With play on hold, MLB players get big win on service time
Manipulating service time has been a big issue in major-league baseball for years, and Kris Bryant was burned by it worst than most.
The Cubs' star third baseman was sent to Class AAA Iowa to start the 2015 season and by the time he was called up to the majors - on April 17 - the Cubs gained an extra year of contractual control.
Had he been called up on April 16, Bryant would have been eligible for free agency a year earlier.
It would be very safe to say Bryant was motivated by the decision. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2015 and he was the MVP in '16 while helping the Cubs win the World Series.
Still bothered by the system, Bryant filed a grievance at the end of last season with the hopes of getting the lost year back. He knew the odds of success were slim.
"Obviously, we had a disagreement," Bryant said after receiving a losing verdict. "We handled it respectfully. I'm very thankful that (Cubs president) Theo (Epstein) and the team saw it through. I saw it through to the end because it was something I really believed, and my mom and dad have always told me to stand up for what I believe in and I was going to see the process through.
"I saw it through and there's definitely no hard feelings, so let's put that narrative to bed."
It took four months for the Bryant decision to be reached, and he is still not eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season.
Given the current state of the game, and much, much more, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the service time squabble is certainly nothing to get worked up about.
But last week, when major-league owners and players agreed on several key economic issues needed to get the regular season going at some point this year, the service time decision was newsworthy.
No matter how many games are played in 2020, even if it is zero, players get the same service time as last season. For established veterans, that means a full year.
Bryant still has to wait until after next season to hit the free-agent market, but several key Cubs and White Sox players are free to sign elsewhere after this year.
Two projected Cubs starting pitchers, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood, are eligible for free agency at the end of the upcoming season, regardless of how it plays out.
A third starter, Jon Lester, has a $25 million club option for 2021. Given his age (36) and the heavy economic losses being caused by the coronavirus, the Cubs are much more likely to trigger the $10 million buyout they hold on Lester at the end of this season.
The White Sox are in relatively good financial shape with so many young players until multiyear contracts, but new designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, closer Alex Colome and all-star catcher James McCann are all eligible for free agency at the end of this year.
Encarnacion and Colome could very well be back in 2021 on one-year contracts.
As for McCann, it wouldn't be a surprise if he was wearing a different uniform next season.
The Sox have another all-star catcher, Yasmani Grandal, under contract through the 2023 season, and they also have Zack Collins, their first-round draft pick in 2016, Yermin Mercedes and Seby Zavala waiting in the wings.