Toronto Blue Jays contracts and team control: 2016 and beyond

Aug 2, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays opening pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) and catcher Russell Martin (55) walk out before game against Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

Players Under Existing Contracts

Russell Martin:  The Jays catcher remains under contract through 2019, and will see his salary jump to $15 million in the 2016 season. From 2017-2019, Martin will make $20 million annually. Those numbers will be a little easier to swallow after the incredible value Toronto has received from the deal this season, and Martin will remain as the clear-cut starter going forward. Nothing to see here!

Troy Tulowitzki:  Toronto’s new shortstop isn’t going anywhere, either. Tulowitzki’s contract runs until 2020 with a team option in 2021. Including that option, Tulo’s deal has six years remaining with $109 million. That’s a lot of coin, but we’ve already seen the great impact he has both with the bat and defensively.

Players with Contract Options

R.A. Dickey:  Dickey’s team option will be a hot topic entering the season, at $12 million with a $1 million buyout. If the Jays are getting the Dickey they’ve seen over the past month, this is a no-brainer, but will his age cause another sluggish start in 2016? Can the Jays afford to weather that? Picking up the option just to get 200 innings is not enough in my books, but it seems more likely than not that Dickey will return for one last ride.

Jose Bautista:  His contract comes with a team option of $14 million for 2016 that will be an automatic decision for Anthopoulos. Bautista is due for free agency in 2017, though, and that contract situation will be a leading headline throughout next season.

Edwin Encarnacion:  Like his long-time battery mate, Encarnacion’s team option of $10 million should be an easy decision. He’s also due for free agency the year following, so the Jays may be forced to “choose” between the two men who have long carried the heart of their order. Don’t rule out a trade in the offseason, though.

Next: Expiring deals. Will Toronto tempt any of them back?