Blue Jays Option and Outright Status Table

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

NON 40-MAN ROSTER

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.