The last hurdle in the hot stove league before business really picks up at the winter meetings is the non-tender deadline. That's where teams decide on whether or not to offer a contract to their arbitration eligible players, with those not receiving an offer immediately becoming free agents.
That deadline came and went at 11:59 pm ET on Friday night.
As usual, the final list of non-tenders includes a few surprises, a former all-star or two, and a slew of notable names. We're here to give you a look at just a few of the more significantly notable names, their outlooks, the teams outlook, and we'll even throw in a transaction that came as a direct result of non-tender day.
San Francisco Giants non-tender Brian Wilson
Wilson, without question, is the biggest name among those non-tendered. In his four plus seasons as the Giants closer, he converted 171 save opportunities in the regular season and another six during his dominant and nearly spotless postseason run in 2010.
In 2011, Wilson took a small step back in production while the Giants took a larger step back as a team. Then in 2012, he appeared in only two games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. That opened the door for Sergio Romo to become a similarly dominant closer/interesting personality, and that's exactly what Romo did.
With both of those roles Wilson excelled at now filled, funds needed to keep other core members of their bullpen together, and Wilson unwilling to take a non-guaranteed deal, 'The Beard' will now head east or south. The Dodgers and Red Sox are already believed to be interested.
Baltimore Orioles non-tender Mark Reynolds
The 28-year-old corner infielder did not lead his league in strikeouts for the first time in four seasons, but he also did not add one point to his 221 batting average from 2011 and saw a 54 point drop in his slugging percentage thanks largely to a homerless April and an oblique injury in May. However, from June 3 on Reynolds cracked 21 homers and slugged .456. That leads me to believe he's a good bet for a bounce back season in the power department assuming he stays healthy, and a worthwhile signing for a general manager looking for production at the corners.
Atlanta Braves non-tender Jair Jurrjens
Despite interest from several teams, the Braves never found a match for Jurrjens last offseason. Now they're non-tendering their opening day starter after a disappointing season that saw him make only ten starts thanks to a near two-month demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett and a groin injury that ultimately ended his season on Aug. 1.
Jurrjens finished the year with a porous 6.89 ERA, but the list of teams that showed interest after his 13-6, 2.96 campaign in 2011 should only grow now that he's a free agent and a potential bargain.
The Braves also non-tendered right-hander reliever Peter Moylan for the second year in a row after he made only eight appearances. He underwent shoulder surgery in October 2010.
New York Mets non-tender Mike Pelfrey, Manny Costa and Andres Torres
The Mets opened their wallets in the early morning hours on Friday to extend David Wright with the richest contract in franchise history, and also seem to be nearing a two-year extension with Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. Those were their two biggest offseason priorities and the headline grabbers. In smaller print on the next page, we also learned that they will be non-tendering the trio of Mike Pelfrey, Manny Costa and Andres Torres.
The Pelfrey news comes as no surprise with the 28-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery in May. He'll likely have to settle for a one-year deal laced with incentives. Acosta, on the other hand, is a little surprising considering his 1.78 ERA in relief after the all-star break and an expected to be manageable salary. Torres, 34, was an unsung hero on the Giants 2010 championship team. Last offseason, he was dealt to New York as a part of the Angel Pagan trade, and we all know the role he played in San Francisco's 2012 triumph. Meanwhile, Torres posted a .230/.327/.337 line and is barely a fifth outfielder at this point.
Washington Nationals non-tender John Lannan
You know you're overflowing with starting pitching when you can stash a left-handed arm like John Lannan's at Triple-A all season and then cut ties with him for no return in the winter. Lannan will have no trouble finding a job and shouldn't earn much less than the $5 million Washington paid him in 2012.
Also on the way are left-handed swingman Tom Gorzelanny, who performed admirably down the stretch, and backup catcher Jesus Flores, who becomes expendable with Wilson Ramos and Kurt Suzuki under contract.
Houston Astros claim Philip Humber off waivers from Chicago White Sox, sign him to one-year deal
Humber's season was anything but "perfect" after he entered the history books on April 21 — he posted a 6.44 overall in 16 starts and 10 relief appearances — but the Astros had no problem using their position as the No. 1 priority in the waivers process to claim the 29-year-old right-hander. Not long after being awarded the claim, the team announced a one-year deal with an option for 2014. There's still a long ways to go in the offseason, but as things stand now Humber should slot among the Astros top three starters along with Bud Norris and another former White Sox righty in Lucas Harrell.
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