By Rob Mason, PSO President of Sports Operations
Dec 03, 2019

The December 2nd Non-Tender Deadline brought more chaos than any other year in history. 2019 starters, previously entrenched core members, and other promising players were not offered a new contract by their team and are now entering Free Agency. Some players might be re-signed by their old team at a lower cost, but most likely these players will be looking for a new home in 2020 where they can get their careers back on track and make a significant impact going forward. 

*Player charts key: Age as of Opening Day 2020, 2019 = Overall production in 2019, Future = most likely highest grade in a future season

Maikel Franco was once thought to be the next face of the Phillies. After belting 25 HRs & 88 RBI’s as a 23 year-old in his first full big league season, Franco had the hot corner in Philly locked up and had all the makings of a premier power hitter for years to come. While his plate discipline has naturally improved since then (16.8 K% in 2016 to 14.3% in 2019), other facets of his game have declined, especially with the rise of the shift neutralizing his effectiveness at the plate. His past few years don’t look great for a new team or fanbase to be sold that he’s the answer, but the prospect pedigree, early career production, and flashes of dominance in big moments will net him a big league contract and possibly a starting lineup spot all to his own, at least against LHP.

Addison Russell is now a controversial character after serving his 40-game suspension for domestic abuse. However, Theo Epstein made it clear that suspension and Russell’s subsequent character rebuilding since then had nothing to do with the decision to non-tender Russell, and it more had to do with his lofty salary for the backup Infielder role he was going to play behind Javy Baez and Nico Hoerner. While he doesn’t fit in Chicago as an overpriced backup, he can still be a starting SS or 2B for some team with playoff aspirations. It wasn’t too long ago where he was an All-Star that received MVP votes in 2016, helping the Cubs win the World Series. He’s still only 25 years old and can use a fresh start to regain the promising outlook he had as a premier two-way player up the middle, if he can put the last couple of years behind him. 

One might notice a recurring pattern in these Non-Tender candidates: a once promising player coming off a disappointing season that will look for a fresh start to revitalize their career. That’s essentially what goes on every year when a team takes a chance on a non-tendered player, and it especially rings true this year. No player is a more prime example of this than Blake Treinen. Treinen was the most dominant reliever in the game just a year ago in 2018 when he recorded 38 saves in 80.1 IP with a sparkling 0.78 ERA that netted him his only career All-Star appearance, Cy Young Award votes, and even a 15th place finish in MVP voting. A year later and Treinen’s numbers ballooned across the board with a midseason shoulder strain likely playing a part, as his early season performances were highly effective. With a clean bill of health, Treinen is unlikely to ever repeat his absolutely dominant 2018 campaign, but he is likely to be the consistently reliable RP he was before a rough 2019.

First things first, C.J. Cron is NOT a good defender, even at 1B. He should be reserved to strictly a DH role for an AL team (or NL team in the near future if rules change). However, his bat should more than warrant a regular placement in the batting lineup as he has hit 25+ HRs & 74+ RBI’s in consecutive seasons. With all those big swings he takes, there are a good amount of strike outs that pile up, but his .299 batting average and 55 RBI’s in 107 AB’s w/ RISP during 2019 show he’s a natural run producer and can spark any lineup he joins. He’ll be a hot commodity for DH-needy teams this winter, even if those teams are limited.

The D-Backs decided to cut bait on both of their promising arbitration-eligible players coming off multiple injury-derailed seasons in Taijuan Walker and OF Steven Souza. Unlike Souza, Walker missed most of the last two seasons from the same injury: Tommy John surgery. No return from Tommy John can be expected to be smooth. For Walker, it took a year and a half to return to the mound, where he started in Arizona’s last game of the season, throwing just 1 IP. In that 1 inning, Walker’s fastball velocity was about the same number it’s always been in the mid-90’s and had his slider working well. Walker has the most question marks amongst any player on this list, but the highest ceiling of them all, as a 27-year-old who was on the path to superstardom before his Tommy John surgery. 

2B Cesar Hernandez (PHI): A consistently reliable hitter who should be a starting 2B/IF somewhere.

OF Domingo Santana (SEA): Promising prospect pedigree with a decent track record and middle-of-the-order potential. 

OF Kevin Pillar (SF): One of the best defensive CF’s in the game coming off his best offensive year, but will soon turn 31.

RP Junior Guerra (MIL): A converted RP who had the best 2019 season among any RP non-tendered, but will be 35 years old by Opening Day. 

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