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Blue Jays Option and Outright Status Table

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, we introduced the Bluebird Banter Library as a place for all Blue Jays fans to quickly access important information about the club, usually not found (or not readily found) elsewhere.  One of the most useful element in the library is the Blue Jays Option and Outright Status Table, which is curated by MjwW.

The table is a one page summary of the number of options remaining for every Blue Jays player on the 40-man roster plus all non-roster players with major league experience as well as what choices (if any) a player has if he gets outrighted off the roster. If you ever ask yourself "why don't they send that guy down to the minor leagues?" or "how many options does this player have left?" then turn to that page as your first resource.

Here is the most up-to-date tables of option and outright statuses (correct as of April 8, 2015). A guide to reading it appears after the tables.

40-MAN ROSTER

Player Pos. Can Option? Outright Choice MLB Service Added to 40-Man Opt 1 Opt 2 Opt 3 First Outright Opt'd less than 20d Opt 4
Jayson Aquino LHP Yes None 0.000 11/2013 2014 2015
Jose Bautista RF No Refuse 9.165 12/2003 2005 2006
Mark Buerhle LHP No Refuse 14.078 7/2000
Miguel Castro RHP Yes None 0.000 4/2015 Pot.
Brett Cecil LHP No Elect FA 4.152 5/2009 2009 2011 2012 2010
Steve Delabar RHP Yes* None 2.097 9/2011 2012 2014 2015
R.A. Dickey RHP No Refuse 9.007 4/2001 2005 2008 2009 2001 2001/05/06
Josh Donaldson 3B No None 2.158 4/2010 2010 2011 2012
Edwin Encarnacion DH No Refuse 9.085 11/2003 2004 2005 2010 2007/10
Marco Estrada RHP No Refuse 5.035 8/2008 2009 2010 2010
Ryan Goins SS Yes None 0.116 11/2012 2013 2014 2015
Preston Guilmet RHP Yes None 0.069 7/2013 2013 2014 2015
Matt Hague 1B/3B Yes Elect FA 0.060 11/2011 2012 2014 2015 2012
Liam Hendriks RHP No None 1.038 9/2011 2012 2013 2014
Drew Hutchison RHP Yes None 2.128 4/2012 2013
Colt Hynes LHP Yes None 0.078 7/2013 2014
Maicer Izturis IF No Refuse 10.038 8/2004 2004
Chad Jenkins RHP Yes None 1.057 8/2012 2013 2014 2015
A.J. Jimenez C Yes None 0.000 11/2012 2013 2014 2015
Aaron Loup LHP Yes None 2.083 7/2012
Russell Martin C No Refuse 8.150 11/2004 2005 2006
Dioner Navarro C No Refuse 8.091 9/2004 2005 2010 2012
Daniel Norris LHP Yes None 0.029 8/2014 2014
Roberto Osuna RHP Yes None 0.000 4/2015 Pot.
Kevin Pillar OF Yes None 0.113 8/2013 2014
Dalton Pompey CF Yes None 0.027 9/2014
Rob Rasmussen LHP Yes None 0.028 11/2013 2014 2015
Todd Redmond RHP No Elect FA 1.129 11/2008 2009 2012 2013 2010
Jose Reyes SS No Refuse 11.111 6/2003
Aaron Sanchez RHP Yes None 0.069 7/2014
Michael Saunders LF Yes* Elect FA 4.138 7/2009 2010 2011
Bo Schultz RHP Yes None 0.017 11/2013 2014 2015
Justin Smoak 1B No Elect FA 4.077 4/2010 2010 2012 2014
Marcus Stroman RHP Yes None 0.148 5/2014 2014
Ryan Tepera RHP Yes None 0.000 11/2014 2015
Josh Thole C Yes* Elect FA 4.085 8/2009 2010 2013 2015
Steve Tolleson IF No Elect FA 1.140 11/2008 2009 2010 2012 2011
Devon Travis 2B Yes None 0.000 4/2015
Danny Valencia 3B No Elect FA 3.118 11/2009 2010 2012 2013
Matt West RHP Yes None 0.053 11/2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Andy Wilkins 1B Yes None 0.029 8/2014 2015

NON 40-MAN ROSTER

Player Pos. Can Option? Outright Choice MLB Service Added to 40-Man Opt 1 Opt 2 Opt 3 First Outright Opt'd less than 20d Opt 4
Andrew Albers LHP Yes None 0.058 8/2013
Scott Barnes LHP No Elect FA 0.112 5/2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Daric Barton 1B No Elect FA 4.080 9/2007 2009 2011 2012 2013 2013
Greg Burke RHP Yes* Elect FA 1.074 5/2009 2012 2010 2013
Cory Burns RHP Yes Elect FA 0.115 8/2012 2013 2014 2015 2012
Ezequiel Carrera OF No Elect FA 1.069 11/2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Chris Colabello 1B Yes Elect FA 1.004 5/2013 2013 2014 2015
Jonathan Diaz SS Yes Elect FA 0.041 6/2013 2014 2013 2013
Chris Dickerson OF No Elect FA 4.026 11/2006 2007 2008 2011 2012
Andy Dirks OF Yes* Elect FA 3.139 5/2011 2011 2011
Felix Doubront LHP No None 2.120 11/2008 2009 2010 2011
Jake Fox Util No Elect FA 2.082 7/2007 2007 2008 2009 2011
Caleb Gindl OF No Elect FA 0.098 11/2011 2012 2013 2014 2014
Brad Glenn OF Yes Elect FA 0.014 6/2014 2014
Jeff Francis LHP No Refuse 9.036 8/2004 2013
Munenori Kawasaki IF Yes Elect FA 2.073 3/2012 2013 2014 2014 Pot.
Bobby Korecky RHP No Elect FA 0.097 11/2007 2008 2009 2014 2009
Wilton Lopez RHP No Elect FA 4.049 11/2007 2008 2009 2014 2014 2010
Melky Mesa OF No None 0.037 11/2011 2011 2012 2013
Luis Perez LHP No None 1.119 11/2008 2009 2010 2011
Ricky Romero LHP Yes* Elect FA 4.033 11/2008 2013 2013 2009
Johan Santana LHP No Refuse 14.058 12/1999 2002
Ramon Santiago IF No Refuse 10.095 5/2002 2004 2006 2007 2004
Randy Wolf LHP No Refuse 13.148 6/1999

Can option? - "Yes" means a player can be unilaterally optioned by the club in 2015. "Yes*" means optional waivers are required prior to the player being optioned. "No" means the player is either out of option years, or the player's consent is required.

Note: When we say that a player has, say, "one option remaining", it really means that he has "one option year remaining". For example, someone like Steve Delabar had one option remaining coming into this season so the Blue Jays can option him down to the minors as many times as they want this season while keeping him on the 40-man roster. Players who have gone through three option years are said to be "out of options", which means they must pass through waivers and be outrighted (which removes them from the 40-man roster as well) in order to be sent to the minors (see outright choices below).

Players not on the 40-man roster, like those outrighted or free agents who sign to a minor league contract, do not have to have any options remaining to play in the minor leagues. Daric Barton is an example. However, if the club wants to send him down again after being called up to the big leagues, he cannot be optioned so the club will have to expose him to outright waivers before sending him down.

Outright Choices - Refers to the rights of a player has under the CBA if his team attempts to outright him off the 40-man roster. "None" means the player must accept the outright assignment. "Elect FA" means the player can choose to become a free agent rather than accept the outright assignment. "Refuse" means that, in addition to having the right to elect free agency, the player can simply refuse the outright assignment.

Note: Players with veteran status are given more rights to control being outrighted than players with less experience when they get outrighted. For example, Josh Thole can choose to give up his contract and elect free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to play in the minors. However, because he has one option left, he must serve any optional assignments to play in the minors. In another example, Jose Reyes cannot be sent down to the minors without his consent. Even if he passes through outright waivers, he can tell the club that he refuses the assignment and ask for a release, taking all the remaining guaranteed money home with him.

MLB Service - Credited service time as of January 2015, from Baseball-Reference.com in date format yy.ddd. For example, 3.102 means a player has three years, 102 days of service time. 172 days are needed to qualify for a full year of service time, although a player cannot earn more than one year's service in a season.

Added to 40-man - Date the player was first added to the 40-man roster, in date format mm/yyyy.

Opt 1/2/3 - Years that the player's first / second / third option years were used, if applicable.

Previous outright - Year that the player was first previously outrighted off a 40-man roster, if applicable.

Opt'd less than 20d - Refers to years when the player was sent on optional assignment for less than 20 days total, and therefore the option year is not deemed to have been used.

Note: For example, if the Blue Jays decide to recall Steve Delabar before April 23, and keep him on the 25-man roster for the rest of the season, Delabar would not "burn" an option year and will still have one remaining for next season. However, Delabar will retroactively get major league service time for the days he served in the minors.

Opt 4 - Year for which the teams was granted a fourth option year for the player, if applicable. "Yes" indicates that a player has qualified for a fourth option year, but it hasn't yet been used. "Pot." indicates that a player may potentially become eligible for a 4th option year in the future.

Note: Matt West is the only current example of a player with eligible for a fourth option year. For a detailed explanation of how he got that status, click here.