The regular season is winding down, which means players are running out of time to automatically trigger vesting options in their contracts for the 2018 season.
Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals reached 180 innings on Tuesday night, triggering his $12 million option for next season. However, not every player has been as fortunate.
Matt Cain, Giants: Cain is in the final guaranteed year of his contract with San Francisco. He needs to pitch 200 innings and remain off the disabled list with elbow or shoulder issues to vest his $21.5 million club option. He has thrown just 119.1 innings and the $7.5 million buyout that comes along with his option seems likely.
Andre Ethier, Dodgers: He has a $17.5 million club option that vests with 550 plate appearances, but spent most of the season on the disabled list with a herniated disk in his lower back. He has totaled just 41 plate appearances over the last two campaigns and he'll likely receive a $2.5 million buyout.
Matt Garza, Brewers: Garza signed a four-year, $50 million deal with Milwaukee prior to the 2014 season that included complicated vesting options rules. In order for a $13 million deal for 2018 to vest, Garza needed to make 110 starts over the life of the deal, pitch 115 innings in 2017 and avoid the DL at the end of this year. Garza is on track to surpass the innings mark and avoid the DL, but has made just 93 starts over the last four seasons. Because he missed that mark, the Brewers can keep Garza on a club option worth $5 million.
Gio Gonzalez, Nationals: The left-hander vested his option by surpassing 180 innings this season. He'll make $12 million in 2018.
J.J. Hardy, Orioles: He will have a $14 million club option with the Orioles trigger if he reaches 600 plate appearances. He has managed just 239 PAs through Tuesday's action and Baltimore can buy out the remainder of his deal for $2 million.
Greg Holland, Rockies: The Rockies landed Holland, coming off an injury, on a one-year, $7 million deal. It carries a mutual option for 2018 based on his health/appearances. His $10 million mutual option became a $15 million player option easily. He had to appear in 50 games or close 30 games. With a few weeks to spare, Holland has 40 saves in 54 appearances.
Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners: Issues with his physical caused the Los Angeles Dodgers to back out of an agreement prior to the 2016 season. In order for a $10 million option to trigger for the 2018 season, he needed to either pitch 162 innings this year or 324 innings between 2016 and 2017. He was on pace to trigger the option after tossing 199 innings last year, but he's spent a lot of time on the DL in '17 and has thrown just 31 innings. He'll fall well shy of the requirements.
Ricky Nolasco, Angels: Nolasco's $13 million club option for 2018 would have become a player option had he pitched 400 combined innings between this season and last. He pitched 197.2 innings in 2016, but has logged just 159.2 frames this year. The Angels will have to decide between retaining him for $13 million next year or paying him a $1 million buyout.