Nick Punto's 2015 option vests for $2.75 million

Oakland Athletics' middle infielder Nick Punto will be back with the club in 2015, as his $2.75 million option has vested, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The option was based on how many days Punto spent on the active roster this season.

The soon to be 37-year-old Punto is coming off arguably the worst season of his career, and things aren't likely to get much better. This season, Punto hit just .207/.296/.293 with a 0.2 WAR in 73 games played. While he is essentially a negative with the bat, Punto does still provide value through his defensive versatility. In his 14-year big league career, he has played every position on the diamond sans catcher, and regularly shifts between second base and shortstop.

Punto joined the Athletics last offseason after spending just over a year with the Dodgers. He was part of 2012's mega-trade between the Dodgers and Red Sox that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Punto to Los Angeles.

Punto went 0-for-2 in last night's spectacularly eventful AL Wild Card game in which Oakland heartbreakingly lost 9-8 to the Kansas City Royals.