Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot become free agents after Twins decline options

By The Associated Press

FILE - Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer sprints to third during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Tony Gutierrez]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Infielder Kyle Farmer and outfielder Manuel Margot became free agents Friday after the their 2025 options were declined by the Minnesota Twins.

Farmer gets a $250,000 buyout instead of a $6.25 million salary for next year under a mutual option, completing a one-year contract that guaranteed $6.3 million.

Margot’s deal included a $12 million mutual option with a $2 million buyout, of which half is deferred, part of a $19 million, two-year deal.

Farmer, 34, hit a career-low .214 with five homers and 25 RBIs in 107 games while playing second, shortstop and third plus one game at first and three mop-up mound appearances. He was sidelined between July 10 and Aug. 9 with a strained right shoulder.

He has a .250 average with 55 homers and 254 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-18), Cincinnati (2019-22) and Minnesota (2023-24), which acquired him in November 2022 for right-hander Casey Legumina.

Margot, 30, batted .238 with four homers and 31 RBIs. He was traded by Tampa Bay to the Los Angeles Dodgers last December and then to the Twins in February.

He had a $10 million salary, and as part of this year’s trade the Dodgers agreed to pay the Twins $6 million. Because the option was declined, Los Angeles will pay Minnesota an additional $2 million on Dec. 1, 2026 — the same day the Dodgers receive $2 million from Tampa Bay because the option was turned down. The Rays already paid LA $2 million in August.

A nine-year big league veteran, Margot has a .254 average with 56 homers, 314 RBIs and 96 stolen bases for San Diego (2016-19), the Rays (2020-23) and the Twins.

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