Jays pick up option on pitcher Dolis

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t have to look too deep into their analytics before making their first two moves of the 2020 off-season on Friday.

Indeed, there was little surprise that the team took a pass on the Us$9.5-million option for starter Chase Anderson while gladly scooping up the $ 1.5- million club option on reliever Rafael Dolis.

Anderson, one of three starting pitchers signed last off- season, struggled to the point that he basically worked his way out of the rotation by the end of the 60- game campaign. Declining the option for the right- hander comes with a $ 500,000 buyout from the team that will make Anderson a free agent.

Though Dolis struggled at times, he was a savvy pickup last winter after spending four seasons in Japan. The righty earned five saves while posting a 1.50 ERA in his 24 innings of work and worked his way into being a valuable reliever.

At his best, Dolis was a late- inning bullpen option for Charlie Montoyo and with Ken Giles gone to injury/free agency for 2021, the team will be rebuilding the high- leverage structure of the reliever group.

Cutting ties with Anderson comes relatively cheap given how he never got comfortable with the Jays after the start with his new team was delayed due to an oblique injury. The 33- yearold Texan never found his rhythm, labouring through many of his 33.2 innings of work while posting a 7.22 ERA, well above his career average of 4.06.

As it was a year ago, starting pitching is expected to be an off- season shopping priority for Jays general manager Ross Atkins. HyunJin Ryu will be back at the front of the rotation for Year 2 of his four- year, $ 80- million deal and it is anticipated that flame- throwing Nate Pearson will settle in to a regular spot.

Tanner Roark, who was signed to two- year $ 24- million deal this past off- season, will return looking for a bounce back season.

Other Jays starters Matt Shoemaker, Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray — the latter two acquired at the 2020 trade deadline — became free agents at this week’s conclusion of the World Series.

rays let morton, zunino go

After falling two victories short of a World Series title, the Tampa Bay Rays began working on the 2021 roster by declining club contract options on right- hander Charlie Morton and catcher Mike Zunino.

There were no buyouts on either contract option and the duo will head into free agency without any further compensation.

Morton, who signed a two- year deal with the Rays before the 2019 season for $ 30 million, was in line to make $15 million in 2021 before the club declined.

Set to turn 36 on Nov. 12, Morton was 16- 6 with a 3.05 ERA in 2019, finishing third in American League Cy Young Award voting. He slipped to 2- 2 with a 4.74 ERA in nine starts in 2020, but was 3-1 in four post-season starts with a 2.70 ERA. He was the losing pitcher in Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers.

Zunino, 29, was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade after the 2018 season and was on consecutive oneyear deals with the Rays. His 2021 club option was worth $4.5 million.

Zunino is a career .200 hitter with 108 home runs and 283 RBIS in eight seasons with the Mariners (2013-18) and Rays (2019-20).

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Rays general manager Erik Neander has interest in bringing both players back on new deals.

Yanks pick up Britton’s option

The New York Yankees picked up Zack Britton’s 2022 contract option and declined the 2021 options on outfielder Brett Gardner and left-hander J.A. Happ.

Britton, a 32- year- old left- handed reliever, had a clause in his contract that required the Yankees to decide on his 2022 option right after the 2020 World Series. If the team had declined the 2022 option, Britton had the right to opt out of his deal, leaving behind his scheduled $13 million salary for 2021.

The Yankees made the official announcement on Friday, hours after Britton spilled the tea himself.

Britton went 1- 2 with eight saves and a 1.89 ERA in 20 appearances for the Yankees in the 60- game 2020 schedule. He gave up two runs in 5 1/ 3 innings during four post-season outings.

A two- time All- Star, Britton pitched for the Baltimore Orioles from 2011-18 before joining the Yankees in a July 2018 trade.

Gardner, 37, will receive a $ 2.5 million buyout. He hit .223 with a .354 on-base percentage, a .392 slugging percentage, five homers and 15 RBIS in 49 games this year. Gardner has spent his entire 13- year career with the Yankees.

Happ, 38, had a $ 17 million vesting option for 2021, but he didn’t reach the threshold of 10 starts to have the money guaranteed. He finished 2-2 with a 3.47 ERA in nine regular-season starts.

Tigers name Hinch as manager

The Detroit Tigers named A. J. Hinch as the 39th manager in franchise history on Friday, just days after his one- year suspension ended for his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.

Hinch, 46, agreed to terms on a multi- year contract with the Tigers and replaces Ron Gardenhire, who retired in mid-september.

“I’d like to thank ( owner) Chris Ilitch and ( general manager) Al Avila for giving me a chance and the opportunity to get back in the dugout to lead this historic ball club,” Hinch said in a press release.

Hinch led the Astros to a World Series championship in 2017 and another World Series berth in 2019, but he was fired by the club in January after Major League Baseball’s investigation into sign-stealing allegations.