Probably makes sense there to also include a hypothetical example of the stated "something useful". Since the other half of the assumption being made there implies that any return to be had on Buchholz, in the event that option was being picked up with little surrounding intention of actually keeping him, would be worth taking on the risk of a winter/spring injury or sacrificing any potential benefit of DD simply keeping the money in hand and readily available to spend on something he actually did want.Name that pitcher. Please. Is there a better pitcher than Buchholz on the free agent market this year? One that will be cheaper than $13.5M? Buchholz as a free agent probably gets at least that if not more on the market this winter, so picking up the option is really a no-brainer. Picking up the option doesn't mean he is on the 2017 team though. He can always be flipped for "something useful". That assumes, of course, that they can adequately replace him on the pitching staff.
If the value gap between a team having a just cash interest and a cash + giving up assets interest in Buchholz is a C level level prospect or fungible_piece_X, does that even play out to be worth the effort in reality and outside of min/max message board theory? I personally have my doubts, and of all outcomes here, this seems the most unlikely of the three atm/imo.
I mean I ultimately agree with the logic of it being a no-brainer if DD ends up picking it up with a fairly solid belief already in place that Clay is going to be our #5 guy coming out of ST. It gets little less so if you are paying that out while projecting him to come out of our pen though. Or if say, DD is already sitting there with the same David Price'like mentality in his head on the idea of adding another arm this winter to better solidify our rotation.