The upcoming free agent course does not include a large number of players with contracts that include attribution options. Marcus Stroman’s If he reaches 140 innings, the dealings with the Yankees will include an 18mm player option, but a knee injury early in the season makes this impossible. Anyway, Yonkers released him earlier this month.
Despite the right and wrong factors of Stroman’s choice, the three players are closing down according to their own attribution regulations.
- Lucas Giolito,,,,, Red Sox RHP ($14mm club option converted to $19MM co-option for 140 innings; in either case, $1.5mm buyout)
In 19 games, Giolito can reach up to 106 2/3 innings. He needs another 33 1/3 frames to convert next season’s 14mm team option to $19MM co-provided. When he entered the 31-year-old campaign, it allowed him to turn his finish line and retest free agents. He will most likely do so and can sign a contract of more than three years.
Righty’s season numbers aren’t great. Giolito has an average running rate of 3.63 and a 3-point shooting percentage of 19.6%, the lowest since his 2018 campaign. After having internal bracket surgery throughout last season, he had three hits in the first seven of his first seven games. He has been locked in the past two or more months. In his last 12 games, Giolito carried 2.34 ERA while averaging more than 6 innings per game. His 20.4% strikeout rate is still not high, and he benefits from the average ball in the game from the 0.229 opponent, but he at least looks like part of the durable mid-vibrating arm.
Giolito has a good shooting percentage of 140 innings. Over the next six games, he needs to average six innings below every six innings. If he stays healthy, he should catch the ball at least seven times – if he has a bad outing, it will leave him knocked out after two or three frames. Even the smallest injury list can be removed from the table, though.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said over the weekend that Sox had no intention of changing Giolito’s workload to prevent him from giving him the right to choose. Of course, no front desk supervisor would publicly admit it, but in this case there is no reason to doubt Breslow. The Red Sox are trying to secure a playoff spot. Even if they are not controversial, it can limit the workload of the player so that they can choose to keep the player’s choice at a lower speed than the market, which will not make the relationship between people particularly good. If he reaches free agent, Giolito can aim like a three-year contract Luis Severino (After Season 2, 67mm, opt-out) and Sean Manaea (Delayed 75 mm).
- Jorge PolancoMariners DH/2B (the $8MM common option converts to $6MM player option on 450 sets, upgrades to $8MM player option on 550 sets; in either case, a $750K buyout)*
Polanco re-signed with Seattle last offseason, a somewhat complicated deal that reflects his health uncertainty starting from surgery on his left knee. The deal contains a $8MM co-option, which will be offered by 6mm players if Polanco appears 450 disks. Polanco took part in 395 trips. His appearance at 55 sets will reach the vesting mark, and if he drops another 155 trips before the end of the season, his option price will rise to 8mm.
Initially, the sailors looked surprised to re-sign. Polanco blasted nine home runs while hitting .384 in late April. Even though knee and side discomfort restricted him to early work at DH, he looked revived. However, the production of Polanco was completely striking over the next two months. He had a huge game in July, but recovered this month in 14 games.213/.275/.298.
Since early May, Polanco has hit .209/.283/.344 in 315 sets. His season batting line (.245/.310/.439) is still above average, but the peaks and valleys have big peaks. Cole Young The second base has been taken over. although Eugenio Suárez With the upcoming free agent opening at third base, Polanco has not shown his health enough to play regularly. If sailors are still mutually prescribed, then there is a good chance that sailors will buy their options. Polanco only needs to start 13 or 14 more games to make himself safer.
The remaining 36 games in the plan are not a problem. M’s game has faced left-handed opponents in the last two games, but he continues to play regularly against the right. He is extremely unlikely to go all the way to 550 PA, pushing the player option to 8mm, but he should easily unlock the 6mm player option, which will make him unilaterally decide whether to return to free agents.
*The ownership regulations also require Polanko to suffer no lower body injuries, which prevented him from preparing to open in 2026.
- Matt StramPhillies LHP ($5.5mm Team option guarantees $7.5mm in 60 innings)*
Strahm and Phillies’ extension include the 4.5mm club option in the 2026 season. Southpaw has pushed it to 5.5mm, and when he recorded two outs, it will upgrade it to 6.5mm. He is 10 2/3 of the innings away from reaching the threshold of 60 innings, and the price jumps to 7.5mm and is guaranteed.
In his case, this may not be immaterial. Even if Strahm was slightly injured, preventing him from getting 60 frames, the Phillies might exercise their choice. Strahm has another impressive season, with six saves and 14 holdings on the 3.10 ERA. His speed dropped, and he lost a few points on strikeout rate, but he still hit 27.7% of his opponents with an above-average opponent. Strahm is one of Rob Thomson’s more trusted set-up weapons.
*The vesting rules also require Strahm to pass the playoffs.
