“Release him!” is something we often hear from sports fans and villainous movie tyrants who own large monsters to fight their enemies. New York Mets fans are one of several from the former group prone to shouting those two words when frustrated with a player.
In baseball, it’s not so easy to release a player. Contracts are guaranteed and it doesn’t always make sense to pay a man to go away.
The most common way we see a veteran depart from his contract is through the non-tender process.
Each year, teams have an option to discuss a new contract with arbitration-eligible players.