Overview
- The Mets declined to tender contracts to Max Kranick, José Castillo and Danny Young, citing injuries, options constraints and 40-man space, while retaining core arb cases such as David Peterson and Francisco Álvarez.
- Texas made Adolis García and Jonah Heim free agents, joining 2023 reliever Josh Sborz on the non-tender list after downturns in performance and projected arbitration raises.
- The Yankees non-tendered five relievers — Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton, Jake Cousins and Michael Arias — and reached one-year deals to avoid arbitration with Oswaldo Cabrera ($1.2 million) and Clarke Schmidt ($4.5 million).
- ESPN reported 66 arbitration-eligible players were not offered contracts across MLB, and those players are immediately free to sign with any club, including their former teams.
- Clubs cited medical timelines and offseason roster rules — including the inability to use the 60-day IL before spring — as factors in moving on from injured or out-of-options players whose projected salaries exceeded expected 2026 value.