After MLB’s non-tender deadline, three intriguing new names on free-agent market

Two years after a World Series parade fueled by massive free agency spending, the Texas Rangers are driving the market in a much different way. If the Rangers weren’t cutting payroll, Friday’s deadline to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players would have come and gone without much intrigue.

The non-tender deadline represented the last chance for major-league teams to cut players without being on the hook for at least a portion of their 2026 salary. The players most affected are those whose salaries will grow via arbitration, even if they’ve been derailed by recent underperformance or injury.

Every year, the deadline creates a new batch of free agents. This group, by comparison, is fairly underwhelming.

There’s no singular talent quite like Cody Bellinger, a former National League MVP who was non-tendered after the 2022 season by the Los Angeles Dodgers and then reemerged as the NL’s 2023 Comeback Player of the Year with the Chicago Cubs. Good pitchers are so hard to find and keep healthy that teams attempt to hoard as many arms as possible.

Still, after reviewing the list of roster cuts, three names jumped out.

(All ages are for Opening Day, and the contract projections are from MLB Trade Rumors)

Throughout the GM Meetings, multiple executives bemoaned what they perceived as a shallow market for outfielders, particularly at the corner spots and with right-handed batters. García’s arrival in free agency offers an interesting alternative. He is coming off a second-straight season with a sub-100 OPS+ (meaning his production checked in below league average). In 547 plate appearances with the Rangers, he hit 19 home runs with 13 stolen bases and a .227/.271/.394 slash line.

García burst onto the scene in 2021 and was a key part of the Rangers’ offense in 2023 when they won the World Series; he hit 39 home runs that season, won a Gold Glove and earned an All-Star nomination. Since then, however, his habit of swinging and missing has caught up with him, limiting his production. García’s shine has dimmed, but he at least offers some power with a strong arm in right field at a position multiple executives described as weak.

Heim will be an intriguing name to monitor on the catching market. The switch-hitting backstop is two years removed from an All-Star campaign, and has seen his offense regress. He played in 124 games for Texas last season, with his .213/.271/.332 line mirroring his 2024 production.

Like García, Heim won a Gold Glove in 2023 and played a pivotal role in guiding the Rangers to their first World Series championship. But his experience behind the plate could make him a bounce-back candidate for a team looking to bolster its catching depth. Several teams, including the Tampa Bay Rays, are expected to look into the catchers this winter.

The decision to non-tender Garcia and Heim, who are both entering their final years of arbitration, ultimately came down to trimming payroll and looking to utilize a younger roster. According to a league source, the Rangers spent the week following MLB’s GM meetings looking to trade either player, but were unable to find a fit.

The Dodgers non-tendered Phillips as he recovers from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in June. Once one of the club’s most dependable high-leverage arms, the right-hander has since been plagued by several injuries, including a rotator cuff strain that forced him to miss 21 games last season. He returned to appear in just seven games before landing on the IL again, this time with right forearm issues that eventually led to elbow surgery.

Phillips made 60-plus appearances in each season from 2022-2024, logging a 2.21 ERA and 44 saves in that time. He began a throwing program earlier this month and could be cleared to return during the second half of next season, positioning him well for a team in need of relief help at the trade deadline. The Dodgers will be active in the relief market and remain open to bringing Phillips back under a different deal.