The regular season is winding down, and while nearly half the league is still focused on postseason play (or qualifying for the playoffs), there are more teams than not beginning to shift their focus and look ahead to the offseason. The beginning of every offseason brings with it a slew of roster decisions, ranging from qualifying offers to player opt-outs and club options. This year will see more than 30 decisions on club options come due once the World Series has completed.
We don’t have a complete picture of how all of these players will finish the season. Their play in the final week, plus any postseason heroics and of course the potential for a significant injury could all impact the teams’ final decisions. With about 94% of the regular season in the books, most teams know which way they’re leaning with regard to these decisions.
Let’s take a look at each one from a high level...
Austin Barnes , C, Dodgers: $3.5M club option The Dodgers love Barnes’ framing skills. They probably don’t love that he’s 13-for-122 in throwing out base thieves over the past two seasons (10.
6%). Barnes isn’t a good hitter, but he’s bounced back from last year’s abysmal .180/.
256/.242 output to his .261/.
327/.306 in 149 plate appearances this year. The Dodgers have a trio of younger options behind Will Smith , including Diego Cartaya , Hunter Feduccia and top prospect Dalton Rushing (though Rushing has been working in left field lately).
Perhaps it’s finally time to move o.