Not that anyone expected otherwise, but Mark Gonzales reported in the Tribune that the Cubs will buy out both Brandon Morrow and Derek Holland rather than exercise 2020 team options on either. Morrow’s option is for $12 million with a $3 million buyout, while Holland’s $6.5 million option has a mere $500,000 escape clause.
Because those buyouts are guaranteed, they’ve already been calculated as part of the players’ average annual values and won’t count toward the Cubs’ competitive balance tax obligations next season. That’s good news for a team that already figures to be above the CBT threshold as a result of arbitration raises and other options.