With the MLB offseason now officially upon us, several players will be joining the free agent market, and this will now include Minnesota Twins outfielder Manuel Margot. The Twins have decided to decline their $12 million mutual option on Margot for 2025. In addition, his $2 million buyout will be paid by his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. This was according to the terms of Margot’s trade from the Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 16th, 2023. Margot joins the list of other players who have also had their mutual options declined by their teams, including Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitcher Wade Miley, Twins infielder Kyle Farmer, and Kansas City Royals utility player Adam Frazier.
The #MNTwins are declining their $12M mutual option on OF Manuel Margot, per @DWolfsonKSTP
Margot will be a free-agent. pic.twitter.com/8Alz1UOsjJ
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) October 31, 2024
Twins Defensive Standout Manuel Margot Becomes Free Agent
Margot has spent his MLB career playing for the San Diego Padres, the Rays, a very brief stint with the Dodgers (two months without appearing in a game), and signed with the Twins on February 26th, 2024. The Dodgers decided to trade Margot to guarantee that Kiké Hernández would become a Dodger. But the news of the veteran becoming a free agent didn’t surprise fans. This was considering two significant factors. First comes the dismal streak he had with the Twins as a pinch-hitter this season. He went 0-for-30, which is the highest hitless record as a pinch-hitter in MLB history. Second, he had a less-than-satisfactory OPS of .626 in the regular season this year. But Margot also struggled with a .686 OPS in the 2023 season.
Top 5 OAA Seasons by Rays OF Since 2016:
Kevin Kiermaier (2019) – 19
Manuel Margot (2021) – 17
Jose Siri (2024) – 16
Kevin Kiermaier (2017) – 13
Kevin Kiermaier (2016) – 13#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/y2OPBq1hC1— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) October 15, 2024
But this isn’t to say that Margot doesn’t have anything to showcase in terms of talent. Looking at some more promising achievements in his career, he had a successful season with the Rays in 2021 recording 17 (Outs Above Average) OAA. He was also the 2022 Heart and Hustle Award winner for the Rays. The 30-year-old made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2016. Margot is known for his clutch defense, and he has experience in the postseason, helping the Rays reach the 2020 World Series. In his postseason career, Margot owns a .241 batting average with 19 hits, five home runs, and 11 RBI across 26 games.
Photo Credit: © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
