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Reynaldo Lopez RP | ATL
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Reworks contract
Lopez signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Atlanta on Saturday.
Lopez was originally set to make $11 million in 2025 and 2026 with an $8 million club option for 2027. In an effort to minimize payroll, Atlanta will now pay him $8 million next season while his 2026 salary increases to $14 million, and he's now guaranteed to make $8 million in 2027 (compared to his $4 million option buyout). The 30-year-old posted a minuscule 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 135.2 innings this year.
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Colin Rea SP | CHC
Brewers' Colin Rea: Placed on waivers
The Brewers placed Rea on waivers Saturday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Rea has a $5.5 million club option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout. It appears the Brewers are willing to move on from the 34-year-old righty, but they will first make him available to the other 29 clubs via waivers before paying the $1 million that would send him to free agency. Rea finished the 2024 season with a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, but he surrendered 20 earned runs over 21.2 frames during his six starts in September.
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Freddy Peralta SP | TB
Brewers' Freddy Peralta: Club option exercised
The Brewers exercised Peralta's $8 million club option for 2025 on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Peralta became the ace of the Brewers' staff in 2024 following the departure of Corbin Burnes to Baltimore and Brandon Woodruff's season-ending shoulder surgery. Given the lack of reliable arms in Milwaukee's rotation, it's unsurprising to see the team bring back Peralta, who under-performed by his own standards with a 3.68 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 173.2 innings.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: D-backs pick up option
The Diamondbacks exercised Kelly's $7 million club option for 2025 on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
After missing a four-month chunk of the season due to a shoulder injury, Kelly finished 2024 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 73.2 innings over 13 starts. Hopeful for a bounce-back campaign in 2025, the D-backs will keep the 36-year-old righty around to bolster a pitching staff that ranked 27th in the majors with a 4.62 ERA.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Exercises opt-out
Cole opted out of his contract with the Yankees on Saturday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
The Yankees have the opportunity to void Cole's opt-out decision by adding an extra year and $36 million to his contract, which would result in him being owed $180 million through 2029. The 34-year-old posted a 3.41 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 95 innings this season after missing the first couple months due to an elbow injury. There is no guarantee that New York will want to keep him around for such a hefty price.
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Sean Manaea SP | NYM
Mets' Sean Manaea: Will decline player option
Manaea is expected to decline his $13.5 million player option for 2025, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Manaea posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 181.2 innings in 2024 -- all of which represent career-best marks for a full season. The 32-year-old southpaw will now look to capitalize on his strong campaign and likely pursue a multi-year deal in free agency.
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Clayton Kershaw SP | LAD
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Scheduled for surgery
Kershaw said Friday that he will undergo surgery on his toe and left knee Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Kershaw's season came to an early end in late August due to bone spurs in his left big toe, and his toe surgery Wednesday will address the issue as well as a ruptured plantar plate. He has also been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee, which will require an additional procedure. A timeline for his return likely won't be available until after the operations, though the veteran lefty confidently said Friday that he will pitch for the Dodgers in 2025. Kershaw is 32 strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 for his career.
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Blake Snell SP | LAD
Blake Snell: Free agent after declining option
Snell declined his $30 million player option for 2025 on Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Snell probably would have stuck around had he been forced to make his decision following a slow start to his 2024 campaign. However, after collecting a microscopic 1.23 ERA and 114:30 K:BB in 80.1 innings over his final 14 starts, hitting the free-agent market again was a no-brainer. Presumably, Snell will stand a better chance this time around at landing the lucrative, multi-year deal he looked for last winter.