Indians infielder Mike Freeman elects free agency

Infielder Mike Freeman elected free agency on Saturday, the Indians announced. He had previously been outrighted. With his decision, Cleveland now has six open spots on its 40-man roster.

Freeman has been outrighted before by the Indians, but he found his way back regardless for the 2020 season. The 33-year-old veteran has never been a major league regular, but he’s nonetheless a five-year veteran having spent time with the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs, and Indians.

His most prolific season came in 2019 with the Indians when he slashed .277/.362/.390 with four home runs across 213 plate appearances. He appeared in 24 games in 2020, but just eight as a starter. He slashed .237/.302/.316 over 43 plate appearances.

The former 11th-round pick of the Diamondbacks plays all over the diamond, with his value coming primarily via defensive prowess and versatility. He appeared everywhere in the infield as well as left field for the Indians over the past two seasons.