We’re a quarter of the way through the 2015 MLB season, and there’s been significant movement in free agent stocks. It’s time for a new installment of the 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.
As a reminder, these rankings represent earning power in terms of total contract size, assuming everyone reaches the open market after this season and goes to the highest bidder. Here’s MLBTR’s full list of 2015-16 free agents.
1. Justin Upton. San Diego agrees with Upton, who is on pace for 40 home runs this season. He could surpass his career high of 31 right around his 28th birthday, which is in late August. Oddly, the Padres left fielder has done all his damage so far at Petco Park. Upton will be 3-4 years younger than Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols were when they reached free agency, and he has a chance to top their $240MM contracts.
2. David Price. Price’s ERA at last check-in was 0.40, so it had nowhere to go but up. He’s now at a more mortal 3.40, 22nd among American League qualifiers. It’s probably just an eight-start blip on the radar, but Price’s strikeout and groundball rates are down this year and he’s allowed more than a hit per inning.
3. Johnny Cueto. Is Cueto a better pitcher than Price right now? I’m considering the possibility more seriously. Cueto, who is six months younger than Price, leads all of baseball with 7.23 innings per start. Last year, only Price bettered Cueto’s regular season total of 243 2/3 frames. Cueto is more than a workhorse, though, as he has a 3.03 ERA on the season. He stands a decent chance of being traded by the Reds this summer, making him ineligible for a qualifying offer.
4. Jason Heyward. Heyward is settling in with the Cardinals, batting .273/.343/.398 since we last checked in. That’s in line with his last couple of seasons, but another 10-15 home run campaign isn’t going to get him a monster contract. Just 26 in August, Heyward’s youth and defensive value should still result in a deal worth well over $100MM.
5. Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann has shined in the five starts since our last update, bringing his ERA down to 3.66. His skills in this quarter season have faded considerably from last year, though, as his 15.2% strikeout rate would represent a career worst. Again: it’s just eight starts. But a good $50MM hangs in the balance for Zimmermann.
6. Alex Gordon. Gordon had December wrist surgery, but his power production seems fine this year. He’s slugging .472 since we last checked in. Gordon has been hit by a pitch an AL-best nine times, pushing his OBP up to .378. Whatever age-based gap there might be between Gordon and Heyward, Gordon is closing it with a five-plus wins above replacement pace.
7. Zack Greinke. Greinke jumps up two spots this month, as he’s third in the game with a 1.52 ERA. A third consecutive sub-3.00 ERA season should help his earning power, though he owes much of his success this year to an unsustainable .217 batting average on balls in play. It’s a fantastic start to the season regardless. Zimmermann has two and a half years of age on Greinke, but Greinke is the better pitcher right now.
8. Ian Desmond. There’s been nothing redeeming about Desmond’s contract year, which has been replacement level so far. This was a guy in the running for the best shortstop in baseball from 2012-14, but in 2015 his numbers are way down. He’s been hitting like Jean Segura, and he’s on pace for baseball’s first 40-error season since Jose Offerman in 1992. Desmond will still do fine financially, as he faces little competition on the shortstop market.
9. Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes’ biggest problem has been readily apparent in 2015, as his 3.1% walk rate is tenth-worst among qualified hitters. That has contributed to a .290 OBP. I think Cespedes’ power still makes him a top-75 hitter in MLB, but he hasn’t been in the last calendar year.
10. Jeff Samardzija. Little has gone right in Samardzija’s eight starts for the White Sox. He’s whiffed only 17% of batters, and his groundball rate has taken a tumble. His skills back up a 4.00+ ERA. The 30-year-old righty is as good a bet as anyone on this list to be traded this summer. If Samardzija continues to struggle, he could be out of the top ten next month.
Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler is pushing for a spot on this list, with a .269/.352/.428 line and improved defense. He doesn’t turn 30 until March, but has to be penalized for an injury history that hasn’t allowed him to play in 120+ games since 2012. Howie Kendrick, Denard Span, Adam Lind, Colby Rasmus, and ageless hurlers Aaron Harang and A.J. Burnett are among the other free agents off to strong starts.
Heyward? More like .243/.296/.371
“Since we last checked in”
Upton; 7/168M
Price: 7/203M
Cueto: 6/150M
Heyward: 7/154M
Zimm: 6/150M
Gordon: 5/105M
Desmond: 7/112M
Cespedes: 5/90M
Samardzija: 1/16M
My predictions.
“Upton will be 3-4 years younger than Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols were when they reached free agency, and he has a chance to top their $240MM contracts.”
I get that hes young and talented, but hes no where NEAR Pujols or Cano. Hes had 1 season above 4 WAR, Pujols had 8 7+ WAR seasons to go along with 3 other 5 WAR seasons. The market is inflated, but if Justin Upton gets 240M, then someone like Carlos Gomez whos a FA after 2016 if gonna come close to Stanton money.
Upton will get more than 7 yrs / $168MM and Cueto will get more than $150MM he’s been pitching in a hitter friendly park and has been nothing short of great. He’ll beat the money and years Lester got from the Cubs. I don’t see Desmond who will turn 30 getting 7 years.
Everyone states that GABP is a hitter friendly park and it is, however, not by as much as many claim. At most it is going to add .50 to a pitchers ERA but I doubt even that high unless you are a pure fly ball hitter.
Several reputable website that measure park factors in Major League Baseball all paint GABP as one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in the league. It’s a significant factor.
Do you think that being on the ‘trade block’ or future free agent market messes these guys up. Upton, Samardzija, Heyward, all have not had a stable team for basically 3 years. It has to take something away compared to if they knew they were locked into a situation for the foreseeable future.
Looks good. Samardzija would get way more than that IMO.
His ERA is 4.58 so far, you always gotta throw a wildcard in there somewhere. Hes my pick for this years Ervin Santana, the 1 year value-builder contract.
Some NL team is gonna look at Samardzija and his ERA and attribute it to being in the AL then open the check book for him.
I disagree as well. Samardzija has put together 3 above average years, he’s averaging 94mph this year, and I have to think his ground ball percentage is going to bounce back. I think he’ll be fine. Might even end up back on the Cubs.
And Heyward’s OPS is barely .700 “so far,” and you think he’s going to command 150m?
I think a lot of people quickly forget the type of seasons Pujols put up in St. Louis. Other than his last year there in 2011, he hit no lower than .312/.414/.596. And in 2011 he still hit .299/.366/.541. His HR numbers were insane never hitting below 34. Always had 100+ RBI’s except for ’11 when he had 99.
“Back In The Day” is 2013.
I think Dodgers get Cueto (if Grienke opts out) on a 6 year 156 million dollar deal with an opt out.
Price re-signs with the Tigers.
J-Zimm to the Cubs for 6 138.
Grienke gets 4 112 to an AL East team.
Shark to the Angels.
Probably right. Cueto pitches in a hitter friendly park and throw’s up good numbers. Price and grienke have had extreme pitcher’s parks. I think Cueto is the guy and Price probably will end up getting 30-40m more, just because of his name and wouldn’t doubt Grienke getting 20-25m more either. Makes no sense how front operatives pay for past performance like that.
I was on here 3y ago when Sanchez was a FA, screaming for Boston to sign him. Cueto will cost more, but same thing. Best guy on the market and teams will be looking at the big names. I hope Boston goes as high as 175-180m on him, he’s worth it to me. Forget Price, Zimmerman (now) and Grienke.
I would love to see Cueto on the Red Sox but at the same time 7 175 is quite the commitment.
Don’t forget with grienke though that he LOVES to hit. And he’s a bit strange. Could really see him taking less to stay in the nl where he can Hit. His ability to hit well might even get him more from an nl team.
the angels don’t need pitching
Yes they do. By this time next year Weaver’s FB will be under 80 MPH… CJ Wilson will be 35 and still just average. Shoemaker is looking like a fluke and other then Richards they really lack proven front line pitching.
I don’t think it’s the Dodgers new management modus operandi to invest $26,000,000 AAV for 7 years into a pitcher. Of course they have a bunch of money and I’m happy to be wrong, but they already have $166,000,000 committed to 2016 without any arb raises, no extension to Kendrick. Surely I think they’ll be active on the FA market, I just wonder if they want to commit that much money to a guy like Cueto.
If Grienke opts out their rotation will be Kershaw, Ryu off should surgery, McCarthy when he returns from TJ, and prospects. That’s rough!
Sure they could sign mid tier FA SP but I think Dodgers are completly fine using their financial might to keep a great 1-2 top of rotation plus Cueto on a 6 year deal would end with him being 35 which fits their plan of no players over 36.
“Upton will be 3-4 years younger than Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols were when they reached free agency, and he has a chance to top their $240MM contracts.”
And how do those contracts look today?
I don’t doubt that everyone of the players on that list get $100M-plus contracts…..probably a few $200M-plus.
But the teams that will continue to win will be those that have a good amount of young players and few long-term astronomical contracts on the books that limit their flexibility.
One would think that after seeing the numbers posted by players in their 30’s getting huge contracts, owners might decide: maybe this isn’t a good idea after all. Not many have have continued success in their 30’s they enjoyed in their 20’s. STL loved Pujols but his numbers are down from his days as a Card. Josh Hamilton was a complete bust. Cano is hardly having the success he enjoyed in NYC. One can point to Nelson Cruz’s success the last few years—but Cruz played mostly in the minors until he was in his late 20’s. For every Bonds, Aaron, Mays, Ruth who did very well in their 30’s I can point to Mantle, Maris, Mathews, Foxx, Hornsby, Kiner and Frank Thomas who had big drops.
This is not the which teams can win topic, but where the cash can go.
Few big deals get a decent value but players continue obtaining them.
Curious as to who the Giants will try and fail to sign this offseason. Three rotation spots (Lincecum, Hudson, Vogelsong) to fill. Two huge question marks with Cain and Peavy who have yet to contribute this year. Guarantee if Lincecum ends up having a decent season this year they bring him back on another 2 year deal. Would love to see them take a run at Cueto or Zimmerman
meh on Heyward. I see this going more like BJ Upton’s contract in 2013 (key word contract… I’m not expecting an epic collapse ala Melvin Jr). Yes, his defense in RF is great, but that only has so much value. The team that wins the bidding war is going to be counting on Heyward finally becoming a consistent offensive weapon.
I agree. I clearly don’t understand the subtleties of defensive matrix but how Heyward was a 6 win player last year is beyond me.
He was still an above-average hitter with elite defense and baserunning. A very valuable player.
Valuable, yes, but 6 wins?
Hes been worth 6 wins 3 different times.
that’s looking backwards. defense in the outfield rarely stays elite as a player turns 30. (see Andruw Jones)
Yeah but heyward will be offering 4 years under age 30 with his contract
4.7, 1.9, 6.5, 3.4, 5.2
The 6.5 involved him randomly hitting 27 HR. Defensive metrics really pumped the 6.5 and 5.2. He’s only hit 28 HR in the last 2 plus seasons
Luckily a player doesn’t have to hit home runs to be a valuable offensive player. Heyward gets on base, is an excellent base runner, and plays elite level defense. There’s a ton of value in that skill set, even if he doesn’t hit 25+ HR’s.
Heyward is a good ball player, but defensive metrics overvalue him. Don’t get me wrong, he is the BEST defensive RF in all of baseball, but it doesn’t make him a 6 win player. How the metrics are calculated into WAR need to be adjusted. On a good year like 2012, he’s more along the lines of a 4 win player IMO.
Anybody that pays him like a 6 win player and $100+M is going to be making a mistake, IMO
Do they over value him or over value defense in general? I don’t understand your argument.
Heyward also contributes in other ways other than fielding.
defense
Nice. So Melvin upton should be 6 win player also? Is that how some people think these metrics work around here then?
Uhhh Melvin Upton is not near as good as Heyward at any part of baseball. So I’m not sure what you’re meaning.
I’m not following
Valuable indeed, deserving of a superstar contract, no. If he was putting up that type of WAR with slightly above average offense at catcher, shortstop, or maybe center field I could see it.
WAR is a measure that we can use across all positions, so I don’t get why his position is all that important. Heyward is an excellent baseball player, no matter what position he plays.
The same things are said about J-Up each of the last few years. He is a hot starter and then he levels off.
2013 after 39 games 285/398/635 13 HR finished 263/354/464 27 HR
2014 after 39 games 273/356/517 9 HR finished 270/342/491 29 HR
2015 after 39 games 285/350/549 10 HR…..
With the way contracts keep increasing Price and Cueto (if they continue well) will each get $200m. The only question will be the length. If Zimm follows his historical pattern he will settle down, hit a bump in July/August and settle down again. He won’t land as big a contract as the other two but it will be envious.
Crazy to think that the thing keeping Desmond from having the first 40-error season since Offerman might be Semien getting to 40 errors before him.
I love Heyward as a person and his work ethic on the field. With that said, the Cardinals shouldn’t hand him anything close to a 200 million dollar contract. His defense is spectacular, yes, but the last few years he hasn’t done much of anything at the plate. If hit .260 with 25 + HRs, that would be different. Or if he hit .280 with 15-20 HRs. But he is struggling with both Power and Contact.
If Heyward breaks out this season (which he still could), and shows he can be a consistant threat at the plate, then it would be worth pursing a contract. If not, the Cards might as well go after Price, Fister, Zimmerman, Grenkie (if he opts out), or Samardzija to give a ‘Ace’ presence to the rotation in case Wainwright comes back and isn’t his former self.
I don’t think the Cards will pay over 100 mill to any of the pitchers that will be available.
If the cards didn’t resign Pujols they are not throwing $200 million to Hayward. I could see them dishing out $100-125 due to his age but nothing more.
He is not worth anything close to $100 million. Don’t expect the Cardinals to give him that. I see him going to the Yankees.
If Yankees get Heyward, then that means they are trading either Gardner or Judge.
Or it means Judge can platoon, play 1B, DH, rotate through all three. None of that needs to happen. It’s not a problem to have too many good players.
I doubt they use Judge as a utility/platoon player.
Cashman will trade Judge to whatever team is duped into signing Stephen Drew next year.
#CashmanDrewBROMANCE
Rotating through 1B/RF/DH does not a utility player make. lol
Well if he he’s rotating positions then what would he be then tell me.
Would you call Brandon Moss a utility player?
The Cardinals do not build through free agency. They’re much more likely to sign a 2nd or 3rd tier free agent as a supporting player. That’s their style.
For the most part, yes. But in circumstances like not having an anchor for your rotation, the Cardinals would make a run at a SP FA. Dewitt himself said they have room in the budget to ad 1-2 more “core” players. With Wainwright getting older, Lackey also getting older, uncertainty with Carlos Martinez, Lance Lynn getting closer to FA, signing an elite SP wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
There is still tons of time left this season. Wacha could turn into a consistent Ace, Jaimie Garcia could actually stay healthy, and young pitchers like Martinez and Gonzales could stay hot. All of these things could eliminate the Cardinals’ need to go get another SP. But as of now, looking into the future, it’s wouldn’t be hard to see the Cards signing at pretty good FA SP, given they feel his price is worth the production he would give during the length of his contract.
Why are people low balling Cueto? I can’t see less than 180 for him.
Because of the amount of high caliber pitchers. 4 ace caliber pitchers mixed with a decent amount of 2-3 starters.I only see Price topping 180M and thats because of his name. Cueto and Zimmermann are underrated.
A bunch of top of the rotation pitchers being available this past offseason really didn’t keep their contracts down.
Like Brixton said, but also the fact that his FIP is quite high when paired with his ERA. He is better than Zimmermann, but not quite on Price’s level. He also has a bit of an injury history too. I’d say he’ll get between 150-180MM, while Price lands in the 200MM+ mark. Zimmermann gets Lester money.
It’s because FIP isn’t a very good stat. Certain pitchers ALWAYS outperform their FIP. Cueto is one of those pitchers. Every single year Cueto has outperformed his FIP.
Upton has 1 season in his career above 5.0 WAR. No chance anyone is dumb enough to throw $240,000,000 at that.
go packs!
Upton – Yankees 8/168mil……
Price – Dodgers 7/185mil…..
Cueto – Rangers 7/165mil…..
Heyward – Tigers 7/136mil….
Zimmermann – Cubs 5/96mil…..
Gordon – Royals 4/72mil…..
Greinke – Giants 5/120mil……
Desmond – Yankees 5/90mil……..
Cespedes – Angels 5/75mil……
Samardzija – Jays 5/65mil…….
Fowler – Cubs 3/33mil…..
Kendrick Yankees 5/70mil……
Span – Mariners 4/52mil……
Lind – Brewers 1/8mil….
Rasmus – Astros 2/16mil……
Harang – Royals 2/18mil…..
Burnett – Pirates 1/12mil……
Lincecum – Giants 2/37mil……
Zobrist – Angels 2/22mil…..
Kazmir – Astros 3/38mil……
Morrow – Tigers 4/48mil……
Anderson – Rockies 2/22mil…..
Jackson – Rangers 2/13mil……….
Leake – Nationals 2/24mil…..
Hunter – Giants 1/9mil…….
Fister – Nationals 1/15mil…….
Rollins – A’s 1/8mil……….
Hudson – Retire…….
Lee – Yankees 1/13.5mil……
Simon – Tigers 2/18mil…….
Vogelsong – A’s 1/6mil……..
Latos – Indians 2/16mil…..
Buehrle – Retire…….
Masterson – Rockies 2/13mil……
Chen – Rays 2/12mil…..
Papelbon – Marlins 3/33mil……..
Lohse – Indians 1/7mil…..
Kennedy – Padres 1/6mil…..
Colon – Retire………
OK major changes too this……….No 200mil player this off-season………..
If the angels could afford Heyward that would be awesome but I don’t think they can afford him. Upton would be a nice fit but maybe who knows, maybe they can make a splash
Yankees are NOT signing three guys of that caliber this off-season.
If they don’t make the playoffs I wouldn’t put it past them. They’ve signed CC, Burnett and Teixeria in one offseason.
That was when they were being reckless with their spending. Their approach has somewhat changed.
Like I said if they don’t make the playoffs, they will spend big. It’s the Yankees we’re talking about. Plus with CC, Beltran, Tex, A-Rod and a few other contracts coming off the books in the next couple years and the lack of elite FA coming up after this offseason they’ll spend. Even after the huge 2008 offseason… remember the year before last they signed Beltran, Ellsbury (largest OF contract I believe in history), and Tanaka and even after they signed Beltran and Ells they still were connected to getting Choo. I think it’s hogwash about the Yankees getting under the luxury tax. There will be some back if they miss the playoffs again.
I doubt the Yankees go after Upton. They’ll go after Heyward if it’s going to be an OF. But I’m sure all the Yankees will be looking for are Middle Infielders (Desmond, Kendrick etc) and Starting Pitching.
Span to the Phillies? Doesn’t seem like much of a fit. He might be better, but hes still redundant with Revere, Herrera and Sizemore
He’s not redundant. He would be the best outfielder by a measurable margin. The replacement level outfielders you mentioned would become redundant.
It’s all moot anyway as I can’t see Span picking a dumpster fire to play with for the next 2-4 years.
Interesting with Upton to the Yankees. I have Heyward going there.
If Cueto, Zimmermann, and Greinke sign for those contacts, Boston will be all over them.
With Victor’s health questionable, I can’t see the Tigers letting Cespedes leave. He’s perfect for them with his arm in their big LF and hitting somewhere behind Miggy. And he’s expressed that he wants to stay with the Tigers.
I hope you’re joking…
Those numbers look great, especially the numbers for TOR pitchers, if it was 2011.
Many of those look questionable. The Angels aren’t giving another 7 year contract after how they’ve been burned. Cueto isn’t getting less years than Price. The Cardinals don’t give any player 5 years especially not a 32 year old who plays the same position as Matt Holliday. Zach Greinke will be 32 years old also next year. Teams won’t give him 6 years. The 33 year old James Shields couldn’t get more than 4. The Cubs are young. They’ll be more interested in younger pitchers and if they sign a vet it’ll be to a shorter contract. The Indians already have too many high priced outfielders under contract. They aren’t signing someone who plays Michael Brantley’s position. The Nationals have Michael Taylor for CF. They are more likely to re-sign Doug Fister. The Phillies have many needs but one of their best prospects is Roman Quinn and they have too many old players. They aren’t giving a 5 year deal to a 32 year old player. Lind is under contract for 2016. AJ Burnett is retiring.
Idk if AJ keeps this up i could see a return to Pittsburgh next year. IMO its Pittsburgh or nothing at this point for him
Howie Kendrick – Nationals
Ian Desmond – Yankees
Cueto – Dodgers
Zimmermann – Cubs
Price – Boston
The Yankees will go after and get one of those 3 pitchers on your list.
I like Price to Boston but not sure the others work. Yanks will definitely make a big deal with someone…like Zimmermann but not Cueto…they don’t like short pitchers with cabbage sticking out of their hats.
Just a general question out there for discussion–how does a late season swoon impact free agent dollars as opposed to an early season slump? For example, assume Shark rights himself and has a solid season from this point forward, or Desmond? And would pitchers and players be valued differently with the same seasonal arc?
I can’t see Upton getting that much money. Albert’s contract was an acknowledged mistake even as it was being signed–and the Angels were buying a future HOF with the expectation he could be moved to DH part time when he started to wear down. Cano, unless he’s completely collapsed, is another future Hall of Fame player, and while ten years was too long and his $235 was too much, he’ likely to man a high value position for several more years and hit well afterwards. Upton has a total of 21.9 bWAR, with only one truly superlative season. Maybe he raises his game for a full season this year. But topping Cano/Albert’s contracts?
albert’s contract came with $1 billion extra in tv contract. he is already paid for. besides, his real contribution may be his education of mike trout and other youngsters.
Wrong on soooo many levels.
jealous much?
That’s not how it works.
I don’t think WAR is going to be a consideration for every team when it comes to the top position player. And I think there needs to be significant inflation from the Pujols and Cano contracts, even if Upton isn’t as good as they were. Plus, the age difference is big.
Thanks for the response. I’d make one counter argument to salary inflation–A-Rod, who’s initial deal and opt-out extension are still among the highest salaries every paid–and are seen as a mistake, not just because of the juicing, but for on the field reasons as well. I’d add the Prince deal, signed for his year 28 season, and swapped out of after two years at an extremely high cost. I do think salaries will continue to increase, I just wonder if record-breaking deals will apply to players who are quite good, but just not off-the-charts good.
Grienke is the better pitcher always when it comes to Zimmerman and he’s not even technically a FA. Speculative bs on the part of everybody.
Like anyone, an extension could be worked out, but I haven’t found anyone who thinks it’s likely Greinke simply doesn’t opt out and that’s it.
No mention at all of Mike Leake? Someone would choose Aaron Harang or AJ Burnett over Mike Leake? Are we talking about an AARP expansion team for 2016?
I like Leake more than those guys, but he’s not really having an impressive season.
He actually was having a fantastic season…until his last start. He gave up 9 runs.
If you take out his last outing then his ERA was 2.36 with a WHIP under 1. Even with that outing he’s still averaging just under 7 ip per game. Not to mention he went 19 scoreless innings in a row. IMO I’d say that’s a pretty impressive start to your season.
Curious to see how many of these guys land on different teams before the trade deadline. Over half of them will is my guess.
Cueto is a better pitcher than Price right now. I bet he garners 200 million plus.
The biggest advantage David Price has is no injury history. Over 50% of all of those who had TJS end up back on the disabled list with injuries to their pitching arm or shoulder. That could effect the price for both Cueto and Zimm but I do believe Cueto will land in the $200m range as long as he stays healthy and pitches well this year. One other area of concern for Cueto and Zimm…Zimm has lost roughly a tick and a half and Cueto just about 1 mph. At times that is a red flag to some.
Cueto has never had TJ though…
sorry…brain freeze…. This is what happens when you post way too early in the morning after long bouts of insomnia and only four hours sleep out of the last 48.
I think most of Cueto’s injuries have surrounded his core (oblique area).
I’d love to see Cueto in Boston but man, that’d be a pricey proposition.
If Boston sticks to their guns and does not sign pitchers long-term than their only chance to get him would be a yearly average of $35m +. I wish more teams would adopt shorter-term contracts but players are not going to give up total income and with the luxury tax threshold where it is teams cannot afford to sign multiple players to 5 year $30-$35m. Something has got to give in the future I just don’t know what it’s going to be.
Daniel Murphy has had a good start, too. The basic stats may not look great, but he has been hitting the ball hard, and when you hit linedrives they’re going to fall more often than not. He’s a career .300 hitter with .330 xOBA who can just about pretend to play three positions. He’s more of a third basemen. He makes a lot of bizarre fielding mistakes that nobody else really does, but he he hits. He always has hit and he always will. So there is that.
Funny how these names move up or down the list as the season progresses. By the end of the season it will look even more different….. and then teams can really over pay for a player who turned it on in September but will have pedestrian numbers for the rest of their career.
Gordon has been a nice player…..If I were an owner, might be interested for a 2-year deal with 3rd year buyout for $30m. But he’s not a star…..a lifetime .260 hitter with medium power. H’ll be 32 next year, a time when players start fading.
He’s also an elite defender in left field. He’s certainly not a star but he’s very very good.
I think Gordon is a lock for four years with a good shot at more.
I never discount the stupidity of owners. see: Hamilton, Josh. Choo, Shin Soo. Beltran, Carlos. So you may be right. I’m only saying what the SMART owner would do 🙂
Players say now They play for themselves
This causes a burning Within me that dwells
The fan is the one Who pays for the game
Which bestows all the riches And welcomed fame
I grow tired now of all this greed
And chart a course to set things free
Lind has a team option for 2016 for $8 million. No way he’s on the market after this year.
he should be traded this season.
I know the whole inter-division thing but the pirates seem like a good bet
Not likely. Brewers may surrender for 2015 at some point, but with the guys they control for 2016 and money they’ll have to spend, I don’t think they’ll punt for next year too. They haven’t tossed in the towel this year. You don’t have to look back too far to see teams come back from starts like they’ve had (2005 Astros, 2012 A’s) and since Counsell’s taken over they haven’t looked like a last place team and that’s without Lucroy. Brewers have under control All Stat level talent for next year: Braun, Lucroy, Gomez. Lind is a part of that.
Even if he did get traded, an $8 million team option is very team friendly. Whoever he’s with will pick it up.
I know this is not entirely the same, but I would like to see a piece about possible pre-arb/arbitration guys who may be extended and what kind of contract they could get if that was to take place. Guys like Gerrit Cole, Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller, Manny Machado etc.
Somebody is going to pay Matt Wieters “Joe Mauer” money. If Russell Martin can get 18 X 5, then Wieters is going to get 20 X 7.
Russell Martin was coming off a great season, Matt Wieters hasn’t played in over a year.
I could see the Phillies going after Justin Upton and Jason Heyward both are needs and they have the money to spend, Their four Big contracts come off the Books in next 2 years ,Lee, Howard , Ruiz, Ultey. Plus Cueto or Zimmerman on the Staff would put them in NL hunt immediately.
Ownership in Philly knows they can’t afford a lengthy rebuing Process , fan Base took Years to build into 3,6 Million Plus in stands.
As regards to Fowler, my guess is the Cubs will sign him to an extension before season’s end. He’s been great, he’s consistent, great clubhouse guy, loves being with the Cubs. The Cubs aren’t gonna let him walk, because they don’t want to break up the chemistry on this team. This 2015 Cubs team has the best chemistry in a clubhouse that I’ve ever seen a team in baseball have.
Also, I think Price is going to be a sure bet to sign with the Cubs. A lot of the top guys this coming free agency are going to want to join and be a part of the Cubs. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cubs signed Price and Zimmerman, which they’ve already expressed tons of interest in, and especially the FO likes accommodating Joe Maddon..ex: late push to get Shields.
My guess is, and anyone can see that this makes sense perfectly:
Cubs will sign at
Price- former Ray
Kazmir- former Ray
Zobrist- former Ray
It wouldn’t surprise me the least if they traded for both Zobrist and Kazmir in the coming months. Cubs and A’s have history and a great relationship.
Cubs will give up at least Volgelbach and give them back Billy McKinney
Anybody else agree both sides would be a win-win???
Heyward is a very overrated player in my opinion. Awesome defensively, but not so much at the plate. No way would I give him $100M if I was a MLB general manager.