NEW YORK (AP) — Sandy Alcantara was blocked from becoming a free agent by the Miami Marlins, while Michael King went on the market Friday and Bo Bichette decided to keep his contract with the New York Mets.
asserted
Bichette → block → Mets
Starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Nick Martinez also will become free agents after their teams declined mutual options.
asserted
teams → become → options
Miami exercised its $21 million option on Alcantara rather than pay a $2 million buyout, a decision that guarantees the pitcher $75 million over six years as part of the deal he agreed to in November 2021.
asserted
he → exercise → November
A 31-year-old right-hander, Alcantara was 13-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 33 starts and three relief appearances this year, his second season following Tommy John surgery.
asserted
Alcantara → follow → surgery
King, also a 31-year-old right-hander, is a free agent for the second straight offseason after declining a $28 million player option in favor of a $5 million buyout.
asserted
King → decline → buyout
He agreed in December to a deal guaranteeing $75 million over three seasons that allowed him to end it after one year and $17 million.
asserted
him → agree → year
King was among 14 new free agents Friday, raising the total to 155 in the two days following the World Series.
asserted
King → raise → Series
About 40 more players potentially could go free by Monday, the deadline for exercising options.
uncertain
players → go → options
Bichette agreed in January to a $126 million, three-year contract with the Mets that included a $40 million signing bonus, a $2 million salary for 2026 and $42 million player options for both 2027 and 2028.
asserted
that → agree → 2027
A two-time All-Star shortstop in Toronto, Bichette shifted primarily to third base in New York, where Francisco Lindor plays shortstop.
asserted
Lindor → shift → shortstop
The 28-year-old Bichette hit .260 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs for the disappointing Mets.
asserted
Bichette → hit → Mets
AL champion Tampa Bay declined mutual options on Martinez and outfielder Cedric Mullins.
asserted
Bay → decline → Martinez
Martinez, 36, had a $20 million mutual option with a $4 million buyout as part of a $13 million, one-year contract.
asserted
Martinez → have → contract
He set a career high for wins, going 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 31 starts and became a first-time All-Star, then went 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four postseason appearances that included a start in Game 1 of the World Series.
asserted
that → set → Series
Mullins, 32, hit .205 with 15 homers, 48 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
asserted
Mullins → hit → homers
He had a $7.5 million, one-year deal that included a $10 million mutual option with a $500,000 buyout.
asserted
that → have → buyout
Boston declined a $30 million option on Gray, who gets a $5 million buyout payable in five $1 million installments on each Jan. 15 from 2027-31.
asserted
who → decline → 2027
If the Red Sox had exercised the option, Gray could have opted out and received the $5 million as a buyout payable on the same dates.
uncertain
Gray → exercise → dates
Gray, a right-hander who turns 37 next week, agreed to a $75 million, three-year contract with St. Louis in November 2023 and was traded to Boston last November.
asserted
who → turn → Boston
He tied for the major league lead with 18 wins this year and posted a 2.72 ERA, his best in a full season.
asserted
He → tie → season
Dustin May, who started Game 4 of the World Series for Milwaukee on Tuesday, went free when he declined a $20 million mutual option with the World Series champion Brewers in favor of a $500,000 buyout.
uncertain
he → start → buyout
May agreed to a $12.5 million contract with the Cardinals in December and was acquired by the Brewers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
uncertain
May → agree → deadline
The 29-year-old right-hander went 7-9 with a 4.70 ERA in 31 starts.
asserted
hander → go → starts
Chicago Cubs left-hander Matt Boyd and catcher Carson Kelly declined mutual options.
asserted
Boyd → decline → options
A 35-year-old left-hander, Boyd agreed to a $29 million, two-year contract before the 2024 season that included a $15 million mutual option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
asserted
that → agree → buyout
He became a first-time All-Star in 2025, going 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA, and was 10-5 with a 3.91 ERA this season.
asserted
He → become → ERA
Kelly, 32, gets a $1.5 million buyout rather than a $7.5 million salary as part of the $11.5 million, two-year deal he reached in December 2024.
asserted
he → get → December
He hit .258 with 10 homers and 58 RBIs in 120 games this year.
asserted
He → hit → games
Baltimore declined a $25 million mutual option on pitcher Zach Eflin and owes a $2 million buyout as part of a one-year contract guaranteeing $10 million.
asserted
Baltimore → decline → million
The right-hander made one appearance, on March 31, and had Tommy John surgery on April 8, his 32nd birthday.
asserted
hander → make → April
First baseman Josh Bell became a free agent after his $10 million mutual option was declined by the Minnesota Twins.
asserted
option → become → Twins
He gets a $1.25 million buyout as part of a $7 million, one-year contract.
asserted
He → get → contract
The 34-year-old hit .255 with 21 homers and 96 RBIs.
asserted
old → hit → homers
Minnesota also declined a $13 million mutual option on right-hander Joe Ryan, who gets a $100,000 buyout as part of a $6.2 million, one-year contract.
asserted
who → decline → contract
Ryan remains under club control and is eligible for salary arbitration.
asserted
Ryan → remain → arbitration
The Athletics declined options on infielder Jeff McNeil and left-hander Jeffrey Springs.
asserted
Athletics → decline → McNeil
McNeil had a $15.75 million club option with a $2 million buyout as part of a $50 million, four-year contract he signed with the Mets after leading the major leagues with a .326 batting average in 2022.
asserted
he → have → 2022
The 34-year-old was acquired in a trade last December and batted .264 with nine homers and 59 RBIs.
asserted
old → acquire → homers
Springs’ $15 million team option was declined in favor of a $750,000 buyout, completing a $15 million, four-year contract he signed with Tampa Bay.
asserted
he → decline → Bay
The 34-year-old left-hander, acquired by the A’s in a December 2024 trade, was 4-14 with a 6.18 ERA in 29 starts this year and allowed an AL-high 35 home runs.
asserted
hander → acquire → runs
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
