14 players who might join free-agent pool soon

An important deadline on the baseball calendar is set to arrive on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Teams have until then to “tender” a contract for the 2024 season to players who are under club control. These are players on the 40-man roster who have not accrued enough service time to become eligible for free agency.

If the club opts not to do so, it “non-tenders” the player, who becomes a free agent and then can sign with any of the 30 teams. Some notable players who were non-tendered after the 2022 season include Cody Bellinger (Dodgers), Jeimer Candelario (Tigers), Dominic Smith (Mets), Luke Voit (Nationals) and Ryan Yarbrough (Rays).

With input from MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand, here is a list of potential non-tender candidates to watch ahead of Friday’s deadline. While some of these players surely will stick with their teams, others could join the free-agent pool.

Brandon Woodruff, SP, Brewers
When healthy, Woodruff has proven to be one of baseball’s best pitchers, posting a 2.93 ERA with 709 K’s and 148 walks over 595 innings since the beginning of 2019. However, right shoulder inflammation limited the right-hander to 11 starts in 2023, and he underwent surgery on that same shoulder in October to repair the anterior capsule. The procedure could sideline Woodruff for most or all of 2024, his final season before free agency.

Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Brewers
Entering his final year of arbitration eligibility after earning $4.95 million in 2023, Tellez is coming off a rough season in which he hit just .215 with 13 homers and a .667 OPS over 105 games. The slugger posted a similar batting average (.219) in 153 games one year prior, but he made up for it with 35 homers, 89 RBIs and a .767 OPS (113 OPS+).

Daniel Vogelbach, DH, Mets
A strong second half (.825 OPS) helped Vogelbach finish with a slightly above-average 104 OPS+ in 2023. However, that might not be enough for him to retain his spot on the Mets’ roster considering he’s a platoon bat who doesn’t provide any value with his legs or glove.

Austin Meadows, OF, Tigers
As a member of the Rays, who acquired him with Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz in a 2018 trade for Chris Archer, Meadows earned an All-Star selection in 2019 and produced 27 homers, 106 RBIs and a 115 OPS+ two years later. However, the outfielder has played just 42 games since he was traded to the Tigers for Isaac Paredes in April 2022, missing time due to vertigo and anxiety.

Kyle Farmer, INF, Twins
The 33-year-old Farmer offers some versatility, having spent significant time at second base, third base and shortstop in 2023. His bat is a bit below average, with a career OPS+ of 88, including 92 over the past three seasons. Farmer, acquired by the Twins from the Reds in a trade last November, is going into his final season of arbitration eligibility after making $5.585 million in 2023.

Kyle Lewis, OF/DH, D-backs
Once the No. 11 overall pick in the Draft (2016), Lewis battled back from a serious knee injury early in his pro career to take AL Rookie of the Year honors for the Mariners following the Covid-shortened 2020 season. However, the 28-year-old has played only 70 MLB games in three seasons since then while dealing with more injuries and uneven production. Traded from Seattle to Arizona last November, Lewis played just 16 games for the D-backs and hit .157, although he raked in a hitter-friendly environment at Triple-A Reno (.371/.457/.641, 17 homers in 63 games).

James Karinchak, RHP, Guardians
A ninth-round Draft pick by Cleveland in 2017, Karinchak has been a significant part of the team’s bullpen since 2020. The 28-year-old has always been difficult to hit (.169 career opponent batting average) but also wild (5.3 walks per nine innings) and prone to inconsistency, even getting sent down to Triple-A for two months this past summer. Karinchak isn’t due to reach free agency until after the 2026 season.

Joe Mantiply, LHP, D-backs
It’s been an eventful few years for Mantiply. He went from fringy big leaguer to out-of-nowhere, 31-year-old All-Star reliever for Arizona in 2022 but took a step back in ‘23, including a couple of stints in Triple-A. Still, the lefty made nine postseason appearances for the D-backs, including a couple of starts as an opener. He has held left-handed batters to a .597 OPS in his career.

Jose Trevino, C, Yankees
Trevino also was a surprise All-Star in 2022 and went on to win a Gold Glove Award for the Yankees. His stellar work behind the plate continued in 2023, including excellent blocking and pitch framing. However, a torn ligament in his right wrist required surgery and kept him off the field from mid-July onward. Trevino finished his age-30 season with a slash line of just .210/.257/.312.

Nick Senzel, OF, Reds
Senzel was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 Draft and an MLB Pipeline top-10 prospect before the 2018-19 seasons. But injuries have helped prevent his career from ever really taking off in the way that many expected. Senzel has a career OPS of .671 and -1.8 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) in 377 MLB games over the past five seasons. He has two seasons of club control remaining.

Jorge Mateo, SS, Orioles
The slick-fielding Mateo was the Orioles' everyday shortstop in 2022, when he hit 13 homers and led the AL with 35 steals, and he was a regular in 2023, too, playing 116 games for the AL East champs with seven homers and 32 stolen bases. But with AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson and MLB's No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday ready to take over the left side of the infield in Baltimore, the 28-year-old Mateo might not have a spot going forward.

Nick Gordon, INF/OF, Twins
The former No. 5 overall Draft pick and top prospect for the Twins had a breakout season in 2022, when he batted .272 with nine home runs and a 111 OPS+ in 136 games for Minnesota. But the versatile 28-year-old saw his 2023 season end after 34 games when he fouled a pitch off his right shin and suffered a fractured tibia in May.

Dakota Hudson, RHP, Cardinals
Hudson made 26 starts for the Cardinals in 2022, but he never really got going in 2023, finishing with a 4.98 ERA in 18 games (12 starts). The 29-year-old right-hander, who was once a top-five NL Rookie of the Year finisher in 2019, bounced back and forth between the Majors and Minors this year, and posted a 6.00 ERA in 11 starts at Triple-A.

Spencer Turnbull, RHP, Tigers
Turnbull, who was on his way to a breakout year in 2021 and even threw a no-hitter before Tommy John surgery ended his season, came back in 2023 and made seven starts for Detroit. But the 31-year-old right-hander struggled, going 1-4 with a 7.26 ERA and 15 walks to just 24 strikeouts in 31 innings. He also dealt with neck issues and was sent to the Minors upon his return, where he posted a 6.86 ERA in six starts at Triple-A.