MLBTR Originals News & Rumors

September isn’t usually a terribly active month on the trade front, as players acquired after August 31 are not eligible to join an acquiring club’s postseason roster. However, in recent years, we have seen some notable extensions hammered out in the final full month of the regular season (or shortly thereafter in early October). While most such agreements represent short-term arrangements with veterans — such as with the recent pact between Tyler Flowers and the Braves — every now and again there’s a more significant pact to be found. Could we see one go down in the coming weeks ? Here’s a look back at some notable late-season extensions over the past seven seasons…

2017

• Reds sign Tucker Barnhart to four-year, $16MM extension. — Easily the most notable pact of this grouping, this agreement gave the Reds control and cost certainty over a player who had emerged as a solid semi-regular performer. True, he’s a dreadful baserunner (by measure of Fangraphs’ BsR) and has not quite hit at a league-average rate. But Barnhart has steadily improved with the bat to the point that he’s better than the average backstop at the plate. He’s generally regarded as a quality defender, though he hasn’t been as good at controlling the running game this year and isn’t well-loved by framing metrics, though it’s certainly possible the Cincinnati pitching staff doesn’t help with those measures. Baseball Prospectus does grade him as the game’s best blocker of balls in the dirt, however, and there’s a case to be made that he’s a valuable handler of hurlers (see this recent story from Shannon Russell of The Athletic, though it requires a subscription).
• Blue Jays sign Marco Estrada to one-year, $13MM extension. — After two-straight sterling campaigns, Estrada was not quite at the top of his game in 2017. Still, the Jays bet that he’d return to form, staking a rather hefty payout to keep him for the ’18 campaign. Estrada has not performed as hoped, however, working to a 5.43 ERA in 124 1/3 innings. He has maintained a swinging-strike rate in his typical ten percent range, but is generating only 6.5 K/9 and allowing 1.8 homers per nine as of this writing.
• Padres sign Clayton Richard to a two-year, $6MM extension. — While the bottom-line results weren’t all that exciting, Richard gave the Friars nearly 200 frames in 32 outings last year. This contract seemed to represent solid value, particularly since the veteran lefty could not only occupy a rotation spot but also perhaps slide into a pen role if the Pads had a need. Unfortunately, he has been knocked around thus far in 2018, allowing 5.33 earned per nine over 158 2/3 innings.
• Braves sign Kurt Suzuki to one-year, $3.5MM extension. — In the midst of a breakout season at the plate, Suzuki agreed to re-up with the Atlanta organization. He has delivered solid value thus far in 2018, slashing .269/.328/.439 while swatting ten home runs in his 341 trips to the plate. With the Braves deciding this time around to pursue a deal with Flowers, the duo could split up in 2019 — though perhaps it’s still possible that a reunion (even via late-season extension) could be hammered out.

2016

• Marlins sign Martin Prado to a three-year, $40MM extension. — This is one of the biggest deals we have seen at this stage of the season. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the worst. The steady veteran had a long history of quality performance — solidly above-average hitting with good glovework — and had settled in as a leader in Miami. Of course, the contract also didn’t seem to represent much of a discount for a low-power player who was already 32 years of age. Prado has struggled with injuries quite a bit ever since, slashing just .246/.284/.326 in only 356 total plate appearances, which makes the backloaded deal look like a suboptimal investment.
• Braves sign Jim Johnson to a two-year, $10MM extension. — This early October deal set the Braves’ offseason course, as the club would go on to invest in several other veteran hurlers. Then 33, Johnson was wrapping up quite a strong season at the time of the extension, as he contributed 64 2/3 frames of 3.06 ERA ball with 9.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 along with a 55.0% groundball rate. Johnson was expected to function as Atlanta’s closer, keeping a veteran arm to the back of the pen while tamping down the arbitration earning power of younger pitchers. As it turned out, he struggled in 2017 and ended up having his salary dumped via trade by Atlanta. But he has logged solid results, posting a 3.62 ERA even as his strikeout rate (6.1 K/9), swinging-strike rate (7.3%) and groundball rate (50.6%) have trended down.

2015

• Marlins sign Ichiro Suzuki to a one-year, $2MM extension with a club option. — The Fish pushed a 41-year-old Ichiro harder than had been expected in 2015, and he responded with a less-than-useful campaign. But he was still valued as a bench presence, and it didn’t hurt that 2016 promised a run at 3,000 hits. Ichiro not only passed that milestone, but thrived in a more limited role that year, providing solid baserunning and glovework as well as a sturdy .291/.354/.376 batting line in 365 plate appearances. The Marlins ended up repeating the contractual move late in 2016, picking up the option and adding another option year. He hasn’t been nearly as productive at the plate in 2017, however.

2014

• Rockies sign Jorge De La Rosa to a two-year, $25MM extension. — De La Rosa saw a strong uptick in his fastball velocity in 2014, his second full season back from Tommy John surgery.  With an average of 92.3 mph on his heater versus 91.1 mph in 2013, De La Rosa pitched to a 4.26 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 51.9 percent ground-ball rate in 160 2/3 innings of work at the time of the signing.  In 2015, the hurler pitched to a similar 4.17 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9, but his productivity fell off in the second year of the contract — which proved to be the end of his tenure in Colorado.

2013

• Padres sign Will Venable to a two-year, $8.5MM extension. — Venable had a breakout season in terms of his power production in 2013, so the Padres moved to lock in his remaining arbitration salaries, as further 20-homer/20-steal seasons would cause the price to soar. Unfortunately for the team, Venable’s decision to opt for security looks wise, in hindsight, as he batted just .224/.288/.325  in the first year of the deal and .248/.325/.356 in 2015.  Venable ended up moving to the Rangers in an August waiver trade and saw only minimal MLB time from that point forward.  He ultimately hung up his spikes and took a front-office gig with the Cubs in 2017.
• Marlins sign Greg Dobbs to a one-year, $1.75MM extension. — This extension drew plenty of public scrutiny, as Dobbs’ on-field performance in 2013 (.228/.303/.300) didn’t warrant the deal. It was eventually reported that owner Jeffrey Loria negotiated the deal without consulting former president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest. The Dobbs extension would be one of many stories that were referenced when describing the rift between Loria and Beinfest at the time of Beinfest’s dismissal.
• Giants sign Hunter Pence to a five-year, $90MM extension. — The most notable of any extension in this post, Pence was positioned to be one of the top free agents in the 2013-14 class, but he took what looked to be market value at the time to remain in San Francisco. As it turns out, the market for outfield bats was more aggressive than many had thought, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo landing seven-year deals worth $153MM and $131MM, respectively. In the first season of his deal, Pence hit .277/.332/.445 with 20 homers.  While he largely continued that output over the next two seasons of the pact, injuries sapped his playing time and Pence hit a wall in 2017 (his age-34 campaign).

2012

• Padres sign Chris Denorfia to a two-year, $4.25MM extension. — Denorfia’s strong season led former GM Josh Byrnes to lock in his final arb years with this modest extension, and Denorfia made the deal look like a good one in 2013 by hitting a solid .279/.337/.395 with a career-high 10 homers and excellent numbers against lefties. His production fell off in the contract’s second year, but the Padres’ triumvirate of interim GMs were still able to flip him to Seattle for outfielder Abraham Almonte and minor league righty Stephen Kohlscheen.
• Rangers sign Colby Lewis to a one-year, $2MM extension. — Lewis went down for the season in mid-July back in 2012, but he’d been enjoying a strong season and was expected to return for the 2013 campaign, making a $2MM salary a potential bargain for Texas. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Lewis had multiple setbacks and wasn’t able to take the hill the following season, but it’s not hard to see why they were interested in the low-risk deal; Lewis had turned in a 3.93 ERA over his previous 506 1/3 innings with the Rangers.

2011

• Cardinals sign Chris Carpenter to a two-year, $21MM extension. — Carpenter led the league in innings pitched in 2011 and had been generally excellent over the previous three seasons, prompting quite a bit of praise for this deal. He, in fact, restructured his contract and took what most expected to be less money in the long run, giving up a $15MM club option in favor of this two-year deal. Of course, Carpenter would sadly throw just 17 more innings in his career before injuries forced him to retire. While it looked good at the time, this deal didn’t pan out.
• Mets sign Tim Byrdak to a one-year, $1MM extension. — While the extension wasn’t particularly memorable and didn’t have a large impact on the 2012 Mets, Byrdak fired 30 2/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball and was a strong weapon against lefties, making him worth his modest salary.
• Cardinals sign Lance Berkman to a one-year, $12MM extension. — After a huge rebound campaign in 2011, Big Puma was rewarded with this contract, but he totaled just 97 plate appearances the following season due to knee injuries. He wasn’t able to recover with the Rangers in 2013 and retired following that season, putting an end to an excellent career.
• Marlins sign Omar Infante to a two-year, $8MM extension. — This contract paid dividends in the sense that Infante was largely excellent for the Marlins over the next half-season before being dealt to the Tigers along with Anibal Sanchez. That trade netted former top prospect Jacob Turner, catcher Rob Brantly and lefty Brian Flynn — a respectable haul at the time but one that now looks lackluster. Miami dealt Turner to the Cubs for a pair of low-level relievers last season, and Brantly was passed over in favor of Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
• White Sox sign Sergio Santos to a three-year, $8.25MM extension. — Signed at the end of a breakout season as the White Sox closer, Santos found himself traded to the Blue Jays for pitching prospect Nestor Molina that offseason. Molina didn’t do much and was outrighted by the ChiSox in 2014, but they probably feel fortunate not to have had to pay Santos the money he was guaranteed, as shoulder injuries led to a 5.23 ERA and just 51 innings pitched over the life of his three guaranteed years with Toronto.

The original version of this post was written by Steve Adams and Zach Links and ran in September 2015.

This is the final installment of a three-part series looking at players whose contracts include club options for 2019. In case you missed them, here are earlier pieces on position players and starting pitchers. We’ll close things out by examining relievers in similar situations.

Brandon Kintzler, RHP, Cubs – $10MM club option or $5MM player option: Thanks to his player option, Kintzler is in position to make at least $5MM in 2019. He’s lucky, too, because the 34-year-old’s $10MM club option looks rather steep in light of his 2018 output. Despite a lack of strikeouts, Kintzler has typically managed to limit earned runs by inducing a truckload of ground balls, but he has gone in the wrong direction on both counts this season. In 53 1/3 innings between Washington and Chicago, Kintzler has posted a 4.56 ERA/4.19 FIP and logged a 48.8 percent grounder rate (down nearly 8 percent from his lifetime mark). Kintzler’s time with the Cubs has been especially disastrous, as he has yielded 10 earned runs on 19 hits and six walks over 10 2/3 frames since they acquired him from the Nationals at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Sean Doolittle, LHP, Nationals – $6MM option, $500K buyout; Injuries, including a foot ailment that has kept him out since July, have been a regular occurrence for Doolittle. The 31-year-old has mostly been stellar when healthy enough to take the mound, though, and had been amid a career season before his latest injury. Over 37 1/3 innings in 2018, Doolittle has put up a 1.45 ERA/1.98 FIP with 11.82 K/9 and a microscopic .72 BB/9. Adding to the brilliance, the lefty has saved 22 of 23 opportunities. Doolittle is set to come off the DL soon, and after their season concludes, the Nats are primed to exercise his option for next year.

Fernando Rodney, RHP, Athletics – $4.25MM option, $250K buyout: Despite his age (41), Rodney has managed appealing results between Minnesota and Oakland this year. The longtime closer has been particularly effective in a setup role for the Athletics, who acquired him last month. During his short A’s tenure, Rodney has surrendered just one run on nine hits and three walks (with 11 strikeouts) over 11 2/3 frames. All told, Rodney has a 2.60 ERA/3.48 FIP with 9.92 K/9, 3.58 BB/9 and a 44.7 percent grounder rate in 55 1/3 innings. That output’s clearly worth the $4.25MM Rodney could make next year, but Oakland will have to weigh his age and inconsistent history when determining his future in the offseason.

Seunghwan Oh, RHP, Rockies – $2.5MM option, $250K buyout: In this case, there probably won’t be a decision to make on Colorado’s part, as Oh’s salary for 2019 will become guaranteed if he reaches 70 appearances. He’s already at 65, putting him on track with just under a month left in the regular season. And even without the vesting option, Colorado would welcome Oh back on a $2.5MM club option. After all, the 36-year-old has produced great numbers over 62 2/3 innings this season between the Blue Jays and Rockies, having recorded a 2.44/3.04 FIP with 10.2 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.

Nate Jones, RHP, White Sox – $4.65MM option*: Jones has been tremendous at times, but injuries – including a pronator muscle strain this year – have marred his career. Since 2017, the 32-year-old has combined for a mere 36 1/3 innings (24 2/3 this season). With a $1.25MM buyout, there’s not a huge price to keeping Jones. Critically, his contract also includes two more option years (though the second one will be converted to a mutual option), so there’s future upside to be considered as well.

*An earlier version of this post indicated that Jones could be retained at the league minimum, by operation of a clause in his contract. MLBTR has since learned that the greater value now listed will instead apply.

Earlier Monday, we took a look at position players whose contracts include club options for 2019. We’ll do the same here with starting pitchers…

Cole Hamels, LHP, Cubs – $20MM option, $6MM buyout (Texas would pay the buyout): Earlier in the season, when Hamels was toiling as a home run-prone Rangers starter, it seemed like a lock that he’d reach free agency over the winter. But since the Cubs acquired the 34-year-old prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, he has returned to his old ways as a front-end starter, as Steve Adams noted last week. Hamels hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of his six starts with Chicago, and has yielded a mere three ER across 39 innings. He has also notched nearly a strikeout per frame (38) while walking only 11 hitters during his brief Cubs tenure. Further, the HR issues that plagued Hamels in Texas have vanished, as he hasn’t surrendered a single long ball as a Cub. It seems Hamels is pitching his way into the Cubs’ 2019 plans, barring a meltdown over the next several weeks.

James Shields, RHP, White Sox – $16MM option, $2MM buyout: Once among the game’s most celebrated workhorses, Shields’ career went in the tank from 2016-17. But the 36-year-old has bounced back to a degree this season, having pitched to a 4.39 ERA/4.78 FIP through 182 1/3 innings. That type of production isn’t worth $16MM, though, so the White Sox are certain to decline Shields’ option and potentially end a disappointing tenure on the South Side. Not that White Sox fans need to hear about it again, but the team traded now-standout infield prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. to the Padres for Shields in June 2016. Even though the loss of Tatis has become a sickening reality for Chicago, it’s fair to note he wasn’t a ballyhooed prospect when it dealt him.

Chris Sale, LHP, Red Sox – $15MM option, $1MM buyout: Sale’s option will increase to $16MM if he wins this year’s AL Cy Young Award, which is a real possibility. That should tell you all you need to know about where he’ll pitch in 2019.

Ervin Santana, RHP, Twins – $14MM option, no buyout: A finger injury has wrecked Santana’s season, limiting him to 24 2/3 dreadful innings of 8.03 ERA/7.94 FIP ball, and kept him out since Aug. 16. Worsening matters, Santana expressed frustration toward the Twins’ front office last month after the out-of-contention club traded multiple veterans. Those comments aside, the Twins would have been inclined to pick up Santana’s option had he continued to post his typically above-average production this season. Now, given the way Santana’s 2018 has gone, Minnesota would be hard pressed to keep the soon-to-be 36-year-old at such a lofty price.

Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants – $12MM option, $1.5MM buyout: Like Boston’s situation with Sale, this is a no-brainer for the Giants. They’ll absolutely exercise Bumgarner’s option.

Matt Moore, LHP, Rangers – $10MM option, $750K buyout: The 29-year-old Moore has recorded a woeful 7.27 ERA/5.24 FIP in 90 1/3 innings (30 appearances, 12 starts), further distancing himself from his days as an elite prospect with the Rays. Texas will buy him out after the season.

Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Indians – $9MM option, $663K buyout: This is an easy yes for Cleveland, which has reaped the benefits of the underrated Carrasco’s stellar work since his 2014 breakout.

Martin Perez, LHP, Rangers – $7.5MM option, $750K buyout: At times, Perez has been a passable innings eater, and had that continued this year, the Rangers would’ve exercised his option. Instead, injuries have helped hold the 27-year-old to 70 2/3 innings and a 6.75 ERA/5.97 FIP. Thanks to Perez’s horrific output this season, the Rangers demoted him to the bullpen last week and informed him that they’re not planning to pick up his option.

Doug Fister, RHP, Rangers – $4.5MM option, $500K buyout: Fister used to be one of the game’s most effective starters, but he’s now an unspectacular back-end type, and his future with the Rangers is in question heading into 2019. Things working in the soon-to-be 35-year-old’s favor with respect to his option: 1.) It’s relatively inexpensive. 2.) The Rangers are starved for pitching, especially with Moore and Perez on the outs. Things working against the soft-tossing Fister: 1.) He was subpar this year in 66 innings and 12 starts, registering a 4.50 ERA with a 5.25 FIP. 2.) His season ended in mid-June because of a knee strain. This doesn’t look like a slam-dunk decision either way, particularly considering Texas is so hard up for starters.

Jordan Lyles, RHP, Brewers – $3.5MM option, $250K buyout: Lyles has spent the majority of his career in teams’ rotations, having piled up 115 starts in 212 appearances, but has primarily been a reliever since 2016. While the 27-year-old did good work out of the Padres’ bullpen earlier this year, his season has gone off a cliff since the Brewers added him via waivers last month. Lyles has only thrown 9 1/3 innings as a Brewer, but with six earned runs and eight walks given up, he has damaged his already shaky chances of the team exercising his option. It seems likely he’ll be a free agent in the offseason.

Wily Peralta, RHP, Royals – $3MM option, $25K buyout: As with Lyles, we’ll lump Peralta in with the starters, even though he may not belong with them. While Peralta has amassed 120 starts in 156 major league appearances, he has functioned solely as a reliever this year. Now the rebuilding Royals’ closer, the hard-throwing 29-year-old has saved all eight of his opportunities and logged a 3.57 ERA/4.17 FIP with 9.53 K/9 and a 45.1 percent groundball rate over 22 2/2 frames (24 appearances). Peralta’s walk rate is ugly (5.56 per nine), however, and both his batting average on balls in play against (.250) and Statcast data (.293 wOBA allowed vs. 345 xwOBA) suggest he has been fortunate to limit earned runs at such a quality rate. As of now, though, Peralta appears to be a decent bet to return to the Royals for $3MM next year, as the Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger wrote over the weekend.

With both trade deadlines having passed and the regular season nearing an end, most major league teams are now preparing themselves for the upcoming winter. Once the offseason begins, eight teams will have decisions to make on position players whose contracts include club options for 2019. Let’s assess where those players stand with just four weeks left until the playoffs…

Brian McCann, C, Astros – $15MM option, no buyout: McCann’s option would have vested had he amassed 1,000 PAs from 2017-18, started 90 games behind the plate this year and avoided ending the season on the disabled list. But the 34-year-old definitely won’t meet the first two requirements, thanks in part to July knee surgery that kept him out until this past weekend. While McCann won’t be able to control his fate at season’s end, the Astros will still be able to bring him back. That’s not going to happen, though, at least not at McCann’s $15MM price tag. The seven-time All-Star was an important part of the Astros’ World Series-winning team a year ago, but he has struggled to a personal-worst .203/.277/.316 batting line through 177 PAs this season, and the power he has shown off throughout his career hasn’t been present (five home runs, .114 ISO).

Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees – $12.5MM option, $2MM buyout: Underrated throughout his career, Gardner is amid his sixth straight season of at least 2.5 fWAR, though his offensive numbers have dipped a bit. Gardner has only managed a .237/.327/.373 (93 wRC+) line in 541 PAs, but he has swatted 12 homers and stolen 13 bags. As has been the case for most of his career, the 34-year-old has provided significant value as a baserunner and defender. Gardner’s also a well-regarded clubhouse presence, though it’s hardly a lock that the career-long Yankee will once again wear pinstripes in 2019. The Yankees have several other high-profile corner outfielders under control – including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, youngster Clint Frazier and the expensive, injury-laden Jacoby Ellsbury – and may even pursue Bryce Harper in free agency. It’s unclear how Gardner’s future will shake out, then, but it’s possible the Yankees will pick up the 35-year-old’s option and attempt to deal him. Gardner may well have trade value on what will essentially be a one-year deal, especially if the Yankees pay down some of the remaining cash.

Gerardo Parra, OF, Rockies – $12MM option, $1.5MM buyout: Parra has managed minus-1.8 fWAR and minus-2.1 rWAR in 1,202 PAs as a Rockie, making the three-year, $27.5MM guarantee they gave him entering the 2016 campaign a regrettable decision. It’ll be a shock if the Rockies don’t buy the 31-year-old out after the season.

Josh Harrison, 2B/3B/OF, Pirates – $10.5MM option, $1MM buyout: A Pirate since 2011, Harrison may be in his final weeks with the club. Across an injury-limited 351 PAs this season, the 31-year-old has slumped to a .255/.298/.360 showing with little power (seven HRs .106 ISO). Pittsburgh may be inclined to buy out Harrison, then, especially considering it’s a low-payroll team with younger, cheaper second base options in the fold, including Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman.

Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays – $8MM option, $250K buyout – Formerly a top prospect with the Mariners, Smoak’s career looked like a disappointment for a while, but he has finally broken out as a hitter over the past couple years in Toronto. Dating back to 2017, Smoak has totaled a Blue Jays-best 1,163 PAs and slashed .261/.356/.505 (129 wRC+) with 61 home runs, including 23 in 526 trips to the plate this season. So, even though the value of Smoak’s 2019 option has jumped from $6MM to $8MM this year, it should still be an easy one for Toronto to exercise.

David Freese, 3B/1B, Dodgers – $6MM option, $500K buyout: Since debuting in earnest with the Cardinals in 2010, Freese – whom the Dodgers just acquired from the Pirates – has always offered respectable offensive production. That has once again been the case this year, as the onetime World Series hero with St. Louis has posted a .283/.338/.443 line with nine HRs in a part-time role (269 PAs). Freese has also earned plus marks at the hot corner dating back to 2016, having combined for 15 Defensive Runs Saved (two this season) and a 9.9 Ultimate Zone Rating (2.7 in 2018). At worst, Freese is a valuable bench piece, but whether he’s valuable enough for the Dodgers to shell out $6MM next year is another question. The Dodgers are known for their depth, and they won’t be nearly as worried about spending under the competitive-balance tax threshold in 2019 – two factors that work in Freese’s favor. However, barring injuries to Justin Turner (who, granted, has only played in 77 games this year), they’re set at third base.

Jung Ho Kang, INF, Pirates – $5.5MM option, $250K buyout: Kang’s issues with drinking and driving in his native South Korea are well known, and as a result, he hasn’t played in the majors since 2016. The 31-year-old did return to the minor leagues this season after missing all of 2017, though his season ended in August on account of left wrist surgery; it’s possible that procedure also concluded his on-field tenure with the Pittsburgh organization. While Kang’s option for 2019 isn’t all that expensive, and he was a key contributor to the Pirates from 2015-16, it’s a decent bet the team will buy him out because of the off-field headaches he has caused.

Yangervis Solarte, INF, Blue Jays – $5.5MM option, $750K buyout: Acquired from the Padres last offseason, Solarte’s first year with the Blue Jays began well, but it has gone downhill over the past couple months. To his credit, Solarte has slugged 17 home runs and limited strikeouts (14.4 percent), but he has nonetheless hit an unimpressive .233/.287/.397 and recorded minus-0.6 fWAR over 471 PAs. The 31-year-old also hasn’t taken the field since Aug. 11 because of an oblique strain. With Josh Donaldson out of the picture, perhaps the Jays will keep Solarte around next year as an affordable third base option, though superstar prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be in the fold by then. In the event Toronto does pick up Solarte’s option and retain him, it’ll be in this same position with him heading into 2020, when he’ll have an $8MM club option or a $750K buyout.

Brandon Guyer, OF, Indians – $3MM option, $250K buyout: Guyer’s overall production has cratered since 2017, including his .191/.282/.357 showing in 177 PAs this year. However, the right-hander has been tough on southpaws (.233/.355/.467 in 107 PAs), which has typically been the case during his career. But that may not necessarily be enough for the Tribe to bring the soon-to-be 33-year-old Guyer back for $3MM.

Robinson Chirinos, C, Rangers – $2.375MM option, $1MM buyout: Going by wRC+ (107), Chirinos is in the midst of his fourth consecutive above-average offensive season. The 34-year-old has slashed .218/.337/.429 and shown off considerable power (17 homers, .211 ISO) over a career-high 377 PAs, though his strikeout rate has spiked to 34.5 percent (up from 26 percent lifetime). Still, despite Chirinos’ strikeout surge and his poor defensive numbers, his offensive production is well worth the price of next year’s option.

Having already examined position players and starting pitchers, we’ll now set our sights on this year’s crop of minor-league signees who have turned into useful relievers. Volatility goes both ways, of course, so it’s relatively unsurprising to see hurlers emerge in a MLB pen after failing to land 40-man spots over the winter.

When we checked in on relief arms earlier this season, we were focused mostly on which pitchers had earned opportunities. Now, we’ll turn our attention to their actual contributions on the season. We’re looking for volume and quality of innings here. If there’s anyone you think I missed, drop a comment and we’ll talk it out.

The nominees, presented in order of the number of innings pitched:

• Tyler Clippard, Blue Jays: Home runs have remained an issue, but Clippard has provided the Jays with 58 1/3 frames of 3.70 ERA ball with 10.5 K/9 against just 2.8 BB/9. Not bad considering Clippard opened the spring at the MLBPA free agent camp.
• Dylan Floro, Dodgers/Reds: There’s a strong argument to be made that Floro has been the find of the year. He’s now through 57 innings with a 2.37 ERA, with less-than-exciting K/BB figures but an excellent 56.4% groundball rate. Better still, he won’t even be eligible for arbitration until 2021.
• Richard Rodriguez, Pirates: Another excellent contender for the best minor-league relief signee, Rodriguez is humming along with 10.6 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 for the Bucs. His 13.0% swinging-strike rate portends good things in the future; like Floro, he’s under team control through at least 2023.
• Justin Miller, Nationals: Though he’s fading a bit as the dingers pile up, Miller has also been pressed into roles to which he’s probably not best suited. Regardless, with 10.4 K/9 (13.9% SwStr) and 2.9 BB/9 over 44 frames on the season, to go with a 3.89 ERA, Miller looks like an arb keeper.
• Erik Goeddel, Dodgers/Mariners: Though he’s dishing out too many free passes, the 29-year-old has been awfully tough to square up. He carries a .268 wOBA and a .264 xwOBA to match. In 36 2/3 innings this year, he owns a 2.95 ERA.
• Xavier Cedeno, White Sox: Suppressing home runs has driven Cedeno’s 2.96 ERA, but he’s also producing 10.4 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9 to go with a 53.2% groundball rate. He hasn’t been asked to get many outs, compiling only 24 1/3 innings in 32 appearances, but seems like a good bet to be tendered a contract for 2019 (which will be his final season of arb eligibility).
• Jonny Venters, Braves/Rays: Another veteran southpaw, Venters has allowed just seven earned runs in 24 2/3 innings this year — and done so after five full seasons away from the majors owing to a dizzying run of arm injuries. He has held 49 opposing lefty hitters to a .156/.229/.250 slash.
• Vidal Nuno, Rays: It’s tough to get too excited about his 1.50 ERA when it is so heavily dependent upon a .169 BABIP-against and 95.7% strand rate, but Nuno has given the Tampa Bay organization 24 useful frames.
• Oliver Perez, Indians: The bottom-line results are equally sparkly for yet another southpaw, but in this case there are more interesting underlying peripherals as well. Perez has recorded 10.2 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 with a career-high 13.6% swinging-strike rate. Opposing hitters have managed a paltry .153 wOBA against him; that’s likely a bit fortunate, but the 37-year-old has also been outstanding by measure of expected outcomes based upon the quality of contact (.217 xwOBA).
• Ryan Brasier, Red Sox: Though he has thrown only twenty MLB frames, Brasier has been a revelation for the Boston organization with a paltry 0.90 ERA. He’s pumping 97 mph heat and generating a hefty 15.8% swinging-strike rate in his first action in the majors since a brief showing back in 2013. There’s some regression to come, to be sure, as Brasier won’t continue to hold opposing hitters homerless with a .180 BABIP. Still, the initial showing has been awfully impressive.
• Honorable Mention: John Axford, Matt Magill, Louis Coleman, Jorge De La Rosa, Neil Ramirez, Anthony Bass