Medlen, Beachy headline new free agents
NEW YORK — Injured Atlanta pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, and New York Mets outfielder Eric Young Jr. were among the players allowed to become free agents when their teams decided not to offer 2015 contracts by Tuesday night’s deadline.
Los Angeles Angels infielder Gordon Beckham and Oakland first baseman Kyle Blanks also were among the players let go.
More than 200 players entered Tuesday eligible for salary arbitration this winter. Any player offered a contract would be entitled to, at a minimum, roughly one-sixth of his 2015 salary as termination pay if he gets released.
The Toronto Blue Jays were expected to follow the club’s standing policy of announcing its moves right before the midnight deadline.
Medlen and Beachy are both recovering from their second Tommy John surgeries on their elbows.
Medlen and Beachy, once considered rising stars in the rotation, did not pitch in 2014 after they were had ligament-replacement surgeries last spring.
Medlen won a combined 25 games in 2012 and 2013. He excelled as a reliever and starter in 2012, when he was 10-1 with a 1.56 ERA.
The Baltimore Orioles tendered contracts to each of their 11 arbitration-eligible players, including first baseman Chris Davis, Steve Pearce, Matt Wieters and pitchers Tommy Hunter, Bud Norris, Chris Tillman and Zach Britton.
The Tampa Bay Rays offered contracts to arbitration- eligible pitchers Alex Cobb, Jake McGee and Drew Smyly, as well as outfielders Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce.
The Arizona Diamondbacks offered contracts to all six of their arbitration-eligible players, including outfielder Mark Trumbo, infielder Cliff Pennington and newly acquired starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.
Oakland agreed to one-year contracts with first baseman Ike Davis ($3.8 million) and right-hander Fernando Rodriguez ($635,000). Seattle finalized its seven-year deal with All-Star third baseman Kyle Seager, an agreement from last week that had been pending completion.