Now that this year's arbitration offers are officially in, the free agent market has become that much easier to read. Jon Heyman of SI.com examines some of last night’s decisions and provides more notes from around the league (all Twitter links):
- One agent predicts David Ortiz could get $16MM if he accepts Boston’s offer of arbitration. Heyman suggests a two-year deal in the $25-28MM range could also work for both sides.
- Though the Brewers took on some risk by offering Francisco Rodriguez arbitration, the right-hander seeks a multiyear deal and a closing job, so he’ll decline Milwaukee’s offer. The Brewers already have John Axford in place, so for Rodriguez to close games he’ll have to move on.
- The Twins offered Joe Nathan a two-year deal that would have guaranteed him a bit less than the $14.75MM contract he signed in Texas. However, one AL executive told Heyman that Nathan "wanted to go to Texas."
I really hope the Sox resign Ortiz.
“However, one AL executive told Heyman that Nathan “wanted to go to Texas.”
My guess is because he was born in Texas, however the city he was born in was Houston. But I guess he figures he has a better shot at winning a WS better in Arlington than in Houston.
That and Houston is only a few hours away by car.
But he lives in Tennessee. My guess is because he could see that the Rangers would appreciate what he could bring to the bullpen plus the Rangers are awesome plus the Rangers have fun playing ball. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
Or maybe he was just tired of Minnesota. Who knows. You definitely can be right of course.
he wants to be on a winning team…not on a team that is filled with injuries and utility players.
Odd how the previous 2 years his former team was 11 wins shy of being a winning team. I can’t believe how much that team changed around in 1 year. But that’s baseball.
My guess is its because they offered more money.
My final guess is that Joe Nathan knows why!
“One agent predicts David Ortiz
could get $16MM if he accepts Boston’s offer of arbitration. Heyman
suggests a two-year deal in the $25-28MM range could also work for both
sides.”
Tough decision for Ortiz. If he takes the arbitration and has a great year, you have to figure he’s going to get at another double digit offer in 2013, whether it’s from Boston or somewhere else.
Do you take $16 mil in 2012 and wait or do you take $12.5 – $14 mil in each of the next 2 years.
You’re right it is a tough decision. But I think the 2 year deal would be best for him if it’s closer to the $28MM guaranteed. Even if he were to be able to beat the $28MM on 2 one year deals it probably wouldn’t be by much. In his case having just turned 36 this past week better the “bird in the hand” than the “one in the bush”.
He may be better off with the multiyear deal considering the new compensation rules pretty much guarantee his offer next year will not exceed $12.4 million.
Papi is going back to the Sox. After losing Papelbon they can’t lose another impact player. The Sox are still his best chance to win in 2012 even with a screwed up front office.
David Ortiz is not worth $25-28 million. He’s barely worth $12 million. He’s an “36 year old” DH, who’s slow, is a horrible base runner, has had bad years 3 out of the past 4 years, and is clogging the DH spot for Lavarnway/Youkilis/others. Why would any team give up a draft pick & give him that type of contract? And why would the Red Sox severely overpay for him when he’s barely worth half of that?
It’s hard to legitimately say that he’s only worth half that money; if he hits like last year he’s easily worth even the $16M he might get in arbitration. The problem is that at his age you can’t be certain that he’ll be worth it going forward, that’s why a one year deal would be best because it limits the damage if he isn’t the same, and it gives you the best chances of him performing up to his contract.
I think the Brewers were smart to offer arbitration to KRod. He doesn’t want to be there, he wants more than one year and he wants to be the closer. None of those things are going to happen if he accepts arb. May be a gutsy move on the Brewers part but it’s a smart move either way. If he accepts, trade him.
He will decline most likely. Then I guess the only other question that remains is, who will take him?
The Jays will take him if they don’t have to give up draft picks under the new CBA. I’m not sure where he stands in that respect.
its more retooling than rebuilding
Yeah, I hope he accepts arbitration but I really dont want it to be more than a year. 1 year $16 million is fine with me. I’d much rather have him in the lineup than Larvanaway but the Sox are going to need that DH spot open especially with the way Youk has been getting warn down the past few years.
id rather that money went to edwin jackson and mark burehle
Yeah, I think a one year deal would be best for the Sox. That way in the 2013 season Youk can move to DH and Middlebrooks can take over at third.
Last I saw, Cliff Lee turned down $155 million from Texas and went to Philly for $120+ million. Now of course I know Philly is a contender, but that doesn’t mean Texas wasn’t going to be.
Plus not everybody is greedy. While he didn’t do it as a ballplayer, don’t forget what Billy Beane did. He turned down a $12 million a year contract offer from Boston and decided to stay in Oakland for $2.5 million.
Maybe, but that K/BB ratio, along with the above average power, would put him in the Mark Trumbo/Alfonso Soriano/Adam Jones territory which along with his above average 3B defense, is a very useful player and would be well above average for 3B.
As far as Xander, there is still a reasonable chance that he sticks at SS (as well as a chance that he flames out completely), and his ETA is likely 2014 at the earliest. He clearly has a much higher ceiling than Middlebrooks though, and if he is moved to 3B Middlebrooks isn’t going to block him once he is ready.
Yea but A-Rod is alot older and is an immortal player. A-Rod and Youk in the same breath makes no sense.
Immortals don’t get hurt much in their prime.