Minor League free agency is less understood than the major league equivalent. The official list of minor league free agents will be released by Major League Baseball after the World Series, but using player signing information and balancing that against the requirements to become a free agent, we have a list of potential free agents.
How the rule works, in plain terms
A player who has spent all or any part of at least seven separate seasons on a minor league roster is eligible for free agency unless he is on a major league team’s 40-man roster. A player also qualifies if he has been previously released or non-tendered in his career and his present contract has expired. Since almost all minor league contracts are for one season, veterans signed to minor league deals usually become free again every fall.
RELATED: Phillies Free Agents | Phillies Arbitration Eligible Players
Reaching the seven-season mark this year (2026)
Adam Seminaris, LHP
Seminaris spent the 2026 season with Double-A Reading and put up good numbers, going 11-9, 4.03 in 26 starts. The lefty turns 28 in a couple of weeks and is ticketed for Triple-A Lehigh Valley next season. The Phillies are likely to re-sign him to see what he can do at Triple-A in 2027.
Alex Binelas, First Baseman
Binelas had a good enough season with Reading that the Phillies promoted him to Lehigh Valley in September, but he played just three games before going down with an injury. He was diagnosed with a sports hernia that required surgery and ended his season sooner than the Phillies had hoped. He should be ready for spring training and the Phillies are excited enough about him that they will re-sign him to a minor league deal.
Andrew Bechtold, RHP
Bechtold was having a tough season – a combined 6.94 ERA in 21 relief outings at three different levels – when he was shut down in August with right shoulder discomfort. The 30-year-old Bechtold is unlikely to be re-signed by the Phillies.
Erick Brito, Infielder
The 24-year-old has had a weird run with the Phillies organization. He started 2025 with Lehigh Valley and was respectable at the plate and in the field – .251/.341/.313/.654 – but was bumped down to Reading in July to make room for higher rated prospects. In 2026, Brito opened the season on the IL after undergoing hand surgery and got off to a late start. After short stints at Clearwater and Jersey Shore, he moved up to Double-A Reading only to wind up back on the IL with a forearm injury that ended his season in early July.
He has some value based on his versatility and is still young, so the Phillies are likely to bring him back and hope for an injury-free season.
Estibenzon Jimenez, RHP
Jimenez is a lock to return to the Phillies. He is still just 24 and had a good season with Reading – 2.84 ERA in 28 games – and is now among the Phillies playing in the Arizona Fall League. He could start 2027 back with Reading, but will be with Lehigh Valley in the early portion of the season.
Gabriel Barbosa, RHP
This one goes beyond baseball. The 24-year-old was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer this past July and has had to put his baseball career on hold. A GoFundMe Campaign organized by former Rockies executive Rolando Fernandez was launched to help ease the enormous financial burden of his medical treatments, receiving donations from notable MLB figures like Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré.
Giussepe Velasquez, RHP
The 23-year-old pitched primarily for High-A Jersey Shore this season, but made eight appearances with Clearwater and one with Reading. In 27 games, three of which were starts, between the three levels, Velasquez posted a 4.89 ERA. The Phillies should have an interest in bringing him back, especially considering his age.
Luis Caicuto, C
The Phillies don’t have a lot of catching depth, so Caicuto, who turns 24 next March, should be of interest to the Phillies. Caicuto played 52 games at Jersey Shore, 11 at Reading, and one with Lehigh Valley last season. His mechanics behind the plate need work as he allowed 12 passed balls and baserunners were successful stealing against him at a 75-percent success rate. He hit 6-37-.254/.361/.408/.769 between the three levels.
Michael Mercado, RHP
Unfortunately, Mercado has just not found any consistency. He’s got a good arm and has definite potential, but it’s just not all coming together with the Phillies. The Phillies attempted to fix things by moving him to the bullpen, but it hasn’t really helped. Mercado may be smart to look for a change of scenery.
Veterans on minor league deals
Lou Trivino, RHP
Trivino turned 35 on October 1st and also welcomed another child to his family during the season. It’s very possible that he decides to move on from playing. He has some major league experience, so the Phillies could look at him as some insurance if he does return.
Dylan Moore, Infielder
The Phillies had hoped that the versatile veteran infielder could help them at the major league level, but it didn’t happen. After an 0-for-12 with the Phillies to start the season he was sent to Lehigh Valley and not really given a second though. Odds are that he looks to move on and the Phillies likely won’t make a big effort to bring him back.
Tucker Davidson, LHP
The Phillies used him as both a starter and reliever at Lehigh Valley, but he wasn’t especially impressive or consistent in either role. He finished with a 5.66 ERA . The 30-year-old is unlikely to return.
The 31-year-old opened the season on the IL after having knee surgery during the offseason. He returned in July and finished the season with Double-A Reading. With a long injury history, the writing could be on the wall for Kolozsvary and one way or another his career could be winding down.
Daniel Robert, RHP
There has been silence on the condition of Robert after a heart condition continued to plague him. Robert is 32 now and with the lingering heart issues, may have reached the end of his career.
Levi Stoudt, RHP
Stoudt, who attended a number of Reading and Lehigh Valley games as a kid growing up in the area, was off to a great start to the season and likely on the road to joining the Phils bullpen. He had a 22.2 inning scoreless streak between Double-A and Triple-A to start the season when he had some soreness in his elbow and went on the IL. What was supposed to be just a quick trip to the IL ended with Stoudt going on the full-season IL. There haven’t been any injury updates, but if he is healthy, he is worth bringing back.
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