San Diego has exercised its $7.5 million club option on veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit, the club announced Tuesday evening. In that same announcement comes word that Clint Barmes’ $2 million option has been declined.
Benoit posted a cool 2.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 63/23 K/BB ratio in 65 1/3 innings this past season for the Padres, tallying two saves and 36 holds.
$7.5 million might seem like a hefty price tag for a setup man -- especially one who is 38 years old with declining swing-and-miss rates -- but the option came with a $1 million buyout so this was essentially a $6.5 million decision for the San Diego front office.
Benoit could move into a more prominent role in 2016 if the Friars trade closer Craig Kimbrel over the offseason. There has been some outside chatter about that.
