For two years running, I have broken down options used and service time accrued after the season. Obviously, we still have about a week left to go, but in an effort to spread out some topics and fit everything into a packed offseason article schedule, I decided to look at players who used options this week.
Honestly, at this point, no one who hasn’t used an option yet for 2022 is going to use one before the season lets out, so the list shouldn’t change between now and then. If it does, well, I’ll let you know next week.
For the uninitiated, any player that was optioned for 20 or more days—in total, not necessarily consecutively—by rule use an option year. The following is a list of players who qualify, along with how many options they each have remaining:
Miguel Andújar – 0
Jeremy Beasley – 1
Diego Castillo – 2
Rodolfo Castro – 1
Zack Collins – 0
Roansy Contreras – 1
Oneil Cruz – 0*
Jason Delay – 2
Junior Fernandez – 0
José Godoy – 1
Max Kranick – 1
Tucupita Marcano – 1
Nick Mears – 0*
Cal Mitchell – 2
Johan Oviedo – 1
Kevin Padlo – 0
Hoy Park – 2
Liover Peguero – 2
Yohan Ramirez – 1
Canaan Smith-Njigba – 2
Peter Solomon – 1
Eric Stout – 1
Jack Suwinski – 2
Travis Swaggerty – 2
Cam Vieaux – 2
Bryse Wilson – 0
Miguel Yajure – 0*
Cam Alldred (12 days), Tyler Heineman (2 days), Colin Holderman (16 days), and Luis Ortiz (4 days) all spent less than 20 days on optional assignment. Therefore, by rule, those days will count as Major League service time and no options are used for 2022.
Despite being listed as zero, by my calculations, Cruz, Mears, and Yajure should qualify for fourth options in 2023.
Delay was on option for exactly 20 days, meaning he was right on the cut.
Even though he wasn’t on option for long enough, Vieaux still should use an option for 2022. The only way a player uses an option when outrighted is if they have options remaining and are re-acquired after 20 days, as Vieaux was when he was selected a second time. This was the case for Jacob Stallings in 2016.
Finally, I’m not sure how 27 compares to any totals around the league, but it certainly feels high, especially compared to the 2021 season, when 19 players used options.
Pirates Payroll Updates
—Ji Hwan Bae had his contract selected, with Tyler Heineman going on the 7-day concussion IL to make room.
With just a few weeks left in the season at that point, Bae should accrue .013 days of service, while payroll goes up $50,000.
—The team claimed Miguel Andújar off waivers from the New York Yankees, selected the contract of José Godoy, while designating Michael Chavis and Greg Allen for assignment to make room.
Andújar had one option remaining going into the season, and he was down long enough with the Yankees to use that, so he will be out of options going into 2023, as noted above.
By my count, Andújar had accrued 3.110 years of service coming into this season, with .041 more days in 2022, for a total of 3.151. Add .010 for his stint to end the season and he comes up .011 days short of 4.000 years of service in 2023, meaning he would still have three years of arbitration remaining.
However, because service counts are weird and MLB doesn’t seem to follow its own rules, the 2022 Yankees media guide has Andújar listed as having 3.117 years of service, or .006 more days than me. Add the same .051 days for 2022 and he still comes up .004 days short; however, as illustrated, my count for 2022 probably doesn’t match official MLB counts, for whatever reason.
In conclusion, my bet is that despite my counts that come in under 4.000 years of service going into 2023, Andújar will actually just eclipse 4.000—probably by just a few days—and actually have only two years of contractual control remaining going into 2023, both at arbitration rates.
As for payroll implications, Andújar becomes the 13th Pirate to be paid at a rate over $1 million, with an increase of $71,429 for his 10 days on the roster.
As for Godoy, payroll goes up $32,192 after his selection.
Finally, after being outrighted yesterday, payroll goes down $18,919 as a result of Chavis’ ($151,121 estimated split) outright and $22,612 for Allen ($114,100 estimated split), assuming they both accept the assignment that is.
Both should have the right to elect free agency immediately after the season as Article XX(D) free agents, saving some time as opposed to waiting for minor league free agency.
—Payroll stands at $60,918,780 for the Labor Relations Department, while it’s $73,953,029 for CBT purposes.
