Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet has changed agencies and hired MVP Sports Group as representation, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lamet, who earned Super Two status and has four years of arbitration eligibility as a result, is slated to go through the process for the first time this winter. He’s projected to make $1.7MM in 2020.
Judging by the 27-year-old Lamet’s big league performance to date, he should be a bargain for the Padres next season. Lamet debuted in San Diego in 2017 and proceeded to toss 114 1/3 innings of 4.57 ERA/4.35 FIP ball with 10.94 K/9 against 4.25 BB/9. He wasn’t able to build on that promising showing the next year, though, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2018.
Lamet’s operation kept him off a big league mound until last July 4, but he flashed even greater potential upon his return. Across 14 post-surgery starts and 73 frames with the Padres in 2019, Lamet pitched to a 4.07 ERA/3.91 FIP with a fantastic 12.95 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Compared to his first year in the majors, Lamet saw his average four-seam fastball velocity (95.1 mph in 2017, 96.1 mph last season) and his swinging-strike rate (11.8 percent in 2017, 14.0 percent last season) markedly improve. Now, the hope for the Padres is that they’ll get a full season of work from Lamet in 2020, at which point the club will try to snap a 13-year playoff drought or at least finish .500 or better for the first time since 2010.
The change in representation for Lamet has been updated in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agency info on more than 2,500 players in both the big leagues and the minors. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Realistic to set his innings limit at 150 or let him go as far as he can?
He threw 150 innings in 2016. He’s 27 and Preller is fighting for his job. I’d take the over on 150 innings.
Do most readers care about agency switches? Maybe if it’s to Boras as a sign that he’ll play out the contract. My fault. Minutes in life I’ll never get back…
You don’t have to read the article.
Boras represents the elite (and overpaid) few, then no doubt takes a very generous percentage of the ensuing fat contract. Smaller agencies are probably a better deal for younger, more average guys like Lamet.
1.7 mil is nothing to sneeze at though. It’s more than a starving ophthalmologist makes!
I agree. Hope they refund you your money. Oh wait…
Boof Bonser
He was previously with the agency Magnus Sports.
The next logical part of this story that should have been there is if Preller has ever negotiated with anybody from this new agency and how things went.
Preller should be a sports agent. He’s a hell of a salesman but not much of a GM.