Pete Alonso hit his first career All-Star Game home run in the sixth inning at Truist Park.

The end of the World Series marks the beginning of the Hot Stove season, and many MLB players are more than ready to get started in free agency.

Several big-name veterans – including slugger Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets – were among the first players to exercise opt-out clauses in their existing contracts and take the plunge into the free agent market, according to multiple reports.

The Cubs and starter Shoto Imanaga both declined their respective options on the 32-year-old left-hander. Chicago can still offer Imanaga a qualifying offer, which would be for one year and just over $22 million if he accepts it. Otherwise, Imanaga would become a free agent.

All teams have until Thursday, Nov. 6 to give their impending free agents a qualifying offer for the 2026 season. They have a week to either accept the one-year deal or become a free agent.

Here are the players who have made decisions about the options on their 2026 contracts:

MLB players who have opted out of their 2026 contracts

  • 1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets
  • RP Edwin Diaz, New York Mets
  • 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees
  • 3B Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox
  • SP Michael King, San Diego Padres
  • RP Robert Suarez, San Diego Padres
  • SS Ha-Seong Kim, Atlanta Braves
  • SP Lucas Giolito, Boston Red Sox
  • SS Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles
  • SP Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs (club option declined, too)
  • SP Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers
  • OF Randal Grichuk, Kansas City Royals

MLB players who have opted into their 2026 contracts

  • OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Arizona Diamondbacks ($13 million)
  • RP A.J. Minter, New York Mets ($11 million)
  • OF Tyler O'Neill, Baltimore Orioles ($33 million, two years)
  • RP Wandy Peralta, San Diego Padres ($4.45 million)

MLB players who have had their 2026 club options declined

  • SP Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs (player option declined, too)
  • C Tom Murphy, San Francisco Giants
  • 2B Thairo Estrada, Colorado Rockies
  • SP Michael Lorenzen, Kansas City Royals

MLB players who have had their 2026 club options exercised

  • Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers ($8 million)
  • Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox ($20 million)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB players begin testing free agency: Who has opted out?

Reporting by Steve Gardner, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect