To "option a player" in baseball means to send a player who is on a team's 40-man roster down to the Minor Leagues without exposing him to waivers. This allows the team to remove the player from the active 26-man Major League roster while keeping him on the 40-man roster

. Key points about optioning a player:

• Each player on the 40-man roster has three Minor League option years. Using an option means the player can be sent to the Minors during that season without passing through waivers

• Only one option is used per season regardless of how many times the player is moved between Majors and Minors in that year

• When optioned, a position player must stay in the Minors for at least 10 days, and a pitcher must stay for at least 15 days before being recalled, with some exceptions such as replacing an injured player

• Players lose an option year if they spend 20 or more days in the Minors in a season or do not start the season on the Major League roster

• Once a player has used all three options (is "out of options"), he must clear waivers before being sent to the Minors, meaning other teams can claim him

• Players with more than five years of Major League service time must consent to being optioned, giving them some protection

Optioning is a roster management tool that lets teams develop players in the Minors without losing them to other teams, balancing player development with Major League roster needs

. In summary, optioning a player is sending him to the Minors while keeping him on the 40-man roster, using one of his limited option years, and avoiding waiver exposure unless all options are exhausted