Four option decisions around the league that are relevant to the Phillies

Decisions on club, player and mutual options are slowly trickling in. The Phillies still have to make a call on left-handed pitcher José Alvarado ($9 million club option) and outfielder Harrison Bader ($10 million mutual option). They have until 5 p.m. ET Thursday to do so.

In the meantime, other teams and players around the league have already made decisions that will impact the free agent market. Some were a given. Alex Bregman opting out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox was expected. Others are a little bit surprising.

Here are some relevant club/player option decisions already made that could impact the Phillies.

Chicago White Sox pick up $20 million club option on center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

This was expected, though it still doesn’t make much sense. The White Sox put a high price on Robert Jr. at the trade deadline. The Phillies reportedly had interest. Chicago used that club option as leverage in trade negotiations. Robert, 28, is a fantastic defensive center fielder who is two years removed from his last elite season at the plate. If Chicago declined the club option, he would have been a free-agent alternative to Bader.

Alex Bregman opts out of the final two years of $120 million deal with Boston Red Sox

The third baseman had an excellent year with Boston, batting .273 with an .821 OPS in 495 plate appearances. Agent Scott Boras will try again to secure a long-term deal, this time without a qualifying offer attached. That will make him an appealing free agent to a team like the Phillies, who would prefer not to surrender draft capital and international bonus pool money. If Kyle Schwarber or J.T. Realmuto sign elsewhere, perhaps the Phillies consider making a run at Bregman and trading Alec Bohm. He is one of the better right-handed bats on the free agent market.

Cody Bellinger opts out of the final year of $80 million deal with New York Yankees

Bellinger, 30, is the second-best outfield bat available on the market. In his first year with the Yankees, Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs and an .813 OPS. He was the best left-handed hitter in baseball against left-handed pitching. His 1.016 OPS against southpaws in 2025 was the highest among left-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers (min. 70 plate appearances).

He played some center field with New York in 2025, but graded out much better in the corner spots. The Yankees will probably make a strong push to re-sign him. Interested teams are buying that he’s no longer a volatile offense player. Like Bregman, Bellinger will probably cost over $100 million.

Chicago Cubs decline three-year option on Shota Imanaga worth $57.75 million, Imanaga declines $15.25 million player option for 2026

The Cubs can still retain Imanaga via the qualifying offer, but it’s possible another intriguing left-handed starting pitcher is on the market. It’s hard to envision the Phillies signing another starter not named Ranger Suárez on the free agent market to a multi-year deal, but Imanaga’s presence will impact Suárez. Imanaga missed time this year due to injury and was pretty bad down the stretch. He is, however, a year removed from posting an ERA under three over 173 1/3 innings in 2024. The Cubs’ decision to let Imanaga go could say a lot about Chicago’s offseason plans, depending on how you view it. Are the Cubs cutting costs elsewhere to load up for a run at Schwarber, Kyle Tucker or another high-priced starter? Or are the Cubs cutting payroll and staying away from the big free agents? The Cubs being completely out on Schwarber could be a big deal for the Phillies, who badly want to retain their star designated hitter.