Which Braves are out of options in 2020?

Ever try to google around to find out which Braves are out of options? It’s almost like searching for a needle in a haystack, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

For those not familiar, here is a quick excerpt from the MLB on options, how they work, and what happens when a player is out of options:

Players on a 40-man roster are given three Minor League “options.” An option allows that player to be sent to the Minor Leagues (“optioned”) without first being subjected to waivers. Players who are optioned to the Minors are removed from a team’s active 26-man roster but remain on the 40-man roster.

A player who is on the 40-man roster but does not open the season on the 26-man roster or the injured list must be optioned to the Minor Leagues. Once an optioned player has spent at least 20 days in the Minors in a given season, he loses one of his options. Only one Minor League option is used per season, regardless of how many times a player is optioned to and from the Minors over the course of a given season. Out-of-options players must be designated for assignment — which removes them from the 40-man roster — and passed through outright waivers before being eligible to be sent to the Minors.

So there you have it. If a player is out of options, they will be subject to waivers if sent down to the minors. So it goes without saying, this has implications when making in-season moves.

This season, the Braves have four players who are out of options: Mike Foltynewicz, Grant Dayton, Luke Jackson, and Adam Duvall.

The implications for each player are different. As far as Mike Foltynewicz is concerned, here is to hoping there is no reason we have to worry about this. But the reality is that he was sent down to the minors briefly just last season. Folty is talented enough to the point where if he goes on waivers, he would be snatched up in a matter of moments. Simply put, the Braves do not have the luxury of a fix-me-up AAA stint again this year, but hopefully, those days are in his rearview mirror.

For Grant Dayton, the Braves’ bullpen battle is heating up with a plethora of candidates competing for two spots after Jacob Webb was sent down. There is a legitimate chance Dayton does not make the Opening Day roster. If that is the case, the Braves can always try to sneak him through waivers and outright him to the minors, but there is a substantial possibility they could lose him altogether. Being a lefty with decent career statistics means that if the Braves don’t have him on the roster for the full season, Dayton could be wearing a different uniform before long.

Considering Luke Jackson made 70 appearances out of Atlanta’s bullpen, this is a minor concern for the team. However, relief pitching can be volatile, and the Braves will have a much deeper bullpen than they did a year ago. They will not have the luxury of sending him down to the minors without repercussions if he were to flop.

Last but not least, Adam Duvall being out of options likely means the Braves could be a bit more hesitant to call up Drew Waters or Cristian Pache until September barring injury unless Duvall mightily struggles or one of the two top prospects show they have nothing to prove at the minor league level.