MLBTR continues our department continues to use NL Central’s next year team/co-select classes. Almost all common options will be purchased on one side. Typically, if a team is willing to retain players at the option price, the player will refuse to look for a better free agent deal.
Previous issue: Player Options/Opt-Exit, NL West, Al West
Chicago Bear
- shota imanagaLHP (The team has 3 years, $57MM option, covering 2026-28; if they drop, Imanaga’s 2026 player option is 15mm)
Imanaga signed a complicated four-year, 53mm contract when he jumped from NPB in the 2023-24 offseason. Next winter, the Cubs need to decide whether to trigger the 2026-28 three-year, 57mm option. This will bring in $20mm, 20mm and 17mm salary. If the Cubs reject their ending, Imanaga will be able to reject the 15mm player option for the '26 and test free agents.
It would almost certainly hurt the situation. It turns out that concerns about how Imanaga’s stuff might oppose MLB competition is unfounded. In his first major league season, Southpaw ranked fifth in the NL Cy Young vote. In 173 1/3 innings, he beat a quarter of his opponents with an average running rate of 2.91. Fist isn't there in the first five games of the year, but he entered the game with a 2.22 ERA tonight's game against the Dodgers. He has 14% of the court, so he will likely finish some strikeouts. The Imanaga deal looks like bargaining, and the Cubs should be at an average annual interest of 19mm, and the cubs should happily sign up for three seasons unless injured.
- Colin ReaRHP ($6MM club option, $750,000 acquisition)
Rea reunited in Chicago with Craig Counsell after the brewer turned down his 5.5mm club choice. In fact, this has some effect on his financial interests. The right guy charged 1mm from Milwaukee and got a 5mm guarantee with the Cubs. He is paying 4.25mm this year and will make at least $750,000 acquisitions on club options next year. This is the value of 6mm, so it's a $5.25mm decision.
The Cubs have long started working this season. Since he started spinning Justin Steele Injuried. The 34-year-old Righty started well, running twice in his first 13 2/3 innings. He has played 12 times and is only allowed to walk in 56 sets of appearances. Rea has been in a rotation role in Milwaukee for most of last year, releasing a 4.29 ERA through a career-high 167 2/3 innings. As a swingman in the mid-30s, he would never break the bank with his average peak season rate, but for capable 5/6 starters, the option price is reasonable.
Turner's option is primarily an accounting measure designed to drag its 6mm free agent guaranteed 2mm $2mm price back for months. Option acquisitions are paid at the end of the year, and if that's just a 6mm salary, then the money will be evenly distributed throughout the season. Even if he repeats his steady production for 2024, it's unlikely that the Cubs will be willing to sign a 10mm salary, even if he repeats his 41-year-old age group.
Since its breakthrough with the Dodgers in 2014, the 17-year major league veteran has had 11 consecutive offensive seasons in more than 11 consecutive offensive seasons. His power count has declined with age, but he made up a benchmark of 0.354 in 139 games between the Blue Jays and the Mariners a year ago. Turner didn't get off to the north side. In 14 games, he hit .147. He made six walks in nine strikeouts, but obviously needed to make more impact.
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati took a low-priced flyer on Barlow, a former close-range man who was released by his guardian shortly before the playoffs. The right quickly dropped the depth map of Cleveland. He carries a 3.52 ERA with a strikeout rate of 32%. Barlow allowed the era close to 6.00, while only 19% of batsmen in the second half. A fastball that usually sits at 93 mph drops to the 90-91 range.
Early tenures in Cincinnati have been mixed together. Barlow recovered his speed, averaged 93 on his quad and pendant. His products account for 15.3%, nearly 2 percentage points higher than last year's level. These things are of course more encouraging, but the results have not been followed. His Pacers have a 9:6 ratio of walking, while allowing five runs in 9 1/3 innings. Last offseason, he was limited to a guarantee of 2.5mm. He needed a more persuasive rebound, and Cincinnati kept him on the 5.5mm call.
Hays signed 5mm after not being handed over by the Phillies. The right outfielder was a competent regular for most of his time, but his work fell when he fought a tough kidney infection last season. A calf injury in spring training delayed his team's debut until last week. Hayes has been crying since he came back, hitting the .406 in 34 sets, connecting on three home runs. He hit a blow in all seven games, including a three-game winning streak against his old Baltimore teammates over the weekend.
Suter, who grew up in Cincinnati, joined the Reds in a 3mm trade in the 2023-24 offseason. He released a 3.15 ERA through 65 2/3 innings and signed a 2.25mm extension at the start of last winter. The 35-year-old Southpaw is a habitual start. Despite only 4 of 38 opponents, he managed 9 2/3 frames of three rounds. Suter's stuff never jumps off the page – his fastball sits within a typical 85-88 mph range – but he avoids close contact and aims to achieve his seventh consecutive Sub-4.00 ERA display. Assuming he continues to be at his usual pace, the Reds should want him to return to the 2.75mm decision.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee made a significant investment by their standards to sign Hoskins for a two-year, $34mm contract in the 2023-24 offseason. The long-time Philadelphia's first baseman missed his walk for a year after suffering an ACL torn in spring practice. The winemakers hope Hoskins will regain his usual above-average offense after a healthy offseason.
This didn't happen in the first year as he hit the worst of his career in .214/.303/.419 in 517 sets. Hoskins still managed 26 home runs, but overall offense is essentially league average. This is not a knee-dependent discomfort. Hoskins performed best at the start of the season until the end of May, loading with .813 OPS. He reached .203/.285/.395 in the final four months of the season and bypassed the exit opportunity.
Hoskins has entered another strong start this year. He hit .270 with a three-point home run, and in his first 75 trips to the plate, it would be a career-low strikeout rate of 20%.
Milwaukee signed Peralta's 20mm extension ahead of spring training in 2020. He was mostly unproven at the time, but it only took another season to develop into a top starter. This quickly became one of the best team contracts in baseball. The deal includes $8MM club options for 2025 and 26, which will be Peralta's first two free agent years if he goes through arbitration.
The 28-year-old Righy has been a clear employee ace since the Milwaukee deal Corbin Burnes. He released an era below 4.00 in each of the five guaranteed seasons of the contract. Peralta beat another 28 1/3 frames 1.91 ERA ball in the first five games of the year. Unless he suffers a significant injury threatens availability for next season, the brewer will train for the rubber drawing.
Quintana signed a $4.25mm pillow contract after discovering a weak market. In fact, since Quintana agreed to defer the $2mm buyout to his 26 common choices, the net present value is actually less than 4mm. Brewers will not terminate the $15mm option for senior left-handed 37-year-old. It seems they have a huge value in a year of deals, though, as Quintana showed off the 3.75 ERA for the Mets on the 3.75 ERA. The late signing delayed his team's debut, but he fired a 12 1/3 single shot in the first two starts.
Woodruff underwent shoulder surgery later in the 2023 season. The brewer re-signed him for a two-year deal and provided a 17.5mm guarantee. They knew he would take 24 degrees to recover. They took his progress carefully, without pushing him in spring training. Woodruff began his minor league recovery on April 12. He played two rehabilitation games and could be back with the majors in the coming weeks.
notes: William Contreras The arbitration contract contains the 12mm team option for next season. He was left out of this list because if Milwaukee refuses to choose, he will continue to be controlled by arbitration, just like they did Devin Williams Last offseason.
Pirates in Pittsburgh
St. Louis Cardinals
