MLB Player News

The Royals did not tender Melendez a contract for 2026 on Friday, making him a free agent.

Melendez had the potential to be a key lineup piece for Kansas City after clubbing 18 homers as a rookie in 2022 and posting a .714 OPS the following season, but he regressed the past two years. The 26-year-old went 5-for-65 with a 35.4 percent strikeout rate in just 23 big-league games during 2025.

The Royals non-tendered Clarke on Friday.

Clarke enjoyed the best season of his MLB career in 2025, turning in a 3.25 ERA and 0.85 WHIP alongside a 44:9 K:BB across 55.1 innings. Despite his success, the Royals will elect to let the 32-year-old righty enter free agency, where his breakout campaign is likely to draw some interest from bullpen-needy teams.

The Red Sox non-tendered Winckowski (elbow) on Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Winckowski was pushed off Boston's 40-man roster Tuesday and will now exit the organization altogether after not receiving a contract offer for 2026. The 27-year-old allowed five earned runs in 11.2 innings with the Red Sox in April before being sent down to Triple-A, where he ended the season on the injured list after suffering an elbow strain in mid-May. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for the start of spring training.

The Dodgers did not tender Phillips (elbow) a contract for 2026 on Friday, making him a free agent, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander made just seven appearances in 2025 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in June, which will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2026 campaign. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers are interested in re-signing Phillips at a lower salary.

Rivero was non-tendered by the Angels on Friday.

Rivero signed a minor-league deal with the Angels last December after spending the 2024 season as a member of Atlanta's organization. He spent most of the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake, but he ended the season on the big club's roster after his contract was selected by the Angels in early September, going 6-for-33 with one steal, four runs and two RBI in the majors. Rivero will look to join a team in need of depth at catcher prior to the start of spring training.

The Red Sox non-tendered Lowe on Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Lowe's production dropped considerably in 2025, as he finished the regular season with a .689 OPS across 609 plate appearances between Boston and Washington after never finishing with less than a .760 OPS in his previous six seasons (min. 500 PA). The 30-year-old should still receive a fair bit of interest in the open market from teams hoping for a bounce-back year in 2026, though he may have to take on a platoon role after slashing just .168/.240/.265 against left-handers in this past regular season.

Campero was non-tendered by the Angels on Friday.

The 28-year-old outfielder split most his time between Triple-A Salt Lake and the majors during the 2025 regular season, though he ended the campaign on the 10-day injured list due to a left ankle sprain that he sustained in mid-August. He posted an .875 OPS across 164 plate appearances in Triple-A and a .618 OPS over 66 plate appearances in the majors. Once he's fully recovered from his ankle injury, Campero will look to catch on with a team in need of depth in the outfield.

The Orioles non-tendered Suarez (forearm) on Friday.

Suarez turned in a 2.31 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 11.2 innings in 2025 while healthy, though that was a rare occasion, as he missed five months of the year with a shoulder injury before landing on the injured list again in September with a flexor strain in his right forearm. The 36-year-old righty posted a 3.70 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 133.2 frames during his latest full season in 2024, which could still be enough to draw interest from other clubs in free agency.

The Cubs non-tendered McGuire on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

McGuire joined the Cubs in January on a minor-league contract, but he spent most of the season with the big club to provide depth behind the plate for Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya. McGuire appeared in 45 regular-season games in 2025 and posted a .689 OPS with 17 runs scored, nine home runs and 24 RBI over 140 plate appearances. The 30-year-old backstop will enter free agency and look to join a team ahead of spring training.

The Giants non-tendered Lucchesi on Friday, making him a free agent, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The left-hander was a solid middle reliever for the Giants last year with a 3.76 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 31:12 K:BB over 38.1 innings, but the organization elected not to tender him a contract for 2026. Lucchesi should be able to secure another contract this winter but may not be guaranteed a big-league deal.