2019 Minor League Options Remaining Thread

[Greenleaf1]

I don't believe there's an options remaining thread that's regularly updated here, but I think it would be useful to have this thread here because I don't think there's a website out there that tracks it either.

 

I don't have any of this from an official source, but here's the list of current Brewers 40-man players and how many options they have left (calculated by me based on transaction history). Hopefully we can keep this post/thread updated moving forward.

 

Here's a link to the Brewerfan.net options page: http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewFortyManRoster.do?teamId=1

For more info on Minor League Option Rules: http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/minor-league-options

 

PITCHERS

 

Matt Albers - 0

Chase Anderson - 1*

Ray Black - 0-

Corbin Burnes - 2-

Alex Claudio - 1

Zach Davies - 2

Jake Faria - 0-

Gio Gonzalez - 2*

Junior Guerra - 0

Josh Hader - 2

Adrian Houser - 0-**

Jay Jackson - 3

#Corey Knebel - 1

Jordan Lyles - 0

Jimmy Nelson - 2*

Freddy Peralta - 2

Drew Pomeranz - 0

^Trey Supak - 2-

Brent Suter - 2

#Bobby Wahl - 2

Devin Williams - 3

Taylor Williams - 0-

Brandon Woodruff - 1

 

CATCHERS

 

David Freitas - 1-

Yasmani Grandal - 2*

Jacob Nottingham - 1-

Manny Pina - 0

 

INFIELD

 

Orlando Arcia - 1

Tyler Austin - 0

Keston Hiura - 2-

Mike Moustakas - 3*

Hernan Perez - 0

^Tyler Saladino - 0-

Travis Shaw - 1-

Cory Spangenberg - 0

Eric Thames - 1*

 

OUTFIELD

 

Ryan Braun - 3*

Lorenzo Cain - 1*

Ben Gamel - 1

Trent Grisham - 3

Tyrone Taylor - 2-

Christian Yelich - 3*

 

^ Currently optioned to the Minor Leagues

 

# Currently on the Injured List

 

- Player has already burned option for current year

 

* Player has at least 5 years service time and cannot be optioned without their consent (or player has signed an extension or free agent contract and likely has a clause not allowing a minor league option without player consent)

 

** Some players are eligible for a 4th option year if they spend an entire option year injured or have burned all 3 options in their first 5 pro years. A 4th option year burns the year it is given even if the player spends the entire year on the Major League roster.

[jerichoholicninja]

* Some veteran players have not burned all 3 options, but I'm assuming that, at a certain point, veterans can't just be optioned down without their consent (probably once they sign their first free agent contract or extension).

 

Based on service time, I believe. Pretty sure when we acquired Brad Miller he was like a day away from have enough service time that he couldn't be sent down or something like that.

[Greenleaf1]

* Some veteran players have not burned all 3 options, but I'm assuming that, at a certain point, veterans can't just be optioned down without their consent (probably once they sign their first free agent contract or extension).

 

Based on service time, I believe. Pretty sure when we acquired Brad Miller he was like a day away from have enough service time that he couldn't be sent down or something like that.

 

Right you are:

 

"Any player with fewer than five years of Major League service time and an option year remaining can be optioned to the Minor Leagues. Players with more than five years of service time must consent to being optioned."

 

This is slightly different from what I meant though, which is that even though, say, Matt Albers needs to give consent to being optioned, he can still be optioned without risking losing him to another organization as long as he consents. For, say, Jesus Aguilar, even if he consents, we have to place him on waivers and designate him for assignment to send him to the minors, and thus lose him to another organization.

 

So I think the numbers listed are still slightly relevant, even with the asterisk, even though most guys with that much service time are highly unlikely to be optioned but I'm sure it happens from time to time.

[coolhandluke121]

Good thread. I don't think Chase Anderson needs an asterisk but I could be wrong. I don't think the has the service time to avoid his last option. Davies and Guerra preserved their options if I'm not mistaken. Guerra was likely to burn his but people starting getting hurt right away and he seized a spot. They called Davies up right at the end of the 20 days to preserve his option. Nelson should be optionable and might have to prove he's healthy before being back in the rotation. Yes, optionable is a word now. Thank you, baseball; screw you, spell-check.

 

What I'm getting at is just that it's fascinating how much the rotation could turn upside down. Guerra, Anderson, Davies, Suter, and Nelson were supposed to be the rotation last year, and Woodruff, Peralta, and Burnes had to wait their turn. Now all the former could be optioned or otherwise unavailable in favor of the latter. It's great for depth. Chacin is literally the only "lock" in the rotation.

[Greenleaf1]

Good thread. I don't think Chase Anderson needs an asterisk but I could be wrong. I don't think the has the service time to avoid his last option. Davies and Guerra preserved their options if I'm not mistaken. Guerra was likely to burn his but people starting getting hurt right away and he seized a spot. They called Davies up right at the end of the 20 days to preserve his option. Nelson should be optionable and might have to prove he's healthy before being back in the rotation. Yes, optionable is a word now. Thank you, baseball; screw you, spell-check.

 

What I'm getting at is just that it's fascinating how much the rotation could turn upside down. Guerra, Anderson, Davies, Suter, and Nelson were supposed to be the rotation last year, and Woodruff, Peralta, and Burnes had to wait their turn. Now all the former could be optioned or otherwise unavailable in favor of the latter. It's great for depth. Chacin is literally the only "lock" in the rotation.

 

This is Chase's 5th big league season, so I believe he can no longer be optioned in 2019 without his consent (the rules say a "big league season" is at least 90 days on the active roster). I also wouldn't be surprised if his contract extension included a clause that said he can no longer be optioned without his consent but stuff like that is rarely made public so that's just speculation.

 

Agreed that based on my calculations, Guerra/Davies preserved their options by spending less than 20 days in the minors this season (hence no asterisks next to either name). Nelson should be "optionable" because he doesn't have a complete 5 years of service time yet.

 

Stearns has certainly done a good job of acquiring talent that he can shuffle off to the minors in case the worst happens and they start sucking again. I think that deal with Anderson was a nice hedge too with the 2 option years rather than committing to him for the long haul. I still think Anderson could bounce back and be very good though.

[bork]

Brewerfan.net does have a 40 man roster with options, though it doesn't have all options. You also can't get to it from the main page, but a google search brings it up. http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewFortyManRoster.do?teamId=1

[Greenleaf1]

Brewerfan.net does have a 40 man roster with options, though it doesn't have all options. You also can't get to it from the main page, but a google search brings it up. http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewFortyManRoster.do?teamId=1

 

I have added the link to the first post of this thread, but still think it would be of value to continue updating this thread.

 

That page may also be slightly inaccurate. Barnes definitely only has 1 option remaining after this year, and it looks like other players who have burned an option this year have been updated but not him.

 

Plus it may be nice just to have a log of when minor league options are burned.

[mrn1ceguy]

This website lists all players in the organization and whether they have options or how many years they are until they have to be added to the 40 man.

 

https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-milwaukee-brewers

[Greenleaf1]

This website lists all players in the organization and whether they have options or how many years they are until they have to be added to the 40 man.

 

https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-milwaukee-brewers

 

Looks like that site hasn't been updated for 2018 options used yet.

[Greenleaf1]

Updates:

 

- Gio Gonzalez, Wade Miley, and Curtis Granderson have all elected free agency and have been removed from the 40-man roster.

- Tyrone Taylor was added to the 40-man roster and has 3 options remaining.

[Greenleaf1]

Update:

 

Mike Moustakas and Joakim Soria have declined their half of their mutual options, and have been removed from the 40-man roster.

[Oxy]

Since pretty much all of our initial outgetters have options remaining, we could be in for quite a year of transactions in 2019.

 

And if we employ that kind of a strategy we probably need most of the rest of our pitchers to have options as well. Bad news for Lyles, Cedeno and Jennings--and it would be nice if Houser gets one back this year.

[Greenleaf1]

Update:

 

Brewers have declined the option on Jordan Lyles.

[And That]

** Some players are eligible for a 4th option year if they spend an entire option year injured or have burned all 3 options in their first 5 pro years (i.e. Adrian Houser burned a whole option year recovering from TJ surgery, so he may be eligible for a 4th option in 2019)

The Brewers do not expect that Houser will be awarded a 4th option.

[And That]

Chase Anderson - 1*

Anderson won't have 5 years of service until 4/22/19 if he opens the season on the MLB roster. So he can be optioned up to that point.

[And That]

Matt Albers - 2*

I'm nearly positive, based on game log data from 2006, 2007, and 2009 that Albers does not have any options left.

[And That]

Corey Knebel - 1 (looking through his history on mlb.com this is a little confusing. It seems like he burned all 3 options before 2018, but he was optioned in 2018 and stayed down less than 20 days, so he should have one option remaining still)

Knebel was granted a 4th option year due to the minimal amount of time he spent in the minor leagues after being drafted. He indeed still does have an option going into next year.

[And That]

Jimmy Nelson - 2

Nelson will reach 5 years of service on 5/31/19, at which time he will gain the right to decline an optional assignment.

[And That]

Taylor Williams - 2 (he may have spent 20 days in the minors in 2018 but I'm not exactly sure, it's very close, it may have been exactly 20 days. If he did burn an option this year, he'd have 1 remaining for 2019)

Williams did burn an option. He was down 20 full days. He has 1 remaining.

[And That]

Eric Thames - 0 (part of his contract says he can't be sent to minors without his permission, regardless of existing option years)

Thames has one option remaining, though it is correct his contract states he can't be optioned without permission.

[brewmann04]

Just wanted to say thanks for keeping us all updated

[And That]

So to summarize, the following players will reach 5 years of service time in 2019 if they spend the entire season on the active roster up to:

 

Chase Anderson: 4/22

Erik Kratz: 4/14

Jimmy Nelson: 5/31

Hernan Perez: 6/28

[Greenleaf1]

I have made all the updates based on And That's posts. Thanks for the clarification on some of my questions!

[Greenleaf1]

Update:

 

Stephen Vogt has been outrighted off the 40-man roster and has elected free agency.

[Greenleaf1]

Update:

 

Trey Supak and Troy Stokes Jr. have been added to the 40-man to protect against the Rule 5 Draft.