Dodgers Decline Jedd Gyorko’s Option

The Dodgers have declined their $13MM team option on infielder Jedd Gyorko (h/t to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). He’ll instead receive a $1M buyout.

Today’s news is hardly unexpected. While LA acquired Gyorko from the Cardinals at the trade deadline to bolster their right-handed bench depth, he was never especially likely to cement himself as a long-term option. Injuries limited the veteran to 101 plate appearances between St. Louis and LA, and he was a shell of himself at the plate. Gyorko’s .174/.248/.250 line (36 wRC+) is hardly the platform season he would’ve liked.

That said, Gyorko was a productive player as recently as 2018. Each year from 2016-18, he was around ten percentage points better than a league average hitter. Nothing about his performance jumped off the page, but he was quietly a well-rounded player. Gyorko drew walks at a solid clip, struck out at an average rate, and hit for slightly above-average power. Toss in average defensive metrics at second and third base, and Gyorko was a solid everyday player, albeit not the most exciting.

While Gyorko has some shortstop experience, he’ll presumably be viewed as an insurance option at the corner infield and at second base by suitors. Second base, especially, is rife with veterans who will draw interest on short-term deals, and Gyorko certainly fits in that mix. Still just 31 with productive seasons in the not-too-distant past, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him find a major league deal this winter, although it’ll assuredly be for less than the value of the option the Dodgers declined.