Interesting FAs

[BohKnowsBmore]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Manny and Harper signing the #1 and #3 contracts in baseball history kind of shot the union's collusion claim to heck.

Bucholtz and Norris signing leaves only Kuechel, Kimbrel, Gio Gonzalez, Jones and Maldonado  of MLBTR's top 50 free agents.   

Yea, but Mark Reynolds got four offers ON THE SAME DAY!

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Yea, but Mark Reynolds got four offers ON THE SAME DAY!

Sounds like his agent was talking to a lot of clubs and when he got one offer the others weighed in.

[theocean]

6 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Manny and Harper signing the #1 and #3 contracts in baseball history kind of shot the union's collusion claim to heck.

Bucholtz and Norris signing leaves only Kuechel, Kimbrel, Gio Gonzalez, Jones and Maldonado  of MLBTR's top 50 free agents.   

I agree, the Player's Union is going to have a really hard time making their case when Machado, Harper, and Arenado all signed record deals. And by this info (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts) - pretty much all of the top contracts in sports are baseball players.

They'd be better off getting better pay for pre-FA players so they stop looking like such a cheap, valuable alternative to pricey old veterans. 

[BohKnowsBmore]

19 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Sounds like his agent was talking to a lot of clubs and when he got one offer the others weighed in.

Yep.  I was saying that with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

The notion that teams would have a conference call to collude on present day Mark Reynolds is hilarious IMO.

[WalkWithElias]

24 minutes ago, theocean said:

I agree, the Player's Union is going to have a really hard time making their case when Machado, Harper, and Arenado all signed record deals. And by this info (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts) - pretty much all of the top contracts in sports are baseball players.

They'd be better off getting better pay for pre-FA players so they stop looking like such a cheap, valuable alternative to pricey old veterans. 

They'll only have a really hard time because the general public prefers the easy narrative which is "Look at all the money THESE guys got!"

The Union's job isn't to make sure the top paid players get a ton of money. The Union's job is to make sure everyone in the union has a fair opportunity to get paid equitably. The whole "collusion" thing I think is nonsense. I don't believe a secret cabal of owners are sipping cocktails in a dark room discussing ways to undercut Dallas Keuchel's contract negotiations. I do believe there are incentive structures that could be negotiated into a new CBA has would improve leverage of non-generational-talent players in free agency. 

[Moose Milligan]

Sucks that Bucholz is a Jay now.

[bobmc]

6 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Sucks that Bucholz is a Jay now.

But Bartolo is still chilling:

 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Manny and Harper signing the #1 and #3 contracts in baseball history kind of shot the union's collusion claim to heck.

Not to mention the Arenado extension, which I think is #5.    But things lower down on the spectrum have been a bit more troubling, as discussed.   

[wildcard]

29 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Not to mention the Arenado extension, which I think is #5.    But things lower down on the spectrum have been a bit more troubling, as discussed.   

What free agent to you think is underpaid?

[Frobby]

19 minutes ago, wildcard said:

What free agent to you think is underpaid?

I don’t have time to assemble a comprehensive list.   Let’s start with Nick Markakis, Jon Jay, Nelson Cruz and Jose Iglesias.   

There’s something about the way the FA market is dragging into ST that is unnatural.    It’s getting a bit worse each year.

[Just Regular]

Assuming Harper allows Jones to clear in the next week or so, it'll be down to the Denard Span/Carlos Gonzalez tier of the OF market.  I won't even mention Carlos Gomez.

As I do suspect long AAA stints for our prospects, I do find myself warming a little to the notion of Span as a Mullins mentor.  I do think teams sometimes put a little value of veteran same style as an important young player - on the highest levels I think part of why Washington bought Scherzer was to save Strasburg's soul and I think it has generally worked, and I imagine the Padres saw Manny as a Tatis mentor in a way too.

Could you tolerate a small investment in Span?  Naturally we'd hope to make him some contender's 4th outfielder or injury fill-in come summer time.  I do think Span/Gonzalez/Gomez's agents probably do have to do Baltimore due diligence about a potential full time job in the corner opposite Mancini.

[wildcard]

10 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t have time to assemble a comprehensive list.   Let’s start with Nick Markakis, Jon Jay, Nelson Cruz and Jose Iglesias.   

There’s something about the way the FA market is dragging into ST that is unnatural.    It’s getting a bit worse each year.

Markakis will make 6m in 2019 or  10M over 2019-2020 if this option is picked up.  Thise are is age 35-36 years.  Its reported that he took less to stay with  Braves.  That was his choice.  

Jon Jay is a part time player.  He is 34. He played 84 games last year.   Roughly half time.   He signed for 4m which is up one million over 2018.  He is not under paid.

Nelson Cruz is 38.  He will be 39 in July 1st.   Odds are he is enhanced. He will make 14m this season which the the Twins highest salary.  He has an option for 12m next season which is will end up being 40.  He is not underpaid.

Jose Iglesias had well reported attitude problem when he was in Boston.   I have read that the O's looked at him    during the winter meeting and decided against pursuing him for attitude reasons.   I have looked for that quote and have not come up with it but I know what I read.   He doesn't hit well.   He signed a minor contract and will make 2.5m if he makes the team.   There is a reason why many  teams didn't signed him and I have told you why I think it happened.

 

[Frobby]

48 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Markakis will make 6m in 2019 or  10M over 2019-2020 if this option is picked up.  Thise are is age 35-36 years.  Its reported that he took less to stay with  Braves.  That was his choice.  

Jon Jay is a part time player.  He is 34. He played 84 games last year.   Roughly half time.   He signed for 4m which is up one million over 2018.  He is not under paid.

Nelson Cruz is 38.  He will be 39 in July 1st.   Odds are he is enhanced. He will make 14m this season which the the Twins highest salary.  He has an option for 12m next season which is will end up being 40.  He is not underpaid.

Jose Iglesias had well reported attitude problem when he was in Boston.   I have read that the O's looked at him    during the winter meeting and decided against pursuing him for attitude reasons.   I have looked for that quote and have not come up with it but I know what I read.   He doesn't hit well.   He signed a minor contract and will make 2.5m if he makes the team.   There is a reason why many  teams didn't signed him and I have told you why I think it happened.

 

Agree to disagree.    I don’t have time this afternoon to debate the topic.  

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, OrioleDog said:

Assuming Harper allows Jones to clear in the next week or so, it'll be down to the Denard Span/Carlos Gonzalez tier of the OF market.  I won't even mention Carlos Gomez.

As I do suspect long AAA stints for our prospects, I do find myself warming a little to the notion of Span as a Mullins mentor.  I do think teams sometimes put a little value of veteran same style as an important young player - on the highest levels I think part of why Washington bought Scherzer was to save Strasburg's soul and I think it has generally worked, and I imagine the Padres saw Manny as a Tatis mentor in a way too.

Could you tolerate a small investment in Span?  Naturally we'd hope to make him some contender's 4th outfielder or injury fill-in come summer time.  I do think Span/Gonzalez/Gomez's agents probably do have to do Baltimore due diligence about a potential full time job in the corner opposite Mancini.

You don't have too. The Mets already signed him. And this team signing an OF would be a complete and utter waste of money. Someone like Denard Span isn't going to help us win or put butts in the seats. We have plenty of OF bodies. Play them and see who sticks and invest that money in the infrastructure of the team (scouting, analysts, international presence, etc.)