Flaherty, Bieber exercise options for 2026 as 9 more players become free agents, raise total to 162

NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit pitcher Jack Flaherty and Toronto pitcher Shane Bieber exercised their player options for 2026 rather than become eligible for free agency, and Philadelphia exercised its option on reliever José Alvarado.

San Diego pitcher Wandy Peralta also exercised his option, while Arizona outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Baltimore outfielder Tyler O’Neill and Texas outfielder Joc Pederson decided not to opt out of their contracts.

Nine more players became free agents Wednesday, raising the total to 162. Teams must decide by Thursday whether to make $22,025,000 qualifying offers to their eligible former players who went free.

About 20 more players potentially could go free on Thursday, the last day of the five-day window. That group includes pitcher Andrew Kittredge, reacquired Wednesday by Baltimore from the Chicago Cubs. The 35-year-old right-hander and the Orioles agreed in January to a $10 million, one-year contract that includes a $9 million team option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout.

Flaherty earned $25 million this year from his deal with the Tigers and decided to keep a $20 million salary for next season. The 30-year-old right-hander went 8-15, leading the AL in losses, and had a 4.64 ERA in 31 starts.

Bieber earned $14 million this season and decided to exercise his $16 million option for 2026. A 30-year-old right-hander who won the 2020 AL Cy Young Award, Bieber was acquired by Toronto from Cleveland at the July 31 trade deadline. He returned Aug. 22 from Tommy John surgery in 2024.

He went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA in seven starts, helping boost Toronto to its first AL East title since 2015. He allowed Will Smith’s 11th-inning home run Saturday that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-4 win in Game 7 of the World Series.

Philadelphia exercised a $9 million option on Alvarado rather than pay a $500,000 buyout as part of a $22 million, three-year contract. The 30-year-old left-hander served an 80-game suspension from mid-May through mid-August for a positive drug test. He went 4-2 with a 3.81 ERA and seven saves in eight chances.

Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader turned down his $10 million mutual option for a $1.5 million buyout that finishes a $6.25 million, one-year deal he signed with Minnesota, which traded him to the Phillies.

Peralta agreed before the 2024 season to a deal guaranteeing $16.5 million over four years. He exercised a $4.25 million option for next season and also has a $4.45 million option for 2027. The 34-year-old left-hander went 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 71 games.

Gurriel, 32, kept a $13 million salary for 2026 and a $14 million team option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout, part of a $42 million, four-year contract he signed before the 2024 season. An All-Star in 2023, he hit .248 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs this year.

O’Neill held onto $16.5 million salaries for each of the next two seasons, part of a $49.5 million, three-year contract. The 30-year-old hit .199 with nine homers and 26 RBIs in 54 games, making three trips to the injured list because of neck inflammation, left shoulder impingement and right wrist inflammation.

Pederson agreed in January to a $37 million, two-year contract. He had the right to opt out of his $18.5 million salary for next year and an $18.5 million mutual option for 2027 but if he had opted out the Rangers had the right to exercise an option for 2026 and 2027 at those salaries. The 33-year-old batted .181 with nine homers and 29 RBIs. He fractured his right hand when he was hit by a pitch from Bryse Wilson of the Chicago White Sox on May 24 and returned July 27.

Left-hander Tim Hill’s $3 million option was exercised by the New York Yankees, who declined a $5 million option on right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga.

Cincinnati declined a $6.5 million club option on right-hander Scott Barlow in favor of a $1 million buyout, a $3 million option on left-hander Brent Suter in favor of a $250,000 buyout, and a $12 million mutual option on outfielder Austin Hays in favor of a $1 million buyout.

Catcher Elias Díaz’s $7 million mutual option was declined by San Diego for a $2 million buyout, finishing a $3.5 million, one-year contract. The Padres declined a $5 million option on left-hander Kyle Hart, who gets a $500,000 buyout as part of a $1.5 million, one-year contract. San Diego also declined a $1 million team option on infielder Tyler Wade that triggered a $50,000 buyout. He was assigned outright to Triple-A El Paso in August.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB