Diamondbacks likely to make $5M opt-out decision on .541 OPS All-Star outfielder

The Arizona Diamondbacks are going to have some massive decisions to make this offseason, one of which revolves around Ketel Marte's future after he left the team for the second straight season.

But he's not the only big question mark for the D-Backs this upcoming offseason. One All-Star outfielder, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., is the subject of a big $5 million question for the Diamondbacks.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Diamondbacks are likely to buy out Gurriel's $14 million club option at $5 million to move on from the struggling veteran outfielder.

Diamondbacks likely to opt out of Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s $14M club option

"Gurriel's price tag makes it likely that the Diamondbacks will pay the buyout and let Gurriel become a free agent," Feinsand writes.

If the Diamondbacks wanted to bring Gurriel back, they'd need to accept his $14 million club option. For someone like Gurriel, who is 32 years old, will be 33 next year, and has just a .541 OPS this season in 47 games, it doesn't make sense to bring him back.

They shouldn't bring him back regardless of the price. But with a $14 million contract option for the D-Backs on the table, this decision is incredibly easy.

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It makes more sense to pay the $5 million buyout and use the remaining $9 million to help the team find a different upgrade or two either in the outfield or elsewhere on the roster.

Gurriel's .762 OPS for his career isn't a bad benchmark and would probably be worth the $14 million option. But that's not the production he's provided this year, or even last year.

His .713 OPS last season was already a sign of a decline for the veteran outfielder, and now with a .541 OPS this season, the decision for the Diamondbacks is a very easy one.

There's almost no scenario in which using the $14 million club option makes sense. Their only real option is to use the $5 million buyout and save the remaining $9 million.

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