy Nelson, reliever Blake Treinen, infielder José Peraza, and catcher Josh Phegley.
Teams consider a player’s health, age, and production when deciding whether or not to tender them contracts, as well their projected salaries in arbitration and the teams’ own payroll flexibility. Non-tendered players also open up a spot on the 40-man roster, which can be important for some teams with the Rule 5 draft that will take place next week during the Winter Meetings.
