Last year it was Matt Holliday. Before him, it was Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano. As the 2010-11 offseason draws closer, it's time to ask a question that's always fun and never easy.
Which free agent will sign for the most guaranteed money this offseason?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
how can it not be lee?
Lee’s stock certainly seems lower than it was April 1st. He’s gotten roughed up, and become mortal. People are questioning whether he really has ace “stuff”, and looking deeper into his peripherals (and raising questions from it).
If he can be an October stud again, he’ll demolish everyone on this list. If he doesn’t, I can see the margin being much closer.
I agree with you that Lee’s recent struggles have taken some of the “shine” off of him, but make no mistake: he’s absolutely an ace-quality pitcher.
Being an ace is about more than peripherals; there’s a certain attitude, a certain feeling that goes along with it. As much as scouts tend to focus on physical tools, many will tell you that intangibles, “mound presence”, and such are the kind of things that help define ace pitchers. The idea of a “big-game pitcher” is part of that.
I think we can agree that Lee has those qualities.
Yeah… it’s pretty obvious it’s Lee, especially if the yanks are really in on the bidding.
Duh…Lee
I am sure Crawford will be in center and Lee will be pitching for the N.Y. Yankees next season
Carl Crawford plays LF.
crawford doesn’t play centerfield, he hates it their. he also hates leading off(idk why).
I don’t know why he doesen’t like playing CF but I think he hates leading off is because he either wants to see what the opposing starting pitcher has to offer first or he wants to drive in runs and leading off is a bad way to do it. He’s hitting 3d and heading for a 80 RBI season.
Duh, Lee
Lee will most likely get 20-22M per, for 5-6 years
Crawford will get 15-18M per for 5-7 years
Werth will get 14-16M per for 4-5 years
Beltre will get 12-15M per for 3-5 years
V-Mart will get 12-15M per for 3-5 years
Jeter will get 15M-20M(Yankee price tag) per for 2-3 years
Mo will get 15M for 2 years, or could go year to year.
Dunn will get 14-17M for 3-5 years.
You’re pretty much on the money with these figures. Although I think it’s plausible Lee gets less years and more money because of his potential injury issues and his struggles in Texas. And V-Mart for 5 years seems ridiculous. Otherwise, it all looks gravy.
I think beltre gets more and lee, werth get less. but pretty realistic figures
no way crawford gets anymore than a 5 year deal. Remember the draw to him is his speed and he’s already 30 so I don’t know if anyone would chance locking him up for longer than he’ll be useful.
Based on the last year I thought your numbers were high (except maybe on Derek & Mo because of the Yankee factor) but I seem to be in the minority.
If I were a GM I would look closely at signing anyone over 30 to more than a few years because without steroids you’re going to start seeing production drop off as players age as they did before. I’d be especially concerned about players who rely on speed (Crawford), play catcher (VMartinez) or are particularly bulky (Dunn). I’d say the shorter contracts on those 3 might be reasonable risks but I’d be unwilling to go more.
I’d love to see my Tigers get Dunn and/or Lee of this list, if they get get them for the right contract, meaning pay top dollar but for fewer years.
If someone makes that deal for Crawford, I think they’ll be highly dissapointed during the final years. His ultimate skill is his speed and that can decrease quickly.
Again let me get on my high horse. Other than Lee none of these guys should get the kind of money that Zuidvogels projects although I agree with the amounts that he projects. They will get those numbers possibly more with more time tacked onto the contracts. Every year these idiot owners overpay in both cash and years then after a stumble or two by the player have to try top move him and eat salary.Use Zambrano as an example. What are the Cubs going to do with that 17 million dollar contract. They are stuck. Good for them. Charlie Finley was right. Make them all free agents every year. I hope the jerk owners don’t offer any of these guys more than 2 years.
I think Lee ends up only getting 3-4 years at 18 per, due to his injury history, where crawford will get 15 per for 6 years. Lee will make more annually, but crawford gets the bigger overall deal
If the Yanks get Crawford or Werth like many expect, who is the odd man out in that outfield? I would think Swisher would be the easiest to move as he has only one year left plus an option and makes the most of the three next year. I think either Swisher or Gardner would be great fits on the Braves next year so I’m hoping the Yanks land one of the pricey outfielders.
I can see them MAYBE getting Werth but I doubt it. Since Gardner has had such a breakout year I don’t think Crawford is needed and I hope we don’t get him. IF we do end up getting him i dont think anyone would be traded, Gardner would just go to backup.
Its a little thing called switching postions , ever heard of it? i think he would be a great center fielder and his offense i better suited for center really.The corners are usually and i said usually your big guys
this is pointed at andrewyf
Its a little thing called switching postions , ever heard of it? i think he would be a great center fielder and his offense i better suited for center really.The corners are usually and i said usually your big guys
Right but then what do they do with gardner, granderson and swisher? one of will become a 4th OF because they go out and sign Crawford.. realistically the yanks may like carl, but they don’t need him. So if someone outbids the yanks, they may just let it go.
He hasn’t played center for more than 8 games since 2004. You don’t move a player who is borderline elite at his position simply because you think his bat plays better somewhere else.
Crawford at over four years seems a little crazy. The guy is a solid player but, he is also a player that makes me question stats like WAR. He usually slugs pretty well but not based on pure hr power (career high=18), he has never reached 40 doubles, yet his triples are usually equal to his hr total. Crawford plays a pretty spectacular Lf, but most of the time I think defense is being overvalued. Crawford will be a 6.5 WAR player this year which will put him in the elite crowd. The question is does anyone here really see crawford as an elite player? Right now he leads Holliday in WAR. Basic slash line Crawford:.302/.354/.488
Holliday .309/.382/.535
Crawford has the stolen bases and an edge on defense, but who would you rather have?
My guess he signs 4/5 years at 15 million. Lee easily will sign for the most money per year the question is how many years will it be for?
Not only are you undervaluing defense, you’re also undervaluing speed, and base path presence. . Stolen Bases, Triples, going 1st to 3rd, are all part of his game. Teams may want a Holliday for the middle of the order, but perhaps they already have thumpers, and need speed, obp, sb threat at the top of the order. There is different roles players fit in to, which you are failing to acknowledge
No I’m not failing to acknowledge that there are different types of players and they can be valuable in different ways. I’m questioning if what Crawford does is as valuable as an elite hitter.
I played division I baseball and a little independent ball as well. I have a pretty good idea how the game is played and that going “1st to 3rd” is valuable, but again is he an elite player? Should he be paid like an elite player? I’m not so sure.
I agree with moonraker.
When you actually get down to playing baseball, real live game situations, any scout will tell you that speed and defense matter A LOT.
Taking extra bases, forcing errors, distracting pitchers while on 1st, taking AWAY extra bases from opposing hitters, being able to play shallow against power hitters…these kind of things don’t show up (or aren’t noticed) in box scores and metrics, but are all key parts of winning games.
So, as of when I took this poll, 99 yankees fans had responded apparently. Who the heck, in their right mind, out of New York, would think that Jeter would be the highest paid from that list? If New York were to (for whatever reason) say, see ya DJ! He wouldn’t get an offer of more than 12-15 for 3 years. Period. The idea that he will be given 20+ is just ridiculous. If the Yankees do make that deal, they will have effectively overpaid him by $20 million over a 3 year contract.
I understand that he has tremendously greater value in NY with the Yankees than he does anywhere else. The problem is, in a market system, it takes to buyers to raise a price. Here, we only have one. All NY has to do is give him more than anyone else, and nobody else will give him more than $15 Million and 3 years.
You’re right, but you have to understand that this is a unique situation.You have a living legend playing on the league’s flagship team, in the country’s flagship city, a team that in itself is an international, global, multi-billion dollar brand. That’s what makes this different. Respectfully, this isn’t Cal Ripken on the Orioles, or Tony Gwynn on the Padres. It’s New York, and it’s the Yankees.Because of this, the Yankees understand that trying to “nickel and dime” Jeter, trying to deflate his value, is detrimental to the “New York Yankees” brand. They want their legends to continue to be viewed as such, if they can help it.I totally agree that generally, market forces and player performance should dictate value. This is obvious…but at the same time, I have no problem with the Yankees being willing to reward the player who essentially is the face of the franchise during the modern era. This ONE time, I don’t think overpaying Jeter hurts anyone (or any other teams) because everyone understands that because it’s Jeter, and because it’s the Yankees, this is a UNIQUE SITUATION.By the way, I’m not a Yankees fan, nor am i from New York.
i think Crawford will be playing for Anhiem not the Yanks
I know there is an “Other” option, but leaving Paul Konerko off this list, for Dunn, Jeter, and/or V-Mart, is absurd. The man is having an MVP year, plus after getting hit in the face last night, with a pitch, he stays in for the entire game and hits a home run. The Sox get zero love.
Do you honestly think Konerko will get a contract anywhere close to those guys?
Getting and deserving are different. Yes, he deserves a bigger contract than the others, I listed. Dunn has no defense. Jeter is declining and V-Mart has struggled. People talk about Paul getting up in age, but he’s younger than Jeter by 2 years. For Paulie to have the year, he is having and yet, his GM is acting like they may not bring him back boggles my mind. Yes, if the WS are going to have Morel at 3rd, Ramirez at SS and Bacon at 2nd next season, you bet I want Paulie at 1st. Year after year, he saves errors.
Ahh.. But the question was “Who will get the biggest contract?” NOT “Who should get the biggest contract?” Konerko, while a great player, will probably get less than all the aforementioned players.
I completely agree.
Matt Stairs…
Lee deserves the most money but that doesn’t mean people shower him with lots of it. I would give him 15-17 million per year for 4-5 years. He is 32 years old. My guess is Rangers.
Crawford would be next who I believe is 30. He is a legitimate #3 or #2 hitter and deserves 13-15 million per year for 5-6 years. Not to TB for sure because they have Jennings ready, right?
I would give Jeter only 10 M for 2-3 seasons. Most likely he would bounce back next season with a good year but his defense is still crap. 10 M is a lot for him.
I would give Dunn 3 years, 35 M and then trade him in his last season even if he keeps up the numbers (close to 40 HR and 100 rbis).
I’d MUCH rather have Crawford than Holliday
Man, I wish the Reds would sign Crawford. I know.. I’m dreaming!