MLB Notebook: Red Sox officially non-tender Nathaniel Lowe, Winckowski, and Rangers’ Adolis Garcia headline key players becoming free agents, and a look around baseball

Across the league, front offices finished weighing some of their roster options, making final calls on dozens of players. The non-tender deadline has become an unofficial beginning of the offseason calendar—with an opportunity to reshuffle some talent to the free agent pool.

This year was no different.

The Red Sox made it official, non-tendering both first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and right-handed pitcher Josh Winckowski. Both players were designated for assignment last Tuesday, creating room on Boston’s 40-man roster, allowing the club to protect minor league pitchers ahead of December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Boston’s decision to non-tender both players on Friday was more of a formality, and it allows them both to become free agents.

Lowe arrived in Boston following being released from the Nationals and appeared in 34 games, hitting .280/.370/.420 with two homers and driving in 16 RBI. The first baseman was projected to earn $13.5 million in 2026 via salary arbitration, a number the Red Sox felt didn’t match his value.

In total, Lowe finished the season split between the Nationals and Red Sox, where he hit .228 with 18 home runs, 84 RBI, and a .689 OPS in 153 games. He could come back to Boston on a lower salary if the club opts to go in another direction and keep him at first base for next season.

Winckowski pitched in 121 games for the Red Sox beginning in 2022, after he was acquired in the trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals. The 28-year-old only logged 11 2/3 innings last season, splitting time with Boston and Worcester before he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. If the Sox had kept him on the 40-man roster, the righty would have been arbitration eligible and was projected to earn $800K next season.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox took care of some other business, tendering contracts to two other salary arbitration players in starting pitchers Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck. The club also tendered contracts to Triston Casas and infielder Romy Gonzalez.

Crawford, who missed all of last season with various injuries, is projected to make $2.75 million via arbitration. Houck, who is expected to miss most of 2026 following Tommy John surgery, is slated to make $3.95 million. Casas, another player of the group coming back from an injury, is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, is projected to make $1.7 million, and Gonzalez is expected to make $1.8 million.

The team and the players will exchange arbitration figures on Jan. 9, with hearings set for February. They can also agree to terms prior to the January date and settle their contracts for 2026.

The Red Sox also reached an agreement with catcher Connor Wong on a one-year, $1.375 million deal for 2026. Wong had a rocky year last season, playing in 63 games and hitting just .190 with no homers, eight doubles, and seven RBI, and he posted a .500 OPS. The catcher is recovering from undergoing minor surgery on his right hand in early October and is expected to make a full recovery before spring training.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gave Wong a vote of confidence at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, feeling he will “bounce back” next season.

“We felt like he was kind of on the cusp of breaking out (after 2024),” said Breslow. “And I think there’s a number of things that we could point to in ’25 that could explain why the performance wasn’t what we had anticipated. But still believe in the player that he is.

“I think he made some strides defensively, and even if you look at some of the underlying stuff on the offensive side, he walked more than he did in ’24,” Breslow said. “He struck out less than he did in ’24, and we’re confident that he’s going to bounce back.”

Outside of Wong, the only other player to be signed to a contract for next season was outfielder Jarren Duran. Boston declined Duran’s option for next season, resulting in him reverting back to his arbitration-eligibility status. The two sides agreed to a one-year, $7.7 million deal for 2026. His new deal will include the potential of $75,000 in performance bonuses.

The 29-year-old outfielder is still under team control through the 2028 season with two more arbitration-eligible years after the 2026 campaign. Duran had a down year compared to his breakout 2024 season. He batted .256 with 16 homers, 41 doubles, 13 triples, 84 RBI, 86 runs, 60 walks, and a .774 OPS in 157 games.

This new deal doesn’t stop the Red Sox from potentially trading Duran this winter. Boston has a bloated outfield with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, and Duran on the roster. Rob Refsnyder was in the mix last season, but he is a free agent this offseason.

It is widely expected Duran will be the odd man out in the outfield and traded this winter. He should fetch a significant piece to improve the Red Sox’ roster, considering the Angels just traded outfielder Taylor Ward, a free agent at the end of next season, for four years of team control in former Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez.

INTERESTING PLAYER OPTIONS HIT FREE AGENCY

The Texas Rangers non-tendered two key players from their lineup last season in catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Aroldis Garcia.

Heim was a key part of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series club, will turn 31 next season, and was expected to earn $6 million next season, in the final year of salary arbitration. He hit .213 with 11 homers and knocked in 43 runs in a down 2025 season.

Garcia was set to earn $12 million next year and was a salary casualty for the Rangers. He is coming off a down year, where he hit .227 with 19 homers; this comes on the heels of a massive 2023 campaign where he hit 39 homers and then 25 homers in 2024.

Other notable players non-tendered before Friday's deadline included Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips, the former closer who is recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in June. Phillips will miss the start of next season but was effective for the Dodgers from 2022 to 2024, recording a 2.21 ERA with 44 saves, making him a viable option for teams to stash until he’s ready to pitch.

The Tigers cut ties with utility man Andy Ibanez, who hit just .239 with a .653 OPS in 91 games last season. He played in nine playoff games for the Tigers the last two seasons.

The Guardians non-tendered reliever Sam Hentges and outfielder Will Brennan. The club reached deals with Nolan Jones, David Fry, and reliever Matt Festa for next season. Brennan is recovering from both Tommy John surgery and a sports hernia procedure. He appeared in only six games at the major-league level in 2025. Fry missed most of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was never able to get going offensively, hitting just .171 with a .592 OPS in 66 games. He was an All-Star back in 2024.

The Mets dumped starting pitcher Frankie Montas, eating $17 million and making him a free agent for next season.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

- The Cubs signed right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a two-year deal, with a club option for a third year, according to reports. Maton split time between the Cardinals and Rangers last season, pitching well in the first half of the season before he was traded to the Rangers for two pitching prospects at the trade deadline. Chicago will be Maton’s eighth team in his 10-year big league career, and he has been a productive reliever out of the bullpen.

- The Braves and Astros swapped middle infielders this week. Atlanta acquired Mauricio Dubón for shortstop Nick Allen. Dubón is projected right now to be the Braves' starting shortstop next season after spending the last four years in the Astros organization. Dubón won two utility Gold Glove awards while playing second base, shortstop, and third base. He’s also spent time in center field and left field over the course of his career.

Allen is considered a defensive specialist with not much of a bat offensively. The 27-year-old Allen didn’t hit a single home run last season and ranked in the bottom 20 hitters in on-base percentage in over 400 plate appearances.

- Atlanta also re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal for next season. The 11-year veteran had suitors from other clubs around the league, including the Blue Jays, but opted to remain with the Braves. He was projected to land a two-year, $26 million deal in free agency, according to MLBTradeRumors.

- Tropicana Field has a new roof with all 24 replacement panels in place, inching the Rays closer to returning to play there next season. Hurricane Milton ravaged the stadium, destroying the roof, which resulted in significant damage inside the stadium. Tampa Bay was forced to play their home games at Steinbrenner Field last season.

- The Red Sox will be hosting Fenway Fest on January 10, 2026, at Fenway Park, the MGM Music Hall, and the House of Blues, as a continued replacement of Winter Weekend. The event will introduce the 2026 team while including fan activities, and they will be able to offer autographs and photo sessions. Tickets for Fenway Fest are $85 for adults and $35 for children aged 14 and under; for season ticket holders, the rates are $75 for adults and $30 for children.

- Former Padres pitcher Randy Jones died at the age of 75. The former 1976 Cy Young Award winner was a two-time All-Star, going 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA and leading the majors in wins, innings pitched (315 1/3 innings) and complete games (25).

- Pete Alonso continues to be connected to the Red Sox this winter. He will have other suitors, including possibly returning back to Queens, the Reds, the Pirates, who want to spend money this offseason, and the Orioles, who are connected to hitters across free agency, versus being active in the pitching market.

- The Giants acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Marlins for cash considerations on Friday. The 26-year-old will join his fourth team after playing for the Brewers, Reds, and Marlins over the last three seasons. San Francisco also agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker on a one-year deal and designated catcher Andrew Knizner for assignment.

- Former Orioles center fielder Brady Anderson was named the Angels' new hitting coach for next season. The longtime Orioles outfielder, who last played in 2002, will work alongside seasoned hitting coach John Mabry and new manager Kurt Suzuki.

- Diamondbacks free agent pitcher Zac Gallen rejected the team’s qualifying offer and will be attached to draft compensation if he signs with a new team. He is coming off his worst season in 2025, where he recorded a 4.83 ERA and 4.50 FIP to go with 1.2 WAR. He still made 33 starts in ’25, which should make him an attractive option on the open market.

- Former Padres, Rays, and Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is looking to rebound his career as he hits free agency this offseason. Kim is seeking a bounce-back year after missing parts of the last two seasons with various injuries.