After a busy filing day, let’s see what’s in store for a couple of teams in the NL East…
- Only Shane Greene remains from their arbitration pool. The Braves and Greene have a $500K gap in their filing numbers to reconcile lest the panel get the final say. Greene will figure in the back end mix no matter his price point. With Will Smith in tow and a full season of Mark Melancon, Greene should slot in somewhere closer to the 7th inning along with Chris Martin and Luke Jackson. Overall, the Braves payroll is already set to open at a franchise record $130MM for the 2020 season – and that’s without Josh Donaldson, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien. It certainly says something that the Braves are still trying to bring back Donaldson despite already setting a team record for payroll. Despite the Nationals’ World Series title, the Braves are the back-to-back defending NL East champs, and they’ve been aggressive this winter in their attempt to make it a turkey with a third consecutive division crown in 2020.
- The Phillies came away from filing day with deals with all but two of their arbitration candidates: J.T. Realmuto and Hector Neris. Philadelphia would like to hammer out an extension for Realmuto, with Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer supposing Realmuto to desire “something in the neighborhood of five years and $100 million.” An extension could grant GM Matt Klentak important flexibility. Right now the Opening Day payroll figures to land around $202MM, giving the club about $6MM in wiggle room for in-season additions before exceeding the luxury tax. Phillies managing partner John Middleton is prepared to pay the tax, but not for a team that doesn’t figure for the playoffs. For the second consecutive year, it looks like the Phillies will wait to see where they are in the standings before deciding to pay the tax.
- The Nationals settled with all their arbitration eligible players, but GM Mike Rizzo spoke with the media today, touching on a number of topics. They expect resolution on the Ryan Zimmerman front shortly, per MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. GM Mike Rizzo met with Zimmerman for 90 minutes on Friday, and it’s long been expected that the Nats would bring back Mr. National for the title defense. As for third base, Rizzo considers the position filled without totally shutting the door on a Donaldson signing, per The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli. Asdrubal Cabrera and Starlin Castro figure to get time at third, and speculatively speaking, Howie Kendrick saw a few innings at the hot corner last year as well. Bottom line, the Nats plan on creativity and flexibility for their whole infield this year, and they are okay not naming and everyday starter, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.
LET’S GO BRAVES!!!
As a Phillies fan it pains me to say this, but even if the Gnats don’t get Donaldson, they’ve probably still had the best off season in the division…
Or the Braves. Either way the same sentiment applies.
I agree too. Got solid defense, good starting pitching, above average pen, and the offense gets on base and gets timely hitting and when they need to can pop the ball over the fence for a crooked number. Phillies have a piece together club that just has holes and lacks guys getting on base and two holes in the rotation with a below average pen and no proven closer. 85 win season won’t get it done. Braves win 94 games, Mets 88, Phillies and Nats battle it out for 3rd.
Yea right lol. Nats battle for third. Over the Mets. Double lol
Harper = not titles. Nats proved that. Once he left they win a World Series. Philthies are toast for at least 12 more years. $330 million dollar upside down horse shoe.
Besides Harper what other big contracts do the Phillies have? I was kind of shocked that their payroll is already over $200M, so I know they have some but I can’t think of any off the top of my head (besides Arrieta).
The Phillies still have McCutcheon for two more years/$37 million total…He’s a good player, but that’s a gross over payment for the production they’re going to get….if they didn’t already have him locked up, they could have kept Dickerson for half that price…
According to COTs (for 2020): in millions
Harper $27.5
Wheeler $22.5
Arrieta $20
McCutchen $17
Segura $14.8
Jay Bruce $14
Gregorius $14
Realmuto $11
David Robertson $11
= $151.8MM alone
On days I need a pick-me-up, I look up how much Phillies have on the books for 2021-2023 already and laugh.
That observation made me laugh too, Run, but as a Phillies fan, I’m responding through tears….our “rebuild “ was a complete failure, and I’m not too certain the sun is coming up on the horizon any time soon…
A few million here, a few million there, soon it adds up to big money…..
The Phillies are only paying $1.75 of Bruce’s $14.
Would that be the “stupid money” Middleton had in mind?
$65 million for 2023.
The cash payments for the Phillies TV contract exceed that amount by $20 million or more and that’s only one third the value of their local TV deal.
The Phillies are set up to tank for the pick in 2023 and John Middleton makes mad money profits doing that. Phillies are always set up like that. They never have to win to make mad money profits.
This would be relevant if their scouts honed in on safer #1 overall picks than Moniak.
Stupid Money is anyone buying a Phillies season ticket plan.
Bruce is only owed $2mil. Seattle owes the majority of his salary.
What a waste of money Segura is!
I think his defense and his bat will play up at 2B
Yea. Phils fans hate him for indirectly causing the Cutch injury, but I think he’s good when healthy. Under Girardi, he’ll play well.
Bingo
Makes you wonder what the point of “rebuilding” was if they just planned to build their core through free agency
It definitely wasn’t the plan. They were hoping Franco, Pivetta, Velasquez, Hernandez would all work out and they’re pretty much 0 for 4.
Not to mention Mark Appel, Nick Williams, Odubel Herrera, Jake Thompson. Basically everyone they got in the Hamels and Giles trades.
If they would have drafted Senzel instead of Moniak, at least we’d have our 3B of the future.
When he went down the team collapsed. Was in first place before that.
I guess having every bullpen arm fall of didn’t help either.
Don’t git out much do ya?
“Harper = not titles. Nats proved that. Once he left they win a World Series.”
Correlation is not causation.
However, by definition it does mean that they are related.
retire21
“However, by definition it does mean that they are related.”
They are related in that they happened at the same time, along with many, many other things, things which are much more likely to be the reason the Nats succeeded. This is far from what you implied.
But every terrorist breathes oxygen (and nitrogen among others, but let’s ignore that), so therefore oxygen causes terrorism.
Not intending to be rude, but just wanted to demonstrate the potential weakness of correlation as justification for something.
Mo4ever, slow your roll. I’m simply pointing out that you stated the 2 things are related. I know this because you used the word correlation.
Danaei, buy a dictionary and a thesaurus.
Not to be critical.
@ wildthing vaughn What kind of a stupid thing is this to say? Post hoc ergo propter hoc at its laziest. You actually think the Nats won because they didn’t have Harper? Are you really that simple? You can not like Harper’s personality, you can think he’s overpaid (you’re wrong but w/e) but to think that a team won the WS because they lost a positive WAR player is just a stupid and lazy analyst.
the reason the Nats won after he left was because he was expendable in Washington if not for Robles or Eaton’s health they may not have won.
Or Soto being an animal
Ridiculous statement. The Nats made big offseason additions besides Harper. They also wers lucky enough to have a young talented outfielder to replace Harper. Their winning the World Series has nothing to do with letting Harper go.
Without Harper they were able to afford Corbin. So yes, winning the World Series did have something to do with letting Harper go.
False. The Nats offer to Harper was still on the table post Corbin signing.
@Al Jab
According to Spotrac, the Nats spent $24MM more in ’19 ($227MM) over ’18 ($203MM). So there’s that factor. They spent more without Harper, giving better than a 10% payroll edge to the team without him. That’s pretty substantial. So it wasn’t that they had more money because Harper left so much as they just spent more.
Losing Rendon will have a lot larger effect than losing Harper. Just watch.
Most def agree about rendon
Harper isn’t the problem, there is and was no Soto in the Phillies OF unlike the Nats. Harper puts many more in CBP seats, offsetting his cash cost ( but not CBT but he’s 5mm AAV less than this year’s key signings). 12 more years of Harp means 1-2 generations of kids grow up liking baseball a lot. Harp gets a bad rap, he is exciting and gave it his all last year. I write this not as aPhillies fan but as a Nats booster.
The Phils are going to be just fine! It’s going to be a great year!
“Harper = not titles. Nats proved that. Once he left they win a World Series. Philthies are toast for at least 12 more years. $330 million dollar upside down horse shoe.”
Thanks for reinforcing the dumbest argument in baseball. Harper was replaced by TWO top ten prospects. The Nats were wise to let him walk simply for the sake of payroll flexibility. It does not mean that Harper is a bad player, creates bad team chemistry or that he isn’t worth his contract. He left DC to get paid what he was worth. So did Rendon. Let it go.
@OP
Are you kidding me? The Phillies signed Wheeler and Sir Didi and got rid of Maikel Franco, which is addition by subtraction. The Nats lost Rendon and replaced his bat with two average-at-best vets. And you say the Nats had better offseason than the Phillies? I wholeheartedly disagree.
Don’t forget Nats bullpen upgrades
I forgot to say the Phillies also replaced Gabe Kapler with Joe Girardi as manager. That’s another upgrade for them.
Over paid for wheeler and didi
Nah. Not in this market.
“Overpaying” for those two isn’t the issue.
The Issue is that Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon were available and Lear Jet Johnny’s plane never left the hanger.
“John Middleton has no commitment to win.” – Scott Rolen
Wheeler got market value and Didi was a steal. I think Wheeler will earn that contract too
And Strasburg.
Stras signing was just retaining what they had in ’19, not adding.
its very close honestly. Braves and Nats have signed more players, but also had about as many go in FA. Braves certainly gained in the pen, but losing Donaldson could hurt. Phillies only really lost Dickerson, who as an extra piece anyway, and only on the roster for a few weeks. if you ask me, we closed the gap simply due to the net gain in talent, though the Braves are still ahead and the Nats are close (above or below)
Braves didnt lose much apart from Donaldson to FA, and quite frankly they are probably better off with Camargo at 3b for ~1mil or whatever he just got through arb , than the 20-30mil JD is looking for.
no offense but the phillies were overrated the past couple years by all the analysts. no pitching and yes they do have a few good players who have come up but overall thin farm, some underperformers, and some questionable signings
While I agree with everything you said here, it’s also important to remember the 2019 Phillies were devastated with injuries…key injuries too. The team on paper was much better than their record showed, and towards the end of the season they were playing with scraps. So the 2020 Phillies should be significantly better if they just stay healthy.
That being said I still like the Braves to take the NL East. They have some special talent on that team and adding Hamels at the backend of the rotation is a great move IMO.
Furthermore, the Nats are really good too and while I like the Phillies better than the Mets on paper, I would not be shocked at all if the Phils end up in 4th yet again.
I do agree but in all fairness all teams deal with injuries, some obviously much more than others. Im not going to go back and do the hoenwork on who was hurt for how long on each team but that kinda goes back to the thin farm.
the Braves bullpen was absolutely terrible for most of the season, and the starting pitching wasnt that much better. then add in the injuries. the dif here was the farm. the Braves organization is just built to win and for an extended time. the Phillies went more into “win now” mode and while that made for an exciting offseason it didnt really pan out the way they envisioned. although you can’t blame the FO for McCutchen going down, Harper not hitting for a good part of the season, Arrieta’s lackluster career in Philly among other things
The rebuild was a complete failure. There’s no denying that. The spending spree is kind of a must because the Phillies farm was terrible. Players like Franco, Velasquez and Pivetta pan out. The win now mode has made the team the best its been in years, but unfortunately the Braves, Nays and Mets are really good now.
And while I agree that every team deals with injuries, the Phillies injury list was quite exceptional last year. They ended the season with 11 players on the IL as opposed to the Nats and Braves with 3 and Mets with 5. Of those injured 11, 7 of them were key pieces of the bullpen, 2 of them were starting pitchers, another was their star leadoff man and the last was said leadoff man’s backup.
I’m not making excuses because I believe the Braves and Nats are just better teams than the Phils, but the fact that the Phillies finished .500 with those injuries is a minor miracle.
The Braves are not better off with Camargo at 3rd if Camargo can’t produce nearly the numbers JD can. This a about being a discount store it’s about winning the market.
They all do deal with injuries but while Philadelphia was signing cutch and segura and other older players this was talked about a lot (picking up older players and could they stay healthy on the back end of careers) that said any team in the NL East minus marlins could win the division and I wouldn’t be surprised 4 really good teams I will end with go Braves
I’m not sure, they lost Rendon and haven’t replaced him. If they sign Donaldson I would agree with you.
Hmm..one year from free agency, J.T might be better off playing the year out to see what the market is for an All-Star catcher going into his age 30 season. Grandad got 4 for 73 going into age 31. He could easily beat 5 for 100 on the open market
“supposing Realmuto to desire “something in the neighborhood of five years and $100 million.'”
This is not at all what the columnist wrote. He is literally saying that this is what is good for the Phillies. Well, ten million is better for the Phillies than $12 million in arbitration but Realmuto isn’t looking for ten is he?
If Realmuto’s agent isn’t telling JT he can get him over $150 million next winter than Realmuto needs to talk to Scott Boras because Boras can get him better than Buster Posey money.
Is just me or 5 years 100 million for Realmuto is very low ball pricing
5 years 100 for a catcher is a ton. That being said, Realmuto is possibly the best catcher in baseball so he will set the market.
That’s a perfectly reasonable price given his age and the fact that the NL doesnt have the DH for him on off days. that being said, JT has been incredibly durable so far for a catcher.
How many catchers have gotten 20m or more.Yadier was a special case in Stl,and his 20m deal wasn’t for 5yrs.Posey and Mauer both won MvP awards.The money is right,but at 29,his camp should be opening the conversation at 7,8 years.
Russell martin. Bluejays. 4yr/$84m
Martin was 5yr-82m…. your numbers are off
Why are there so many comparisons of Catchers like Molina, Posey and Martin? There contracts are from years ago. Grandal is recent and a better starting point. He got 4 years/$73 mil. Grandal is 31 recently so I could see JTR going to 6 years. Grandal is making a little under $20 million so JTR getting a 6 year/$120 million contract seems like fare market value.
But the market has changed with the contracts premier agents are getting. Nobody thought the top free agents were going to make what they did. Strasburg was especially shocking. JTR just might get more than 6/120.
My point was more about there not being a long list of catchers getting 20per…You could also make the argument that since those contracts were signed years ago,Realmuto should get more.
Completely absurd.
Equivalent to signing Rendon for $150 million.
LFGM
I would be fine with a 5 year 100mil extension for Realmuto. He’s worth every penny. I hope the fact that they werent able to settle on an arbitration figure doesnt hurt their chances of extending him. He seemed happy in Philly, but I’m not sold that he doesnt want to test the market and any personal preferences he may have.
The Phillies obviously could not find a taker for Odubel Herrera, but they have to trade Nick Williams. He doesnt fit on their roster but he’s young and has a good bat, and there are plenty of teams that could use some pop in the corner OF. I suggested a Nick Williams for Joe Jimenez trade would make sense. They have a lot of depth in the OF and the INF with all of those minor league deals they’ve made. They absolutely have to trade from that depth between now and ST.
With that remaining 6 or 7 million, they should absolutely take a chance on Alex Wood or Tijuan Walker, as both would probably only require a 4 or 5mil gurantee.
If not, there are several bounceback relievers that are worth a shot on low mlb gurantee or minor league deal with invite and incentives: Brandon Kintzler, Greg Holland, Jeremy Jeffres, Cody Allen and Addison Reed all had varying levels of success last year and could provide stability to the back end of the Phillies bullpen.
Other intersting “names” that are worth a flier, in my opinion: Felix Hernandez, Shelby Miller, Andrew Cashner, Derek Holland and Francisco Liriano.
If they are really looking for a RH compliment to Haisley in CF, I’d say sign Kegin Pillar or try to trade for Austin Hays of the Orioles. Or maybe just roll with Roman Quinn against lefties.
The Nationals would have been “perfectly fine” with a $200 million contract for Bryce Harper.
Then they should have offered him a deal without deferring everything.
Zero chance the Orioles trade Hays. He is exactly what they are trying to get right now.
Atlanta isn’t small market, especially with all the 1990s winning and being nationally televised during those years. They could push their budget a lot more (than say those SD dummies), but they won’t sacrifice their homegrown core because that’s how they became a perennial winner. That’s why they haven’t gone over 130 million. They don’t push payroll ridiculously. It’s probably the most gradual incline of any org.
Atlanta is the same size market as Boston. They could add a hundred million to their payroll but Greg Maffei likes to put that money in his bank account.
“top five highest paid CEOs in the U.S. Number three on the list is Gregory Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media Corp., who made $391 million in fiscal 2012”
As crazy as you are, Mr. Cobra, I agree with you about these owners pocketing profits and not re-investing it back into the team. Question: Why are you so critical of John Middleton? He’s one of a half dozen or so owners who are not so concerned about their bottom line, but with putting a winning product on the field. As disappointing as the last half decade has been, I’m proud to be a fan of a team with such a storied history, and that has an owner who isn’t afraid to spend. Middleton wants to win, and nobody can deny that. The only reason he hasn’t spent into the luxury tax heights is because he hasn’t seen an opportunity that makes it worth surpassing that mark and paying the penalties of it.
They have been in on Bryant, Arenaldo and Betts this off-season. They just werent able to come to a mutual agreement as far prospect return and cash considerations.
Here we go. New year, same vendetta. Glad to see the blood is still boiling for the Maffei. Never seen someone so bitter passed over for a promotion.
Maffei’s salary is irrelevant to the braves payroll. Yet you keep pasting that nonsense over and over. It means nothing
Maffei’s personal earnings has absolutely nothing to do with how much the Braves spend on layers. He had those numbers before the braves were purchased.
I wish people would apply thought to how things work before posting uncorrelated stuff.
How can Phillies have such a bad team and so many holes with 2062 million dollars spent for 2020? No CF bad LF lack of 3b and lack of starting pitching. Who knows who there RP will be and who will be healthy.
You can say the same about the Mets who have 197 on their payroll. Phils have 202. Mets have deeper SP depth, but have holes in other areas. The NL East is really interesting.
Basically the Phils problems stem from bad drafting.
The Phils MUST acquire a pitcher soon. Or they are doomed to repeat last year. Any serious follower, fan or expert realizes this. If they care to wait until July to decide if they are contenders, hah. That result is a foregone conclusion. In this division they are already buried. Clevinger or Ray would do the trick. Then there is the matter of third base. Bryant or the guy in Colorado both fill the bill. Philly is a championship, larger market town and demands this quick fix. Middleton is now considered a blow heart with his teases and his rehabilitation needs to be fixed too. Good players are contagious to the whole team. We are w8ting.
Robbie Ray would be a great addition and give them a lefty to kind of balance out the rotation. Alex Wood must be holding out for 7 or 8mil gurantee or even a two year deal, because I cant understand why he isn’t signed yet. I’d stay away from Boyd from Detroit though, as I dont think hes worth the prospect capital it would take to get him. How about buying low on Danny Duffy of the Royals?
Sometimes I’m amazed at how annoying the people on this site are. There are like 3 of you in total I would ever associate with in real life.
Do YOU think anyone really cares? Really!
How many would want to associate with you?
Cozart to Atlanta. He had some pretty good years in the NL/Cin.
Wonder how many homer JD hits against Atlanta in 2020 ?
zero