MLB Team Options Declined: A Free Agency Class Built on Medical Tape

USA Today's Bob Nightengale just dropped the official list of 11 players hitting the open market after their teams declined contract options, and it reads less like a free agency class and more like a waiting room at an orthopedic clinic.

We have a mix of aging veterans, bullpen arms, and guys whose elbows are currently held together by hope and medical tape. If you are looking at the futures market for the Baltimore Orioles or Boston Red Sox, you need to factor in exactly why these options were declined before laying down any cash.

"Bob Nightengale reported the list of 11 new free agents after option decisions."

Take Zach Eflin. The Baltimore Orioles are letting him walk, which makes perfect sense when you remember he underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. He posted a 2.45 ERA before his elbow gave out, but paying a premium for a guy who will spend the next season doing rehab exercises with a rubber band is how general managers get fired.

Then there is Sonny Gray. The Boston Red Sox are cutting bait after a season derailed by injuries. He left a Marathon Monday start against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning after giving up a double to Matt Vierling and a single to Jake Rogers, and his season spiraled from there. Boston looked at his medical chart and decided they would rather spend that money anywhere else.

On the flip side, you have Matt Boyd, who actually pitched like an ace for the Chicago Cubs after returning from his own elbow surgery. He joins a crowded open market alongside names like Michael King, Carlos Estévez, and Josh Bell.

This is the reality of modern baseball contracts. Team options are basically just a franchise's eject button for when a pitcher's arm inevitably explodes. For front offices, this is a clean slate. For the players, it means hitting the open market trying to convince a new team that their medical records are more of a suggestion than a warning.

Expect the healthy arms like King and Estévez to get paid quickly by contenders desperate for pitching depth. As for Eflin and Gray, they will likely have to settle for heavily incentivized prove-it deals once they can actually throw a baseball again without wincing.