The Blue Jays informed reporters that second baseman Whit Merrifield has become a free agent (relayed by Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic). Both parties declined their end of the $18MM mutual option in his contract. Merrifield will collect a $500K buyout and head to the open market for the first time.
Toronto acquired Merrifield, who turns 35 in January, from the Royals at the 2022 trade deadline. It was a buy-low move for the two-time hits leader, who carried a .240/.290/.352 line at the time. Merrifield turned things around in Canada, hitting .281/.323/.446 down the stretch. He carried that into the first half of this year, posting a .286/.342/.392 slash to secure his third career All-Star nod.
Unlike 2022, Merrifield didn’t perform well in the second half. He limped to a .212/.250/.288 showing from August 1 onward, although his overall season line was still respectable. He concluded the year with a .272/.318/.382 line with 11 home runs through 592 trips to the plate. He stole 26 bases while getting thrown out 10 times.
Merrifield has plus contact skills and is one of the best players in a weak class of free agent middle infielders. He’s arguably the top second baseman available. The White Sox have reportedly identified him as a target, while teams like the Red Sox, Mariners and Pirates could explore the market.
The Jays may remain in that bidding as well. Cavan Biggio, rookie Davis Schneider and Otto López are among the in-house options. They’re certainly not going to offer Merrifield a salary approaching $18MM on an annual basis, but a two-year pact at a lesser value could be attainable. Jean Segura landed a $17MM guarantee over two years last winter when he was coming off a .277/.336/.387 platform showing.
Someone remind me how Merrifield’s mutual option worked? Like, if one side declined but one side wanted it picked up, what would happen? I can’t imagine Merrifield voluntarily declined $18M- unless it’s a formality? Could he have picked it up even if the Jays declined?
Basically- what would have happened if one side declined and one side wanted to trigger it?
Then it’s declined. Both sides have to agree to a mutual option.
And the buyout applies either way?
I guess the reason I ask is that I find it hard to believe that Merrifield would decline $18M at this point in his career, unless it’s like a pride thing of he knows it’s getting declined, no reason to even do a symbolic action of picking up his side of the option, since it’ll be bought out anyway.
buyout happens no matter what
It didnt matter either way about if both or either decline its a more of … hey we are firing you … well i quit then ….
I think with whats out there currently, he probably makes more overall anyways. maybe 2/25 or something like that . Nothing earth shatteringly different but still more guaranteed.
Honestly i cant remember a mutual option being accepted. Was Tim Wakefield’s deal in the latter years mutual or another type of option?
That’s why it’s called mutual
In that case, I am pretty sure that he becomes a free agent since both sides didn’t pick it up. I am confused how many players decline the option when they should pick it up since the team will decline it. Often, the player declines it before the team even announces their decision. I’m not seeing what’s in it for the player.
What’s in it for Merrifield? Easy. Its a weak FA market for middle infielders, and he’s the best of the bunch. As he is getting older, and only has a few years left, he wants to max his earnings. He’s hedging his bet. He can play one year at $18MM (if TOR agreed) and become a FA one year older, and with an unknown platform season and unknown FA competition. Or, He can decline the option because he’d struggled at the end of the year, but still put up decent overall numbers to put him at/near the top of this years crop. I’m guessing 2/$30mm to be what he’s shooting for.
The mutual option was Dayton Moore’s favorite contract. It’s basically just a guaranteed buyout and less direct way of letting a player walk. Don’t know why DM loved them so much but there were a ton during his Royals tenure
More like Toronto said we ain’t gonna pay u 18mil and then Whitfield said – I didn’t want your 18 mil anyway lol. Knowin he woulda took it if coulda
This is why I think it’s like a face saving thing- because there are those situations where there’s separate team and player options and either side can pick their’s up or something like that. Like a team has an option for $15M and a player has an option for $7.5M and the team declines their option but the player picks their’s up because it’s discounted, etc.
I mean, I guess it is what it is- both sides need to pick up the option for it to become activated and if one side declines, that’s that, so the other side declining is a formality.
And yes I am also certain if Merrifield could have activated that $18M and locked it in unilaterally, he would have.
Maybe he was subtly saying “Ha, you don’t want me? I don’t want you first,
so there!”
I wouldn’t put that past him. He does come off as a spoiled child.
That’s a great question. Once one side declines, what is the point in the other side even having to make a decision? Unless it’s some sort of blind process like the waiver wire. In that case, the only reason I could see Merrifield declining his end is that he knows there is no way the team was going to pick it up and he declined his end in a bit of a declaration of his worth to the market.
it’s mostly a way to move one seasons payroll over to another. the stars have to aline perfectly for one of those to be accepted by both
Maybe 2 years 30 mil w/ 3rd year option
There’s no way anybody is giving Merrifield a $15M salary for one year, let alone two years.
I think he was worth his actual salaries prior to that one year option. He could absolutely get 1 year/$7M or 2 years/$13.5M or something like that, but he hasn’t shown the consistency to merit salaries above that price point.
White Sox will. Lol
Ugh….Then pick up TA’s option and have a middle infield OBA that’s sub .300
If Muncy only got 2/24, I agree. 2/30 for Whit is a bit extreme. Even with his midsummer hot streak. Then fall off.
The mutual option in my mind has to be the dumbest thing out there. In a situation were the team picks it up, the player played great and would get equal to plus value on the market and declines. If the player picks it up he played bad and the team declines. Its incrediblely unlikely that the value on the option is in a place were both parties say, god dang that sounds just about right lol. In my mind the only value a mutual option holds is pushing some of the contract value into the next year
Yeah it seems extremely rare that a mutual option is at a price point where the club feels they are getting fair to surplus value and the player feels like they’re getting fair to surplus salary and they couldn’t beat it on the open market.
Welcoming Whit to the White Sox, where former Royals come to Dye. It did work out well with Jermaine once upon a time.
But not Teahen who’s primary redeeming quality was his bulldogs social media page
Whit Merrifield cooked?
While his wife cleaned
Now that’s a proper egalitarian 50/50 marriage !
no that was Bass’s wife, wait no the airline worker
Segura’s contract seems kind of crazy as an expectation for Merrifield. Segura was entering his age 33 season and had been at least a decent hitter the previous three seasons. His peripherals weren’t great but at least way better than Merrifield’s. Plus, Segura’s contract didn’t work out so well. I thought Josh Harrison’s $2m one year deal is more of what Merrifield could expect. Harrison was better at that plate and in the field in his age 32-34 seasons and had more positional versatility than Merrifield. Merrifield might bring more of a running game than Harrison did at that point in his career, though that’s really slipping for Merrifield and you don’t really want to set him loose on the basepaths at this point anyway.
Let’s go White Sox!
almost said chaim lol. its craig now
This guy reminds me of Alex Rios the season before his option was declined by Texas. He was a similar age and was an empty average guy who lost all his power suddenly.
On a related note, the Rios waiver claim/trade for Leury was still an excellent waiver claim, behind only Carlos Gomez and Adolis Garcia in recent memory.
So what they are really saying is the Blue Jays said Bye Bye, here is your $500k and he said, ok. He really didn’t have a choice and after his past 2 seasons its not like he will get more than the $18 million option on the open market.
Whit was also very outspoken about the Berrios decision (among others) and in my experience the decision makers don’t usually take too kindly to players openly criticizing their decisions. This move by both parties doesn’t surprise me at all. Sadly Whit’s outspoken stance may actually have a negative impact on what other teams are willing to offer him. Why bring a player onto your team who has a history of questioning leadership decisions regardless if they are good, bad or indifferent. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Don’t give a Whit if he can hit, can Merri field?
Whit the hit where are you going next year? Playing for a contender definitely sparked him….sona one or two year deal for Texas/Houston/Tampa/LA would be my guess unless Uncle Stevie is buying up the lot this off-season.
Great target for the Braves to consider upgrading LF. Prob gonna be too expensive for the Braves and honestly couldn’t tell you how great his defense is in the outfield (I’m sure fine enough). But historically a high contact guy, something that I think would be pretty valuable for a team that has a lot of inconsistency at that position
Braves has something other teams don’t. They are close to home for him. About 5 hours for the SC native.
Decline the 2 CLOWNS…shapiro and HIS CARRY ON BAGGAGE, USELESS atkins !!!
Please ROGERS FIRE THESE 2 CLOWNS !!!
Still trying this, huh? A guess but I don’t think it’s working.
Remember shapiro and useless atkins Team GETTING BOOED BY TORONTO FANS AT HOME THIS SEASON !!!
FIRE shapiro and HIS USELESS CARRY ON BAGGAGE atkins !!!
Still trying this, eh? Maybe you should TRY USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? THAT MIGHT NOT WORK, TOO.
Anyway, good luck.
GRE
If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s not going to happen until next off season.
After the Marlins traded Segura to Cleveland and they immediately set him free, I was surprised no team, and especially a contender, reached out and signed Segura,
He was a good player during his time in Philly. Heck, I was even more surprised that the Phillies didn’t grab him. After watching our putrid performance with RISP during our playoff battle with the D-Backs when a simple ground ball would have scored a run, that would have been the perfect spot for someone like Segura. Instead, I had to watch the likes of Jake Cave and Johan Rojas flail away and strike out.
Farhan on line one like “we will give him 6 million with a 10 million player option that only kicks in if he gets injured. Also we want him to play shortstop and first base”
I remember seeing all over this thing people stating Whit was better than Altuve. That aged well LOL
> I remember seeing all over this thing people
Oh right! I remember people! It’s been so long since I saw any that I almost forgot about them.
He is clearly on the decline, and heading towards the twilight of his career. Look for the mariners to pick him up, as a less expensive addition, snd hope he can bounce back for one year.
Too bad we couldn’t decline Atkins for the GM position.
Two hit whit is a piece of $hit
Pirates are not in the market for a second baseman.
They already have 58 of them.
Surprised Whit Merrifield (0.8 WAR) would decline his portion of a $18 million option.