10 MLB non-tender decisions to watch for on Monday

Five more non-tender candidates

Seattle Mariners: Domingo Santana

The 27-year-old Domingo Santana is projected to make $4.4 million in 2020. Just two years removed from a 30 home run season, the outfielder slugged 21 of them while driving in 69 for the Mariners in 2019. There are a lot more intriguing options out there for corner outfielders right now, yet if the rebuilding Mariners decide to part with Santana, there should be a lot of interest.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Jake Lamb

It seems like ages ago, but Jake Lamb hit a combined 59 home runs in 2016 and 2017. The now 29-year-old has battled injuries the past couple of seasons and hasn’t been very good when he’s been on the field. With Christian Walker at first base and Eduardo Escobar at third, Lamb, with his projected $5 million salary, probably has no future with the Diamondbacks. He’s a prime candidate to get a minor league contract and try to latch on with another team in 2020.

Cincinnati Reds: Kevin Gausman and Jose Peraza

Kevin Gausman has had a nice career as a middle-of-the-rotation type starter, though he’s coming off a season in which he struggled with the Atlanta Braves before joining the Reds and being used out of the bullpen. A lot of teams will be willing to take a flyer on the soon-to-be 29-year-old right-hander should the Reds decide they don’t want to pay his projected $10.6 million salary in 2020.

Meanwhile, Jose Peraza collected 182 hits in 2018, and it looked like he had a future as the Reds’ shortstop before struggling in 2019. With the Reds showing interest in players such as Didi Gregorius, perhaps the Reds will give up on the 25-year-old Peraza, who is projected to make $3.6 million through the arbitration process.

Miami Marlins: Jose Urena

In 2017 and 2018, Jose Urena posted an ERA under 4.00 both seasons and was a rare bright spot for the Marlins’ pitching staff. However, Urena regressed in 2019 and was moved to the bullpen, where he struggled even more. The 28-year-old Urena is only projected to make $4 million in arbitration, but the low-budget Marlins may decide to move on. If they do, lots of teams will be interested, as he’s still believed to have a lot of upside.

Oakland Athletics: Blake Treinen and Jurickson Profar

The fact that Blake Treinen would be on this list seemed unfathomable a year ago, as he had an incredible season in 2018 earning 38 saves while posting a microscopic 0.78 ERA. However, Treinen battled injury and ineffectiveness in 2019, as his ERA went up to 4.91 and he lost the closer’s job. Treinen is projected to make $7.8 million in 2020; that alone may prompt the always cost-cutting A’s to trade or non-tender Treinen.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be 27-year-old Jurickson Profar is projected to make $5.8 million in 2020, so the A’s may decide to let him go as well. He has power, hitting 20 home runs in each of the last two seasons, but his average dipped to just .218 in 2019 while he’s a subpar defender. Like Hernandez of the Phillies, Profar faces a crowded second base market.