Blue Jays Sign Jose Bautista

[Laika]

Multiple years is only preferable if it significantly depresses the AAV - if Bautista trades AAV for term security.

 

One year is great. At his age he'll likely be a year-to-year player anyway after this season.

 

Carlos Beltran projects to be significantly worse, will turn 40 this year, and was given 1/$16M. A lot of people would have been happy giving that deal to Beltran.

Getting Bautista for a similar deal is a f***ing coup!

Rejoice! (once it's confirmed)

[JaysFan4Ever]

I don't think a mutual option has ever been taken up by both sides. The very idea of a "mutual option" is contradictory in nature.

 

Pretty much. You'd think that if both sides wanted another year, they'd just agree to it, or have a team option, or what used to be called player options, which are now basically called opt out clauses. They really only protect the team in the event a player gets hurt, has a bad year, they decline their side, and the player is sent walking. Player has a good year and can make more money, he declines his, but the team can still stay "protected" by saying the player opted to walk for more money or didn't want to stay an extra year or talk extension.

[TwistedLogic]

It's some optics ******** for know-nothing fans, I guess. It's like giving a promise ring to a girlfriend you already broke up with once before.

 

Mutual options are so pointless. One is always going to reject it. Would have rather seen a 2 year deal.

 

How many mutual options have actually been picked up by both sides? I don't remember it ever happening.

 

There's actually the possibility of an (unlikely) scenario in play here, where a "mutual option" could be used creatively to assist with the 2017 payroll and enable the Jays to make a few more moves.

 

The Jays payroll is currently sitting at 132.7M. Setting aside maybe 5M for league min guys and 3.3M for Stroman, it puts them at 141M. If they only plan on hovering near the 2015 payroll of 160M, a Bautista signing in the 1/18M range would likely eat up their entire budget without allowing any subsequent moves.

 

However, if they were to sign Bautista to a 1 year, say, 10M deal, with a mutual option in 2018 that carries something like a 10M buyout, they'll essentially have signed him to a 1/20M deal with half of the salary deferred to 2018. That could open up the possibility for deals with Valbuena, Moss, Holland, Logan, etc.

 

A club option or a team option would have both technically made this a two year deal, and with the changes to the qualifying offer, I don't think that's what Bautista is looking for. A mutual option with a buyout attached would give him the 1 year deal he wants, ensure that he gets his money, and help the team with a (necessary?) deferral.

 

Probably not what's in play here, but a potentially brilliant move if it is.

[Ray]

I guess the only positive with a mutual option is that there's no buyout.

[KingKat]

There's actually the possibility of an (unlikely) scenario in play here, where a "mutual option" could be used in a creative way to assist with the 2017 payroll.

 

The Jays payroll is currently sitting at 132.7M. Setting aside maybe 5M for league min guys and 3.3M for Stroman, it puts them at 141M. If they're only going to stick with the 2015 payroll of 160M, a Bautista signing in the 1/19M range would likely eat up their entire budget without allowing any subsequent moves.

 

However, if they were to sign Bautista to a 1 year, say, 10M deal, with a mutual option in 2018 that carries a 12M buyout, they'll essentially have signed him to a 1/22M deal with a little more than half of the salary deferred to 2018. That could open up the possibility of a deal for Valbuena, Moss, Holland, Logan, etc.

 

A club option or a team option would have both technically made this a two year deal, and I don't think that's what Bautista is looking for. A mutual option with a buyout attached would insure that Jose gets his money, and help the team with a (necessary?) deferral.

 

Probably not what's in play here, but a potentially brilliant move if it is.

 

North just wrote a one sentence comment that says essentially the same thing.

[Laika]

North just wrote a one sentence comment that says essentially the same thing.

 

lol

[burlingtonbandit]

If you push money front his year to next year it makes 2018 very tough to compete. Id you do that you'll have to rebuild and trade Donaldson etc...

[Dr. Dinger]

If you push money front his year to next year it makes 2018 very tough to compete. Id you do that you'll have to rebuild and trade Donaldson etc...

 

mods

[BTS]

If you push money front his year to next year it makes 2018 very tough to compete. Id you do that you'll have to rebuild and trade Donaldson etc...

 

lol, for all you know it's like a 3M buyout on the team part of the option.

[King]

I heard that the mutual option is pointless. Can anyone confirm?

[Gary]

I heard that the mutual option is pointless. Can anyone confirm?

 

Confirmed.

[glory]

Aren't buyouts accounted for in the present year? For example, if I am remembering this correctly, Rajai Davis had a $3mm team option and $500k buyout. Alex bought him out for $500k and then re-signed him for $2.5mm. So Davis did not lose any money, but the Jays saved $500k on the following year's payroll.

[TwistedLogic]

North just wrote a one sentence comment that says essentially the same thing.

 

And he posted it after I began on my own post. Anyway, North was pointing out that Ramirez's option had been exercised. I was throwing out the idea of deferring salary through the use of a buyout. It's not really the same thing at all.

 

But thanks for reminding me that we twitter now, good mod.

[TwistedLogic]

Aren't buyouts accounted for in the present year? For example, if I am remembering this correctly, Rajai Davis had a $3mm team option and $500k buyout. Alex bought him out for $500k and then re-signed him for $2.5mm. So Davis did not lose any money, but the Jays saved $500k on the following year's payroll.

 

I don't really know how buyouts affect AAV, but I'd assume that the idea of not physically having to pay that buyout until it's time to make a decision on the option, it's still technically deferring money off the 2017 payroll. I don't think AAV is a real issue here.

[Ray]

[intentional wok]

I wonder if someone else suggested the possibility of a buyout/deferral angle two pages ago.

[BTS]

You guys think that maybe this mutual option is just a way for the team to defer money?

[Jonn]

Still holding out hope this doesn't get done. Throwing away a first round compensation pick for 1 year of Jose seems outrageous.

[Dr. Dinger]

Still holding out hope this doesn't get done. Throwing away a first round compensation pick for 1 year of Jose seems outrageous.

 

Yer dum

[TheHurl]

I'd think that the Jays are just doing a mutual option to defer money to next year. Opinions?

[Jonn]

Yer dum

 

Don't really care what you think. 2 years guaranteed or FOH. Can't even trade him at the Deadline unless he approves because of his 10-5 rights.

[JaysAllMighty]

Is a Jose Reyes trade a crazy idea? Stick him in LF/RF and lead-off for ya? Cost would be minimal and the Mets have to shed salary.

 

Reyes would be too lazy to run after the balls over his head.

[Ray]

That's the thing. If we're giving up a 1st round pick, I'd rather get more than just 1 year of Jose.

 

And before anyone says, I don't think there was a chance in hell that Jose was gonna wait out till June. Some team with a protected pick like the Phillies, or one that already gave up their pick like the Rockies would've gotten him on a cheap deal.

[KingKat]

And he posted it after I began on my own post. Anyway, North was pointing out that Ramirez's option had been exercised. I was throwing out the idea of deferring salary through the use of a buyout. It's not really the same thing at all.

 

But thanks for reminding me that we twitter now, good mod.

 

It's exactly the same thing if you read his second sentence. Anyways... no need to get testy. It ultimately just gives more credence to what you're saying.

[RealAccountant]

I'd think that the Jays are just doing a mutual option to defer money to next year. Opinions?

 

We are probably going to suck next year anyways

 

Come on guys win one for the Gibber

[fatcowxlive]

When has a mutual option worked? Barring an injury or a drop in performance Bautista would probably want to re-test the market next year right ?

[Laika]

This is a pretty long time without an official conclusion.

 

I think it's falling apart!

[burlingtonbandit]

lol, for all you know it's like a 3M buyout on the team part of the option.

 

True but I'll say 2018 is still going to be tough to have a playoff team. Yankees and Red Sox will be ahead of them by a good margin. Tulo, Martin, Donaldson all a year older with 2 holes in the rotation.

 

Stroman, Sanchez, Osuna, Donaldson all will have large raises in arb. Maybe Rogers will give them $200 Million, who knows.

[KingKat]

This is a pretty long time without an official conclusion.

 

I think it's falling apart!

 

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/458/375/101.png

[fatcowxlive]

This is a pretty long time without an official conclusion.

 

I think it's falling apart!

 

But but you just told me to rejoice last page, should I panic now??!?!?