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Stephen Strasburg Ties Felix Hernandez For 17th On The MLB’s ALL – Time Top 50 Contract List With Extension
Ed Zurga/Getty Images North America
Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Majority Owner/Lead Analyst)
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Stephen Strasburg shocked he baseball world the other day – by inking a 7 year extension worth from $175 – $180 MIL. It ties him for 17th All – Time with Felix Hernandez to start with, but he can earn an additional $7 MIL with $1 MIL per year bonuses for reaching 180 IP.
The deal pays him $15 MIL annually from 2016 – 2023, and then the deferrals kick in from 2023 – 2030, in 7 installments of $10 MIL each.
Some will say his deal is worth more like $162 MIL in present day dollars, however we do not operate our top 50 contracts list like that. The deal is guaranteed at $175 MIL for now, and we will change it if bonuses are hit.
With this contract, the Nats have 4 current players that are on this ALL – Time List with Scherzer (10th), Strasburg (T 17th), Zimmerman (37th) and Werth (Tied 44th).
This signing is a great move to open a 3 year window for Washington, as they also have Bryce Harper under team control until after the 2018 season, however it also may seal the fate the of the young reigning NL MVP to move elsewhere for 2019.
Werth’s contract does end at the end of the 2017 year. but Zimmerman is still on the books until at least 2020.
It will be tough to come up with the dough necessary to drop a 11 – 13 years contract worth $35 – 40 MIL per annum when it comes to Harper.
Even with Scherzer’s and Strasburg’s deals both containing a ton of deferred money- all of them will still run simultaneously to Harper’s deal – even if they are not on the roster each after the 2023 season.
I think you couldn’t risk trying to outbid everyone for Harper’s services, yet to pay Strasburg market value makes sense.
This club could even save some payroll by trading Gio Gonzalez, as they have Joe Ross and Tanner Roark starting in the rotation for depth, and Lucas Giolito has not started his time service clock. Read the rest of this entry
Baseball’s Biggest “Get Out Of Jail Free Cards” For Financial Contracts Over The Last Few Years
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
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
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
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Jan.1, 2013 – Jan.31, 2013 (Lost Eps 70 – 100)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1216 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 70 – 100 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully starting posting his daily podcasts at the mlbreports.com on Feb.6, 2013. So we will add the dates between Oct.24, 2012 and Feb.6, 2013 in case you missed any of his awesome 1st 105 episodes.
But we will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec.1, 2012 – Dec.31, 2012 (Lost Eps 39 – 69)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1215 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 39 – 69 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully starting posting his daily podcasts at the mlbreports.com on Feb.6, 2013. So we will add the dates between Oct.24, 2012 and Feb.6, 2013 in case you missed any of his awesome 1st 105 episodes.
But we will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) – so they are easily accessible for all his fans.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Chris Davis (Tied For 20th) + Justin Upton (38th) Join The Top 50 All – Time Salary List
Losing Chris Davis and his 45+ HR power would have been very difficult to replace. The O’s have their man with a creative deferral payment plan that will see them pay Davis $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022, and then pay out $42 MIL over the next 15 years in deferrals. The $161 MIL has him tied for 19th ALL – Time in MLB Player Contracts with CC Sabathia. The Orioles slugger led the league with 47 HRs (2nd time in 3 years), and has clubbed 126 HRs (led all of the MLB) in the last 3 seasons despite being levied a 25 game suspension for his medication in Sept of 2014.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Chris Davis, 30 in 2016, and Justin Upton, 28, are now in the 9 figure club and among historical contracts of ALL – Time. Davis inked a 7 YR deal for $161 MIL – while Upton is at 6 Years for $132.75 (distributed evenly throughout.)
The Big 1B/OF for the O’s will make $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022 paid evenly by $17 MIL per year before the crazy deferral program kicks in. From 2023 – 2030, Davis will earn $3.5 per annum for another $31 MIL. The deal then goes from 2031 – 2037 at a 1.4 MIL per annum clip. All told it is $161 MIL spread over 21 years. Read the rest of this entry
Giants Ink Johnny Cueto: It’s Tied For The 37th ALL – Time In MLB Contracts
Johnny Cueto is 97 – 70 (.578) career with a 3.30 ERA however he has put forth a 2.71 ERA since the start of the 2011 year. Much like his new team, Cueto has performed better in the even years of this decade, where he finished 2nd in Cy Young Voting in 2012 and 4th in 2014 Cy Young Voting.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The landscape of the NL West just changed again. As of right now I give the Giants as equally a shot to win the NL West as I do the LA Dodgers. Signing Johnny Cueto is an awesome move.
Even better than the 6 YRs/$130 MIL deal is an opt out clause after 2 years, when Cueto can forego the final 4 years of the pact – leaving the San Fran club with $84 MIL on the table.
The current contract also calls for a Team Option for a 7th year.
Cueto, who is 30, most likely will opt out after 2017 if he can put up great back to back seasons as good as his 2.71 ERA since the start of the 2011 campaign, – only bested by Clayton Kershaw in that time frame.
Jason Heyward Signs With The Cubs For The 13th Highest Contract In MLB History
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It has been announced that Jason Heyward has just inked an 8 YR deal with the Chicago Cubs for $184 MIL deal. The contract calls for a player opt out after 3 years, but for now he is tied with Joe Mauer for 13th overall in total dollars during a deal.
Whether Heyward is worth that kind of dough in AAV is beside the point. At 26, he was one of the youngest Free Agent players of all time that could garner that type of cash.
No question about the man’s defensive prowess being unique in the game right now. He has also cut down on the amount of Strikeouts from early in his career. Read the rest of this entry
Greinke Signs With Arizona: 12th Best Deal ALL – Time Of 50 MLB Richest Contracts.
Zack Greinke opted of his deal (6 YRs/$147.6 MIL) after this last season with the Dodgers, even though he will still nearly $26 MIL per year left on his deal running through 2018. The 32 Year Old has been dynamite since moving to Los Angeles, featuring a 60 – 17 (.779) record with a mid 2 ERA since he was dealt to the Angels in mid 2012 from the Brewers. He just inked the most lucrative deal ever signed for the MLB in AAV at $34.42 MIL per year.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
A collective haymaker punch has just been thrown at the rest of the National League West. The Diamondbacks have inked Zack Greinke to a 6 YRs/$206.5 MIL pact as of last night.
This is the 3rd richest Pitcher contract ever signed behind David Price‘s 7 YRs/$217 MIL deal – and Clayton Kerhsaw’s extension of 7 YRs/$210 MIL.
It is also the highest Average Annual contract ahead at $34.42 MIL per season, edging out both Price and Miguel Cabrera at a clip of $31 MIL each a campaign for their respective deals.
Greinke, 32, who finished 2nd in NL Cy Young Voting with an incredible 1.66 ERA in 222.1 IP worth of work in 2015 had opted out of his 6 YRs/$147.5 MIL deal with the Dodgers after just 3 years.
The Right Handed Pitcher left 3 years and $77.5 MIL on the table – and this was the right move as he was slated to earn just under $26 MIL a season for that contract.
This is the 12th richest deal of ALL – Time in the Major Leagues – and is also the 12th player to crack the $200 MIL+ barrier.
Price With Richest Pitcher Contract In MLB History (8th Best In History): Top 50 ALL – Time Deals
David Price has just inked the most expensive pitcher contract in the history of the MLB. With his and Jordan Zimmermann both hitting the top 50 contracts of ALL – Time in the last week, it has pushed Homer Bailey out of the top 50 deals of all time for chuckers. Right now, there is no one that has had the Tommy John Surgery while having a contract as a pitcher in the top 50. Expect that to change. Which poses the question – are pitchers really worth 9 figure deals?
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
David Price just inked the richest deal in MLB history with the Boston Red Sox at 7 YRs/$217 MIL. It is also the 8th richest contract ever doled out.
The question is whether or not it is a worthy investment to put that much dough on the table for a guy that will progressively decline as the deal goes on.
If you follow our Tommy John Surgery Tracker, you will find that 30 or so pitchers are having their names added to the list. Last season, the first 9 figured player – and top 50 salaried player had their arm go under a TJ Surgery in Home Bailey.
The time is coming again when an even higher profile pitcher will have to go down with it while his name is on a pact for a huge 9 figure salary.
it is the main reason why some clubs just can’t afford the risk. Boston has the funds to do this, and this clearly was the prudent move for the franchise to do after losing out on Jon Lester last season.
Most of the Starting Pitchers have not seen better years with their names on this list like Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Cole Hamels, CC Sabathia and Mike Hampton. Read the rest of this entry
Max Scherzer’s $185 MIL Deal (Inflation Pro-Rated) Puts Him 11th In MLB History For Top Contracts
Scherzer’s 7 Year/$210 MIL deal is actually worth $185 against the cap, and we are giving him the same for the ALL-Time Contracts. This sum puts him just behind Derek Jeter for 11th in MLB History. Jon Lester and he are the only 2 men to enter the top 50 this year after 7 players made the cut last off year. Cabrera, Cano, Kershaw, Tanaka, Ellsbury, Trout and Choo all have made the chart since the end of the 2013 World Series. The deal called for a $50 MIL signing bonus. The 2013 former AL Cy Young winner, will make $15 MIL in deferred salary for the next 14 seasons. The 30 Year Old, will join the NL’s best club of 2014, as far as wins are concerned, bringing in a 96 – 66 record. The RHP has led the AL in wins the last 2 years (21 Wins and 18 Wins respectively), and has compiled a 55 – 15 (.786 Winning Percentage) since the start of the 2012 campaign.
The highest contracts in MLB history (Red means Active Contract)
1. Giancarlo Stanton, $325, 000, 000 (2015 – 2027)
*2. Alex Rodriguez, $275,000,000 (2008-17)
*** With A-Rod’s suspension in 2014, he forfeited $22.13 MIL bucks, so it will now end up 10 YRs/$252.87 MIL for the duration of his deal. You can’t tell me he will be worth 40% of what the Yankees will be paying him next year, and all the way till the end of 2017.
3. Alex Rodriguez, $252,000,000 (2001-10)
*4. Miguel Cabrera $248,000, 000 (2016 – 2023)
Go see #25. He has the 4th and 25th top contracts of ALL – Time. This contract doesn’t start until 2016.
*5. Albert Pujols, $250,000,000 (2012-21)
*6. Robinson Cano, $240,000,000 (2014 – 2023) Read the rest of this entry
Giancarlo Stanton Signs Record 13 YRs/$325 MIL Deal, Will He Be Worth It? + Top 50 Salary Deals ALL – Time
Giancarlo Stanton, who will turn just 25 in a few days, ended the year with the HR crown at 37 and added 105 RBI in just 539 AB before having his season ended with a Hit By Pitch. With the big slugger due for huge Arbitration awards in the next few years, the club started bargaining withe their young superstar towards a long-term contract once the year was over. They came up with a record breaking 13 Year Deal worth $325 MIL at the end of it. Stanton also holds his own ticket for the future as well, with a full no no-trade clause, and an opt year after the 2020 campaign.
Chuck Booth (Lead Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With the ink not even being finalized on the historic deal between the Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton, it has been confirmed the deal is for 13 years at a clip of $325 MIL.
Among the provisions includes a no-trade clause, and an opt-out after the 2020 season, which would be 6 years into the deal.
It will be interesting to see how the dollars are broken up per year. If I were Stanton, I would have wanted for the Annual Average money be even throughout the pact, otherwise I may be leery of the club trying to let him walk out after the 6 years – by not having a competitive club.
Although, if it is back end loaded the team would certainly have the flexibility to spend more cash on their current roster for the next 6 campaigns, Tough dilemma for sure to be in.
No matter how long the 2014 NL MVP runnerup stays in South Beach, this is a smart business transaction for the franchise, regardless of the outcome. It just may backfire from a baseball operational sense in terms of finances for signing other players too.
The Miami Marlins had to do this contract to save face from the 2012 break up of the squad. Now while the big blockbuster trade has given the team the ability to contend for a playoff spot in the near future – and was a smart organizational move, as the fans also have been sold a bill of goods from the Marlins ownership since day 1 of the teams existence.
This is a marketing plan as much as anything that will be brought forth by the baseball impact. Stanton is the marquee player on the team, and trading him away in the next 2 years would have had a devastating effect on the fanbase.
One isn’t sure whether they can sustain enough revenues to produce a winning product on the field for an extended period of time, however having the most dynamic power hitter in your lineup for the next 13 years will be a nice reason to come to the yard. Read the rest of this entry
For The Most Part – The Top Salaried Players (#1 – #25 In The MLB Are Certainly Not Playing Like It!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Some of the highest paid athletes are really struggling to earn their keep. Even if A – Rod were playing, it is quite possible he would be a shell of his former self, and way overpaid.
You add in the horrific injury riddled years for Joey Votto and Prince Fielder, and you are talking about a lot of dough for players not even in uniform presently.
Then there is a productive hitter like Troy Tulowitzki, who can’t remain on the field, despite putting up world caliber numbers when he is in the lineup.
Joe Mauer and Matt Kemp have also dealt with injuries and timing issues at the plate, but they still could turn it around for the tail end of the season – and going forward.
Justin Verlander tops the list of the paying the man too late in the game, and this will not bode well for the Free Agent Max Scherzer.
You also have aging veterans that are helping their teams win games like Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez, but they are also not where they were at the time all of that cash was thrown their way.
Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout‘s deal don’t even start yet on this list, and somehow I think they will do alright.
Robinson Cano has looked decent in the 1st of a 10 year deal, but lets reassess this in 2018…
The Yankees have a huge problem on their hands with their representatives out of these players.
Mark Teixeira only has power left, and can hardly stay on the field, while CC Sabathia may be done as a top of the end starter.
Masahiro Tanaka was lights out in his time in New York this year, however he could be facing Tommy John Surgery soon, and may cost the franchise a lot of money to sit out.
Not even the Jacoby Ellsbury deal has reason for them to feel comfort. His numbers are similar to the ones he put up in Boston, yet he will see his speed evaporate over the years going forward.
This is part 1 of a 2 part blog series on player contracts. Tomorrow we address players 26 – 50. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Angels Hitters Were Acquired: 2014 Roster Tree
DiPoto has constructed a team that has great power when healthy, and have the best player in baseball in Mike Trout, however a lot of the transactions on offense had nothing to do with the man. As you will see in the Roster Tree, a lot of the guys have been Drafted before the DiPoto era. I will say he has done a better job in the last year, than in his 1st 2 years at the helm. The club has a short window to compete, before a lot of the team becomes older, all making too much money. This is not an article about retracting our earlier stated points, but rather to say that maybe DiPoto is becoming a little wiser as a GM lately. When all is said and done, with the payroll and talent within this team, they should be in contention for a Division Pennant and Post Season every year.
How All Of The Angels Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Here at the MLB Reports we have taken a hard line at how the Angels have conducted business for the last several years.
From Sully (our lead Audio Personality and creator of “Sullymetrics”), to our ‘chief writer’ Hunter Stokes, to even myself at certain times – we have poured cold water on their efforts in assembling this current team.
I maybe the less culpable of the three, as I did predict this club to win the 2012 World Series, however one thing we all agreed on was Mike Scioscia‘s crazy insistence on batting Raul Ibanez 4th when he was so brutal for the team.
The fact they signed him wasn’t very great either, when Kendrys Morales would have fit the bill perfectly.
Among the observations we had, was criticizing GM Jerry DiPoto for some of his moves since taking over as GM of the club in late 2011.
A litany of poor roster decisions was part of the problem.
The club wasted $16 MIL on Joe Blanton, paid for an injured Reliever in Ryan Madson, who never even pitched for the club.
The Sean Burnett injury problems I will not fault him for. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Yankees Hitters Were Acquired: 2014 Roster Tree
How All Of The Yankees Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The success of most franchises usually occurs when a huge core is built up through a drafting system, and then the club can piece the rest of the club together.
The 2nd best way to create a winning squad is to trade for players with the organizational pieces you have supplanted in the Minors or Majors.
Then there is the Yankees way of doing things. Hiring Free Agents – and spend boatloads of dollars.
Out of the majority of their hitting roster in 2014, most of them came through the Free Agent route.
Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson and Yangervis Solarte were acquired through outright Free Agency.
Ichiro Suzuki and Brendan Ryan were both acquired in deals, then have since re-signed as Free Agents in the open market afterwards.
Alfonso Soriano, was brought over in a deal, and is in the last year of his current contract signed back in 2007.
Yes, he was originally signed by the “Pinstripers”, but the new chain of transaction, had the club giving away a pitching prospect for his services, even though he is still tied to A’Rod.
Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli stand alone as the only 3 players to have been drafted by the club – and have remained Yanks their whole playing time thus far. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Blue Jays Hitters Were Acquired (2014 Roster Tree)
How All Of The Blue Jays Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
For those that have never seen one of our Roster Trees, we go over how all of the players were acquired.
It works like 6 degrees of separation. By searching back to the origin of all the way back until a player is signed, drafted or purchased.
It totally gives you an idea on how the franchise has fared.
Toronto absolutely stole Jose Bautista from Pittsburgh, and then saw Edwin Encarnacion selected off of waivers by the A’s, only to see him return as a Free Agent 6 weeks later.
The Blue Jays have seen EE bash out several seasons worth of awesome since then.
You can track back some of the player to as far as Orlando Hudson and Roy Halladay. Read the rest of this entry
Triple Play Podcast Episode 2 Of 2014: Empire State Of Mind: NYM + NYY + TOR Chat
The Triple Play Show will have 2 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour. Chuck Booth will guest once a month for MLB Reports Power Rankings,
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Mike Silva (Radio Host 1240 AM WGBB, Long Island New York – 19 Minute Mark and a 31 Min segment) ) Follow @mikesilvamedia
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
New York, New York big city of dreams where not everything is as it seems, so we had Mike Silva (http://www.mikesilvamedia.com)of WGBB1240 AM break down the Mets and a bit of the Yankees + our new Mt .Flushmore segment. Read the rest of this entry
What Miguel Cabrera’s New Contract Means To The Tigers And Him
Miguel Cabrera‘s new 8 YR/$248 MIL contract extension comes days after the club couldn’t come to terms with reigning AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.
The numbers are mind boggling.
He breaks the ALL – Time record for Average Annual Contract per year is at $31 MIL AAV (from 2016 – 2023), and also he is owed the most dollars at any given time by a contract at $292 MIL for the years of 2014 – 2023.
This man is the best pure offensive player in the game, and has only become better with age, but a lot of people are worried about the back end of this deal.
I fully understand that. Read the rest of this entry
The New York Yankees Organizational Depth Charts (All Affiliates) – Spring 2014 (Majors and Minors)
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth Chart + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Brian Cashman has signed 10 new Free Agents this winter, and also made a mockery of the waiver wire list, with his 2013 pluckings last campaign to aid an injury riddled squad of veterans.
Simply put, this franchise has done a brutal job of drafting over the course of the last decade or so. Cashman has to take his share of the blame for that.
Luckily for the big market club, these can be overlooked when you feature a payroll in the $235 MIL range.
Having said this, the cupboard is not bare in the Minor Leagues. Read the rest of this entry
The Homer Bailey Extension Is Good For The Short Term In Cincy: Not Sure About The Long – Term Though
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Homer Bailey may be the 3rd Starting Pitcher on the depth chart, but he happened to be the 1st guy up on Free Agency out of Mat Latos (2016 FA) and Johnny Cueto (2016 FA).
For this reason alone, I like the team extending the 27 Year Old to a 6 YR deal worth a minimum of $105 MIL, and with a Mutual Option for $25 MIL for the 2020 campaign – that could make it a 7 YRs/$125 MIL pact.
The deal starts off pretty good for dollar sense in the first two years, with Bailey making $8 MIL in 2014, and $9 MIL in 2015.
From there if I can borrow a line from Anchorman “That escalated quickly”, the next few years go like this, $18 MIL, $19 MIL, $21 MIL and $23 MIL for the years starting in 2016 – and finishing in 2019. Read the rest of this entry
The Lighter Side Of The MLB: Memories, Characters And Things That Make Me Laugh
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Okay, the MLB has has had their fair share of characters and memories that illustrate how funny some things are. We all like to blow these up on social media circles.
In this article, I just wanted to share some of these occurrences I have found amusing – also some of things that have cracked up some of our writers at this website.
Of course, we also have Paul Sullivan (AKA Sully) who usually makes people laugh once a podcast because he is a former comedian.
Some of his things that make us laugh are: “Did you know that Mariano Rivera is retiring?” diatribes and explaining WAR to novice baseball people is also classic.
Sully likes to emphasize that he understands sabermetrics, but several other of our listeners have cracked up at his pronunciation of BABIP. Read the rest of this entry
The Top 50 Contracts Of ALL – Time IN MLB: Freddie Freeman Is 29th With His New Deal – But It Makes Sense
Freddie Freeman Highlights 2013 – Mature Content – Parental Guidance is Advised
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Freddie Freeman is worth the money he just signed for when it comes to his talent level, age and production thus far.
Yesterday, the 24 Year Old First Baseman inked a 8 YR deal worth $135 MIL with the Tomahawk Choppers. As someone who was just entering the 1st year of Arbitration Eligibility, he was bought out of that negotiation.
The Braves will pay more money in the short – term, but will make up for it in the long run – by not having to dole out 200+ MIL bucks for the guy once he could have hit Free Agency. Read the rest of this entry
New York Yankees Payroll In 2014 Is Now $197 MIL (AAV) With Tanaka Added
2014 Contracts in MIL Annual Average Vakue – AKA AAV (Age) – Running $ Total
1. 1B Mark Teixeira – 23.0 (32) 23.0
2. SP CC Sabathia – 22.8 (32) 45.8
NEW: SP Masahiro Tanaka – 22.1 (25) 67.9
3. CF Jacoby Ellsbury – 21.9 (30) 89.6
4. C Brian McCann – 17.0 (29) 106.6
5. SP Hiroki Kuroda – 16.5 (37) 123.1
6. LF/DH Carlos Beltran – 15.0 (36) 138.6
7. SS Derek Jeter – 12.0 (40) 150.6 Read the rest of this entry
The Top 50 Contracts Of ALL – Time IN MLB: Masahiro Tanaka Is 18th
Darvish has provided Texas with ace-like material ever since coming over from Japan. At his current $10 MIL a year salary, he is a complete bargain compared to what Tanaka received from the Yankees. It was because of the record posting fee the Rangers doled out – to have the exclusive rights to talk to Darvish. You have to wonder what he must be thinking of the Tanaka deal. Texas reaped the benefits of financial freedom to sign other long term deals like Choo, and acquire Fielder based on this move. Darvish finished 2nd in AL CY Young Voting with a 13 – 9 record, a 2.83 ERA and a league leading 277 SO in his 209.2 IP worth of work in 2013. His high posting bid was not part of his salary, or converted towards the total team payroll.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With Masahiro Tanaka’s new deal – for the 1st time all of the MLB’s ALL-Time top 50 contracts are $100 MIL or more.
Adam Wainwright was effectively bumped out of the #50 slot, leaving 4 guys tied for 47th, all registering deals of $100 MIL (Carlos Lee, Ryan Zimmerman, Albert Pujols (2004 – 2010) and Evan Longoria.
Masahiro Tanaka also joins Robinson Cano, Clayton Kershaw, Shin-Soo Choo and new teammate Jacoby Ellsbury, as players that have made it to the list this offseason.
Masahiro Tanaka’s Japan Highlights
What The Yankees Signing Masahiro Tanaka Means For The Current Roster + The Luxury Tax Threshold
Once again, the Yankees have forked out the most money top acquire a Starting Pitcher. Masahiro Tanaka agreed to a 7 YR/$155 MIL deal with the Bronx Bombers. When you add the $20 MIL posting fee, it comes out to $175 MIL for just 7 Years. The Japanese superstar has a player opt out after 4 years (after the 2017 season). It is the biggest ever contract for an American League Pitcher – and the largest sum ever granted for a Right Handed Pitcher (Open Market – doesn’t count extenssions) in the history of Major League Baseball. The 25 Year Old also is now in possession of the 18th biggest contract in MLB history. With the signing of the player, the Yankees have pushed their 2014 Luxury Tax AAV to roughly $196 MIL.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Yankees had to have Masahiro Tanaka for the team going forward. It is a risk so worth taking. There is not a litany of 25 Year Old Starting Pitchers that have the repertoire of this guy.
Due to poor drafting – and mismanagement of several other young phenoms like Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, the club couldn’t produce a legitimate #2 or #3 starter out of their own system.
The team has also traded a guy like Ian Kennedy, who has thrived in another atmosphere. But this is the Yankees way.
This was their only alternative.
Masahiro Tanaka Highlights
Toronto Blue Jays Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward
The Blue Jays were the odds on favorite to win the World Series in 2013 among oddsmakers. After a failure of a season, the gambling websites are still placing way too much faith in the team. To have them listed as tied with the Rays for the 12th best odd (+1800) to win the World Series is a stretch. This team has committed $129 MIL already for 2014 payroll, and have not much room to gamble any more cash on the Roster. This is incredible considering the bargain the team has with Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista being just paid $23 MIL between the two of them.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org. Depth Chart Expert) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It was a 2013 season that saw the team have the biggest spike in attendance in the majors, but it also came at a hefty price in total team salary.
For as much as the team forked out in payroll, they must not have been able to recoup all of their money.
Their payroll places them right in the middle of AL East pack. The Yankees are right near the Luxury Tax Threshold right now of $189 MIL at $182 MIL – and the Boston Red Sox are hovering at around $160 MIL.
The Orioles will be near the $100 MIL range, and the Rays figure to be in the low $70 MIL area. Read the rest of this entry
“The Record” Clayton Kershaw Contract By The Numbers: How It All Stacks Up
Clayton Kershaw has agreed to a 7 YRs/$215 MIL extension – that will run through the years of 2014 – 2020 with the LA Dodgers. The deal is slated for an opt out clause after the 2018 season by Kershaw, when he will be only 30 years old. The terms go like this for years. 2014: $22 MIL ( $18 MIL signing bonus is part of that), 2015: $30 MIL, 2016: $32 MIL, 2017 and 2018 he will earn $33 MIL). From here that will have been $150 MIL for the 1st 5 years of the contract. If Kershaw remains past this, the deal pays $32 MIL in 2019 – and finally $33 MIL in 2020.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The verdict is in. Clayton Kershaw has agreed to a 7 YR Extension for $215 Million.
It is the highest Annual Average Contract ($30.7 MIL) in the history of Major League Baseball, topping A-Rod’s previously set deal worth $27.5 MIL.
The deal is also the richest contract ever in Pitching history – surpassing Justin Verlander’s 7 YRs/$180 MIL extension from 2013 – 2019.
It is the 6th highest deal ever in the MLB, and Kershaw becomes the 7th player ever to receive a contract north of $200 MIL.
Clayton Kershaw Highlights 2013
New York Yankees Projected Payroll In 2014 With A-Rod Relief
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
2014 Contracts in MIL Annual Average Vakue – AKA AAV (Age)
1. 1B Mark Teixeira – 23.0 (32)
2. SP CC Sabathia – 22.8 (32)
3. CF Jacoby Ellsbury – 21.9 (30)
4. C Brian McCann – 17.0 (29)
5. SP Hiroki Kuroda – 16.5 (37)
6. LF/DH Carlos Beltran – 15.0 (36)
7. SS Derek Jeter – 12.0 (40) Read the rest of this entry
Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees- Part II
Alfonso Soriano came back to New York – and thrashed on the competition, with 17 HRs and 50 RBI – in just 58 games with the Bronx Bombers. He also snuck in 18 SB for the campaign, but nobody even noticed. Still the experts have failed to recognize that the offense was significantly better once this man entered the fray. Even with his 38 year old season coming up, it is entirely possible he could club another 25 – 30 HRs and approach 85 – 95 RBI out of the DH slot. Along with McCann, Beltran, Ellsbury, a potentially full year of Teixeira and Jeter, this lineup is a hell of a lot different from the team that limped to a 85 – 77 mark for the 2013 year.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
As with the first part of this piece, this article is in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here) that paints a fairly negative picture of the near-future for the New York Yankees.
Once again, I would encourage everyone to visit Grantland.com as it is a one stop shop for some of the best internet based writers on the planet.
Again, a quick thank you to Fangraphs.com and Baseball-reference.com.
Those organizations are a huge reason for the increased understanding and intelligent discussion relating to baseball over the last decade, and they are used throughout as resources for all advanced statistics.
If you aren’t reading the content on those sites, I would strongly suggest you do.
We will start with our Point/Counter-Point structure with a discussion of the new Yankee line-up, and more so, the effect of the departure of Robinson Cano on that lineup.
For Part 1 Of Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal click here.
Alfonso 2013 Highlights as a Cub and a Yankee – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance Is Advised
Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees- Part I
Opinions have varied wildly about the effect on the wholesale changes to the New York Yankees roster. This piece is in response to in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here lower in a link icon in the 1st couple of lines.) As the Yankees Correspondent for the MLB Reports, I felt I needed to address the merits of the topic in question, make some counterparts, in order to move the dialogue from a slightly different perspective.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Before we get started, I wanted to give credit where credit is absolutely due.
This piece is in response to a piece written for Grantland by Rany Jazayerli (which can be found here) that paints a fairly negative picture of the near-future for the New York Yankees.
If you haven’t been to Grantland.com for sports and entertainment news and opinions, you are missing out. Some of the best work in the business.
All advanced statistics (and other statistics) are courtesy of our friends at Fangraphs.com and Baseball-reference.com.
As always, we appreciate those sites making the information available to be able to debate the game we love. For ease to the reader, the response has been broken into two parts. This is part one of the response.
Part 2 of the Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Response to The New Normal For the New York Yankees click here
New York Yankees 2013 Year Highlights – With Full Credit Going To The YES Network
The Top 50 Contracts Of All – Time In The MLB
Technically A-Rod has received the two top contracts in baseball history, however he opted out after the 2007 year for the 1st one, so really it was a 7 Year Deal worth approximately $158 MIL that was paid out to him between 2000 and the end of the year in 2007. Rodriguez contract from 2008 – 2017 also includes $30 MIL worth of player performances for passing milestones.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I start this paragraph saying that it blows my mind away that Alex Rodriguez has the #1 and #2 best contracts of ALL-Time. This is sick.
At least he might forfeit up to $21 MIL of his salary in 2014, and another $5 – $7 MIL in 2015 – if the 211 game ban sticks.
Therefore can we really say that he would have the top 2 earnings leaders for any given contract? He would have to give up $27.51 MIL of it for that to happen.
Pujols would take over the reigns as the #2 contract with his 10 YRs/$250 MIL deal then.
Some of them are classic overpays, and others actually have netted the franchise their true value back and then more. You can be your own judge.
Albert Pujols 2012 Highlight Mix – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised
MLB Reports 
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