Which pitcher mega-contract do you like best?

[Frobby]

Verlander (30 years old, 1,553 IP, 128 ERA+) signed for 7 years, $180 mm. The first two years already were locked in at $20 mm each. Now he gets $28 mm for each of 2015-19, and a $22 mm option for 2020 that vests if he finishes in the top 5 of Cy Young voting in 2019.

Hernandez (27 years old, 1,620 IP, 127 ERA+) signed for 7 years, $175 mm. He was already signed for $39.5 mm for 2013-14, and got boosted to $41 mm for those two years and a $6 mm signing bonus, and then $24/25/26/26/27 mm in 2015-19. The team has a $1 mm option for 2020 that kicks in if Hernandez spends 130 consecutive days on the DL due to elbow surgery.

Greinke (29 years old, 1,492 IP, 114 ERA+) signed for 6 years, $147 mm with various performance bonuses that could kick him up by a few million.

Personally, I find all three of these scary. I guess I like Hernandez's deal the best because he's the youngest of the group and his contract has the $1 mm "surgery option". But 1,620 IP at age 27 is pretty frightening, and it won't surprise me if Hernandez breaks down.

I guess Tampa can forget about keeping David Price for the long term.

[Can_of_corn]

Verlander (30 years old, 1,553 IP, 128 ERA+) signed for 7 years, $180 mm. The first two years already were locked in at $20 mm each. Now he gets $28 mm for each of 2015-19, and a $22 mm option for 2020 that vests if he finishes in the top 5 of Cy Young voting in 2019.

Hernandez (27 years old, 1,620 IP, 127 ERA+) signed for 7 years, $175 mm. He was already signed for $39.5 mm for 2013-14, and got boosted to $41 mm for those two years and a $6 mm signing bonus, and then $24/25/26/26/27 mm in 2015-19. The team has a $1 mm option for 2020 that kicks in if Hernandez spends 130 consecutive days on the DL due to elbow surgery.

Greinke (29 years old, 1,492 IP, 114 ERA+) signed for 6 years, $147 mm with various performance bonuses that could kick him up by a few million.

Personally, I find all three of these scary. I guess I like Hernandez's deal the best because he's the youngest of the group and his contract has the $1 mm "surgery option". But 1,620 IP at age 27 is pretty frightening, and it won't surprise me if Hernandez breaks down.

I guess Tampa can forget about keeping David Price for the long term.

Oh is Tampa not getting the 25 million increase in national TV every other team is getting? They could just hand that check over to Price and still have 10 million more next season to pay the rest of the team.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Rays tried to spin it that they can not afford to keep Price but it won't be true.

[Frobby]

Oh is Tampa not getting the 25 million increase in national TV every other team is getting? They could just hand that check over to Price and still have 10 million more next season to pay the rest of the team.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Rays tried to spin it that they can not afford to keep Price but it won't be true.

Even with the extra $25 mm, it might not be prudent to spend such a high proportion of the team's payroll to one player. They may be better off trading Price for 3 stud younger players and spending the money elsewhere. Tampa has proven itself pretty adept at keeping their team young but talented.

[Can_of_corn]

Even with the extra $25 mm, it might not be prudent to spend such a high proportion of the team's payroll to one player. They may be better off trading Price for 3 stud younger players and spending the money elsewhere. Tampa has proven itself pretty adept at keeping their team young but talented.

I didn't say that keeping him would be the best choice, I said that they can afford to keep him. If they try and spin it that they want to keep him and can't afford to it will be bull.