Several players have either retired for various reasons, or have served suspensions in which their organization has received an unexpected benefit of salary relief for it in recent years. This will need to be addressed in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be forthcoming after this next season.

Hunter Stokes (MLB Reports Part _Owner – Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21

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Before I go into this fully, this is a bit different of an article than “Hoodini Acts” pulled by GM’s in getting out from under horrible contracts, such as the praise for former Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos fleecing the Angels to take Vernon Wells, and being lucky enough for the White Sox to claim Alex Rios. 

Those moves paved the way for Toronto to sign Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion to replace those crappy deals with awesome ones, so there is a note of credit to AA.

The new CBA forthcoming should be addressing on how player contracts work towards team salaries when it is due for suspension or retirement.  Last week’s sudden packing in the cleats from Adam LaRoche will actually benefit the White Sox with $13 MIL in salary relief.

It is not the 1st time a guy has retired during a contract, and it is the latest where a team may be drawing a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t even the 1st instance of the winter.  Earlier this off year, Mets OF Michael Cuddyer retired with one year of service left on his deal.  This move led the Mets to have a few extra dollars in their seat cushion to re-ink Yoenis Cespedes to a 1 Year $27.5 MIL deal

Cuddyer was still expensive for New York with a 1sr RD Draft pick forfeit, but at least he only cost the club $8.5 MIL on 1 season, as opposed to an additional $12.5 MIL this upcoming campaign.

If the Mets are still under contract with this guy it makes re-signing Cespedes a tougher deal.  Not only cash wise, but it was also clogging up another spot on the Roster if  New York had to keep the under-performing former Rockies and Twins player.

Instead, all of the fans wishes were granted when Cespedes came back to Flushing Meadows, and you can add the fact they also re-upped with Bartolo Colon for another year as yet another extension of the Cuddyer decision. Read the rest of this entry →