MILWAUKEE -- Avisaíl García earned the right to control his own contractual destiny on Wednesday, and he did it with a bang.

García converted his 2022 club option into a mutual option while hitting his 29th home run of the season, a solo shot that sailed a Statcast-projected 429 feet in the seventh inning of a 10-2 loss to the Cardinals. It requires a bit of math to understand why that plate appearance -- his 492nd in 2021 -- was notable for the 30-year-old right fielder.

García’s two-year, $20 million contract with the Brewers included a $12 million club option for a third season in 2022 that would convert to a mutual option, and thus allow García to choose if he will be a free agent this winter, if he logged either 550 plate appearances in 2021 or 1,050 plate appearances in '20 & '21 combined. To figure 2020 PAs, you multiply his total (207) by 2.7 to account for the shortened season.

That's 558, plus 492 so far this season for 1,050, making his option mutual. From the AP story when he signed, "If the option becomes mutual, García would get a buyout if he declines it, the amount depending on plate appearances in 2020 and ’21 combined: $500,000 for 601-800, $750,000 for 801-900, $1 million for 901-1,050, $1.5 million for 1,051-1,250 and $2 million for more than 1,250."

Players and teams must make decisions on options five days after the World Series ends.

“When we signed him, this was our expectation,” Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said last month as García approached this threshold. “Our expectation was that he was going to play regularly for us. So much last year was unusual about the whole season, but I think we're seeing a very talented player play at a really high level right now.”

García was out of the lineup Thursday as the Brewers continued a careful approach with a lower back that has given him trouble recently, but he entered the day with a .270/.337/.506 slash line, 29 home runs and 84 RBIs. He has already surpassed his previous career highs for homers (20 in 2019) and RBIs (80 in 2017).

“Avi's had an excellent offensive season,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “His second half, he's really swung the bat well. His power in the second half has been there like it's never been in his career. He's had a really good offensive season, there's no doubt about it.”

Last call
• The Brewers are planning for the departure any day of reliever Hunter Strickland, whose wife, Shelley, is due to give birth to the couple’s third child. When Strickland is placed on the paternity list, the likely fill-in is right-hander Miguel Sánchez, who has remained on hand in Milwaukee since being optioned to Triple-A Nashville earlier this week.

• Jace Peterson proved the value of changing speeds on Wednesday night. Peterson pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a blowout and struck out Cardinals shortstop Edmundo Sosa with an 85 mph fastball after beginning the at-bat with a 46 mph … something.

Said Counsell, “It's why those guys get by with a scoreless inning. They're doing something so completely different. When you're seeing guys throw 100 mph every other day of the season, then you can get away with it.”

• The Brewers held a pregame ceremony Thursday to recognize Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader for their combined no-hitter in Cleveland on Sept. 11. It’s the first of a series of ceremonies set for these final home games; the Brewers will celebrate Carlos Gómez and Yovani Gallardo as they are inducted to the club’s Wall of Honor on Friday, then the Crew will mark Bob Uecker’s 50th anniversary in the radio booth on Saturday before holding a retirement ceremony for Ryan Braun on Sunday. Fans attending any of those games may want to cut the pregame tailgate short and get to their seats early.