You don't back-load a deal like that unless you know you're going to use the savings.
2019 Offseason
- Thread starter overseascardfan
- Start date
You don't back-load a deal like that unless you know you're going to use the savings.
Dbacks haven't spent all that Kendrick said they would.
In addition, after this year Tomas comes off the books - that amount is basically the increase in MadBum's salary
My point, though, is that if you're not going to spend the savings this year, don't back-load the MadBum deal, so there are even more savings to use for future payrolls once Tomas's contract comes off the books. Otherwise, extra salary in the future is unnecessarily being spent on MadBum when it could have been spent this year, which means future payroll flexibility unnecessarily wasted.
And in terms of not spending all that Kendrick said they would this year, that is precisely my point. All indications were that the savings from the MadBum deal being back-loaded were going to be used to fill holes at CF/2B and/or in the bullpen. Well, Spring Training is right around the corner, reported D-Backs targets are being gobbled up left and right by other teams, and there isn't so much as a word about the D-Backs doing anything other than signing minor league depth that won't even be on the 40 man roster. Something isn't right here...
Free agency/trades aren't close to being over. Spring Training is more than a month away. Before you start ripping Hazen, let it get to there first.
And yes, sometimes plans get blown up because other teams are willing to over pay, or a play just plain prefers another team.
And in the end, if they wanted to move some of MadBums salary to this year, they still could. No salary cap, so nothing stopping them from doing that
Except a signed contract to which they are legally bound...
And the reason I am raising the point is that Spring Training tickets are about to be on sale, and we have no clue who the starters for the middle of our defense will be...for tge second year in a row (with that uncertainty last year costing us our best hitter for the last month of the season)...
And Madbum would have to agree to that adjustment. If I'm MadBum's agent, I say "sure, my client will agree to adjust his contract, but it will take you meeting him in the middle and adding a couple of million dollars per year to his existing deal." He now has leverage Hazen didn't need to give him.
Meanwhile, how many successful teams have gone into not one, but two consecutive, Spring Trainings not knowing who their starting CF and 2B were? I'd wager that at no other time in MLB history has a team this late in the game listed the exact same player on its depth chart as the starter at two different positions.
Spring Training tickets go on sale this weekend. I am not buying a single one unless and until the team at least stops insulting our intelligence and actually lists a full starting line-up on its depth chart, however good or bad that might be, rather than listing the same starter at two different positions. I simply recommend that my fellow fans send Mike Hazen a message by following suit.
JerkFace
(Formerly offset) i have a special purpose
This is generally the "waiting game" portion of the offseason. Teams are asking high in trades and agents are asking high in contracts. I believe Hazen is just being patient (and smart) waiting for trade/contract values to come down. I can pretty much guarantee that they will still add 5-10 million in contracts onto their payroll this year.
I am still willing to consider that possibility (and am holding out hope that it is so, as there remain a couple of players in play, such as Starling Marte), but it becomes less and less likely as more and more players in whom the D-Backs were reported to have interest are acquired by other teams. My only point is that in my opinion it is asking a lot for fans to buy Spring Training tickets while at the same time listing a starting line-up of only 7 players plus the pitcher (akin to an NFL team selling pre-season tickets while listing only 10 starters on offense or defense or an NBA team selling pre-season tickets while listing a four-person starting line-up), and that if the team were uncertain as to whether it would commit the savings, it should have left the structuring of the MadBum contract open until the team had that certainty, rather than announcing a back-loaded contract, having all parties sign that back-loaded contract and then not knowing whether or not the savings from the back-loaded contract will be put to good use. It would be nice to know that they have a plan, rather than hearing nothing at all while seeing other teams continue gobbling up 2B, CF and relievers in whom the D-Backs were reported to have interest.
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Robert Murray
@ByRobertMurray
· 9m
Sources: #Brewers signing manager Craig Counsell to contract extension through 2023.
@ByRobertMurray
· 9m
Sources: #Brewers signing manager Craig Counsell to contract extension through 2023.
Jon Morosi
@jonmorosi
·
3m
Kevin Pillar is one of the most underrated free agents in @MLB, coming off a season of 161 games (career high), .719 OPS (career high) and 21 HR (tied for career high). He could fit with #Rangers, #Mets or #Dbacks depending on Starling Marte trade outcome.
@MLBNetwork
Kevin Pillar would be a nice stop gap in CF
OPS of .719 is atrocious for a starting OF. That said, I guess he would be better than the mix and match line-ups. (He certainly is superior to the likes of Locastro, Rojas, Vargas and Leyba.)
Still, why not just bring back Dyson (a better fielder with a better WAR who is familiar with the layout of Chase Field) if we are going to settle for a sub-par hitter at CF?
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BC867
Long time Phoenician!
And an effective leadoff hitter who finds ways to get on base.
Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan)
1/9/20, 2:43 PM
Well-regarded pitching prospect Matt Liberatore has been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the St. Louis Cardinals, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. It's part of a trade expected to send major league pieces back to Tampa Bay, which has been searching for outfield bats.
1/9/20, 2:43 PM
Well-regarded pitching prospect Matt Liberatore has been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the St. Louis Cardinals, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. It's part of a trade expected to send major league pieces back to Tampa Bay, which has been searching for outfield bats.
Well at least more so (.319 career OBP, .313 last year) than Kevin Pillar (.296 career OBP, .287 last year).
Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman)
1/9/20, 3:39 PM
Pitching prospect Matt Liberatore going to cardinals in trade from Rays. STL extra OFs Tyler O’Neill and Jose Martinez were discussed. Possible 1 or both are going to Rays.
1/9/20, 3:39 PM
Pitching prospect Matt Liberatore going to cardinals in trade from Rays. STL extra OFs Tyler O’Neill and Jose Martinez were discussed. Possible 1 or both are going to Rays.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Dyson seemed to be a clutch get-on-base guy last season.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.azcentral.com/amp/4423580002
Looks like Ketel Marte at CF and the poo-poo platter of Vargas/Leyba/Rojas/Young at 2B with Escobar occasionally moving over and Lamb or Vargas playing third.
Ugh...
Looks like Ketel Marte at CF and the poo-poo platter of Vargas/Leyba/Rojas/Young at 2B with Escobar occasionally moving over and Lamb or Vargas playing third.
Ugh...
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Other than keeping Ketel at one position (and no longer having to be the backup SS as well)
if Torey would actually do that, the combination you described to cover 2B is hardly the one
to take us to the next level.
I still want to be convinced that Torey can abandon his four or five position player transfers
per game. It has become his trademark. There is a difference between flexibility and chaos.
BTW, Hazen said that he would prefer Marte not bounce between positions as often as in
the past. "Not as often". Not be the permanent Center Fielder.
Between the D-backs and Suns General Managers inability to field balanced teams, it is now
year round frustration for the fans.
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That kind of combination at 2B is a gigantic step backwards (why not just re-sign Flores) and would actually ENCOURAGE Torey to tinker MORE...
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Well, a GM and his Manager are supposed to be in synch. The problem is when they are both dysfunctional.
Well, a GM and his Manager are supposed to be in synch. The problem is when they are both dysfunctional.
And down the street we have a situation where we have a good coach and a GM who is pulling the rug out from under him. And in Glendale, we have arguably the best GM in the NHL and a joke of a coach.
What is it with sports management in this city?...
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
In terms of metropolitan area population, the Suns are in the middle of the pack. 14th out
of 30 teams. It is probably close to the same for the D-backs.
And because we are big on snowbirds and a steadily growing population, a lot of the local
fan base still haven't developed loyalties to the teams in the Valley of the Sun. It is only
going to get worse as Phoenix continues to grow.
And because we are neither land locked nor water locked, we will continue to grow --
north, south, east and west. New people arriving from all around the country.
Our teams' owners act like we are a small market. Their greatest skill is pocketing profits.
