Brandon Beachy now a free agent

LOS ANGELES -- The playoffs are still going, but the transaction season never ends. A few Dodgers minor leaguers have already elected free agency, with Brandon Beachy the most interesting.

Beachy came back from his second Tommy John surgery to make two starts for the Dodgers in July, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in eight innings, with six walks and five strikeouts.

The Dodgers signed the right-hander in February to a one-year, $2.75 million deal that included a club option for 2016 worth $3.5 million. But that option won't come into play because he was designated for assignment on July 31, then sent outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 3.

With at least three years of major league service time (Beachy had four years, 14 days at the start of the season), Beachy had the right to refuse the minor league assignment, but chose to accept it rather than elect free agency in August, which gave him another right, per Article XX(D) if the collective bargaining agreement:

In the event that such a Player with at least 3 years of Major League service does not elect free agency in lieu of accepting such assignment, he may elect free agency between the end of the then current Major League season and the next following October 15, unless such Player is returned to a Major League roster prior to making such election.

Beachy wasn't added back to the Dodgers' 40-man roster between August and now, which gave him the option to choose free agency by Thursday.

He put up a 3.64 ERA in 10 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, including nine starts, with 36 strikeouts and 21 walks in 47 innings.

Others to have elected free agency, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America, are Scott Baker, Chin-hui Tsao and Eric Surkamp, a trio that combined to allow 20 runs on 30 hits in 21⅓ innings, including nine home runs allowed, with seven walks and 19 strikeouts.

David Huff and Eric Stults are also in that group of those who were sent outright to the minors who can elect free agency by Thursday.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com was the first to report the Beachy news.