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Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried, and first baseman Pete Alonso were among 136 players who became free agents Thursday morning.

Third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames also went free.

There were 64 more players with pending option decisions who could become free agents by Monday, the fifth day after the World Series.

Teams and players can start discussing contract terms at 5:01 p.m. ET Monday, after the deadline for teams to make $21.05 million qualifying offers to eligible free agents.

Pitcher Justin Verlander became a free agent after he failed to pitch 140 innings this year, the amount that would have triggered his ability to exercise a $35 million conditional player option. If he had exercised the option, the New York Mets would have been obligated to give an additional $17.5 million to Houston as part of last year’s trade that sent the three-time Cy Young Award winner back to the Astros.

Among those with pending club options are Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna ($16 million) and New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo ($17 million) and reliever Luke Weaver ($2.5 million).

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole can opt out of his contract, but the team can void the opt out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029.

Those with player options include pitchers Blake Snell of San Francisco ($30 million, of which $15 million would be deferred), Nick Martinez of Cincinnati ($12 million), Sean Manaea of the Mets ($13.5 million), Nathan Eovaldi of Texas ($20 million) and Michael Wacha of Kansas City ($16 million), along with Chicago Cubs first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger ($27.5 million).

Jordan Montgomery of the Arizona Diamondbacks exercised his $22.5 million player option for 2025.

Snell and Flaherty are ineligible for the qualifying offers. A free agent can be made a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously since Opening Day and has never received a qualifying offer before.

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 13 of 131 offers have been accepted.

ORIOLES: Burnes, the Cy Young Award winner, and Santander were among the eight players from the Baltimore Orioles to enter free agency Thursday.

The right-handed Burnes, 30, was 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 games in his first season with the Orioles after being traded by the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021.

Santander, also 30, hit .235 in 2024 but had 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs.

Also taking the step were right-hander Brooks Kriske, left-handed pitcher John Means, catcher James McCann and outfielder Austin Slater. Outfielder Daniel Johnson and right-handed pitcher Burch Smith chose free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

RED SOX: Right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito exercised his $19 million player option for the 2025 season, the Boston Red Sox announced.

The move was expected after Giolito, 30, had surgery in March on his pitching elbow. The internal brace repair to his ulnar collateral ligament kept him from playing in his first season with the Red Sox after signing a two-year, $38.5 million offseason contract with Boston that included a player option for 2025.

An All-Star in 2019 for the Chicago White Sox, when he also finished sixth in American League Cy Young Award voting, Giolito has struggled in recent seasons, delivering a 4.90 ERA in 2022 and a 4.88 mark last season when he went 8-15 while pitching for the White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.

In eight major league seasons, Giolito is 61-62 in 180 appearances (178 starts) and has a 4.43 ERA with 1,077 strikeouts in 1,013⅔ innings.

WHITE SOX: The White Sox declined to exercise their 2025 option on infielder Yoan Moncada, who will receive a $5 million buyout and become a free agent. He signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension after the 2019 season.

The White Sox acquired Moncada, now 29, in December 2016 as part of the trade that sent left-hander Chris Sale to the Red Sox. Injuries limited him to 92 games in 2023 and 12 games in 2024.

With the White Sox, he appeared in 739 games with a .254 batting average, 93 homers and 338 RBIs.

The White Sox also declined their option on catcher Max Stassi. Stassi’s option was for $7.5 million, and he gets a $500,000 buyout. Stassi, 33, missed the entire season with a hip injury and last played in the majors with the Angels in 2022.

CARDINALS: The St. Louis Cardinals declined the options on right-handed pitchers Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Keynan Middleton.

Gibson, 37, was 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA after signing with the Cardinals last November. He earned $12 million last season and had an option for the same amount in 2025. He will receive a $1 million buyout.

Lynn, 37, signed a one-year, $10 million contract for 2024 with an $11 million option for 2025. He was 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA.

Middleton, 31, underwent season-ending flexor repair surgery on his right forearm in June and didn’t pitch all season. He last pitched in 2023 with the White Sox and New York Yankees, finishing 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA and two saves in 51 relief appearances.

BREWERS: Pitcher Wade Miley‘s $12 million mutual option for 2025 with the Brewers has been declined, making the veteran left-hander a free agent. He gets a $1.5 million buyout.

Miley, who turns 38 on Nov. 13, made two starts this season before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He posted an 0-1 record and a 6.43 ERA. That followed an impressive 2023 season in which he went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts.

He owns a 108-99 career record with a 4.06 ERA and 1,361 strikeouts with eight teams since 2011.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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Utes’ Whittingham reenergized after ’24 free fall

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Utes' Whittingham reenergized after '24 free fall

FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.

Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.

After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024

Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.

After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.

“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”

They’ve surrounded Dampier with 21 more newcomers via the transfer portal and will protect him with two returning starters at tackle in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are projected first-round NFL draft picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”

Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.

“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.

The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.

MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.

MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.

As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.

The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

The Kansas City Royals have signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.

The 37-year-old left-hander will start at Triple-A Omaha and will earn a prorated $2 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Keuchel has not pitched in the majors for nearly a full calendar year. He elected to become a free agent on July 18, 2024, after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In four starts with the Brewers last season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).

After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams since 2019. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017 and is a two-time All-Star selection and five-time Gold Glove winner.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.

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