Around Baseball 2019

[Ray]

Unfortunately, these deals probably have no bearing on extensions with Vlad, Bo etc. They already come from money, and they had sizable signing bonuses as well. Acuna and Albies both signed for pennies out of Venezuela and Curacao.

[Orgfiller]

"We're striking cause we're signing deals, without coercion, that maybe we shouldn't sign. We're stupid! Let's strike!"

 

They're signing deals like this because the current CBA guarantees young players a fraction of what they're worth and teams aren't paying for older players like they were before. Cases like Devon Travis exist, I'm sure he would have loved to get the opportunity to earn a few more million in his first couple of seasons as a very valuable asset.

[Ray]

Jon Heyman, is really, REALLY dumb

 

 

[glory]

The sad thing is, this might help in avoiding a strike because the players are getting guaranteed money early in their careers, which is pretty much the biggest problem with the current system. No one is forcing the players to sign these extensions, they are choosing to. At the end of the day, these extensions are pocket change to owners, and the teams are still getting surplus value despite the higher guarantees.

[BTS]

"We're striking cause we're signing deals, without coercion, that maybe we shouldn't sign. We're stupid! Let's strike!"

 

No. They'll strike because of the situation that leads to deals like this: the fact they are drastically underpaid during their best years, and now aren't making up for it in free agency.

 

Albies doesn't sign this deal under the pre-2017 economic model, and he also doesn't sign this deal if there's a system to pay him proportionately to his value earlier in his career. He only signs this deal in the broken system whereby players are underpaid early, and then never compensated for it later. The broken system where salaries have dropped for two consecutive seasons. It will either get fixed, or there will be a work stoppage.

[BTS]

Unfortunately, these deals probably have no bearing on extensions with Vlad, Bo etc. They already come from money, and they had sizable signing bonuses as well. Acuna and Albies both signed for pennies out of Venezuela and Curacao.

 

I'd be embarrassed as a Jays fan if Vlad signed this deal.

[Krylian]

Market correction. FAs were cleaning up for years. Now, teams are finally realizing that the smart money is on locking up younger players. The younger player doesn't need to sign these deals. They can bet on themselves if they want and use every tool that they bargained for in the CBA. But if they want guaranteed money, this is what it is.

 

I have no problem with it. And in a market like Toronto, we should pray that salaries don't continue to sky rocket cause Rogers ain't gonna pay it.

[BTS]

Market correction. FAs were cleaning up for years. Now, teams are finally realizing that the smart money is on locking up younger players. The younger player doesn't need to sign these deals. They can bet on themselves if they want and use every tool that they bargained for in the CBA. But if they want guaranteed money, this is what it is.

 

I have no problem with it. And in a market like Toronto, we should pray that salaries don't continue to sky rocket cause Rogers ain't gonna pay it.

 

You're framing it as though money is being taken from older FAs and given to young players. That's not what's happening. Money is being taken from older FAs, and some of it is being given to young players, while some of it is being pocketed by owners. Total salaries have dropped two years in a row, and it will continue doing so as the mistakes of the past (Davis, Pujols etc...) expire without similar bad contracts replacing them.

 

The PA is not going to accept a smaller share of revenues than they had in 2017. There will either be a mechanism for moving that money to younger players, or there will be no baseball. And the PA will be 100% justified.

[Dr. Dinger]

Anthopolous has major balls to even put an offer like that on the table. That not only should have been rejected with extreme contempt, but that offer is absolutely grounds for breaking off all negotiations. That offer is in bad faith.

[Krylian]

You're framing it as though money is being taken from older FAs and given to young players. That's not what's happening. Money is being taken from older FAs, and some of it is being given to young players, while some of it is being pocketed by owners. Total salaries have dropped two years in a row, and it will continue doing so as the mistakes of the past (Davis, Pujols etc...) expire without similar bad contracts replacing them.

 

The PA is not going to accept a smaller share of revenues than they had in 2017. There will either be a mechanism for moving that money to younger players, or there will be no baseball. And the PA will be 100% justified.

 

That's exactly the point. Owners are tired of bad contract after bad contract. They are not obligated to continuously hand them out. This might actually be the first step in a salary cap (and floor). If the players want a specific % of revenues then some risk has to be removed from the owners. I can see them putting a cap in number of years, capping the actual salary for a given player...and capping the salary for an entire team. To counter that, there should also be a floor that teams have to hit. Maybe the range is $120-$200M per team (just throwing out numbers). So there's guaranteed money in the system, and organizations are protected a bit more from your Prince Fielder, Chris Davis, Albert Pujols deals.

[Dr. Dinger]

Albies might now have more trade value than any other singular player.

[Orgfiller]

Albies might now have more trade value than any other singular player.

 

Jose Ramirez says hi.

[BTS]

That's exactly the point. Owners are tired of bad contract after bad contract. They are not obligated to continuously hand them out. This might actually be the first step in a salary cap (and floor). If the players want a specific % of revenues then some risk has to be removed from the owners. I can see them putting a cap in number of years, capping the actual salary for a given player...and capping the salary for an entire team. To counter that, there should also be a floor that teams have to hit. Maybe the range is $120-$200M per team (just throwing out numbers). So there's guaranteed money in the system, and organizations are protected a bit more from your Prince Fielder, Chris Davis, Albert Pujols deals.

 

The owners were doing fine when players were getting underpaid early and overpaid late. Now they’re smarter and aren’t going to overpay late, but under the current CBA they’re still underpaying early. That has to change. Probably they’ll arrive at a system that does a better job of getting money to the best players, but until that happens the owners are taking the players to the cleaner.

[Bobthe4th]

Anthopolous has major balls to even put an offer like that on the table. That not only should have been rejected with extreme contempt, but that offer is absolutely grounds for breaking off all negotiations. That offer is in bad faith.

 

Bad faith? SMH, ridiculous. Some of you people can't bear to give AA any credit for anything.......

 

Bad faith would be lowballing an offer, then refusing to go higher when the player laughs in your face. I absolutely agree that Albies has been badly advised and has probably been blinded by the insane money for someone coming from nothing, and been sold the benefits of long term security and playing with his mate Acuna. But the fact remains that he has signed the deal so he must think it's an acceptable deal for him (even though he should have got a lot more). That's on Albies and his agent, just because Atlanta would have expected some negotiation to a higher amount doesn't mean they should give him more money than he has asked for.

[Boxcar]

Haha, this is a terrible take. What an amazing deal for Atlanta, Albies wasn’t forced to sign the contract.

 

Bob calling out terrible takes, Jesus Christ.

[jaysblue]

I don't even think AA should be lauded for this. This contract is so bad for the player that I honestly feel sorry for him, and it's a bad look for the Braves org.

 

I also don't really understand the motivation for Albies to sign a deal like this. After this season he'll be up to ~1.5M in career earnings, and he's been good enough at the MLB level that he knows there are millions more in his future. This isn't a kid who has no idea if he can play in the majors. He's already rich, and about to get really rich, even going year to year.

 

Ozzie is a big enough boy to make his own financial decisions. He decided to take it, so he did. He had every right to turn down that contract and counter with another number as well.

[BTS]

Ozzie is a big enough boy to make his own financial decisions. He decided to take it, so he did. He had every right to turn down that contract and counter with another number as well.

 

I mean, it’s just the latest (and most egregious) of two years of data pointing in the direction of either major changes to the CBA or a lengthy work stoppage.

 

The Braves held leverage here that they didn’t hold in previous years and won’t hold again in the next CBA (paltry salaries in team control years combined with massively deflated free agent spending).

[jaysblue]

I mean, it’s just the latest (and most egregious) of two years of data pointing in the direction of either major changes to the CBA or a lengthy work stoppage.

 

The Braves held leverage here that they didn’t hold in previous years and won’t hold again in the next CBA (paltry salaries in team control years combined with massively deflated free agent spending).

 

Star players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper still got paid as free agents this offseason. Nolan Arenado signed a really nice extension as well.

 

As long as you're an elite talent, under 30 once you become a FA, you'll get a big long term contract. Teams aren't handing out 7-8 year deals anymore for players above 30, plain and simple.

 

For example, according to you players like EE, Donaldson, and Jose Bautista should have been signed for 5 year extensions worth + $125 million. So I guess you would call those GM's or front offices foolish right now if they did such a thing, but I guess you want GM's to throw money at bad contracts? So I'm assuming you're a huge fan of the Albert Pujols deal.

 

Ozzie could have waited IMO and made more money via ARB and free agency if he continues to play at an elite level agreed. I also think he could have asked for more. Though him and his agent made that decision and accepted it. Do you expect to take away a players right of making their own financial decisions?

[TheHurl]

Note to Cleveland Management...Lindor has the same agent as Albies.

[BTS]

Star players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper still got paid as free agents this offseason. Nolan Arenado signed a really nice extension as well.

 

As long as you're an elite talent, under 30 once you become a FA, you'll get a big long term contract. Teams aren't handing out 7-8 year deals anymore for players above 30, plain and simple.

 

For example, according to you players like EE, Donaldson, and Jose Bautista should have been signed for 5 year extensions worth + $125 million. So I guess you would call those GM's or front offices foolish right now if they did such a thing, but I guess you want GM's to throw money at bad contracts? So I'm assuming you're a huge fan of the Albert Pujols deal.

 

Ozzie could have waited IMO and made more money via ARB and free agency if he continues to play at an elite level agreed. I also think he could have asked for more. Though him and his agent made that decision and accepted it. Do you expect to take away a players right of making their own financial decisions?

 

Maybe delete this and read the other posts I’ve made this afternoon, then respond appropriately to what it is I’m actually saying.

[Orgfiller]

Star players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper still got paid as free agents this offseason. Nolan Arenado signed a really nice extension as well.

 

As long as you're an elite talent, under 30 once you become a FA, you'll get a big long term contract. Teams aren't handing out 7-8 year deals anymore for players above 30, plain and simple.

 

For example, according to you players like EE, Donaldson, and Jose Bautista should have been signed for 5 year extensions worth + $125 million. So I guess you would call those GM's or front offices foolish right now if they did such a thing, but I guess you want GM's to throw money at bad contracts? So I'm assuming you're a huge fan of the Albert Pujols deal.

 

Ozzie could have waited IMO and made more money via ARB and free agency if he continues to play at an elite level agreed. I also think he could have asked for more. Though him and his agent made that decision and accepted it. Do you expect to take away a players right of making their own financial decisions?

 

You are literally missing the entire point of all of BTS' posts. It's like you read one sentence and decided to type four paragraphs completely unrelated to everything.

[Boxcar]

Star players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper still got paid as free agents this offseason. Nolan Arenado signed a really nice extension as well.

 

As long as you're an elite talent, under 30 once you become a FA, you'll get a big long term contract. Teams aren't handing out 7-8 year deals anymore for players above 30, plain and simple.

 

For example, according to you players like EE, Donaldson, and Jose Bautista should have been signed for 5 year extensions worth + $125 million. So I guess you would call those GM's or front offices foolish right now if they did such a thing, but I guess you want GM's to throw money at bad contracts? So I'm assuming you're a huge fan of the Albert Pujols deal.

 

Ozzie could have waited IMO and made more money via ARB and free agency if he continues to play at an elite level agreed. I also think he could have asked for more. Though him and his agent made that decision and accepted it. Do you expect to take away a players right of making their own financial decisions?

 

[jaysblue]

 

Bug off!

[Abomination]

Baseball savant now has this gem as their 404 error page.

 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/oops

 

Fantastic stuff.

 

I was hoping for a picture of Balkin' Bob, but that's not bad either.

[Abomination]

Ozzie Albies just signed an extension for 7 year and $35M with 2 option years.

 

$35 million for 7 years for a guy that had a near 4 WAR season at age 21.

 

This is why you don't bang your agent's daughter, or whatever the f*** Albies did. That's what, 4 free agent years he gave up?

[TheHurl]

Albies agent's other client...Kimbrel

[BTS]

Albies agent's other client...Kimbrel

 

https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/20190411/ozzie-albies-atlanta-braves-agree-to-35m-7-year-contract

 

Albies doesn't even seem to understand that he signed his entire 20s away in a 9-year deal. His agent should never work again.

 

“I mean, I see it this way. If I left dollars on the table, I’m going to play hard to get it in four or five years, seven years,” Albies said. “If I left it on the table, it’s good that now I know I can get it then, coming back.”

[TheHurl]

Pillar with another HR

[5ToolPhenom]

Damn, Pillar breaks a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the 7th with a solo dinger against Gray... Sucks for me, I got money on the Rockies.

[G-Snarls]

Chris Davis now 0 for 33 this season, worth - 0.8 WAR and 0 for his last 53 plate appearances going back to last season. Nuts.