“Well, it’s a significant demarcation,” Mets president Sandy Alderson said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s a line that cannot be passed, but it’s definitely a significant consideration when you get to that level.” Per Andy McCullough, The Athletic, “by instructing Alderson to mind the luxury-tax threshold…new Mets owner Steve Cohen has conformed with his 29 colleagues in baseball’s ownership class. The competitive balance tax operates as baseball’s de facto salary cap.”
I had not yet read the article authored by McCullough, but that is what I wrote on Wednesday. It is not a unique thought. Almost everyone who is following this Winter’s “Hot Stove” league can surmise by watching the FAs sign at glacier-like speed. We can see teams making trades they may not normally make, just to make sure they stay under the “threshold”. NYY did not want to trade Ottavino, but they needed to open some space for maybe another starting pitcher on a one year make good deal. They could not have made it any more obvious by including a mid-level prospect, 23 year old RHP Frank German, with Ottavino for, wait for it, PTBNL. German was a #23 prospect for NYY.
Steven Matz was certainly a legit moveable trade projection, but I have no doubt that he was moved to give NYM the necessary space to sign Trevor Bauer. I do not know if Bauer will sign, but Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson can now do so and still stay below the threshold.
The conspiracy theorist in me chooses to believe that the Dodgers have already agreed on a new deal for JT, but they need space. Everyone is looking for relievers (right Philly? right LAA? right Toronto?). We also know that AF hates losing prospects, but will if he needs to. I have to believe that Joe Kelly is being discussed, and combined with some second tier prospect to move his $8MM contract to give AF the space he needs to announce the JT re-sign. What prospect would AF be willing to pair with Joe Kelly to make such a deal? The Dodgers loathe to give up starting pitching, but everyone wants starting pitching. Andre Jackson? Hyun-il Choi? Or how about more “seasoned” relievers who might be able to start in a pinch. Josh Sborz? Dennis Santana? Or maybe AF values Sborz and Santana more than other teams do. Or maybe the owners tell AF to forget it and just go over the threshold, and they can deal with the fallout with the other owners. Oh, did I just suggest that there is collusion? The owners would never do that, would they? It is a conundrum, one which we will see come to fruition in the very near future.
For those who think the Dodgers do not consider the threshold, Stan Kasten had the following comments.
“The CBT is an element that does add expense, for sure. If we’re close, we’re going to pay attention to it. There are years where we blow right past it, and it’s not much of a factor. But every dollar is an extra dollar out the door that we need to try to recoup somehow. And a better business model is better from a lot of standpoints, including accessing financing, accessing debt, for all kinds of purposes.”
Financing and debt restructure capabilities are determined by assessing Net Operating Income. The Dodgers have significant debt, much (if not most or all) came with the purchase. IMO, MLB owners should have assumed that debt just to get rid of McCourt. But that is another storyline. Excessive salaries drive down the Net Operating Income and credit lines begin to dwindle. Interest rates are comfortable right now, but where will they be later in 2021. Stadiums may be re-opening this season, but will they in LA? If so, with what restrictions? It is all conjecture, but all companies hate the unknown. Right now teams are taking a more conservative approach. Who crosses that line first?
For the Dodgers to be able to trade for Mookie, they had to assume $15MM for David Price. Price may in fact be worth it, but LAD did win without him in 2020, and $15MM could be used elsewhere. I think he is worth 1.8 WAR salary. They also have $31MM invested in a creaky Ace and nearly $30MM in two arbitration players. They have an overpriced closer at $20MM actual ($16MM AAV). They have a good (not elite) farm system, but IMO none of their top prospects are ready to contribute in 2021, except for Keibert Ruiz who will not contribute until September unless there is an injury to Will Smith or Austin Barnes. There really is not much more the team can do except to hope for Lux to become the MiLB Player of the Year at the MLB level, and for Belli and Muncy to return to their 2019 abilities. If that scenario unfolds, the Dodgers will be golden. If not, they will get to the playoffs and then play it out one game at a time. I still like their chances with the team they have.
How much longer does the NL have to wait to hear about the universal DH? Or has MLB already told them what to they should do? They have said not to expect the DH in 2021. Do they need to say more? As of right now, MLB wants to tie the universal DH with the expanded playoffs. MLBPA says no to that proposal, and I do not see them changing their mind. The universal DH is not something that the MLBPA gets too excited about. They look at the DH keeping an older player in the game a little longer, but that does not move their needle for what the MLBPA is looking for. MLB said they were proposing the universal DH saying it would prevent pitchers from injuring themselves, swinging the bat or running the bases. Hogwash. This was a ploy by MLB to get the expanded playoff format.
On Dec.18 the owners proposed to adopt the universal DH, resolve two-time grievances from last season in the union’s favor and increase the guarantee the players would get for an expanded postseason, from $50 million last season to more than $80 million. The MLBPA said no. MLBPA realizes that the owners desperately want an expanded playoff format, but they are not giving it up for the DH, two grievances, and an additional guarantee of $30MM (without knowing the full take).
MLBPA will be holding this issue over until the next round of CBA negotiations. They want changes in service time determination (none of this Kris Bryant and Walker Buehler service time manipulation), significant increase in minimum salary, decreased number of years required to become a free agent, and elimination of the draft pick penalties for those teams signing FA with a QO. This is going to take serious negotiations from both parties willing to compromise, or there will be a work stoppage in 2022. Now if the owners say that they truly acknowledge that their desires are to save the pitcher from potential injury, and they want to install the universal DH in 2021 without anything in return, I am sure MLBPA will accede to their wishes.
IMO, it is not fair to wait until ST to decide to allow the universal DH. But then again, when are the owners concerned about fairness? If the owners were genuinely concerned about the pitchers getting injured, after the shortened season of 2020, and pitchers getting nowhere close to a full season of throwing competitively, perhaps the owners should discuss with MLBPA expanding the roster to 28 for 2021, and that the two additional players must be pitchers. But do the owners really care more about the health of the pitcher, or the additional salary they will need to expend for 2021. If MLB goes a full 162 game season, the roster size could go back to 26 in future seasons pursuant to the next CBA.
The owners can also get rid of that ridiculous three batter minimum rule that the players, on field managers (and coaches), and undoubtedly most (if not all) of the baseball operations executives want to eliminate. It appears that Manfred is the one who is pushing for this because he believes that it shortens the game time. Of course we all know what would shorten the game time, and that is less commercials. Fat chance the owners would allow that to happen. Do not tell me the owners are concerned with how long the game is if they are not willing to limit the commercial time between innings. Then it can begin to be believable.
Let’s get back to JT for a moment. It is inconceivable to me that AF and the LAD owners are that concerned about how much to pay JT. JT has spent seven years with the Dodgers and has been a rock for the team. Over that time, JT has earned $72.6MM in salary. Certainly not insignificant, but at the same time, with his 26.6 WAR, his monetary value to the team was $211.1MM (per FanGraphs).
Yes, MLB and LAD are businesses, but the Dodgers got a magnificent return on their investment in JT. Most acknowledge that JT gave the team a very favorable deal in December 2016. Maybe the team can reciprocate a bit and increase their projected investment this time around. If there ever was a match between player and team, Adam Wainwright and Yadi Molina should retire as Cardinals, and JT should retire as a Dodger. Next year we can revisit this scenario with Clayton Kershaw.
Go ahead AF and LAD owners. Prove the skeptics wrong. Sign JT and go past the CBT threshold. At least we will know that LAD does not consider $210MM a salary cap, de facto or actual.
Thank You Kike’ for the last six years. They were fun. Good Luck in Boston.
LA should have a fighting chance for the next few years. That’s the best we can hope for. There is at least an above average chance they’ll win the series again every year for the foreseeable future! Every prospect doesn’t need to turn into a star. Last year’s graduating class was huge, so only natural farm looks lighter now. Big Squad has depth and versatility as is and could yet get upgradaded by a variety of means. Maybe they bring Turner back, then DH is approved for NL and they snag Ozuna. Maybe Bauer takes a one year $40 million with a $40 mil option year. Id wager there will be another move or two.
In the next 3 or so years, I hope they can lock up Seager, Bellinger, Buehler and Urias to go with Mookie. Probably Smith too if he keeps progressing as of yet. With a potential core of stars like that, a good complementary group of average or better players will make for a very strong team. That’s the sort of players the farm has started to churn out annually. The above players are stars or upcoming stars. For which they are or soon will be well compensated for, and LA can afford. Also even the lowest payroll teams would be elated to have May, Gonsolin, Graterol, Gonzalez, Rios and Lux under club control for the next 5 years. Here’s hoping they have the start to a dynasty!
I actually do not hope they lock up Seager, Belli, Buehler and Urias to go along with Mookie. That would be most of the payroll and they’d still need to pay 20 additional salaries! What I hope is that they continue to bring up more great talent from the farm so they don’t need to lock up all the current stars.
IMO Jeff, your take is spot on. I think JT will deservingly be back in the fold. I also agree that D .Price will outperform the 15 mil the Dodgers owe him. I am all good with waiting till the trade deadline to observe the team and then fix problems on the team.
I hope the MLBPA justly fights for those changes in the system you pointed out. Amazing how much winning the WS puts me at peace with this team and management.
Last thought… about being „pigs“, AF‘s comment clearly in context refers to trying to win multiple championships.
Much thanks to the LADT community. Love this blog
Great stuff Jeff. I agree with every point. My problem with both sides is the lack of compromise. I dislike the 3 hitter rule, but it does not apply if a pitcher comes in, gets the final out and then does not go back out to the mound the next half inning. I also dislike the man on second to lead off an extra inning game. Luckily the Dodgers were pretty good at getting the guy home. Thank you Edwin Rios for that 2 run shot against Houston. I think a lot of Dodger fans felt that AF should have made counter moves to what Preller did in SD. After watching him for his tenure here in LA, that is not the way he works. He has in my opinion anyway, never made a panic move. He was not going to sign or trade for someone simply because the Padres improved their pitching staff. Their pen still has some issues, as does the Dodger pen. But if you go position by position, they only have a clear edge at 3. SS, 3B, for now anyway, and 2B until we find out what we have in Lux. The entire Dodger outfield is superior to the Pads, Muncy is a push at 1st with Hosmer, and Smith-Barnes are a slightly better catching tandem. What the Dodgers have on the bench remains to be seen. It improves if Turner is resigned since Rios goes over there. McKinstry is an unknown for now. We all know what Taylor can do. Beaty, Reks, Raley are basically the same guy, and who knows if DJ Peters steps up or not. Profar and Pham lead the Pads bench. Unlike early in his tenure when I questioned no only his moves but his sanity, I have come to trust AF to do what is best for the team and trying to make sure they are competitive. What happens over the next couple of weeks is just the prelude to the season. We won’t know what we are going to war with until they break camp. Everything until then is a dress rehearsal. The Dodger starting staff as of right now has a career record of 31-10 against SD. 21 of those wins and 7 of the losses from Kersh. The SD starting staff has a career mark of 2-9 against LA, with 2 no decisions. Those belonging to Snell and Darvish. Musgrave, who they traded for is 0-3 lifetime against the Dodgers. Until they beat them on the field, and not on paper, the Dodger staff is superior to the Padres.
Cubs To Sign Joc Pederson
By Steve Adams | January 29, 2021 at 7:25am CDT
The Cubs are in agreement on a deal with free-agent outfielder Joc Pederson, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Excel Sports Management client’s contract is still pending the completion of a physical.
When Joc was a rookie the team had him go to the local Chicago Starbucks in full uniform. Guess he liked it there. Glad he didn’t sign with the Giants.
Good for Joc – what a great place to play.
I think you made some great pts. Although I’ve been saying they can’t sign JT until a roster spot is cleared, I never considered that payroll space was also a big factor. I’m sure they will sign him even if they can’t clear out some salary, but I’m also sure they are trying.
They can sign him without a roster spot, and just hold the announcement until a spot is cleared. He will have to pass a physical before the contract could be finalized anyway.
Joc should rake in the windy city. And he should look thinner in pinstripes.
I’ve been told the Dodgers don’t sell prospects but attaching one to Kelly–like a rocket to his back–may be wise.
Kelly would not be too hard of a sell, maybe to a AL club. But it depends on who the prospect is. No one knows what AF is thinking right now.
Joc signs for 1 year at $7MM, and $500K in incentives? Is that the best he could do? That seems very low. It almost feels like the Dodgers should have re-signed him and stashed him away until October. He won’t play in October for the Cubs. Apparently the Cubs are going to give him a chance to play everyday. Perhaps they were the only team that said they would not platoon him. Good luck Joc. Have a great season and get your big contract next year.
Jeff – for fear of upsetting the Apple Cart, this is exactly what I suggested last week – and TBF Michael gave a very reasonable answer as to why he would demand more.
However – it appears that perhaps I was right – we should have tried to sign him if that’s all it took.
After all, we know what he can do at the business end of the season.
Without any knowledge, it appears that being able to play everyday and to be able to show what he can do against LHP was the most important issue for Joc. The Dodgers were never going to give him that opportunity. He is really only a corner OF right now, so he is limited defensively. I think Kike’ gets the multi year deal because of his versatility and because of his glove. Joc is only asked to replace Kyle Schwarber, and Schwarber was just not very good against LHP either. Joc has not hit very well in Wrigley.
Joc gets a new start. I am happy for him.
7mm wasn’t a lot, but it’s enough when the team is hovering near the CBT. I think Joc and the Dodgers were ready to part ways last year. He didn’t want to platoon and wants a chance to play every day while he’s still in his 20s. He played uninspired regular season ball last year, looked pudgy, has lost a step on defense and was undoubtedly disillusioned by the trade attempt with the Angels for a utility player.
He would’ve been an expensive postseason luxury. Pollock is perfectly capable of hitting L and R and playing full time in left, and if he’s injured, which is highly possible, the Dodgers have options.
Have to agree Patch. I think there was a little lingering bitterness from being traded and then the trade not going through. I am a bit surprised though that the Angels did not at least talk to him. Anyway, he did not go to the Giants.
As I remember he came to Spring Training 1 in great shape but with an injury that kept him from swinging the bat until the last few days of Spring Training. Then there was the Covid break. Then he apparently had some family heartbreak and missed a lot of games. It looked like he ate his way through his grief. He didn’t recover mentally until the Playoffs. He looked good against both lefties and righties in the playoffs.
A lot of people in here were overly critical of Joc last year, kind of fair weather friends.
Rockies and Cardinals are in discussions about a Nolan Arenado trade. 3B prospect Nolan Gorman (#38 overall) would probably go to Colorado. Would the Rockies also get LHP Matthew Liberatore (#37 overall)? I guess that would depend on how much Colorado would have to kick in. This seems like something Colorado has to do. Maybe they can keep Trevor Story. Doubt it, but it would at least give the Rockies a chance to extend him.
Sad for me to see Joc go as I have been a fan since he was a minor leaguer. I wish the best for him and his family. I was so hoping the Dodgers would resign him, but it was not to be. I will always remember his excited, supporting and cheering smile and actions as a good teammate. Seemed to be one of the first out of the dugout to congratulate a player in a win. This mom feels blue today.
Be happy for Joc. He gets a new lease on his baseball career. He was only going to be a platoon player for the Dodgers, and the Dodgers do not need any more LH bats. It just was not a fit anymore. He gets a chance to play everyday for the Cubs. I have never got the impression that Cubs fans were nearly as brutal as NYY or NYM or Philadelphia or Boston fans are. The Cubs fan liked Schwarber, and that is not a big hurdle to navigate. He should be accepted just fine in Chicago.
I am happy for Joc for a new start for him, just will miss his presence on the team. Will continue to root for him to do well except when he plays the Dodgers though.
Joc hits 40 Hr in the full season and plays good defense and in July he will pass to a contending team if the Cubs aren’t doing well.
The thought that came to me when I read Alderson’s comment is that I think the CBT threshold is being used as a sort gentlemen’s agreement to keep a lid on salaries – a bit of 1980s Collusion Light.
Passing the first threshold incurs a penalty which, at first, isn’t really that onerous. If a team continues to do so long term, the penalty can begin to spiral, but if a team’s payroll for a year or two reaches 215, 220, 225, the initial penalty on the overage really isn’t that bad.
I think the threshold is now seen as a sort of mystical Do Not Cross line that owners, even the wealthy ones, are now trying to stay under. It makes good financial sense to do so, and there are smart and sensible reasons – debt servicing requirements, long term sustainability, less organizational wealth inequality and better competition, self imposed scarcity that makes an organization run smarter – for organizations to look at the Friedman model and emulate it, but, in the end, it’s owners acting in a similar way to depress wages.
Cubs To Sign Joc Pederson
January 29th, 2021 at 9:05am CST • By Steve Adams
9:05am: There’s a mutual option for the 2022 season on the contract as well, Sherman tweets. As with many mutual options, it comes with a notable buyout, so Pederson’s actual 2021 salary will come in a ways south of that $7MM sum. (Option buyouts are always included in the “guaranteed” portion of a contract.)
Mutual options are typically used as accounting measures more than anything else. A player who overperforms his contract will generally decline his half of the option in favor of a return to market in search of a more lucrative deal; similarly, a player who underperforms may opt into his side of the deal, but the team will turn down its half in those settings. It’s not unprecedented for both sides to exercise a mutual option, but it is quite rare. In other words, the overwhelming likelihood is that Pederson will again be on the open market next winter.
8:30am: It’s a one-year, $7MM deal for Pederson, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The contract carries an additional $500K of available incentives, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Passan suggests that the Cubs will give Pederson an opportunity to play on an everyday basis rather than platooning him — a component of the deal that was particularly appealing for Pederson.
7:24am: The Cubs are in agreement on a deal with free-agent outfielder Joc Pederson, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Excel Sports Management client’s contract is still pending the completion of a physical.
Joc Pederson | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Pederson, 28, represents the first notable addition of the offseason for a Cubs team that has otherwise been quiet on the free-agent front this winter (small deals with Austin Romine and Kohl Stewart notwithstanding). Pederson, in fact, will become the most prominent name to sign a free-agent deal with the Cubs since Craig Kimbrel. The team has generally eschewed the pursuit of notable free agents in each offseason since signing Yu Darvish to a six-year deal, as owner Tom Ricketts has openly lamented a lack of resources and declared 2020’s revenue losses to be “biblical” in proportion.
Chicago, of course, traded Darvish and Victor Caratini to the Padres earlier this season and non-tendered Kyle Schwarber as well. They’ll reinvest some of those savings into this deal with Pederson, though it’s at least something of an odd fit given the vast similarities he has to Schwarber. Pederson is a career .230/.336/.470 hitter to Schwarber’s .230/.336/.480 batting line, though Pederson has put up that nearly identical line in a more pitcher-friendly setting (hence the gap in their respective 118 and 113 wRC+ marks).
Both left-handed hitters are largely considered to be platoon bats, and as is the case with their overall numbers, their splits against righties are nearly identical: .238/.349/.501 for Pederson against .239/.345/.514 for Schwarber. The same five-point gap in wRC+ (128 vs. 123) leans in favor of Pederson because of his home park. The primary difference seemingly comes down to defense, where Pederson has a solid track record in left field and Schwarber has been consistently below average. Still, it’s rather surprising to see the Cubs go out and sign a player whose offense is a near-mirror image of an established clubhouse presence they cast aside not two months ago.
With Pederson on board, the Cubs’ projected payroll jumps to about $152MM for the upcoming season, although future dealings could still impact that number. Both Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant are still candidates to be moved prior to Opening Day, with Bryant in particular standing out as a candidate given his lone remaining year of club control (at a hefty $19.5MM salary). The Cubs also figure to explore extensions with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez as the season approaches
This is the perfect move for Joc. He has evolved as a hitter with 2 strikes and has of late taken smarter swings against lefties. He needs a year of full time play to show whether he can be more than a righty killer.
He should also get some innings in CF in Wrigley Field.
He will be wealthy enough at $7M.
Poor Joc has to play for those losers. I also agree for that price I wish the Dodgers had brought him back. I thought he would do as well if not better financially than Schwarber. The Dodgers may not need more LH bats, but I would have felt much better with him in the lineup in October. I still don’t feel great having to count on Pollock. No one benefited more from a short season than Pollock and Maeda. We will see what he does with his opportunity to face lefties. Get JT signed already.
If you have 30 min, this was a pretty good podcast listen about our minor league system:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/podcast-los-angeles-dodgers-top-10-prospects/
I did listen to the original podcast and it was chock-full with great insight and information, Below is a write up on the podcast from Tim Rogers, Dodgers Nation.
https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-prospects-breaking-down-the-quietly-great-la-farm-system/2021/01/29/
Like Bobby and Tim wrote, you should listen to the podcast. You will not be disappointed about the state of the farm system.
Really. Expanded playoffs? Terrible idea. MLB wants more revenue. Sorry, they have enough already. They keep raising prices on tickets, food, parking. Pretty soon families won’t be able to afford to attend. MLB becomes the NFL or NBA. I’m sure some shortsighted owners want that. The grass is always greener …
Maybe they can be like March Madness. Hey, a 162 game season has to mean something.
We can always point out that baseball is a business, but the game is so much more than that. It belongs to the fans, the cities where teams play. IBM is a business. Target is a business. Honda is a business. None of those three have fans. Other than people they employ, stockholders or people who use their products care. You don’t call Spectrum and say I want to see a show about Honda, how about a season of IBM shows.
The Dodgers can clearly afford to sign all their young stars and they should. Massive TV contract, incredible attendance, loyal fan base.
What I want to see out of baseball moving forward is to get rid of Rob Manfred, keep the game affordable for families and promote it to young fans — they are the future. The game years ago understood that. I’m not so sure they do today, although the Dodgers seem to get that. But then the organization has better vision than most.
When I listen to MLB leadership talk about what needs to change to attract more fans or gain more viewership, I immediately think they don ‘t have a clue. You can’t simple bend or twist this or that and suddenly you can attract people who have no interest, no connection to the game. That starts at an early age for most.
I have no idea what the Dodgers financial structure is, how they finance debt, whether the CBT is actually a factor or not, even what the long term goals are in terms of handling everything in the future from a financial standpoint. At best they offer mixed messages. Probably intentional.
But honestly, although I find the operational side interesting, from a fan standpoint I don’t care.
The game is about so much more, a connection to the players who have come up through the system — Garvey, Cey, Lopes and Russell … Seager, Bellinger, Buehler, Urias, Kershaw. Or the players they have traded for or signed like Turner or Betts, who have made a serious impact, just like Gibson did.
I realize that you can’t keep everybody. I will miss Joc. Same with Kiki. But you retain your core. Maybe not if your in Kansas City or Pittsburg. But this is LA and expectations are different. So is the revenue.
So I guess I am tired of hearing about negotiations or disagreements between the players and owners, especially over nonsense like expanded playoffs with money front and center. How much money do you need?
Now sign Justin Turner and get ready for spring training. We just need to get back to some sense of normal. That means focusing on the actual game.
What he said
Very well stated. Thank you. Unfortunately neither Rob Manfred or Tony Clark give a rip what the fans think.
I think Manfred does care what the fans think. However, the owners pay his salary so he cares a lot more about what the owners think.
Re Kiké and Joc
I feel much the same way I did when my kids left home. Loved them and always will, but they could not become the best they could be by staying home.
Kiké and Joc have both been integral parts of the Dodgers success but it is time for them to move on. I do not dislike any team enough (Giants or even the Astros-I’ll root for Baez) not to continue to root for both of them. They are both getting opportunities that would not be available with the Dodgers. Best to both.
Joc could return to the Dodgers in 2022 if he excels in Chicago.
Joc could return to the Dodgers in July 2021.
The Cubs are likely not going to be in the playoffs this year.
Some contender (maybe even the Dodgers) is going to need a power hitting outfielder who has a history of doing well in the playoffs. This was an excellent signing for the Cubs because he probably signed for a little less than market value and if he produces they can turn him into a good prospect or two at the deadline.
Thanks for all the memories Joc. You played the game with child like enthusiasm which I loved. I will always cherish my 31 jersey. Now cut down on your swing and go the other way against lefties and kick butt! And let me know how you like your steak at Gibson’s and ask for Elvis- best server in America!
Padres have two prospects in top 10. One of them is a stud shortstop. If he were to be used at third the Pads could trade Machado, greatly reduce their payroll and improve at another position.
It is more likely that CJ Abrams will move to CF and the Padres will then trade Trent Grisham. Machado is not going anywhere.
Nope not with that huge contract. Ken Griffey Jr hired by the commissioners office to be a special consultant.
What if . . .
AF really wants Rios to start 100 games at 3B and is looking for a platoon bat to take the rest of the ABs?
Maikel Franco sound perfect for that, I liked Panda Sandoval, but he is a Brave now…..They would be a cheap option, and I think they are both looking for a new opportunity to shine and show that they still have something in the tank.
Sandoval cannot field worth a damn anymore, and even though he is a switch hitter, he has always seemed to be better from the left. Makes him a redundant piece. Like Franco’s bat, but his head is as bad as Puig’s.
I am not advocating for (or against) Franco, but I have family in KC who are big time Royals (and Chiefs) fans. We spoke at Christmas and they were upset that Franco was non-tendered and were hoping they would re-sign him. Below are two articles on Franco. The first one is when he showed up at ST, and the second was an article when he was non-tendered.
https://apnews.com/article/ecfe9c6182ecd015d4d38d741f4475c4
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article247568575.html
Excellent thinking.
Yadi Molina is expected to re-sign with the Cardinals at the conclusion of the Caribbean Series on Feb. 6, Wainwright and Molina are now expected to retire as Cardinals, as it should be.
Arenado to STL almost done per Vassegh
Where did Vassegh get his info? Did Andrew tell him? When did David last break a national MLB story which had nothing to do with the Dodgers?
It may very well come to pass, but I won’t believe it until I hear it from Rosenthal, Passan, etc.
Hah! Literally one minute after I posted this Rosenthal confirmed the trade. My sincere apologies Mr. Vassegh.
As should Turner and Kersh!
Arenado to Cardinals. Deal is agreed to. No report who is coming back to Colorado. Waiting approval of MLB and MPBPA. Rockies sending $50MM to St. Louis and Arenado is agreeing to defer part of his salary. Probably why it needs MLBPA approval.
Wouldn’t it be funny if AF was in on this but now he’s not we sign Turner? Don’t answer that; it’s rhetorical.
A lot of approvals for moving pieces. Ken Rosenthal said it will not be finalized tonight, and maybe not thru the weekend. It is too far down the line not to go thru.
He’s probably not opting out. He’s due 5y/164m or 4y/129m after this year.
He is getting another year with $15MM guaranteed tacked on the end. Undoubtedly to get him to waive his no trade clause. He says he could be waiving it on Saturday.
Actually there’s another year added so this math needs to be updated.
That’s what I get for trying to untangle the financials.
He also has another opt out after 2022.
He keeps his opt out and adds another. He sure has given himself all the leverage in the world. Stay in St.Louis or opt out either of the next two years if he thinks it gets him home.
Joc at 7 m per year is a big bargain. Dodgers should have brought him back. Last year he had to fight threw adversery but he still came up huge when the Dodgers needed it the most. As he usually does in October when push comes to shove and the big games are decided. His 36 hrs in 2019 not too shabby as well. And I have to disagree that he lost a step on D. Look at some plays he made during the playoffs , there were some dandys and in pressure situations.
He was my favorit Dodgers player and I have followed him since his early beginnings in A ball.
Good luck in the windy city, Joc. Go and rake!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!