How each team and player option decision played out

How each team and player option decision played out

November 7th, 2023

The deadline by which players and teams must make option decisions for the 2024 season comes just five days after the conclusion of the World Series. This includes opt-outs, player options, club options and mutual options.

Here’s a list of players with 2024 options sorted by option type.

OPT-OUTS

, SS, Tigers
Four years left on six-year, $140 million deal
It was all but guaranteed that Báez wouldn't opt out given his struggles over the first two years of his contract with Detroit. The shortstop has slashed .230/.273/.361 (77 OPS+) over 280 games in a Tigers uniform. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, 1B, Marlins
One year left on two-year, $33 million deal
Bell signed with the Guardians last offseason, but Cleveland traded him to Miami less than a year into his two-year contract. The first baseman, who is guaranteed $16.5 million in 2024, slashed .247/.325/.419 with 22 homers and 74 RBIs over 150 games between the two teams in 2023. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, OF, Giants
One year left on two-year, $36 million deal
After missing all of 2022 while recovering from right shoulder surgery, Conforto signed a deal with the Giants that gave him the opportunity to test free agency again after Year 1. The 30-year-old produced 15 homers and a .718 OPS over 125 games in 2023. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, SP, Rangers
One year left on two-year, $25 million deal
Heaney took a step back after recording personal bests in ERA (3.10), WHIP (1.09), K/9 (13.6) and K/BB ratio (5.79) in 72 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2022. The lefty posted a 4.15 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP, a 9.2 K/9 and a 2.52 K/BB ratio over 147 1/3 innings in his first year with the Rangers. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, SP/RP, Giants
One year left on two-year, $25 million deal
Manaea spent most of this season filling a long relief role for San Francisco, notching a 4.44 ERA with 128 K’s over 117 2/3 innings spanning 37 appearances (10 starts). (UPDATE: OPTED OUT)

, SP, Tigers
Three years left on five-year, $77 million deal
It’s uncertain whether Rodriguez will opt out after a strong second season (3.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) with the Tigers. He’d likely get more money on the open market than what’s left on his current deal ($49 million over three years), but he has made it clear how happy he and his family are in Detroit. The lefty opted to stay with the team at the Deadline, vetoing a trade that would have sent him to the Dodgers. MLB Network insider reported on Nov. 3 that the Tigers and Rodriguez "remained in discussions about potentially restructuring his contract." Rodriguez has a Nov. 4 deadline to exercise his opt-out clause. (UPDATE: OPTED OUT)

, LHP, Cubs
One year left on two-year, $19 million deal
Smyly will return to the Cubs in 2024 after pitching to a 5.00 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP and a 4.96 FIP over 142 1/3 innings this past season. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, OF, Marlins
One year left on three-year, $36 million deal
Soler didn’t exercise his opt-out last offseason, but his stock is in a much stronger place this time around after he rebounded from an injury-plagued 2022 campaign to hit 36 homers with an .853 OPS. He was slated to earn $13 million in 2024 after reaching several plate-appearance incentives this past season. (UPDATE: OPTED OUT)

, SP/RP, Giants
One year left on two-year, $25 million deal
Coming off a 3.01 ERA over a career-high 134 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2022, Stripling pitched to a 5.36 ERA in 89 innings spanning 22 games (11 starts) in his first season with the Giants. (UPDATE: NOT OPTING OUT)

, SP, Cubs
One year left on three-year, $71 million deal
Stroman's lengthy track record of success as a big league starter would make him an attractive free agent. But after missing more than a month due to injuries during the summer and recording an 8.29 ERA in his final 11 appearances of 2023, it's possible he'll choose to return to the Cubs for the final year on his deal. (UPDATE: OPTED OUT)

PLAYER OPTIONS

, DH, Padres
$5.5 million player option
Carpenter, who turns 38 in November, signed with the Padres on the heels of a surprising .305/.412/.727 slash with 15 homers in 154 plate appearances for the Yankees a year ago. He produced just five homers and a .641 OPS over 237 PAs in 2023. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, SP, Padres
$7.5 million player option
After pitching mostly in relief from 2018-22, Lugo proved he could handle a full-time starting role in 2023, notching a 3.57 ERA and a 3.89 K/BB ratio over 26 starts. The performance sets up the righty to earn a bigger payday on the free-agent market this offseason. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, C, Mets
$7 million player option
Narváez played just 49 games in 2023, missing two months with a left calf injury and spending the rest of the time in a backup role behind youngster Francisco Alvarez. He finished with an OPS below .600 for the second straight season. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Astros
$8.5 million player option ($1 million buyout)
The two-year deal Neris signed after 2021 has worked out well for Houston. The veteran righty was a key member of the team’s World Series title-winning bullpen a year ago and has posted a 2.69 ERA over 141 regular-season appearances in an Astros uniform. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Mets
$6.75 million player option
Ottavino was one of the Mets’ best relievers in 2023, posting a 3.21 ERA with 62 K’s and 12 saves over 66 appearances. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, DH, Red Sox
$13.4 million player option ($6.7 million buyout)
The uniform and position may have been different, with Turner departing the Dodgers to sign with the Red Sox and moving off third base, but the veteran’s bat remained productive in 2023. Turner played 146 games for Boston and had 23 homers, 96 RBIs and an .800 OPS. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

CLUB OPTIONS

, SS, White Sox
$14 million club option ($1 million buyout)
Anderson’s 2024 club option seemed like it would be a no-brainer for the White Sox last offseason, when the shortstop was coming off a four-year stretch in which he hit .318 with 51 homers, 53 steals and 12.5 WAR. But Chicago is now likely to decline it after Anderson put up a .245 batting average with minimal power (one homer, .296 SLG) and -2.0 WAR as a 30-year-old in 2023. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Marlins
$9 million club option ($2.75 million buyout)
Traded from the Red Sox to the Marlins last offseason, Barnes dealt with a left hip impingement and threw just 21 1/3 innings with a 5.48 ERA for Miami in 2023. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, OF, Tigers
$11.5 million club option ($2 million buyout)
Traded from the Mets to the Brewers prior to the Deadline, Canha gave Milwaukee’s offense a much-needed boost with a .287/.373/.427 slash and 33 RBIs over 50 games. He was traded to the Tigers in exchange for Minor League RHP Blake Holub on Nov. 4. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Brewers
$7.25 million club option ($750,000 buyout)
Chafin struggled after a Trade Deadline move from the D-backs to the Brewers and finished the season with a 4.73 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP and a 2.25 K/BB ratio. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP, Giants
$10 million club option ($2 million buyout)
Cobb faded down the stretch after earning his first All-Star selection in 2023, but he made 28 starts and had a 3.87 ERA in the second year of his two-year, $20 million deal. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, SP, Marlins
$10.5 million club option ($2.5 million buyout)
After putting up a 3.35 ERA for the White Sox in 2022, Cueto made only 13 appearances (10 starts) and registered a 6.02 ERA for the Marlins in his age-37 season, allowing 15 homers in just 52 1/3 innings. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, 3B, Angels
$9 million club option ($500,000 buyout)
Escobar hit .226 with six homers and a .613 OPS over 309 plate appearances in 2023, including a .563 OPS after being traded from the Mets to the Angels in June. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Pirates
$3.25 million club option
García signed a one-year deal with the Pirates last offseason but never threw a pitch for the team in 2023, missing the entire season with a nerve issue in his left arm. The southpaw reliever has limited left-handed batters to a .605 OPS during his career. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, C, Cubs
$6 million club option ($1 million buyout)
The 36-year-old Gomes saw more playing time in 2023 after the departure of Willson Contreras as a free agent. He hit .267 with 10 homers and a .723 OPS over 116 games and could be brought back to continue his tutelage of young backstop Miguel Amaya. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Blue Jays
$27 million club option for 2024-26/$6.25 million player option for 2024/$21 million club option for 2024-25
The contract Green signed with the Blue Jays while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery last offseason has a unique structure. If Toronto declines to pick up Green’s three-year club option, the right-hander will get a one-year player option. If he declines that, the team will then have the option to keep him around for $21 million over the next two years. He made 12 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2023 and showed flashes of his pre-injury form, striking out 16 batters with four walks in 12 innings. (UPDATE: 2024-25 OPTIONS EXERCISED)

, SP, Cubs
$16 million club option ($1.5 million buyout)
Hendricks returned from a right shoulder injury to post a 3.74 ERA over 24 starts in 2023, down from a 4.78 ERA across 2021-22. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, White Sox
$15 million club option ($15 million buyout)
Hendriks made an emotional return from cancer in 2023, but his season was cut short after five appearances when he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery. With Hendriks unlikely to pitch until late in the 2024 season at the earliest, the White Sox declined Hendriks' option on Nov. 3. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Dodgers
$6.5 million club option
Hudson returned from a torn ACL in his left knee in June but made just three appearances before spraining the MCL in his other knee. He’ll be 37 on Opening Day in 2024. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, C, Tigers
$3.5 million club option
Kelly landed with the Tigers in August after being released by the D-backs, but he didn’t do much to impress during his short time with Detroit, hitting .173 with one homer and a .540 OPS in 18 games. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Dodgers
$9.5 million club option ($1 million buyout)
Kelly was dominant over 11 appearances (1.74 ERA, 16.5 K/9) after joining the Dodgers in a Trade Deadline deal along with Lance Lynn. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, OF, Twins
$10 million club option ($1 million buyout)
After three straight lackluster seasons, during which he recorded a collective 97 OPS+, Kepler was one of the Twins’ best hitters in 2023. Appearing in 130 games, he recorded a team-leading 24 homers and 66 RBIs and finished with a 121 OPS+. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, 2B, Phillies
$13 million club option ($1 million buyout)
Kingery memorably signed a six-year, $24 million contract (with club options in 2024-26) with the Phillies before making his MLB debut in 2018, but he has played only 325 games in the Majors, including just 16 combined over the past three years. The 29-year-old owns a career .229/.280/.387 slash. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP, Red Sox
$11 million club option
The Red Sox brought in Kluber on a one-year deal last offseason to bolster their shaky rotation, but he ended up allowing 43 earned runs in 55 innings (7.04 ERA). The two-time Cy Young Award has posted a 4.80 ERA for five teams since the beginning of 2019. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Rangers
$6.25 million club option ($500,000 buyout)
Exercising Leclerc’s option is an easy call for the Rangers. After making just two appearances across 2020-21, the right-hander has returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 2.75 ERA and a 10.4 K/9 over the past two years. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Angels
$7.5 million club option ($2 million buyout)
Loup isn’t far removed from posting a sub-1.00 ERA for the Mets in 2021, but he finished 2023 -- his second year in a two-year deal with the Halos -- with a 6.10 ERA, allowing 65 hits in 48 2/3 innings. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP, Dodgers
$18 million club option ($1 million buyout)
Lynn’s performance improved after a summer trade from the White Sox to the Dodgers, but he still finished the year having recorded a 5.73 ERA with an MLB-high 44 home runs allowed. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP/RP, Padres
$32 million club option for 2024-25/$16 million player option for 2024-25
After four years in Japan, Martinez has rejuvenated his MLB career as a valuable swingman with the Padres over the past two seasons, recording a 3.45 ERA with 201 K’s over 216 2/3 innings spanning 110 appearances (19 starts). Per the terms of Martinez’s contract, the Padres must exercise or decline his 2024-25 club options simultaneously. If San Diego declines, Martinez will have player options for 2024-25 (which also need to be decided on simultaneously) that guarantee him $16 million. (UPDATE: OPTIONS DECLINED)

, RP, Braves
$6 million club option ($1 million buyout)
McHugh’s performance sharply declined in 2023, as he pitched to a 4.30 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP and a 2.14 K/BB ratio (2.09 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 5.73 K/BB in 2021-22). The 36-year-old also made two trips to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP, Braves
$20 million club option
The Braves initially signed Morton after the 2020 season and have brought him back for two subsequent years. The veteran has recorded a 3.77 ERA with 604 strikeouts over 521 innings in the past three seasons. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, 3B, Dodgers
$14 million club option
Muncy slugged 36 homers with 105 RBIs and an .808 OPS over 135 games in 2023. While the 33-year-old doesn’t hit for average, he walks a ton and has reached the 35-homer mark in four of the past five full seasons. (UPDATE: SIGNED TWO-YEAR EXTENSION WITH 2026 CLUB OPTION)

, 2B, Twins
$10.5 million club option ($1 million buyout)
Injuries limited Polanco to 184 games across 2022-23, but he remained productive, recording 4.8 WAR, 30 homers and a 115 OPS+. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Mets
$6.5 million club option ($1.25 million buyout)
The Mets opted not to trade Raley at the Deadline amidst a host of other moves, which suggests they’re likely to bring him back for 2024. The lefty racked up 25 holds and posted a 2.80 ERA over 66 appearances for New York in 2023. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, RP, Dodgers
$3 million club option
A former top prospect, Reyes has made just 101 career appearances in the Majors due to a litany of injury problems. The right-hander signed with the Dodgers last offseason, but he underwent shoulder surgery -- his second in 13 months -- in June and won’t be available until at least midseason 2024. He hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since his 2021 All-Star season as the Cardinals’ closer. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, OF, Nationals
$3.3 million club option
Robles looked to be a key part of Washington’s future when he produced 17 homers, 28 steals and 4.4 WAR while playing sparkling center-field defense as a 22-year-old in 2019, but he has been unable to reach those heights again. He has produced just 1.3 WAR combined in the past four years. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Red Sox
$4.25 million club option ($500,000 buyout)
Injuries limited Rodríguez to 11 appearances in 2023, and he didn’t do much to impress when he was healthy enough to pitch. The lefty allowed eight earned runs and had a 1.73 WHIP over 11 innings. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, OF, Braves
$9 million club option
Rosario rebounded from an injury-plagued 2022 campaign and returned to post the type of season we’ve come to expect from him: 21 homers, 74 RBIs and a .255/.305/.450 slash (100 OPS+). The Braves did not, however, pick up his $9 million option for 2024. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RHP, A’s
$5 million club option
Rucinski signed a one-year deal with the A’s after four seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization and was expected to be part of the team’s rotation in 2023. However, he ended up making just four starts with a 9.00 ERA over 18 innings. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Dodgers
Conditional club option for 2024 (unknown value)
A shoulder injury, which eventually required surgery, limited Treinen to five appearances in 2022 and none in 2023. The value of his 2024 contract option is unknown, but it was reported to range from $1 million to $7 million depending on a “variety of outcomes” related to his health. (UPDATE: OPTION EXERCISED)

, 1B, Reds
$20 million club option ($7 million buyout)
The Reds are all but certain to decline this option, but it’s possible they will look to bring back Votto at a lower price point. Votto’s performance has declined over the past two years while he has battled a left shoulder injury, undergoing surgery in August 2022. However, he did show positive signs in the power department in 2023, producing 14 homers and a .231 ISO in 242 plate appearances. He has spent his entire career with the Reds, earning six All-Star selections, winning the 2010 NL MVP Award and producing 356 homers, 2,135 hits and a .294/.409/.511 slash. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, SP, Padres
$32 million club option for 2024-25/$19 million player option for 2024-26
Like his teammate Martinez, Wacha’s deal stipulates that the Padres decide on his 2024-25 club options simultaneously this offseason, and he’ll receive a multi-year player option (essentially a three-year, $19 million extension) if they decline. Now 32, Wacha has turned his career around over the past two years, pitching to a 3.27 ERA in 47 starts for Boston and San Diego after notching a 4.62 ERA for the Cardinals, Mets and Rays across 2016-21. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Brewers
$2.5 million club option ($150,000 buyout)
After undergoing Tommy John surgery 2022, Wilson didn’t appear in a game for the Brewers this past season, as he strained his lat warming up in the bullpen prior to what would have been his first appearance on July 28. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

, RP, Braves
$5.75 million club option ($1.25 million buyout)
While he didn’t quite recapture his 2019 All-Star form, Yates was a solid late-inning arm for the Braves in 2023. After throwing a combined 11 1/3 innings from 2020-22, Yates amassed 60 1/3 innings and registered a 3.28 ERA with 80 K’s this past season. (UPDATE: OPTION DECLINED)

MUTUAL OPTIONS

Mutual options become guaranteed only when both the player and the team agree to exercise the option. All of the players below had mutual options for 2023, but none were exercised.

OF , Cubs; RP , Cubs; C , Reds; SP , White Sox; RP , Braves; RP , D-backs; 2B/OF , Blue Jays; SP , Brewers