The Brewers have announced some early-offseason roster moves. As anticipated, Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal have each declined their side of mutual options and will become free agents. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee organization opened two additional 40-man spots by outrighting first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin and utilityman Cory Spangenberg.
Those mutual options were never expected to be entertained seriously; they were included in the respective contracts as a mechanism of deferring salary. Moustakas receives $3MM on his way out the door and will forego an $11MM salary. He seems quite likely to surpass that $8MM gulf in free agent earnings, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll finally get a longer pact.
Grandal, meanwhile, will take a $2.25MM payout and another bite at the free agent apple rather than settling for a $16MM salary. He wagered heavily on his ability to turn in another high-quality campaign when he went to Milwaukee. That looks to have paid off both for Grandal and the Brewers, as he’s now in line to secure a large and lengthy pact in his return to the open market.
As for the other players involved in today’s moves, they’ll each have the right to elect free agency. Austin had only a brief stint in Milwaukee after a rough showing with the Giants. He’s a .219/.292/.451 hitter in 583 career plate appearances. The 28-year-old Spangenberg struggled badly in his brief MLB time this season but did hit .309/.378/.498 in 476 plate appearances at Triple-A.
Grandal to the Reds
Brewers resign Moustakas and finally gets his multi year contract
Realmuto has another year of team control.
Moose to Philly
We all knew this was coming. Brewers should prioritize signing Moose to a 3 year deal and maybe making a run at Didi. Arcia is not the answer offensively. Then add pitching.
absolutely I would say reassign moose to a 3 year 36 million-dollar contract. re-sign Austin and spangenberg to minor league contracts that way you can protect two more prospects on the 40-man roster. then hopefully we can sign tedious or Iglesias for shortstops I also wouldn’t mind seeing Blake Swihart or Travis D’arnaud at catcher. hopefully the Brewers will go after wheeler Bumgarner or Ordozzi. I think Braun does need to platoon at first with Shaw. That or if San Diego wants to eat most of Myers contract I would try and make a trade for Myers and Hedges.
Moustakos is getting more than 12 million…stop being a Brewers homer.
Maybe a little, but not a ton more. His BA runs a little low for him to earn much over 15 mil at 3b. Imho. I would live to see him back though, real good player.
I could see Moose giving the Brewers a hometown discount if they offer a 3 or 4 year deal. He has said repeatedly how much he loves playing for the
Brewers and was pushing his agent to keep talks open with Stearns up until he signed. Maybe they add another mutual option with a $4MM buyout to add a little extra to the AAV of the overall contract (4yrs/$48MM with $40MM guaranteed).
Ok homer you know what this is Mooses third year in a row going into free agency and if he would have gotten a 3 for 36 to 39 million he would have took it three years ago. Now I hope the Brewers offer that cause I think he is worth it. Now what other 30 GM are going to say well 3 yrs older and he slumped badly at the end of the season I mean real bad. Now do the Brewers have to go higher no why because they have Erceg ready now his numbers arent great but teams have had him working on certain things in the minors more then worrying about what numbers your putting up. Plus if you think they arent high on him your nuts because he wears the number 17 , no one has worn that number since GANTNER. Now as far as Grandal. He hit 246 and his numbers are average at best remember he hit in Milwaukee which I would say that alone adds 10 home runs to his total. So is Grandal/ Pina worth 18.5 million more then Pina/ Nottingham combo nope . Nottingham will hit in Milwaukee plus he knows the pitchers just as well as Grandal plus he will be even more then marketable then Grandal. Grandal is good but catching is at an all time low in the majors but he is no Posey, Bench, Posada, Fisk, Simmons heck he isnt even a McCann. Grandal worries about himself not a team player like Moose . I would even say that Thames is more of a team player then Grandal. To be honest Grandal needed Milwaukee more then Milwaukee needed Grandal. He was playing this year for a contract and that is why he came to Milwaukee. Put him in San Diego and guarantee he will be like Hosmer where all his offensive numbers are way down. Ok I feel better now.
These guys will be in demand from a lot of teams, surprised if they bring back either.
Everybody just pretending that he wont sign with Atlanta.
Was just gonna ask that. Riley really fell off a cliff and JD is gonna want too much money
I’d be happy with Grandal. We need to open the check-book for JD though.
A little surprised by the Spangenberg move…seems like they liked his speed, defence and LH bat. My guess is that Sterns & CC are betting that he’ll be ignored as a FA and receive an invite to spring training with a good chance to be a bench player. They’ll still need to replace Hiura for defence in late innings (unless he’s moved to 1B) and Gamel, who is now redundant because of Grisham, will probably be gone.Spangenberg can’t replace his pinch hitting ability, but I can’t see them carrying 5 five outfield-only players. I don’t believe Braun is headed back for another crack at first base…
A question for somebody smarter than me (that’s a lot of people).
If a player signs a one year contract with an option for the second year, how does that affect the luxury tax? For the sake of ease, let’s say a guy signs for 2 years, $6 million with a $1 million buyout in year two. I’d assume they get hit for $3 million against the luxury tax both seasons, of course, but if the opt out is exercised, then the club has paid out $4 million over two years. How would AAV be computed at that point?
Thanks in advance!
The opt out portion is counted towards the previous season, which is why payrolls are calculated in late December to incorporate those. So if a players salary is 3+1M opt out the AAV is a 4. But tbh, it depends on what the contract looks like a 2 year is different from multiples. In your example player opt ins are not treated as a 2 year contract they are treated as a 1 year new deals. Player opt outs much the same although added onto the just finished season’s payroll.
Thank you kindly! I appreciate all that info. So I guess it works the same way with contract incentives…
Grandal should be on Preller’s radar. 3/48 for Grandal. Trade Myers & eat half his deal. Move Mejia to LF. Sign Wheeler for 4/64 or Bumgarner to a similar deal.
Now that is a playoff team. .
No way Grandal signs for that little. Seems like your fixated with $16M a year contracts.
Those are the numbers that the MLBTR writers have projected in chats that Grandal and Wheeler will get in FA.
The point in the chat was that Grandal turned down 4/60 last season and he is a year older. He is not getting an offer that big again at age 31, but he might pass that in AAV.
Both seem a little light to me. But who knows?
They were close on most of their projections last year but did miss on several like Grandal. They thought he would get much more than a 1 year deal.
1. He could have gotten more than 1 year.
2. Not having the QO and coming off another strong season will help his stock.
They were way off on machado/harper
I’ve thought 3yrs/$52MM would get him to sign
Wheeler is getting QO at 17.8 mil.. why would he take less to go to pads?? just 4/ 64?? more like 4/80+ mil
I don’t think gets that much, but close enough. Over the past 10 years, only 4 catchers have exceeded 7.1 WAR for 3 years, ages 31-33. Catchers age pretty quickly.
He traded Grandal for Matt freaking Kemp not so long ago. I doubt he is interested. And I think the feeling is mutual.
+1
Hard to see Preller doing a U-Turn and bringing back a guy he shipped out.
However he did do it with Matt Wisler, a lot lower scale but it shows that he will bring someone back that he has traded away. Very small sample size but I do think Preller loves Mejia and wants to go the route of him plus a veteran. I think Hedges is getting traded.
Difference is he gave Wisler up in exchange for a guy with real value in Craig Kimbrel. Matt Kemp’s contract was underwater when he was traded for. That is what AJ Preller thinks of Yasmani Grandal.
I think Hedges is getting traded.
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As a RS fan, I’d love to take a shot at him. IMHO, they brought him up before he was ready. Even then, he was pretty decent in 2018.
Arent you the one that is always saying its better to trade away guys and get prospects so you can sign them back later in FA?
So why would Preller not be interested in the best catcher available in FA? The Padres are a few players away from contending. Why would Grandal not be interested in coming back to the Padres and winning?
1. Grandal was 4 years out from FA when he was traded.
2. Based on him trading Grandal for Matt freaking Kemp, I don’t think Preller agrees on Grandal being “the best catcher available in FA.”
3. Grandal didn’t leave SD under the best terms. Probably wants to be in an environment he regards as positive, all other things equal. Money certainly talks tho.
Because Mejia is making the minimum and also a switch hitter with a cannon. They chose Hedges defense over Grandals overall skill in late 2014. The only player Preller regretted trading away was Trea Turner because reports came out he tried to get him back.
He traded Grandal for Matt freaking Kemp not so long ago.
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That’s why I want the RS to deal with him. Always has a great farm, but he makes some odd MLB level decisions.
Not sure Preller wants to deal with Boston after the Anderson Espinoza medical records issue.
Your not getting Grandal for 3yrs/48mil.
Don’t the Padres already have a glut at catcher? Also, thought Mejia was their catcher of the future which should be 2020. Grandal may wind up with the Braves.
Get the hitting Cincinnati Reds! Trade Barnhart, sign Grandal
Awesome nickname !!!
Who do the Brewers have to replace Grandal and why doesn’t anyone think they will resign him? They have until the 4th to negotiate exclusively.
He’s awesome. The crew should try hard to bring him back.
I believe Grandal will be their first priority when it comes to resigning their own free agents.
Moustakas to Phillies
Trade Rhys Hoskins to Cleveland for pitcher and put Alec Bohm at first. Sign Mike Moustakas to play third.
1b- Bohm
2b- Kingery
ss- Sequra
3b- Moustakas
rf- Harper
cf- Haseley
LF- McClutchen
C- Realmuto
P-Dallas Keuchel
P-Aaron Nola
P-Cole Hamels
P-Jake Arrieta
P- Matt Moore
Moose to the Padres or Angels. Hes a west coast guy and the time is right.
Where would he play on the Padres?
Team can plug Moose at second for 2-3 years if they choose to include Urias in a trade for something good.
Guys like France,Miller,Edwards,Abrahms,Ruiz are depth at 2b/bench guys coming up soon.
Padres have some guy named Machado playing 3B! Don’t see Moose as a fit there. Would much prefer him as the Padres 1B, but Preller wasted big bucks on Hosmer, so there’s no place for Moose to play in SD.
Moose come back home…
Come on back home Grandal!
MIL will be a good team to watch this off-season. At this point, they just need a tweak. Their biggest issues have been pitching. Last year SP and this year RP. They have quietly built a good SP rotation… especially if their better pitchers are on track to return from injury.
Ryan Braun and Eric Thames played well enough not to be platooned and are in their “walk year”. The biggest needs are Travis Shaw needs to get back on track and they must have a good catcher to go with a Manny Pina tandem.
MIL has been surprising me the last three seasons.
Two big holes the Brewers need to fill if Grandal signs elsewhere and Moose does likewise. That’s a lot of pop heading out the window. Selfishly, I’d like to see my Phillies get Moose. Third base has been a problem for us since Phillies brass has no confidence in Franco. maybe a two-year deal in Philly?
Don’t see SD going after either of those guys. Barring a near-impossible Hosmer trade, your IF is set for a long time. And even if they’ve under-performed, giving up on both Mejia & Hedges would be short-sighted.
I don’t see them having enough to resign both, if they spend on pitching. So the priority should be Moose. Resigning Grandal means Shaw coming back. Moose/Pina will be more productive than Shaw/Grandal with about $10 M left over for pitching.