12 players with intriguing club options for 2020

The Minnesota Twins made a painless decision Wednesday when they reportedly exercised Nelson Cruz's $12-million club option for 2020.

A number of other teams won't have it so easy when their front offices are forced to make choices about the players they control.

With dozens of players attached to club options heading into 2020, here are 12 of the most intriguing scenarios, broken into three categories.

(Note: Mutual options and opt-outs were not considered.)

Should be picked up

Anthony Rizzo, Cubs

Rizzo is one of the surest bets to have his club option picked up after one of the best seasons of his career. The Cubs first baseman finished sixth in MLB with a .405 on-base percentage, hit 23-plus homers for a seventh straight campaign, and almost reached 100 RBIs for what would have been the fifth year in a row. He's also beloved by fans in Chicago and has said he wants to be a Cub for life.

Chris Archer, Pirates

Archer is coming off the worst campaign of his eight-year career (3-9, 5.19 ERA). However, buying out the two-time All-Star would make the Pirates look even more foolish after giving up Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow to acquire Archer, then watching both players become stars with the Rays. Despite his lack of recent success, Archer still ranked 15th in K/9 (10.8) among MLB starters with at least 100 innings pitched in 2019.

Sean Doolittle, Nationals

It's been an up-and-down campaign for Doolittle. After he saved 29 games for the Nationals during the regular season, Dave Martinez has shied away from using him in the ninth inning during the playoffs. Doolittle's career-high 4.05 ERA can mostly be attributed to two rough patches in May and August; otherwise, he's looked good. For a Nationals team trying to build a better bullpen in 2020, $6 million to bring back an established late-inning reliever will be a bargain.

Adam Eaton, Nationals

For the first time since the Nationals acquired him from the White Sox for three players (including Lucas Giolito), Eaton gave them a full season of baseball. He also hit a career-high 15 home runs and swiped 15 bases. With top outfield prospects Jeremy De La Rosa and Gage Canning nowhere near major-league ready, expect Eaton to return in 2020.

Nick Markakis, Braves

The 35-year-old didn't replicate his 2018 All-Star campaign, but he still got on base at a .356 clip and, despite missing time with a fractured wrist, was one of only two Braves outfielders who made more than 450 plate appearances. Although his defense tailed off, he comes ready to play every day, which is worth $6 million to Atlanta.

Starling Marte, Pirates

Marte accounted for 14 percent of the Pirates' home runs, 11 percent of their hits, and 39 percent of their stolen bases during the regular season. He also played the worst defense of his career. Though Pittsburgh's front office loves to employ younger, more affordable options, $11.5 million for a three-win 31-year-old seems reasonable even for the low-budget Pirates.

Jose Quintana, Cubs

With a postseason miss barely in their rearview mirror, the Cubs will enter 2020 with one of the highest payrolls in baseball, a new manager, and a potential roster shake-up. Quintana's durability alone might keep him in the Windy City, but his career-high 2019 ERA, a dip in velocity for a third straight season, and the fact he allowed more than 10 hits per nine innings could put him at risk. The Cubs are unlikely to find a better starter via trade (their farm system is depleted) or free agency (their payroll is high) at this price, however, so Quintana should be back next season.

Eric Thames, Brewers

Trading Jesus Aguilar opened up playing time for Thames, who began the year mostly as a pinch hitter. The 32-year-old went on to slug .500 or higher in four different months and pushed his OBP to a respectable .346 after only managing a .306 mark in 2018. Those numbers should be good enough for the Brewers to bring him back for $7.5 million.

Could go either way

Edwin Encarnacion, Yankees

Encarnacion provided an already powerful Yankees lineup with additional pop after he was acquired from the Mariners in June. The veteran homered once in about every 15 plate appearances for New York and his 168 wRC+ in the second half ranked ninth in baseball among hitters with at least 120 plate appearances. The Yankees usually don't mind spending money, but they're looking at a $164-million payroll for next season without factoring in the free agency of Didi Gregorius, Dellin Betances, and others; Aroldis Chapman's potential opt-out; and arbitration raises for key players like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. That could make Encarnacion too pricey for Brian Cashman.

Julio Teheran, Braves

Teheran signed with Atlanta as an amateur free agent in 2007 and has been with the Braves organization for more than a decade. He's made at least 30 starts in seven consecutive seasons and is a two-time All-Star. But this might be the end of the line for the 28-year-old in Atlanta. Teheran's 4.66 FIP was among the 10 highest for qualified starters during the season. The Braves initially left him off their NLDS roster, only adding him after Chris Martin was injured, and pitching prospects Kyle Wright and Ian Anderson are in the pipeline.

Destined for free agency

Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals

Zimmerman's tenure with the Nationals is almost guaranteed to conclude whenever the team's season does thanks to the $18-million club option attached to his contract. The 35-year-old has only appeared in 137 regular-season games over the past two years and is far from the player he used to be. If this is the end of his stint with Washington, "Mr. National" will leave as a two-time All-Star who ranks among the franchise leaders in games played, home runs, hits, and total bases.

Kole Calhoun, Angels

Calhoun hit a career-high 33 home runs and made some highlight-reel plays, but the Angels have more affordable outfield options for next season in Brian Goodwin, who had a breakout campaign after arriving from the Royals, and MLB-ready top prospect Jo Adell. The money they'd save by declining Calhoun's option could be better used on pitching: Angels starters finished last in baseball in WAR and second-last in ERA and FIP.