We’re roughly a third of the way through the 2023 season. Players have had a couple months to build something of a performance track record that’ll play a role in their future contracts. With that in mind, MLBTR will take a look over the coming days at players whose contracts contain team or mutual options to gauge the early trajectory for those upcoming decisions.
This series kicked off with the NL West last night. Today, we move to the Central.
Chicago Cubs
- Kyle Hendricks: $16MM team option ($1.5MM buyout)
Hendricks has only made two starts this season. The sinkerballer was diagnosed with a capsular tear in his throwing shoulder last August. That required a lengthy rehab process that lingered into this month. The former ERA champion hadn’t been nearly as effective in the two years leading up to the shoulder issues as he was over his first seven seasons. Going back to the start of the 2021 campaign, he owns a 4.75 ERA over 274 2/3 innings. Between that back-of-the-rotation production and the injury, the Cubs seem likely to reallocate the $14.5MM difference between the option price and the buyout.
- Yan Gomes: $6MM team option ($1MM buyout)
Gomes signed a two-year guarantee with Chicago going into the 2022 campaign. Initially tabbed to pair with Willson Contreras, he’s gotten the majority of the playing time alongside Tucker Barnhart this season. Gomes struggled to a .235/.260/.365 line in 86 games during his first season on the North Side. He’s playing better this season, hitting six home runs with a .273/.297/.445 batting line over his first 118 trips to the plate. The $5MM decision is a reasonable price for a veteran backstop hitting at that level, even if Gomes is more of a timeshare player than a true regular at this stage of his career.
- Brad Boxberger: $5MM mutual option ($800K buyout)
Boxberger signed with Chicago after being bought out by the Brewers. The righty has had a tough first couple months. He allowed nine runs with a 13:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 14 2/3 innings. He hit the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain a couple weeks ago. Boxberger is throwing again but figures to miss a decent chunk of action. This is trending towards a Cubs’ buyout.
Cincinnati Reds
- Joey Votto: $20MM team option ($7MM buyout)
Votto is a franchise icon. He’s played his entire 17-season career in Cincinnati and it’s hard to envision him in another uniform. If he’s to stick with the Reds beyond this year, though, it’d almost certainly be at a cheaper price point than the option value. Votto had a below-average .205/.319/.370 batting line last season and hasn’t played this year as he works back from last August’s rotator cuff surgery.
- Wil Myers: $12MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Myers’ first season as a Red hasn’t gone as planned. The offseason signee has started his Cincinnati career with a .189/.257/.283 batting line with three home runs over 141 plate appearances. Perhaps he’ll play well enough this summer the Reds can recoup something in a trade around the deadline. Cincinnati isn’t going to exercise their end of this option short of a massive turnaround, though.
- Curt Casali: $4MM mutual option ($750K buyout)
Casali is part of a three-catcher group in Cincinnati. The veteran backstop has only a .157/.259/.157 line in 60 trips to the plate during his second stint as a Red. The club looks likely to decline their end of the option for the journeyman backstop.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Justin Wilson: $2.5MM team option ($150K buyout)
Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery last June. The Brewers signed him to a big league deal with an eye towards the second half and potentially the ’24 campaign. He’s on the 60-day injured list. This one’s still to be determined.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Jarlín García: $3.25MM team option (no buyout)
García landed in Pittsburgh after being non-tendered by the Giants last winter. His Bucs’ tenure hasn’t gotten off the ground. He suffered a biceps injury in Spring Training, was shut down from throwing entirely for more than a month, and has spent the year on the 60-day injured list. There’s no public clarity on his status.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Paul DeJong: $12.5MM team option ($2MM buyout)
Six weeks ago, this looked like a no-brainer for the Cardinals to buy out. DeJong’s offensive production had absolutely nosedived since 2020. He hit only .196/.280/.351 in over 800 plate appearances between 2020-22. He struggled so badly last season the Cards optioned him to Triple-A for a spell.
The Cards continued to resist calls to move on from DeJong entirely, however. The front office has held out hope he could recapture the productive offensive form he showed through his first few seasons. They’ve been rewarded for their patience to this point in 2023. DeJong has had a surprising resurgence, popping eight home runs in 31 games. His bat has faded a bit in May after a scorching April, but the overall .234/.311/.495 line is 21 percentage points above league average by measure of wRC+. DeJong’s defense has always been above-average, and the offensive bounceback has gotten him back in the starting lineup at shortstop.
DeJong will need to maintain this form over an extended stretch before the Cards get to a point where it’s worthwhile to trigger the option. Tommy Edman and top prospect Masyn Winn are in the organization as potential replacements. Yet DeJong is performing better than any of the impending free agents in a weak shortstop class. That there’s a chance the front office might have to think about this one is a testament to his strong start.
It doesn’t matter if Gomes hits .200, the Cubs would pick up his option because he is great at handling a pitching staff. Exactly the same reason the Astros happily are paying Maldonado 4 million this year.
Mostly agree with Drasco about Gomes and Amaya may be ready to time share with him next year.
I’d be pretty happy to drop Barnhart for Amaya right now to be honest. Barnhart is a pretty good receiver but I’d much rather Amaya learn under Gomes for a year and a half to fine tune his craft.
That’s likely to be the second-half scenario if the Cubs continue to dive. Amaya had never played AAA ball in his injury plagued career, so he’s probably getting acclimated to playing again at that new level before heading up to send Tucker packing.
Agree, no reason to push Amaya… The Cubs aren’t contenders. Let Anaya to crush it in Iowa. And bring him up at some point in the 2nd half. Everyone wanted Mervis up until they didn’t.
I don’t care about Amayas offense, or any catchers for that matter. The only argument to be made for keeping Amaya down in AAA right now is if the Cubs do not want to potentially hinder the development of Brown, Kilian and a handful of other pitchers in Iowa.
A catcher that is really good at game planning, reading swings, has the trust of the pitching staff etc is worth 1/2 run per game easy and that is something Amaya is good at now but should be fine tuning under Gomes who’s great at it.
That seems to be what people are failing to grasp, there are only a small handful of catchers who can give you that elite level of game calling in general, guys who can do that and hit are unicorns. There is no stat for what Maldonado can do behind the plate, dWAR doesn’t calculate calling the right pitch and the right time in the exact right location or being able to calm your pitcher down when he gets shaken up a bit because he has the upmost trust in you. Stroman when referring to Barnhart after his 1 hit shut out, “I didn’t shake him off once”. He went on to say he trusted him to make the right call in every situation and all he has to worry about is execution. That is way more important than a catcher who’s hits well, especially when it’s “he hits well for a catcher”
Garcia can’t even grip a ball yet. Option is cheap enough if he recovers.
Will Cardinal fans ever trust dejong? I will always have doubts after three horrid seasons. Of late DeJong has again fallen off a cliff. The next month will tell. July and the AS game are coming for you Paulie D.
That hot streak came outta nowhere, and for a couple weeks he was the hottest hitter on the planet. After that last big game he had a couple weeks ago it was like the clock struck midnight, and he turned back into a pumpkin. I would be inclined to move on from him. Hope he gets white hot again before the deadline so someone will give STL something worthwhile for him.
trade would probably be dejongs best bet at his option getting picked up, heres to hoping he switches uniforms at the deadline
While he only has a 70 OPS+ over his last 14 games, that’s not absolutely terrible for the small sample size of a two week stretch. Also, his hot steak wasn’t exactly out of nowhere either, as it was a big offseason story on how he had completely reworked his swing.
Add in his defense, and right now, he’s still worth starting almost every game at SS, and he’s likely to be worth that $12.5M option once the season is over, even if it’s just to trade him afterwards.
Meanwhile, if he does get hot again, the Cardinals aren’t going to trade him at the deadline unless they absolutely need to include him in the deal to get some quality starting pitching . Unless they fall out of the race again, which isn’t likely, they’ll need his quality bat and glove in the lineup the whole rest of the season to make a run at the playoffs.
No!!
However he made me some money betting with a family member that he would be back below .239 by June.
The guy is overrated on defense too. He makes the routine but can’t charge a ball or make any athletic play. I don’t understand why he is still starting.
Maybe because two infielders are playing outfield due to injuries.
Cubs will decline both gomes and Hendricks, likely not trading either and they’ll probably be better next year. Same gm who declined Schwarber.
Schwarber wasn’t catching and Gomes has been excellent with the starting staff so far.
Maybe not but the cubs gm has made some bad decisions on impending free agents. Didn’t trade or resign schwarber or even an qo and let Contreras walk, no trade.
Yeah, the Cubs really miss that .160 BA, .312 OBP and sub .700 OPS. His last year withe the Cubs was very similar. He needed a change of scenery. In addition, according to Statcast, he’s the worst outfielder in baseball. Morel>Schwarber.
The Cubs will pick up Hendricks option, especially if Steele’s injury is what we all suspect.
If, as it appears, Hendricks has regained his form, $16M is a bargain. Hendricks wants to stay… If the Cubs didn’t turn it down, I would expect them the resign him. They paying guy $17M for an ERA over 8.00
If Votto really wants to come back, either they’ll have to buy him out and sign him to a $1-$3M deal and call the $7M buyout his extra salary on that year, or they’ll have to void the option year/buyout and make a completely different one year pact- like 1 year/$7M straight up w/ a $3M buyout on a $13M option or something.
That surgery Votto had was major and was two really. I think despite what was said, no one expected him until June at the earliest. I think he played it right by not having expectations and the Reds didn’t either realistically. They should have been honest with the fans though in my opinion.
I honestly think if he does come back, this is it for him. I might be surprised, especially if he kills it when he returns. Joey always has hugh expectations of himself and you know as much as a perfectionist as he is, he won’t be happy if he doesn’t perform up to his expectations.
As far as a future contract if it happens, I think you nailed it.
I think Votto is looking to take a late season curtain call and then ride off into the sunset. I don’t if he’s the type that will announce before hand or not but I bet that’s what we see. DH for a while, mentor the young players, joke with the fans and then just be like “yep, that was it the last day of the season.
I think DeJong will always be one of those hitters (and there is plenty) who hits .220 to .240, but hits 25-40 home runs if he stays healthy. Joc Peterson, Kyle Schwarber, etc.
Even if DeJong has a terrific rest of the season the option should be declined. His track record does not suggest he can sustain his success. Err on the side of caution and use the otht players in the organization.
Agree. No way I’d pick up that option unless he hits 40 home runs this year, it is unlikely to be replicated.
I would rather him be traded and clear up the roster jam as well reduce salary there and spend it on pitching. Edman, Wynn, Donavan, and Gorman got the middle infield we don’t have the ABs
Yes, that’s very possible, but that still means he’s valuable enough to pick up the option first.
I believe in his completely reworked swing over his previous track record in this case.
Gomes is only one I feel gets picked up. Maybe Wilson if he comes back strong.
It’s time for CES & dela-cruz show in cincinnati no time like the present
Personally, I would like to thank Paul DeJong. I bet a family member when DeJong was hitting over .300 to begin May that he would be back in the .230’s by the end of May. So thanks for the easy $100 Pauli’s D.