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http://www.kansascity.com/sports/roy...ry/498644.html

Options can decide which Royals stay and which ones go
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

SURPRISE, Ariz. | Joey Gathright knows the trap that options present. He knows first-hand that it doesn’t always matter what happens on the field in spring training; knows, too, that he doesn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Gathright is out of options, finally, as he enters his seventh professional season. That means he can’t be shipped to the minors without clearing waivers; without giving every other team the chance to find a place for him on its big-league roster.

“It’s a good thing to have behind you,” he said. “You don’t know what is going to happen, but it’s a comfortable feeling knowing that you’ll probably be in the big leagues.”

Gathright batted .370 a year ago in 21 spring games but opened the season at Class AAA Omaha, primarily because he had an option remaining. That made him the odd man out when the Royals failed in efforts to trade veteran Reggie Sanders.

It is a scenario repeated each spring in every big-league camp. Who stays and who goes often depends on who has options remaining.

Not for everyone, of course. It isn’t likely to matter that Alex Gordon and Brian Bannister have options remaining. But options can be the decisive factor for those on the bubble — reserves, middle relievers and back-of-the-rotation candidates.

“Those are factors,” manager Trey Hillman admitted. “They don’t play into my (on-field) decisions, but they have to weigh into the discussion (in selecting a roster).”

It is technical stuff with most rules having exceptions, but options are often the reason for club decisions that otherwise seem odd or even inexplicable. The Royals are facing several roster issues this spring in which options are likely to be a factor.

Gathright isn’t completely in the clear, either. He has an outright assignment available. More on that in a bit. For now, let’s stick with options:

•First baseman Ryan Shealy has an option, but utilityman Esteban German does not. If the two are battling for the final roster spot, as seems possible, that favors German.

•Relievers Ryan Braun, Neal Musser and Joel Peralta have options remaining. Leo Nuñez does not. Nor does Jimmy Gobble. That suggests Gobble is likely to make the club even if he suffers through a rough spring. It also gives Nuñez a tie-breaker advantage over the three others.

•Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa is out of options. So he either pitches his way onto the ballclub through a crowded field of rotation candidates or he probably heads elsewhere.

•First baseman Justin Huber is also out of options. Injuries slowed his development in the two years since he won the Class AA Texas League batting title with a .343 average at Wichita. But he is still just 25 and showed growing power last year with 18 homers in 286 at-bats at Class AAA Omaha. Even so, unless he beats long odds and makes the club, he figures to be placed on waivers.

“I understand that it’s not only a game but also a business,” Huber said. “I’m not going to get my feelings hurt either way. There is some uncertainty, but you can’t sit around worrying about what decision they’re going to make or whether they like me or don’t like me or whatever.”

Options are a negotiated element of baseball’s labor agreement. In shorthand form, they work like this:

•Once a player is placed on a club’s 40-man roster, he can be moved to the minor leagues through an optional assignment (options) without being exposed to the 29 other clubs.