Twins first baseman C.J. Cron underwent a successful procedure on his right thumb on Oct 16, according to MLB.com’s D0-Hyoung Park (link). The “surgical debridement” Cron underwent generally requires a six-to-eight week recovery period.
Cron, 29, just wrapped up a fairly pedestrian 2019 campaign that saw him hit .253/.311/.469 (101 wRC+) with 25 home runs across 499 plate appearances for Minnesota. As Park notes, Cron’s right thumb issues likely played some role in suppressing those numbers. Cron was placed on the injured list on Jul 6 due to issues with the digit, and a quick return preceded a second injured list placement on Jul 22. Following that initial placement, Cron managed just a .220/.280/.420 batting line, with just seven starts logged for the Twins after Sept 8.
The 2019-2020 offseason will mark Cron’s third pass through arbitration. Cron earned $4.8MM with Minny last season, after being acquired off waivers from the cost-conscious Rays in November. Our recent arbitration projections tag Cron with an expected salary award of $7.7MM for 2020, leaving Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine with a tough offseason decision regarding Cron’s future with the club. While Cron will presumably be ready for Spring Training, any amount of injury uncertainty is unwelcome for a player who stands the risk of being non-tendered thanks to a pedestrian season and a fairly notable salary.
How does Cron get a $2.9m raise from that type of season? Must be tough to be a baseball player.
Considering you have to remain in peak physical form, be able to hit a spheroid moving at 100 mph, and be one of the best .001 percent of people at playing that game, it is tough. And if you look at the arbitration system it rewards time accrued as much or more than accomplishment. This is his reward for lasting this long and playing through the minors for $10k a year. Lastly, if you were part of a billion dollar industry, I hope you would get a fair share of the profit. Don’t want him to get paid? Don’t go to a game, don’t buy a hat, and certainly don’t pay for sports channels on tv.
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How DARE he question the 7 figure salary of a baseball player?
If you average out the amount of “work” these guys do (preparation for games + plays in which they’re involved) over the course of a year, it’s really not much at all. In fact it’s one of the easiest salaried positions that a person can possibly get. Just because someone realizes this doesn’t mean they can’t be a fan…Since when is being a muppet a requirement for enjoying the game of baseball?
Now re-read your comment and then watch the clip of Billy Crystal (59 years old with no experience) foul off a pitch in his spring training at bat against Paul Maholm.
You’re opinion is so off base. They do put a lot of work into a sport that they’re in the top .01% of and just happen to be in the industry that is worth billions of dollars. A good chunk is going to go to the employees who provide the product. It’s supply and demand.
Hahahaha Paul Maholm. Rumor has it Maholm was saving his “good stuff” for his entire career to get a shot a crystal.
Personally, if I had a shot to pitch to a celebrity that was almost 60 years old in a meaningless game, I would summon as much strength as I could muster just to show that old bag of bones that there is a new sheriff in town. And if he even touched a splinter to a pitch I would vow that my bloodline ended with me out of shame
It was a lose-lose
for Maholm…..
Wow!
Analysis!
No criticism!
Badda Bing!
He asked how a player who has a bad season gets a 3 million dollar raise and not one person answered the question.
The answer is the arbitration process emphasizes service time vs performance. Also, he’s not going to get a raise. The Twins will cut him, he will become a free agent, and likely sign a contract for less than he got last year.
At 7+ million, it’s not a tough decision. Cron will be a free agent.
He gone
No way they tender him a contract unless he is willing to agree to like $5 million
I liked Cron as an Angel. Scioscia never gave him a shot to be the regular starter at 1B (Pujols was in the way) so he could never find his groove. Dude’s got some power.
These players and their salaries… Definitely not regular employees flipping burgers at the corner for $12 bucks and hour lol…
$12!!??
Who’s paying $12!!??
Not in Texas!
His brother Kevin should have signed out of high school (3rd round pick) but he was trying to compete with his brother to be a 1st round pick out of college.
Didn’t quite work out
(14th round pick)…..
Remember How Mauer’s contract? It seems like this one would be a bargain compared to Joe’s??? Rickey Nolaco contract???
I “remember how” Joe Mauer’s contract. I remember how it looked like this.
2001 – $5.1M Signed 1st overall draft pick
2002 – $.0005M
2003 – $.0005M
2004 – $0.1M – 1.2fWAR first call up 122 plate appearances
2005 – $0.3M – 3.4fWAR All Star level.
2006 – $0.4M – 5.8fWAR MVP level, best catcher in MLB
2007 – $3.8M – 3.3fWAR All Star level
2008 – $6.3M – 6.4fWAR MVP level, best catcher in MLB
2009 – $10.5M – 8.4fWAR (MVP), arguably best PLAYER in MLB
2010 – $12,5M – 5.7fWAR All Star level, best catcher in MLB.
At this point, Joe had generated 34.2 wins for under $40M total, meaning he was underpaid by probably 80%.
*Joe Mauer underwent knee surgery in the 2010 off season.
2011 – $23M – 2.1fWAR in 333 plate appearances. Solid performer
2012 – $23M – 4.6fWAR All Star level, best catcher in AL.
2013 – $23M – 5.2fWAR, All Star level, best catcher in AL, concussion ended season
2014 – $23M – 1.7fWAR, Mediocre player at 1B
2015 – $23M – 0.3fWAR, scrub at 1B.
2016 – $23M – 1.0fWAR, Poor player at 1B.
2017 – $23M – 2.3fWAR, Solid performer at 1B.
2018 – $23M – 1.1fWAR, Poor player at 1B
The Joe Mauer contract wound up being a bad decision, but only because of the concussion and the subsequent idiotic move Terry Ryan made by placing Joe Mauer with his cannon arm at 1B where his defensive skills and athleticism wouldn’t matter. Injuries cannot be predicted. Joe’s was likely from switching from the old, heavy steel catchers mask to the new, lighter titanium mask which absorbed far less energy. People tend to overlook Joe being the best catcher in the American League for the 4 years after he signed his extension in 2009. He was undoubtedly on the path to being a no-doubt, first ballot HoF catcher until the concussion and earned every dollar and more than what the Twins had paid him at that point.
Aside from that, I don’t think you have a valid point to make anyway.
I could see the Twins making Cron a low offer between his 2019 salary and his expected 2020 salary (much closer to his 2019 salary) and letting him go if he doesn’t sign for it. I think they would like to have him in place, though, for the start of 2020 while their potential 1B-men in the minors and/or Sanó get a chance to take that spot from Cron.
But $5-6MM is doable, and it might be worth it for both Twins and C. J.
I don’t see the Twins tendering him at all. He’s redundant at this point.
Could see MIN trade or non-tender Cron.. Move Sano to 1B and acquire a 3B. Maybe Moustakas.