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  • Harrison Bader CF | PHI

    Harrison Bader: Declines mutual option

    Bader (groin) declined his $10 million mutual option for 2026 on Tuesday and became a free agent, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

    Bader slashed .305/.361/.463 with five homers, 16 RBI and 30 runs scored across 194 plate appearances in the regular season after being traded to Philadelphia at the deadline. The Phillies have already expressed interest in re-signing the 31-year-old outfielder, per Zolecki, but before they have a chance to contend for his services, they will first need to pay Bader a $1.5 million buyout.

  • Ji-Hwan Bae LF | PIT

    Pirates' Ji Hwan Bae: Waived by Pirates

    The Pirates placed Bae on waivers Tuesday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

    Bae spent nearly all of 2025 at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he slashed .292/.380/.424 with 21 RBI, 55 runs scored and 23 steals over 67 games. Any club interested in adding the 26-year-old to its 40-man roster will now have the opportunity to do so; otherwise, Bae will most likely report to Indianapolis to begin the 2026 campaign.

  • Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL

    Braves' Ozzie Albies: Club picking up option

    President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday that Atlanta will pick up Albies' (hand) $7 million club option for 2026, Mark Zinno of 92.9 The Game reports.

    Albies endured one of the worst offensive seasons of his career in 2025, slashing just .240/.306/.365 with 16 homers, 74 RBI and 14 stolen bases across 667 plate appearances. He also suffered a fracture in his left hand toward the end of the season. Despite the infielder's hardships, Atlanta will stand pat with its commitment to Albies at the keystone rather than pay him the $4 million buyout he would have been owed.

  • Pedro Leon CF | HOU

    Astros' Pedro Leon: Waived by Astros

    The Astros placed Leon (knee) on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Leon spent all of 2025 on the injured list while battling knee problems, though he managed to slash .241/.312/.422 over 94 Triple-A plate appearances across multiple rehab assignments. He may be fully healthy by the time the 2026 season starts, but he will most likely remain in the minor leagues as organizational depth.

  • Luis Garcia SP | HOU

    Astros' Luis Garcia: Placed on outright waivers

    The Astros placed Garcia (elbow) on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Garcia has already been ruled out for the entire 2026 campaign -- his final year of team control -- after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow in October. Having pitched just 34.2 innings over the past three seasons, the injury-prone right-hander is unlikely to be claimed by another club.

  • Kenedy Corona CF | HOU

    Astros' Kenedy Corona: Waived by Houston

    The Astros placed Corona on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Corona spent the vast majority of his time at Triple-A Sugar Land in 2025, finishing the season with a .220/.308/.326 slash line through 433 plate appearances. If he clears waivers, he will most likely return to Sugar Land and begin the 2026 season as organizational outfield depth.

  • John Rooney RP | HOU

    Astros' John Rooney: Placed on waivers

    The Astros placed Rooney (elbow) on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Rooney made his MLB debut in 2025, giving up one run and striking out two batters over 1.1 innings against the Orioles on Aug. 24. All of his other appearances came in Triple-A, where he finished the season with a 2.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through 38.2 frames. His year was cut short in September by elbow surgery, and it remains unknown whether he'll be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign.

  • Chas McCormick CF | HOU

    Astros' Chas McCormick: Waived by Astros

    The Astros placed McCormick on outright waivers Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    McCormick was one of five players waived by Houston on Tuesday in an effort to free up roster space heading into the offseason. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, the 30-year-old outfielder will have the option to reject his assignment and become a free agent. After posting a .786 OPS through his first three seasons in the majors, McCormick has regressed considerably at the plate, slashing just .211/273/.301 across 383 plate appearances since 2024.

  • Liam Hendriks RP | BOS

    Liam Hendriks: Sox decline option

    The Red Sox declined Hendriks' (elbow) $12 million mutual option for 2026 on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

    Hendriks missed the majority of the season with hip and elbow injuries and posted a 6.59 ERA across 13.2 innings when healthy, so the Red Sox will pay him a $2 million buyout instead of the $12 million he would have been owed next year. The right-handed reliever is set to turn 37 in February, and although he may still receive some interest on the open market despite his injury history, there likely isn't a landing spot where he would have a chance to pitch in high-leverage situations consistently -- at least not right away.

  • Martin Perez SP | CHW

    Martin Perez: Declines mutual option

    Perez (shoulder) declined his $10 million mutual option for 2026 on Tuesday and became a free agent.

    Perez will receive a $1.5 million buyout after declining his option. Elbow and shoulder injuries limited the left-hander to just 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2025, and he finished the season with a 3.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 56 innings. Although he performed well when healthy, health concerns and the fact that he's due to turn 35 in April will likely keep his cost down in free agency.

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