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5 players who could be non-tendered this week

Robert Mayer / USA TODAY Sports

On Monday night, it was reported that Milwaukee Brewers slugger Chris Carter - who finished tied for the NL home-run lead with 41 blasts in 2016 - would not be tendered a contract by the club at the Dec. 1 deadline. Tuesday, he was designated for assignment after the Brewers signed Eric Thames.

The news of Carter being non-tendered wasn't necessarily a complete surprise, but the timing of the report was unexpected, considering there's still days to go before clubs must make a decision. When that day does come, many bright young names will be tendered deals in advance of arbitration, but even more won't get that offer, meaning they'll join Carter - if he isn't traded or demoted - on the thin free-agent market; in some cases, these non-tendered players could actually boost the weak free-agent pool at their position, and many of them will be in line for raises on the open market.

Here are five other notable players who might be non-tendered on Friday.

Nori Aoki, Astros OF

MLB Service Time: 4 years, 148 days
2016 Salary: $5.5 million
Projected 2017 Salary: $6.8 million

Aoki has already changed addresses once this winter, having been claimed by the Astros off waivers from Seattle at the beginning of the offseason. But the Astros' subsequent signing of Josh Reddick likely leaves the 34-year-old as the odd man out of their crowded outfield. Despite his age and a brief Triple-A stint last year, Aoki's still hitting - as evidenced by his .283/.349/.388 line in 2016 that's very close to his career averages - though his stolen-base numbers have gone down. Should he reach the open market for the fourth time in as many years, Aoki's a potential bargain for teams looking to boost their outfield with a relatively cheap left-handed corner bat who makes solid contact and doesn't strike out much.

Lucas Duda, Mets 1B

MLB Service Time: 5 years, 137 days
2016 Salary: $6.725 million
Projected 2017 Salary: $6.725 million

Duda was a key cog in the Mets' surprise run to the 2015 World Series, but a back injury limited him to just 47 games this past year, and it might have also spelled the end of his seven-year tenure in Queens. If he's healthy, Duda's going to get suitors as a left-handed power bat who hit at least 27 homers in each of his last two full seasons. One downside: He's already limited to first base defensively and combined with the back issues, he might be best suited for an American League club where he can DH if necessary.

Jake McGee, Rockies P

MLB Service Time: 5 years, 127 days
2016 Salary: $4.8 million
Projected 2017 Salary: $6.1 million

McGee was expected to anchor the Rockies' bullpen in 2016 after being acquired from Tampa Bay last winter. Instead, his statistics ballooned, which could lead to the Rockies cutting him loose Friday. McGee's ERA rose to 4.57, his WHIP spiked to 1.58, and his strikeouts dwindled - just 7.5 per nine innings to 11.6 a year ago. Still, the 30-year-old is left-handed, and just two years ago he posted a 1.89 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts over 71 1/3 innings. Assuming he hits the market, McGee could present a decent cheap fallback option for teams willing to take a chance on a rebound year.

Ben Revere, Nationals OF

MLB Service Time: 5 years, 149 days
2016 Salary: $6.25 million
Projected 2017 Salary: $6.3 million

The speedster had a down year in Washington, appearing in just 103 games while dealing with injuries and posting career lows (.217/.260/.300, 14 stolen bases) across the board; he then wasn't included on the Nationals' postseason roster. Revere won't bring any power to the table - he's got just six career homers to his name - but when he's healthy, he can provide a team with some very solid contact at-bats at the top of the order, and the potential to steal over 40 bases. Defensively there's not much, especially with the arm, but teams in need of a spark plug atop the lineup might overlook that shortcoming, assuming Revere's back to full strength.

Juan Nicasio, Pirates P

MLB Service Time: 5 years, 84 days
2016 Salary: $3 million
Projected 2017 Salary: $4.6 million

Nicasio surprisingly earned a spot in the Pirates' rotation out of the gate thanks to a lights-out spring training, but that success didn't last. By mid-June, the 30-year-old was back in the bullpen - where he pitched in 2015 - and that role seemed to suit him better, as Nicasio posted a 3.88 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 40 relief appearances, and improved even more in the second half. Those numbers proved once again that Nicasio is far better in relief, and should the Pirates choose to non-tender him that second half could give him a nice payday to come out of somebody's bullpen in 2017.

(Projected 2017 arbitration figures courtesy MLB Trade Rumors)

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