The Giants and Melky Cabrera have agreed to put contract extension talks on hold until after the season, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The team is believed to have suggested a three-year deal worth approximately $27MM a few weeks ago, though no official offer was made.
Cabrera, 27, has indicated a willingness to sign with San Francisco long-term and GM Brian Sabean maintains that there is enough financial flexibility to sign both Melky and Hunter Pence. Cabrera is hitting .353/.399/.530 with 11 homers during a breakout All-Star season, and will become a free agent this winter. He figures to one of the most attractive outfielders on the market give his age and production.
Typical of Sabean to come out with an incredibly lowball offer. I understand its a business where Giants make an offer/Melky responds and the meet in the middle. But come on!! Quentin is an injury plagued bad OF!
Melky is proving to be pretty good!
You don’t even know if thats what he offered its just “sources” saying what they believe. And the beating on Sabean thing is tired. Look at what he’s done the last couple of seasons with the draft and under the radar signings.
It’s also not up to anyone but them on what value they place on a guy. they might say look, we feel you should be paid XXX amount, and if someone wants to give you more, then good for you but XXX is what we value you at.
It’s under market value but it’s not a terrible offer at this point. It would be crazy to make your best offer mid-season while the player has no leverage to go to another team just yet, with the risk of injury in the last few months of the season.
As a Giants fan I love Melky, but I don’t think he can keep up his current production for 3 more years. He was having a bad career up until his final year with the Royals and now this season with the G’s
In his defense, he didn’t get regular playing time with the Yanks, thanks to Gardner.
He’s 27 and finally learned what it takes to be productive (reference Pablo Sandoval). Melky was up with the Yankees at age 20, and should have back-to-back 200 hit seasons in different leagues. It’s his time, sign him for 3 yrs
If 3 yrs & 27 million was indeed the offer, that is NOT a lowball offer. At The very least it’s fair value, I’d say maybe better. Sabean by the way is not going to typically offer lowball deals to players. He hasn’t a sense regarding money, IMO. with deals he’s done in the past as we all know, he’s overpaid by a good 20 MM sometimes. Um, Zito?
Melky is going to get more than 3/27. I’m sure even the Giants thought Melky wasn’t going to accept it. I can see him getting somewhere between 11-13M/year.
At some point, I really hope that fans will stop using Zito as an example every time a front office wants to give a talented player a sizeable contract. Comparing Zito and Cabrera are about as apples and oranges as it gets.
Zito was an ownership signing from Peter Magawon primarily not Sabean. Blame Sabean on Rowand not Zito. The Mets (rumored) offered 5/$75.
This. I couldn’t believe it when Sabean offered Burrell and Renteria for only $1 million last year. At least one of them was happy with that..
Why would Sabean offer Renteria/Burrell more than 1M? Burrell wanted to retire and Renteria is not worth more than 1M. He didn’t produce that well with the Giants.
While it’s wise on the Giants’ part to offer a deal like that- not insulting to the player, but not an overpay- it’s also not in Melky’s best interest to take such a team friendly deal when he knows he’ll be worth more on the open market. A 4 year/$52MM deal might get it done.
How is that not insulting the player?
If he just waits until the offseason, he’ll be a very well-paid Dodger.
Look at the Dodgers roster and their financial commitments there and find where another 12-15M a season outfielder fits in. Kemp, Ethier, and Puig will be the Dodgers outfield for half a decade to come.
Move Puig to first. Can offer Melky 13-17 and still go out and get a greinke or dempster
getting ahead of yourself much with Puig? He is in rookie ball for christ sakes
So what if Puig is in rookie ball. They gave him 42M. They’re not just going to forget about that…
It’s still far from a given he will become a every day big leaguer.
Ya it’s not a given he’ll become a big leaguer, but it’s doubtful they’re going to commit another 50M+ to another OF when they just spent a big chunk of money on one.
Good point. I’m sure the Dodgers plan to be four years deep into a $42M deal and have a AA outfielder on their hands.
its a good enough reason not to commit major years to someone to fill your final open OF spot.
Look at the Dodgers depth chart and tell me that you really think they will invest in another outfielder. They need at a minimum, a new first baseman and an elite starter.
This has to get done. They need him to continue any success in the near future
In my opinion I think a 5 year $80 million is what will be ultimately offered with money incentives that include 200 hit seasons, batting titles, and MVP votes.
Pretty sure you can’t offer incentives based on counting stats, but I could be wrong.
That said, as a Dodgers fan, I think you need to offer Melky 7/126. 🙂
youre correct the new CBA does not allow that anymore
9 mill seems fair for a guy who has a season and a half of consistent play over the past 6 years. We have all seen what happens to him when he does not have to fight for a contract, he gets lazy and bad…I think a 3 year deal with 3-4 team options after that would work best for him, because if he is motivated and locked in and having to fight for contracts will keep him doing that and they will 100% be picked up if he is motivated but if he isnt he is bad at baseball
Don’t think the $9 million is how its going to shape out though. As we know MLB is, “What have you done for me lately game.” That’s evidence by the Crawford signings and the eventual Bourn signing.
While Cabrera is not a speed guy he is entering his FA at age 28 and almost has two seasons under his belt of close to 400 hits plus above average defense. I think many people expected his slash line this year to regress because of his high BABIP but at the same time he could be an anomaly who is able to sustain which is wishful thinking for gap a gap hitter.
He’ll get a good contract but anything above $15 million could be overpay.
I originally thought this said that both sides had agreed to an extension.
Got excited for a second. Melky has been great with the Giants.
I wouldnt wait because he will wind up in LA like most former Giants do Lock him up now
LA does not need another outfielder. They have an ungodly sum of money tied up in Kemp, Puig, and Ethier over the next five years. As much as they’ve shown they’re willing to toss money into the wind, they’re not going to add another 12-15M a season for an outfielder with no place to play.
A more likely scenario, IF he starts to produce down the stretch, would be to sign Victorino on a short-term deal (1 or 2 yrs) as a stop gap until Puig is ready.
Like you said, I think the long term future of the Dodgers’ OF will be Ethier, Kemp and Puig.
could always move puig to first. Reports are his defense is shaky and would still allow them to go after another bat in OF
Agreed.
This is a “Must do with caution” deal for the Giants. They have to be careful not to overpay at such a rate as was suggested will be done for a player with much less upside right here on this site in Bourn. Based on that scale of blind ignorance Melky would be a 20+/year player and that would undoubtedly leave the contract highly unfulfilled. They have to be careful he doesn’t get out of shape again satiated with the $. Ironically Melky’s career stats are very similar to Bourn, but Melky is just hitting his prime now and there’s evidence he could keep this kind of incredible production up if he stays in prime shape.
So a contract has to be structured in such a way as to provide plenty incentive for good performance and options for not, even if they have to overpay slightly over the long term assuming he stays in shape. The possibility of Melky, Pence and upcoming Gary Brown would be a stellar OF I can’t see the Giants letting get away.
If Bourn is gonna get $16-22 Million AAV, does that mean Melky gets Pujols money?
~not serious~
I’ve made the same point- mlbtr seems very shy to want to admit that figure for Bourn is ridiculous.
Well, given Rube’s track record in Philly, it wouldn’t completely shock me to see it. It would kill the franchise for half a decade but that doesnt mean he wont do it.
No skin off my SFGiants nose!
Bourn is def worth that much. I’m sure there are some on here that believe it.
Why is a defense first CF with a career OPS of .704 whose entire game relies on his speed worth that type of scratch when he’s on the wrong side of 30 (Next year is his Age 30) season?
He’s not.
This is a “Must do with caution” deal for the Giants. They have to be careful not to overpay at such a rate as was suggested will be done for a player with much less upside right here on this site in Bourn. Based on that over-inflated scale Melky would be a 20+/year player and that would undoubtedly leave the contract highly unfulfilled. They have to be careful he doesn’t get out of shape again satiated with the $. Ironically Melky’s career stats are very similar to Bourn, but Melky is just hitting his prime now and there’s evidence he could keep this kind of incredible production up if he stays in prime shape.
So a contract has to be structured in such a way as to provide plenty incentive for good performance and options for not, even if they have to overpay slightly over the long term assuming he stays in shape. The possibility of Melky, Pence and upcoming Gary Brown would be a stellar OF I can’t see the Giants letting get away.
All the beat writers are reporting that Melky with Romo as the translator is stating he hasn’t talked to his agent about any extension and is dodging the question of whether he’s open to mid-season talks. That’s really just a reiteration of the first round of talks which happened a couple months back- I do believe the 3/27 # was thrown out then as well. I think he’ll command a 5 year deal at this point possibly with a mutual option in that 5th year becoming automatic based on a + .800 OPS or some such.
So the Dodgers get to pick between Hunter Pence or Melky Cabrera?!! Thats awsome!! The Giants can’t afford to keep both so that means the one of them will be available.