Zack Britton will hold down a slot in the Yankees’ bullpen for at least two more seasons. Andy Martino reports that the Yankees picked up the left-handed reliever’s 2022 option, making the possibility of an opt-out this winter moot.
Britton’s contract, the swell-opt, basically worked like this: after two guaranteed years, the Yankees had to decide whether they wanted to guarantee Britton four years total, 2021 and 2022, immediately after the 2020 World Series. If they had declined that option, Britton could have opted out of the 2021 season, becoming a free agent.