Here's the latest from Joel Sherman of The New York Post…
- Sherman has spoken to more than ten executives outside the Mets organization who believe the team will re-sign David Wright and relatively soon. It's a public relations move as much as a baseball move, plus getting him signed quickly will allow them to fine tune their offseason plans.
- Officials expect Wright to receive a seven-year, $127MM extension that, when combined with his $16MM club option for next year, would be worth a total of $143MM across eight years. It would make Wright the highest paid Met in history (ahead of Johan Santana) and the second high paid third baseman in history (behind Alex Rodriguez).
- “Teams no longer like paying big money for closers, there is a lot of tread on his tires and he is not known as a great guy," said one NL executive about Rafael Soriano, who is expected to opt-out of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this offseason.
- Sherman wonders if Jose Valverde's late-season collapse will help Soriano on the open market as the Tigers will likely look for a high-end closer. Tigers own Mike Ilitch has a strong working relationship with Soriano's agent Scott Boras.
- Former manager Tony LaRussa recently said he would not have offered more than five or six years to Albert Pujols last winter or Josh Hamilton this winter, and Sherman says the players association was not pleased. LaRussa is currently an advisor to the Commissioner and anything resembling talk of collusion from baseball's higher-ups sets off an alarm.
Sherman has spoken to more than ten executives outside the Mets organization.
I noticed it didn’t specify “Baseball Executives! Also, where are the Mets going to get that kind of money? Certainly not from Citi Bank much less from Fred Wilpon and company!
Former manager Tony LaRussa recently said he would not have offered more than five or six years to Albert Pujols last winter or Josh Hamilton this winter, What is wrong with saying this? Pat Gillick stated about Jayson Werth contract, that is something he wouldn’t have done. As much as I like Werth, I would have to agree! Some of these contracts are as outrageous as my french accent you see.
First of all, the Mets aren’t broke. They are in the middle of shedding REALLY BAD contracts before adding big name free agents to the team.
Secondly, David’s extension would kick in after his option year, which is already counted for in the Mets 2013 budget, so I don’t know what bank loan you’re talking about but by the time his extension kicks in there will be over 50 million off their payroll that belonged to Francisco, Bay, and Santana. Their budget this off season is flexible enough to extend Wright, extend Dickey (pun slightly intended although I think they should trade him while his value is up) and still have 5-10 million left over for free agent signings.
Hurricane Sandy Alderson already said that th.at the Mets will be very active in the trade market this offseason, particularly with Jon Niese, Lucas Duda, and possibly Daniel Murphy along with getting rid of some prospects.
Haha, sorry about that. I wasn’t trying to insinuate the Mets are broke or that they were going to Citi Bank for a loan. I was trying not to get too far from baseball, but Citi Group gave a couple of key execs the “Heave-Ho” the other week and it didn’t put Citi Group in a good light and since they have naming rights to the field…. That’s where I was trying to go.
“Teams no longer like paying big money for closers, there is a lot of tread on his tires and he is not known as a great guy”
Unless you’re trying to wreck, it’s good for tires to have a lot of tread on them.
Must be a typo. Probably meant to type, “there is -NOT- a lot of tread on his tires and he is not known as a great guy.”
They should have added his agent’s “tires” are bald eagles and drive off of the road everywhere.
“Teams no longer like paying big money for closers”
I assume he means starting this year, because last offseason, Heath Bell, Jonathan Papelbon and Ryan Madson (although we know he didn’t play) all made at the least, $8 million this year going into last offseason as free agents. Correct me if I’m off on that
Also, I believe Bell made $11 mil and Papelbon made $12 mil
You’re right, but what other teams were interested in those three closers? Hoffman made more than Papelbon did this year back in 2003. Brian Fuentes also made more a few years ago. Rivera was getting paid $15m for the past 5 years. I think it’s been a trend that started 2-3 years ago and will probably peak within the next 2-3 years.
2011 was the first year Papelbon made at least $10 million. He made $12 million in 2011 with the Red Sox (his previous high was $9 million the year before). This year he got $11 million from the Phillies, but from here to the end of his contract he makes $13 million a year.
There is a factual error here. What Sherman is reporting is that his take, from talking to others, is a figure of $127 for seven years, not six. Wright is not a $20M+ per year player.
In my view, it’s a little too much and a little too long. Baseball Reference comps Wright out to Scott Rolen at the same age. And at age 37, Rolen has become deadweight and a roster-blocker. (He also comps out slightly less similarly to Chipper Jones….but Wright has never had Jones’ durability.
If the Mets truly view Wright’s contract as being as much about p.r. as it is about baseball….how about taking the dollars down at the end, when his baseball value will have diminished? Extremely wishful thinking on my part…..
‘Jones’ durability” – that’s another way of putting it.
Yes that was my reading of the article, also 7/$127+1 year at $16M (next year), which is 8/143, not 7/143. Kind of a big difference
I think you’d find that almost every long term deal given to any star player would be too much and too long. What the Mets will have to evaluate is whether or not they’d be able to get enough out of the good years of the contract, so that it will be easier to swallow the down years.
Ha, ha. Tony LaRussa. What is he doing in the commissioner’s office any way? Those type of comments are inappropriate coming out of the mouth of anyone that WORKS for major league baseball.
He’s in the commissioners office to make sure the printer paper and coffee gets changed every few minutes….just like he did with the bullpen.
That collusion comment was funny.. my biggest clue that collusion was going on was when George Steinbrenner announced that “We are happy with Joel Skinner as our catcher” after the .87 season, when Richie Gedman was a FA..
Here was Gedman, a guy who could hit for power, play decent defense, throw, hit for “some” average even then and HIS catcher could do none of the above.
Knew then something fishy was going on when Georgie had stopped buying FA and such a glaringly obvious upgrade for NY in Gedman was being overlooked for a career backup in Skinner.
Point? These baseball executives and former managers need to keep their mouths shut.. The MLBPA union keeps track of what they say and NOTHING good comes out of it.
Signing Wright to a 7 year 127 million contract would be lunatic.
That’s an average value of 18 mil per year. Anybody’s really suggesting Wright is anywhere close to worth 18 mil per year at the end of this contract? On an NL team with no DH spot to rest him either?
And let’s for arguments sake say that David Wright will produce some incredible seasons the next 3 years, netting a worth of 7 WAR. That’s “worth” 21-22 mil in salary.
That still leaves 61 million worth for the final 3 years of his contract. 15 mil a year when he’s 35-36? What do you expect him to be hitting then? He sure isn’t gonna hit homers.
No, trade Wright for plenty of quality prospect. Wright has great value the next 2 years. Use that to get quality young players.