The Yankees will indeed make a qualifying offer to Rafael Soriano if he opts out of his contract, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. This morning, agent Scott Boras strongly hinted that the reliever would be opting out of his contract with the Bombers. Rather than make a guaranteed $14MM for next season, Soriano will instead choose a $1.5MM buyout and the uncertainty of the open market. Here's more Saturday night linkage..
- If John Farrell winds up in Boston, Sandy Alomar Jr. is the favorite to be the next manager of the Blue Jays, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Everyone Renck has spoken with believes that Alomar is ready to be a quality big league skipper.
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com looks at which corner outfielders are likely to remain with the Phillies and which ones are probably on their way out. Salisbury expects to see John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown, and minor league phenom Darin Ruf back in the mix while Juan Pierre, Laynce Nix, Ty Wigginton, and Nate Schierholtz seem likely to wind up elsewhere.
- More from Renck (via Twitter) as he expects to see the Rockies move an outfielder as they look to improve via trade this winter.
- Pirates second baseman Neil Walker hopes to see the club add some established impact players this winter, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. However, he concedes that the Bucs will likely look to fill most of their holes from within.
I’m at a loss to understand why Soriano would be entitled to a $1.5MM buyout if HE chooses to Opt-Out of the contract.
just a throw-in to guarantee money
I agree. Pretty lame.
Because Levine and Steinbrenner negotiated the contract.
It was an incentive to get him to sign. I think the Yankees were hoping Soriano would opt out after the first of second year, so consider it a $1.5M investment to get $12.5M back.
I’m surprised he doesn’t get $1M bonuses when he reaches historic figures like making 30 appearances in a single season.
Well of course Soriano is going to opt out. He’ll opt out even if he’s planning on staying with the Yankees. He’s scheduled to make $14m next season. He trips his opt out, and he automatically gets $1.5M for the opt-out agreement in his contract. The Yankees then make the required $13.3M qualifying offer. Boras then turns right back around and accepts it, getting $13.3M in addition to the $1.5M money from opt out, bringing his last-year compensation on the Yankees up to $14.8M from the original $14M. All paperwork. Soriano never even has to get out of bed for a nearly $1M increase.
Of course, if I know this, then certainly the Yankees know this. Perhaps they’re trying to lure Soriano and Boras into tripping the opt out, and then they don’t bother to offer him the qualifying offer, sending him on his way, with the Yankees banking $12.5 to bid on some other player they need more.
I keep thinking there must be some language in the contract that would prevent this very obvious 800K pay increase, yet there wouldn’t be. When it was negotiated the whole concept of qualifying offers didn’t exist.
Part of me wants to dismiss the very idea the Yankees won’t make a qualfying offer, but the more I think about it I’m not so sure. It’s interesting that the Yankees seemed to have already leaked that they plan to make a qualifying offer to Soriano, yet why would they leak that when Soriano is still on their team and would have to opt out for them to make a qualifying offer? It’s almost as if they’re encouring Soriano to opt out. They of course are aware that Boras could turn right back around and accept the team’s offer, which gets back to idea that maybe the Yankees won’t make the offer. They’ll lose the amateur pick just to ensure Soriano is gone and they reduce their 2013 payroll by $14M. Boras, on the other hand, is no fool. If he really does want to take Soriano back out to free agency, then he would love for the Yankees to NOT make a qualifying offer, which will make Soriano more attractive since the signing team will not lose a draft pick.
There could be a game going on here between the Yankees and Boras making for an interesting subplot.
Boras is opting out.. It’s going to happen.
He ALWAYS takes his players to FA when they are healthy, even when there is no market and it costs them money, it feeds his ego that there is a 10% chance he could do something to improve the situation..
I always refer to the Varitek situation after 2010, where he un wisely declined guaranteed 10m+ in arbitration to test FA, then ended up with 2/5m resigning with Boston.
His ego costs 2nd tier players and Soriano is that.. He helps the top 10% of players.. No question, but hurts everyone else.
Will Soriano get a multi year deal? Of course, but not at close to 14mAAV, maybe 2/18-20m and an option year tops.
I think the Yankees will make the qualifying offer, but the point is an interesting one. If they think there’s a chance Boras will turn right back around and accept it to get the 800K raise, then maybe they won’t. The Yankees have to like what Soriano did for them in 2012, but they’d much rather have Soriano’s salary for 2013 to spend elsewhere. Yet I think they will extend the offer because he’ll be the top closer on the market and there are teams out there in need. He won’t match the $12.5M for a single year he’s walking away from, but he doesn’t need to. Some team offering three years $30M means Soriano gets almost an additional $18M in guaranteed money.
I think Yankees offer it regardless. Offering him a contract means that even if he accepts it wouldn’t have an impact on the 2014 payroll, which they are trying to reduce. I think with the money the yankees have it is a good way to get more draft picks. Although I hate this new system, 1 draft pick in the 31-36 range is really mediocre. Alot of teams will lose important pieces, like the rays, and all they get back is a draft pick that has a high potential to never make it.
Boras is greedy again as this will make Soriano even more money if the Yanks gave him a qualifying offer as an offer is $13.3 mil and the buyout is $1.5 mil giving him an extra 800k lol
I wouldn’t give Soriano 14 million for 3 years, much less one. He only gets 3 outs per game and makes more than Wainwright who routinely gets 21.
Alot of teams place a high value on a closer. He is a dependable closer
Sounds like Alomar Jr. is the new Jays manager
Soriano has to be hoping the Yankees don’t make a qualifying offer. As a GM, I wouldn’t go looking to sign a reliever that’s going to cost me a draft pick. Mid level starter, maybe. Closer with a good but not great track record…no thanks.
Soriano is good insurance if Mariano gets injured again considering his ststa this year. If by ”impact players” he means a Greinke like player not happening. Edwin Jackson might be interesting though as he is coming of a solid to good season and his style would fit in at PNC Park. Pierre should be rewarded with a one year deal to play left field along with Mayberry and Brown for a mediocre outfield at best because Ruf is not ready. If Alamar Jr. was in Boston instead of Farrell I’d be jumping for joy. Finally, Rockies have a good outfield and should not trade anyone unless they are thinking about moving Fowler. Although us here in Boston will trade you this guy named Daniel Bard for Carlos Gonzalez
The Pirates need to invest in On base perecentage this winter and maybe another starter. I would love to see them sign IF Jeff Keppinger and SP Dan Haren.