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LAS VEGAS — First baseman Anthony Rizzo became a free agent again when he declined his $16 million option with the New York Yankees for 2023.

Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt declined his $19 million option with the New York Mets and followed rotation mates Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker into free agency.

They were among 11 players who became free agents Tuesday, raising the total to 151. About 33 more players are potentially eligible to go free by Thursday, joining a free agent class headed by Aaron Judge, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, deGrom, Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts.

Acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline, Rizzo went free after the 2021 season and stayed with the Yankees for a deal that paid $16 million this year.

He hit 32 home runs for the fourth time in his career — he has never hit more — and had 75 RBIs in 130 games despite a .224 batting average. The 33-year-old was sidelined between Aug. 31 and Sept. 18 by back pain and headaches from an epidural injection to treat his back.

Rizzo’s home runs were 40% of the Yankees’ 77 by left-handed batters, and his RBIs were 37% of the 202 by New York’s lefties.

Bassitt gets a $150,000 buyout, completing a one-year deal for $8.8 million. The 33-year-old went 5-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 30 starts after the Mets acquired him from Oakland at the end of the lockout.

San Diego declined a $20 million option on 31-year-old outfielder Wil Myers, who gets a $1 million buyout that completes an $83 million, six-year contract. He hit .261 with seven homers and 41 RBIs.

Colorado turned down an $8 million team option on reliever Scott Oberg, who has not pitched since 2019 because of blood clots in his arms. Oberg completed a $13 million, three-year contract.

Left-hander Andrew Chafin turned down $6.5 million option with Detroit, making his deal worth $6.5 million for one season. He went 2/3 with a 2.83 ERA in 64 relief appearances.

NL champion Philadelphia declined a $17 million option on second baseman Jean Segura, who gets a $1 million buyout that finishes a $70 million, five-year deal. Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin turned down a $15 million mutual option for a $150,000 buyout, completing a $5.7 million, one-year contract.

Minnesota declined options on right-handers Chris Archer ($10 million) and Dylan Bundy ($11 million) and first baseman Miguel Sanó ($14 million) in favor of buyouts of $750,000 for Archer, $1 million for Bundy and $2.75 million for Sanó, who finished a $30 million, three-year contract.

Infielder Josh Harrison‘s $5,625,000 option was declined by the Chicago White Sox in favor of a $1.5 million buyout.

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O’s SS Henderson dealing with intercostal strain

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O's SS Henderson dealing with intercostal strain

The Baltimore Orioles are “very, very hopeful” that star shortstop Gunnar Henderson (intercostal strain) will be ready for Opening Day.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Wednesday that Henderson suffered a mild strain on his right side.

“I’m very, very hopeful. But we’re going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of. It’s one of those sensitive areas where we don’t want anything to reoccur,” Hyde said.

Henderson departed last Thursday’s 11-8 spring training victory over the Toronto Blue Jays after the first inning with what the team termed “lower right side discomfort.” Henderson made a leaping catch in the top of the first inning and apparently felt soreness after hitting the ground.

Henderson is batting .167 in six plate appearances so far this spring.

The 2023 American League Rookie of the Year earned his first All-Star nod in 2024 batting .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases. He finished fourth in MVP balloting.

Henderson dealt with a left oblique injury during spring training in 2024 but recovered in time for the start of the regular season.

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Astros’ Walker out of lineup with oblique soreness

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Astros' Walker out of lineup with oblique soreness

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – New Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker was scratched from the lineup for a spring training game Wednesday because of soreness in his left oblique.

Walker missed more than a month last season with Arizona because of a strained left oblique muscle. He joined the Astros on a $60 million, three-year contract during the offseason.

In his first four spring training games for Houston, Walker was 4 for 8 with three doubles. He also had two walks.

Adding a first baseman over the offseason was a priority for the Astros after struggling Jose Abreu was released less than halfway through a $58.5 million, three-year contract.

Walker, who turns 34 on March 28, hit .251 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs in 130 games for the Diamondbacks last season. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove at first base.

In 832 big league games, Walker has hit .250 with 147 homers. All but 13 of those games came with Arizona over the past eight seasons, after his MLB debut with Baltimore in 2014 and 2015.

Walker had two stints on the injured list because of right oblique issues in 2021. He played 160 games in 2022 and 157 in 2023, hitting 69 homers and driving in 197 runs combined over those two seasons.

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HOF vet committee tweak limits future appearances

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HOF vet committee tweak limits future appearances

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The Hall of Fame made some small adjustments to its veterans committee system to limit people with relatively little support from repeatedly remaining on future ballots, a decision that could make it harder to gain entry to Cooperstown for steroids-tainted stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Any candidate on the eight-person ballot who receives fewer than five votes from the 16-member panel will not be eligible for that committee’s ballot during the next three-year cycle, the hall said Wednesday. A candidate who is dropped, later reappears on a ballot and again receives fewer than five votes would be barred from future ballot appearances.

Bonds, Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and Albert Belle each received fewer than four votes in December 2022, when Fred McGriff was a unanimous pick. Bonds and Clemens were on a hall ballot for the first time since their 10th and final appearances on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. The rules change could limit reappraisals of their candidacies.

In addition, the historical overview committee appointed by the BBWAA that selects the ballot candidates must also be approved by the hall’s board of directors. The hall said the decisions were made by its board during a Feb. 26 meeting in Orlando, Florida.

In 2022, the hall restructured its veterans committees for the third time in 12 years, setting up panels to consider the contemporary era from 1980 on, as well as the classic era. The contemporary baseball era holds separate ballots for players and another for managers, executives and umpires.

Each committee meets every three years: contemporary players from 1980 on will be considered this December; managers, executives and umpires from 1980 on in December 2026; and pre-1980 candidates in December 2027.

Dave Parker and Dick Allen were elected last December and manager Jim Leyland in December 2023.

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