Washington Nationals pick up Gio Gonzalez’s 2017 option, decline club option on Yusmeiro Petit

Washington Post writer Chelsea Janes wrote yesterday that someone in Gio Gonzalez’s “camp” told her that the Washington Nationals picking up the $12M club option for the left-hander in 2017 was, “‘a matter of course,’ a fait accompli — procedural, more than anything.”

This afternoon, Jon Heyman reported that he too heard the Nationals would pick up Gonzalez’s option:

The Nationals made the announcement official shortly after Heyman’s tweet, and added a note on an option for veteran reliever Yusmeiro Petit:

Gonzalez’s option was included in the 5-year/$42M extension he signed with the Nationals shortly after they acquired the southpaw from the Oakland A’s in late December of 2011.

The deal also includes a $12M option for 2018 if Gonzalez is able to throw 180 innings in 2017. Gonzalez was (11-11) in 32 starts in 2016, with a 4.57 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 59 walks (2.99 BB/9), 171 Ks (8.68 K/9) and a .257/.326/.404 line against in 177 1⁄3 IP, finishing the season at 2.9 fWAR.

Yusmeiro Petit, 31, signed a 1-year/$3M deal with the Nationals last December. The one-year deal included a club option for 2017 at $3M or a $500,000 buyout.

Petit is coming off a -0.2 fWAR 2016 campaign which saw him go (3-5) in 36 appearances (one a starter) with a 4.50 ERA, a 4.81 FIP, 15 walks (2.18 BB/9) and 49 Ks (7.11 K/9) in 62 IP, over which opposing hitters had a .272/.318/.469.

Petit struggled and was used sparingly in the second-half, putting up a 9.35 ERA, a 5.92 FIP and a .342/.388/.633 line against in 17 ¹⁄₃ IP.

Next up for the Nationals’ decision-makers: Do they make a qualifying offer (1-year/$17.2M) to catcher Wilson Ramos, who’s recovering from the second surgery on his right knee.