MJ Melendez elects free agency from Mets

It appears Randy Flores first deal since being named general manager will be to acquire Reifert. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the return will be cash considerations for the Rays. The right-hander was returned to Tampa Bay after the Nationals selected him in the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2026 season, but Washington chose not to carry him on the 40-man roster. He forged a 2.46 ERA for Triple-A Durham, and will have a chance to win a bullpen spot with the Astros this spring in Florida.

The Padres and Peralta agreed to a four-year, $16.5 million deal in Jan. 2024, with the second, third and fourth years all being player options, and now Peralta has exercised all three of them. The kind of amazing thing about it is that he hasn’t been a liability in the process; if he’d opted for free agency in any year, he probably would have wound up signing for around the $4.25 million-$4.5 million his options were worth. The 35-year-old had a 3.61 ERA in a career-high 77 1/3 innings last season, though he was left off the Wild Card and NLDS rosters. He has a 3.51 ERA over his three years with the club. During that span, he’s recorded no saves and 19 holds, 11 of which came in 2024.

This is a stunner. Pivetta was limited to eight starts due to elbow issues last season, but he finished the season healthy, starting two postseason games for the Padres, and he was one of the NL’s best pitchers in 2025, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts. The Padres only had the club option because Pivetta missed so much time. Otherwise, it would have been a player option for the 33-year-old right-hander. The decision suggests the Padres are still very worried about his arm, or, if not, they’re doing him a favor by letting return to free agency.

Robert will get a $2 million buyout of the $20 million option. Even though he was limited to 61 games last season and hasn’t been all that productive since 2023, he’ll draw plenty of interest from teams as a potential one-year upside play this winter. He hit .221/.300/.407 in 230 plate appearances for the Mets and Orioles in 2026.

Suárez and Barrero declined the assignment and are now free agents. Heuer accepted his, though he’ll still be eligible for minor league free agency. Selby is also still with the organization for now. The 29-year-old missed all of last season with a shoulder injury that led to surgery on his labrum and rotator cuff at the end of July. He’s expected to be sidelined into 2027.

Brown was the Braves’ VP of scouting from 2019-22 before being hired as the Astros’ GM. Ronit Shah has since replaced him in that role in Atlanta and will keep the gig.

Rasmussen’s option is worth $20 million, up from an original guarantee of $8 million. He’ll be a free agent after next season, so going by the Rays’ usual modus operandi, he should be viewed as a trade candidate this winter. Hopefully, though, they’ll try to make another World Series run with their ace.

Pagán will now hit free agency after forging a 3.38 ERA and 25 saves in 2026 for Cincinnati over his 45 appearances with a 45/11 K/BB in 42 2/3 innings. At the age of 35, Pagán is likely looking at a one or two-year deal, but it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if he was closing for someone in 2027.

Johnson is now a free agent. The right-hander was ineffective in his first — and likely last — season with the Reds with a 4.62 ERA over 55 appearances. His success in previous seasons gives him a chance to earn an MLB job in 2027, but at a smaller salary than the one he would have earned had the mutual option been picked up.

Suárez is now a free agent. The infielder/DH did hit 26 homers in his return to Cincinnati, but he did so with just a .212 average while striking out 169 times in 498 at-bats. The 35-year-old should see a market because of his power, but the defensive limitations on top of the contact issues will mean he’s assuredly going to be playing for under that $16 million threshold in 2027.