As part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the Players Association agreed to fewer automatic opt-out dates for certain veteran players on minor league contracts. Article XX(B) free agents – generally, players with more than six years of MLB service who finished the previous season on the major league roster – who sign minor league contracts more than ten days before Opening Day get three uniform opportunities to re-examine free agency if they are not promoted.
The first comes five days before the start of the season. For players who make it through the first round, they have additional windows to explore the open market on both May 1 and June 1 if they haven't been able to secure a spot on the 40-man roster. There were 31 players who initially had that option in Spring Training.
Eleven of them – Carlos Carrasco, Garrett Cooper, Chase Anderson, Dominic Leone, Eddie Rosario, Jesse Winker, Kevin Pillar, Jesse Chavez, Brad Keller, Curt Casali again José Ureña – are currently on the MLB roster. Joely Rodríguez, Tyler Duffey, Matt Barnes again Drew Pomeranz they made it to the majors but were removed from the 40-man roster; Barnes and Pomeranz are free agents.
Bryan Shaw, Matt Duffy again Carl Edwards Jr. are on new minor league deals after coming out of Spring Training. Six others – Elvis Andrus, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas, CJ Cron, Jake Odorizzi again Kolten Wong – they are free workers after release.
That left seven players with options to opt out on May 1. Although none of them took that immediately, David Peralta he opted out of his contract with the Cubs on May 13. He signed a minor league contract with the Padres a few days later and was placed on the MLB roster on May 22. Let's take a look at the remaining six players who could test free agency again tomorrow. — and one player whose contract contains an exit clause.
Marisnick has had a tough time staying healthy in 2024. The gloveman has only played 12 games with the Angels affiliate in Salt Lake. He has yet to hit in the limited sample, going 5-32 with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Marinsick was absent between mid-April and the second week of May. He appeared in seven contests before returning to the injured list on May 25. He's probably ready to stick with the Halos, which they don't have. Mike Trout and dependency Mickey Moniak as their main center forward. Moniak is hitting .175/.214/.250 over 126 plate appearances.
Votto's return home was held up by a Spring Training ankle injury. The former MVP has yet to play in a minor league game. There's no reason to expect the Toronto native to pan out. Once again Justin Turner or Daniel Vogelbach he's hitting well for the Jays, so there could be a chance for Votto if he's healthy. Vogelbach, as a left-handed hitting DH, is the most direct competition. He has a .167/.273/.292 slash and has started just 13 of the team's 55 games.
Choi, the first left-handed hitter, was on the injured list for his first outing. He's healthy now, returning to Triple-A Syracuse on May 14. However, Choi hasn't gotten into any kind of rhythm offensively. The 33-year-old had a slash line of .189/.319/.378 before hitting IL. He is hitting .171/.268/.286 in 10 games since returning. Choi isn't hitting well enough to merit a major league opportunity, though he could look for another minor league contract as well. Pete Alonso, JD Martinez again Mark Vientos firmly above him on the first base/DH depth chart.
Greene played six games for Triple-A Round Rock in April. He allowed 15 runs in eight innings and was placed on the injured list. The Express transferred the veteran righty to IL for the full season two weeks ago, which resulted in him being sidelined for the year.
Neither Fulmer nor Pérez has played this season. Fulmer will miss the rest of the year after undergoing elbow surgery last fall. His contract is a two-year contract; he probably won't come out.
Pérez missed most of 2023 after undergoing rotator cuff repair in his right shoulder. He played in seven games this spring but spent the regular season in minor league IL with an undisclosed injury. The Sox got strong performances from their catching tandem Connor Wong again Reese McGuire. Perhaps Pérez feels there is a better way to play if he signs a minor league deal with another team, but it appears he will stick with the organization.
Kemp is not one of the aforementioned Article XX(b) actors. He is playing on the minor league contract he signed in mid-April with the Twins. SKOR North's Darren Wolfson reported (via X) earlier this month that Kemp's contract contains an opt-out date of June 1. The left-handed hitter/second baseman struggled for Triple-A St. Paul, hitting .193/.316/.325 with three homers in 98 plate appearances.
That is mainly due to bad football in the results of play. Kemp showed his strong plate discipline, walking 13 times against 17 strikeouts. He hit for a .206 average on balls in play. Kemp was on the Orioles' major league roster in April and has appeared in parts of nine MLB seasons overall. He hit .209/.303/.404 in 124 games with the A's last season.
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