Diamondbacks pitcher Brad Ziegler, a member of the players' association's executive subcommittee, says that Major League Baseball and the players' union are unlikely to address the qualifying offer issue before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires following the 2016 season, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports. "The CBA won't be reopened," says Ziegler. "There's no way it's a big enough deal to do that right now. I haven't heard any rumblings that's even realistic."
Nelson Cruz, Ervin Santana, Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew have all struggled to find markets after declining qualifying offers this offseason. Cruz signed a one-year deal with Baltimore that guarantees just $8MM, and Santana appears set to sign a one-year deal in the $14MM range with either Toronto or Baltimore. Morales and Drew remain unsigned well into spring training, and there's little indication that either of them will sign soon.
MLBPA head Tony Clark has also expressed concern about the qualifying offer, but like Ziegler, he suggested that the CBA would not be reopened. "There's certain criteria that's going to have to be met for a CBA to be opened up (before then) and I'm not sure that's happened," Clark told the Associated Press in February.
I actually like it, the concept at least. I don’t think the penalty (for signing team), the singular compensation offer for free agents or the consequences for A FEW players is fair. But by and large they have it right. Look, none of the Cruz, Morales, Drew, Santana crew have earned large paydays. All guys want security but just because guys like B.J. Upton have gotten huge paydays despite warts does not mean this crew should think the market value is more than 14.3 million/season for one year.
It’s not the biggest issue out there right now, and certainly not worth givebacks to get a change. If I were MLBPA I would focus on two issues–clearing up ambiguities in the JDA, and working on a way to de-incentivize the teams engaging in wholesale salary dumps. Both MLB and the MLBPA benefit when as many teams as possible are competitive. Owners who deliberately do everything to lose impact the integrity of the game.
The owners might be colluding again.
That’s heavy speculation. We are talking about a 31 year old pitcher who consistently eats innings but has been so average over the course of his career that his ERA+ is 100. He had a great year last year, perhaps the best of his career when you look at peripherals. But still………he has never been great, gives up dingers and his velocity is declining. Couple good years under his belt but a couple stinkers as well.
I agree. It’s pure speculation on my part and I might be wrong. But I thought I was wrong once and it turns out I was mistaken.
I agree. It’s pure speculation on my part and I might be wrong. But I thought I was wrong once and it turns out I was mistaken.
Here’s what happened at the winters meeting.
GM 1 to GMs 2-29:
I’m not paying $15+mil for 4 years to any of these mediocre-average players.
GMs 2-29 to GM 1:
OK, neither us.
The system needs some time for everyone to learn it. Three guys severely overestimated their market value. Next year if a guy like Drew or Morales gets a qualifying offer, he’ll take it. I’m not sure Santana was affected; he simply should have lowered his price sooner.
Kendrys Morales seems to have been particularly ill-advised not to accept the QO, and Nelson Cruz was a unique case given the PED/suspension issue.
Ervin Santana just hasn’t had the upside or consistency to be worth what he was asking. I imagine he could have found a multiyear deal if he had a lower asking price earlier in the offseason.
I’m fairly surprised Stephen Drew hasn’t found a new home, though, especially in a weak free agent class in the middle infield.
Drew wants a 3-4 year $12-15mil contract and no GM will give him that. He will be 31 at opening day and it is very unlikely his offensive/defensive output will improve as he ages. Yankees offered him a 2-3 deal probably $12mil+/year and he rejected it. Him and Boras were crazy enough to ask for a 1 year deal at market value with an opt-out clause… No one to blame but himself.
There is a big misconception about supply and demand correlating to salary in today’s game. That might have been the case 2-3 years ago but now GMs are getting smarter and will not throw wads of money at mediocre-average players even if he is the only player available.
In 2016 could they make it so of you sign for at least 55 million or something you give up a pick and if it is an aav of at least 17 million and a year total of 5 years. You don’t add up the picks and then nobody is offered anything so then you can’t misjudge the market and it is all good.
Sandwich pick is the way to go. Won’t increase the # of QOs and if there are an increase in gentleman’s agreements, the league can penalize the offending team and/or player via fines. If you sign 2 players from the QO pool your draft pool $ are reduced by some arbitrary rate that is deemed acceptable.