We Got Wood - 45.01 - Options Restrict Off-Season Plans

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In one swoop, any plans the Portland front office had at having some roster flexibility were all gone as every player on the roster with an opt-out or Player Option heading into 2045 picked up their options to return to Portland next season and beyond. Those options will tie up $52 million of the team's salary cap next season.

In the defense of the players, they were all probably correct in picking up their options. None were more obvious than Pedro Rocha. Rocha opted to stay with Portland which exercises four more seasons for Rocha with the Lumberjacks. The 32 year old starter suffered an injury in 2043 and has been on a steady decline physically. Rocha wouldn't have fetched more than $2 million on the open market had he chosen free agency. He'll instead make $35 million guaranteed over the next two seasons before a pair of player options give Pedro the option to leave in 2047 or 2048 if he chooses.

"Well, he's a popular player and will keep drawing us some fans I suppose" added Chris Wilson. "We can't blame him for staying and keeping the money. We would have done the same. But to say we didn't hope he'd leave and find a way to get a new deal with us or someone else definitely hurts the Lumberjacks team."

Firstbase/DH Manuel Martinez also opted to stay, guaranteeing himself $13 million next season and $10 million in 2046 before a pair of player and team options kick back in down the road. Martinez did hit 27 homeruns last season, but only supplied a 0.2 WAR. Bartolo Ortiz guaranteed himself $9.5 million each for the next 2 seasons by picking up his option. Ortiz hit 25 homeruns last season while producing just a 0.9 WAR. Ortiz will then have two team options in 2047 and 2048 that the team can choose on.

The final player to stick around, and perhaps the least damaging, was Kevin Morales. Morales opted to stay, which guarantees him $10.5 million next season and then another player option for the same price for 2046. Morales won 12 games last season while posting a 1.4 WAR. The WAR doesn't match his value but he helps add a veteran to the rotation. Considering we don't have anyone ready to move into the spot, and signing free agent pitching is tough and risky, we are ok rolling with Morales again in 2045 for the same price.

"We'll need Morales in the rotation" added Wilson, "even if he's not a top of the rotation guy. He didn't produce to his salary in 2044 but we'll take our chances with him in the middle of our staff. Him staying gives us some flexibility with shuffling guys between the bottom of the rotation and the pen next season."

What all of these decisions do is limit any chances the Lumberjacks had of boosting the bullpen or offense this off-season. Those spots were the major weaknesses on the Portland squad moving forward.