With both trade deadlines having passed and the regular season nearing an end, most major league teams are now preparing themselves for the upcoming winter. Once the offseason begins, eight teams will have decisions to make on position players whose contracts include club options for 2019. Let’s assess where those players stand with just four weeks left until the playoffs…
Brian McCann, C, Astros – $15MM option, no buyout: McCann’s option would have vested had he amassed 1,000 PAs from 2017-18, started 90 games behind the plate this year and avoided ending the season on the disabled list. But the 34-year-old definitely won’t meet the first two requirements, thanks in part to July knee surgery that kept him out until this past weekend. While McCann won’t be able to control his fate at season’s end, the Astros will still be able to bring him back. That’s not going to happen, though, at least not at McCann’s $15MM price tag. The seven-time All-Star was an important part of the Astros’ World Series-winning team a year ago, but he has struggled to a personal-worst .203/.277/.316 batting line through 177 PAs this season, and the power he has shown off throughout his career hasn’t been present (five home runs, .114 ISO).
Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees – $12.5MM option, $2MM buyout: Underrated throughout his career, Gardner is amid his sixth straight season of at least 2.5 fWAR, though his offensive numbers have dipped a bit. Gardner has only managed a .237/.327/.373 (93 wRC+) line in 541 PAs, but he has swatted 12 homers and stolen 13 bags. As has been the case for most of his career, the 34-year-old has provided significant value as a baserunner and defender. Gardner’s also a well-regarded clubhouse presence, though it’s hardly a lock that the career-long Yankee will once again wear pinstripes in 2019. The Yankees have several other high-profile corner outfielders under control – including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, youngster Clint Frazier and the expensive, injury-laden Jacoby Ellsbury – and may even pursue Bryce Harper in free agency. It’s unclear how Gardner’s future will shake out, then, but it’s possible the Yankees will pick up the 35-year-old’s option and attempt to deal him. Gardner may well have trade value on what will essentially be a one-year deal, especially if the Yankees pay down some of the remaining cash.
Gerardo Parra, OF, Rockies – $12MM option, $1.5MM buyout: Parra has managed minus-1.8 fWAR and minus-2.1 rWAR in 1,202 PAs as a Rockie, making the three-year, $27.5MM guarantee they gave him entering the 2016 campaign a regrettable decision. It’ll be a shock if the Rockies don’t buy the 31-year-old out after the season.
Josh Harrison, 2B/3B/OF, Pirates – $10.5MM option, $1MM buyout: A Pirate since 2011, Harrison may be in his final weeks with the club. Across an injury-limited 351 PAs this season, the 31-year-old has slumped to a .255/.298/.360 showing with little power (seven HRs .106 ISO). Pittsburgh may be inclined to buy out Harrison, then, especially considering it’s a low-payroll team with younger, cheaper second base options in the fold, including Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman.
Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays – $8MM option, $250K buyout – Formerly a top prospect with the Mariners, Smoak’s career looked like a disappointment for a while, but he has finally broken out as a hitter over the past couple years in Toronto. Dating back to 2017, Smoak has totaled a Blue Jays-best 1,163 PAs and slashed .261/.356/.505 (129 wRC+) with 61 home runs, including 23 in 526 trips to the plate this season. So, even though the value of Smoak’s 2019 option has jumped from $6MM to $8MM this year, it should still be an easy one for Toronto to exercise.
David Freese, 3B/1B, Dodgers – $6MM option, $500K buyout: Since debuting in earnest with the Cardinals in 2010, Freese – whom the Dodgers just acquired from the Pirates – has always offered respectable offensive production. That has once again been the case this year, as the onetime World Series hero with St. Louis has posted a .283/.338/.443 line with nine HRs in a part-time role (269 PAs). Freese has also earned plus marks at the hot corner dating back to 2016, having combined for 15 Defensive Runs Saved (two this season) and a 9.9 Ultimate Zone Rating (2.7 in 2018). At worst, Freese is a valuable bench piece, but whether he’s valuable enough for the Dodgers to shell out $6MM next year is another question. The Dodgers are known for their depth, and they won’t be nearly as worried about spending under the competitive-balance tax threshold in 2019 – two factors that work in Freese’s favor. However, barring injuries to Justin Turner (who, granted, has only played in 77 games this year), they’re set at third base.
Jung Ho Kang, INF, Pirates – $5.5MM option, $250K buyout: Kang’s issues with drinking and driving in his native South Korea are well known, and as a result, he hasn’t played in the majors since 2016. The 31-year-old did return to the minor leagues this season after missing all of 2017, though his season ended in August on account of left wrist surgery; it’s possible that procedure also concluded his on-field tenure with the Pittsburgh organization. While Kang’s option for 2019 isn’t all that expensive, and he was a key contributor to the Pirates from 2015-16, it’s a decent bet the team will buy him out because of the off-field headaches he has caused.
Yangervis Solarte, INF, Blue Jays – $5.5MM option, $750K buyout: Acquired from the Padres last offseason, Solarte’s first year with the Blue Jays began well, but it has gone downhill over the past couple months. To his credit, Solarte has slugged 17 home runs and limited strikeouts (14.4 percent), but he has nonetheless hit an unimpressive .233/.287/.397 and recorded minus-0.6 fWAR over 471 PAs. The 31-year-old also hasn’t taken the field since Aug. 11 because of an oblique strain. With Josh Donaldson out of the picture, perhaps the Jays will keep Solarte around next year as an affordable third base option, though superstar prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be in the fold by then. In the event Toronto does pick up Solarte’s option and retain him, it’ll be in this same position with him heading into 2020, when he’ll have an $8MM club option or a $750K buyout.
Brandon Guyer, OF, Indians – $3MM option, $250K buyout: Guyer’s overall production has cratered since 2017, including his .191/.282/.357 showing in 177 PAs this year. However, the right-hander has been tough on southpaws (.233/.355/.467 in 107 PAs), which has typically been the case during his career. But that may not necessarily be enough for the Tribe to bring the soon-to-be 33-year-old Guyer back for $3MM.
Robinson Chirinos, C, Rangers – $2.375MM option, $1MM buyout: Going by wRC+ (107), Chirinos is in the midst of his fourth consecutive above-average offensive season. The 34-year-old has slashed .218/.337/.429 and shown off considerable power (17 homers, .211 ISO) over a career-high 377 PAs, though his strikeout rate has spiked to 34.5 percent (up from 26 percent lifetime). Still, despite Chirinos’ strikeout surge and his poor defensive numbers, his offensive production is well worth the price of next year’s option.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see Gardner’s option picked up and then see the Yankees move him in a trade. Judge, Hicks, Frazier, Stanton are the Yankees outfield of the future and the possibility of bringing back McCutchen or signing Harper are options. Gardner could become expendable.
Who is going to pay a 36YO OF that has declined to league average, or possibly below 12.5m and give anything up worthwhile?
NY will have to heavily subsidize the salary to move him. Think they keep him around for 2 reasons.. 1) NY is sentimental to LT players (rightfully) and 2) He’s still a fairly solid glove and capable of playing all the OF positions in case 1 of the kids does not work out, or injury. Expensive insurance? Yes, but he’s a NYY lifer IMO.
Damn, Gardner started out as a 34-year-old at the start of the article, aged to 35 by the end of the article, and now is 36.
Agreed. He’s Bernie Williams-lite without the multiple WS rings. As long as he can still run and field, he’s going to retire a Yankee. I can’t imagine NYY trading him.
The Jays should have traded Smoak as well.
Maybe find a taker this winter, Pillar and Travis as well
I mean if they’re rebuilding, trading Smoak isn’t a terrible idea. I don’t think they’re gonna get much for Pillar though…
Agreed. Jays also can’t be picking up Solarte’s option.
Problem with trading Smoak is that there isn’t really a 1B market out there these days. Smoak has been very good this year (better than Encarnacion, as it turns out) but the Jays are unlikely to get a return on him that beats the value he can provide to the club over the next few years.
What “value”
We need to lose next year. Not have serviceable players keep us afloat in 3rd behind yanks and redsox
Pillar has tons of value to a playoff team looking to shore up its outfield D
Im sure theres a team out there for travis as well. I hear Milwaukee needs a SS
Not sure how much value Gardner will have at 35 with one year of control at a high salary. They will probably be better off keeping him. Frankly, considering the Shane Robinson debacle this year, they should not only keep Gardner but find another capable player to bring in and plug in in the outfield as needed.
Im not sure they’ll need to bring in another OF. They have three MLB level OFs on the DL right now. I would doubt such a thing happening next year with the same group of guys. Last thing you want is too many 25 man spots devoted to your OF. The only one who could be reasonably sent down would be Frazier, but someone like Ellsbury cant be sent down. I agree that they should keep Gardner around for insurance purposes but getting another on top of that might be overkill. And who knows, maybe by next year there will be a breakout OFer in the minors that could deserve a call up
Agreed. I would pick up the option and keep him. With the way these injuries you need the depth. Maybe they give the LF job to Frazier, and use Gardner as a 4th OF who can spell the others here and there. Defensive sub, pinch runner, spot starter, etc. plenty of options to use him. I could see them instead going after Machado and moving Andjuar to 1b.
I would decline to option and try to resign him at a lower rate on a two year deal as a fourth outfielder. Bring up Frazier and release Ellsbury.
Bryce Harper would be an amazing add-on for the Yankees, but that outfield is already stacked. The Judge, Harper, and Stanton trio would still need CF help in Hicks. And that would make Gardener, Frazier, McCutchen, Ellsbury, and others expandable.
As long as they don’t expand to Bartolo proportions…
LOL. However, those proportions still pitch. Which Ichiro gone, he’s the last big leaguer left who’s my age = (
I still wonder why the idea of putting Stanton at first base hasn’t been seriously considered. He WAS drafted as a first baseman, even though he hasn’t played there in quite awhile. Still, that’s easier than converting somebody to 1B that’s never played it, and still better than Greg Bird.
If Stanton is moved to 1B/DH, that opens up a spot in the outfield for either Gardner/Hicks/Ellsbury/Frazier or a free agent signing, whether it’s Harper or somebody else.
He’s never ever played 1b in his professional career. Maybe took some gbs in some instructs, that we aren’t privy to, but that point is moot. That said it’s always easier to move a corner inf down the spectrum than an career long OF unless he’s also spent time in the minors there.
Probably because he wants to play the OF. I don’t think the Yankees are going write off Greg Bird yet.
I’m always a bit surprised at Gardner’s lack of trade value. As far as WAR he outproduces his contract every year.
Seattle outfielder Denard Span, who in 74 games with the Mariners has posted a .295/.338/.473/.811 line and 1.1 fWAR, might be worth the net $8 million option for 2019 ($12 million option or a $4 million buyout).
Brett Gardner and Denard Span provide interesting comps of lefthanded center fielders who in recent years spend more time in left field.
Gardner, who is six months older than Span, has more value as the superior defender but here are some career stats:
BG 1340 G, 5377 PA, .261/.345/.391/.736, 254 SB, 58 CS, 99 OPS+, 33.0 fWAR, 37.7 bWAR
DS 1339 G, 5894 PA, .282/.348/.399/.747, 183 SB, 58 CS, 104 OPS+, 28.1 fWAR, 26.3 bWAR
In terms of picking up the respective options, the Mariners have more room in their outfield for Span than the Yankees have in their outfield for Gardner.
It’s a breath of fresh air watching Span hit. He’s a serious veteran that has a high IQ. He is the only hitter not named to Robinson Cano (and some extent Mitch Haniger) that can foul off multiple pitches and works a long at bat.
Really a couple of no-brainer decisions for the Pirates to buy out Harrison and Kang. If Kang is smart, he takes an incentive-laden deal to stay in Pittsburgh…. that is, assuming the Bucs want him back. As for Harrison, it’s time for him to move on.
Puzzling that they didn’t trade Harrison while he had value.
Guyer has been tough on southpaws? Really? So a .233 BA is now considered being tough? My, how standards have fallen.
Tribe needs to jettison this guy the day after this season ends.
Beat me to it, I saw “However, the right-hander has been tough on southpaws (.233/.355/.467 in 107 PAs)” and wondered when that became “tough”? SMH
An OPS above .800 against them. That is not a guy you want a lefty facing. There’s more to slash lines than just average and Guyer versus lefties proves that.
Have you actually watched him play? He’s a waste of valuable $$$.
I won’t argue that he’s worth the money because if he can only be the weak side of a platoon, you do probably want him to hit at a stronger clip. But at the very least, he’s been no slouch against lefties. He gets on base against them and has power. I just don’t think going after the writer about the word choice is appropriate here. From a pure production standpoint, he has been “tough” on lefties.
Agreed Tribe. A team like Cleveland can’t be spending $$$ on a guy that sucks and plays part-time. Guys like Guyer are replaceable for less money. Indians have other players they need to focus on keeping beyond this year.
It’s so frustrating when people only look at one stat for determining a player’s value. Especially when that stat is batting average
“So a .233 BA is now considered being tough?”
Perhaps the folks doing the considering are looking at better, more important numbers than BA. When you base an argument for or against a player or players on BA it’s like a large, flashing, neon sign attached to your post which reads, “No need to take me seriously.”
Congrats. You’re a champion for fringe major league players. No need to take majorflaw seriously when pumping up the Brandon Guyers because he likes to take walks.
No, he really likes to get hit by pitches.
I based my argument on having to watch him all season.
Tribe will see most of their OF depart in free agency, and the only one they should attempt to keep is Brantley. Davis, Guyer, and Chisenhall all need the bum’s rush out the door – never to return. Melky Cabrera is giving them some value, but CLE can and SHOULD do better in the FA market.
Seems pretty likely one of the reasons the Dodgers traded for Freese was because of his option. He can spell Turner at 3B, platoon with Muncy at 1B, giving Bellinger more playing time in the OF. I’d be surprised if they did not exercise the option. Worst case scenario (assuming no injury or major decline) is he becomes good trade material.
I think it’s pretty easy to envision them picking up the option. I think it’s a no brainer as you alluded to. Especially, with the given fact that he’s really one of the few that can play 3b in the higher org and can be run out there for an extended period of time, if need be. 6 M seems reasonable especially with their willingness to pick up Forsythe’s option in hopes for depth/trade last offseason.
If the Yankees pick up Gardner’s option! they won’t be able to trade him without his permission. He has 10-5 rights.
Came here to look for this. Wasn’t sure because it doesn’t seem he was on the roster the full year in 2008 and maybe 2009? We need an updated list of players with ten and five rights on this site, the best I could find was from 2011.
baseball-reference posts service time. Gardner started 2018 with 9 years and 72 days of service time. So he’s way past 10 by now.
Where’s Denard Span?
I would accept Solarte, Smoak, and Chirinos.
And maybe Freese.
it’s possible the Yankees will pick up the 35-year-old’s option and attempt to deal him.
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No, it’s not possible…on account that Gardner has 10 and 5 rights.
Not that any of this matters: the Yankees will happily keep Gardner, they wouldn’t deal him even if they could.
According to BR, Goldschmidt should be on this list, too, with a $14.5M option or a $2M buyout.
i think Silverschmidt (nickname he was given by a local espn dj) not included on this list because the d-backs are going to automatically going to pick him up he is the face of the d-backs after all