April 1: The Padres have now announced the deal. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that it’ll be an $80MM pact over the seven year term. As previously reported, the deal doesn’t start until 2024 though so it won’t affect the Padres’ luxury tax calculation this year. Dennis Lin of The Athletic adds that it includes a limited, eight-team no trade clause.
March 31: The Padres have reached an agreement with infielder Jake Cronenworth on a seven-year extension, reports Dennis Lin of The Athletic. According to Lin, the contract starts with the 2024 season. Lin notes that Cronenworth “has already passed his physical and the deal is expected to be announced on Saturday.” Cronenworth is represented by CAA Sports.
Cronenworth, 29, has proven capable of playing second base, first base, and shortstop in his big league career thus far. Though Cronenworth has by far played second base the most since coming up in 2020, the Padres’ signing of shortstop Xander Bogaerts in December pushes him to first base for 2023. Cronenworth’s new contract runs through 2030, adding further long-term stability to an infield that already has Bogaerts and third baseman Manny Machado signed through 2033. About a month ago, the Padres signed Machado to an extension, as the superstar was otherwise expected to deploy his opt-out clause after ’23.
Cronenworth was drafted by the Rays in the seventh round in 2015 out of the University of Michigan, where he pitched and played infield. In December of 2019, the Rays traded Cronenworth and Tommy Pham to the Padres for Hunter Renfroe, Xavier Edwards, and Esteban Quiroz. After he won the International League batting crown in ’19, Baseball America rated the two-way Cronenworth as a 45-grade prospect. At the time they wrote, “Cronenworth is a heady player who gets the most out of his average tools.”
The Padres asked Cronenworth to hit pause on the pitching idea in 2020, and he made their Opening Day roster in July of that pandemic-shortened season. The left-handed-hitting Cronenworth ended up getting the bulk of the Padres’ innings at second base as a rookie that year, at a time when Eric Hosmer was their first baseman and Fernando Tatis Jr. their shortstop. Cronenworth and Alec Bohm tied for second in the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Devin Williams.
The Padres signed Ha-Seong Kim in December of 2020, and talked at the time about getting Cronenworth some reps in the outfield. That didn’t come to pass, but Cronenworth did spend time in ’21 filling in for Tatis at shortstop. He also earned his first All-Star nod, and posted a 116 wRC+ on the season.
Cronenworth settled in at second base for 2022, making another All-Star team though ultimately slipping a bit to a 109 wRC+. Cronenworth’s solid defense around the infield, above-average hitting, durability, and versatility led to 4.1 WAR in each of the ’21 and ’22 seasons. With exactly three years of service after ’22, Cronenworth inked a one-year arbitration deal for 2023 worth $4.225MM.
Cronenworth’s new seven-year deal, then, buys out his final two arbitration years plus another five of free agency. The seven-year term is perhaps the most surprising element, as it will carry Cronenworth through the age of 36. Back in January, the Mets signed second baseman Jeff McNeil to an extension that also bought out two arbitration years, but that contract bought out two free agent years with an option for a third. Another point of comparison is the Rockies’ March 2022 extension for Ryan McMahon, which bought out two arbitration years and four free agent seasons.
We’ve yet to see a dollar figure on Cronenworth’s extension, but surely the competitive balance tax played a significant role in the deal. As you know, a team’s CBT payroll is calculated using the average annual values of multiyear contracts. Unexpectedly long terms and therefore lower AAVs have been a theme throughout GM A.J. Preller’s offseason. Robert Suarez got five years, Bogaerts received 11, Yu Darvish had five years added, and Michael Wacha signed what is considered a four-year deal.
Cronenworth’s new extension doesn’t affect the Padres’ 2023 payroll, which at an estimated $276MM currently sits above the third tax tier of $273MM. Should the team end 2023 above $273MM, their top draft pick in 2024 will be pushed back ten spots – in addition to the tax penalties owed as a third-time payor.
Cronenworth joins Machado, Bogaerts, Darvish, Tatis, Suarez, and Joe Musgrove as Padres signed through at least 2027. Before accounting for Cronenworth, but including Nick Martinez and the aforementioned six players, the Padres’ 2025 CBT payroll exceeds $137MM. Kim, the Padres’ current second baseman, is signed through 2024.
A pair of big-name Padres are still on one-year arbitration deals: Juan Soto and Josh Hader. Regarding Soto, slated for free agency after 2024, Lin writes, “there have been no indications that the Padres have engaged the star outfielder in serious talks about a potentially record-setting extension.”
In a March article for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, MLBTR’s Steve Adams laid out a Hader extension scenario that would reduce this year’s luxury tax hit, writing, “If the Padres want to keep threading the creative contract needle, offering Hader the longest (if not the largest) contract ever signed by a reliever would probably only qualify as the fourth- or fifth-craziest move they’ve made over the past calendar year.”
I’m guessing right around or just a it more (~$115 million) than the extension that Andres Gimenez of the Guardians received.
Kinda comparable except the 5 year age gap. I’d bet Cronenworth took less to guarantee some security. He’s such a solid player. Now to just turn on the money printing machine and start the Soto extension…
Rockies have best record in MLB and Padres have worst record in MLB.
What’s Colorado’s magic number?
This guy… Heh heh heh.
This didn’t age well
It all fits under the category of ‘way too early’. I figure, let the Rockies enjoy their moment. Their firesale probably starts May 1.
Bro… the Rays are 6-0 the Rockies are 2-4 and in last place. The hell you talking about?
Edit:
Didn’t realize this was an April Fools joke.
At the time of the post, the statement was true.
Rocks were 2-0, Pads were 0-2.
If they base their offer to Soto on what he’s done as a Padre, he won’t be very happy with it. I’d be in no rush to extend him, until he actually produces at more than an Adam Dunn like level. If it continues at this pace, let him walk.
Did you factor in the Preller’s stupid fee?
Cronenburg didn’t get a “Preller stupid fee.” Imagine that. $80M/7 years is a very solid deal.
You know, Preller doesn’t always overspend, and Kim Ng doesn’t always cut a bad deal.. Absolute generalizations suck, especially if you have to hear them all the time.
Seven years?
Stupid is just for openers.
Doubt it, Cronenworth is not worth anywhere near 100 million, he can’t hit. Good fielder thats versitile with an “average bat” by todays standards. Cronenworth would be in TripleA right now if this was the 1960s. batting .230 just aint gonna cut it for me. 7 years at 10 million per year should be what he gets if hes getting a 7 year deal but these dramaqueens are overpaid per usual
Yeah LFGMets and none of the 1960’s players could play with Hornsby and his lifetime .358 BA.
In all seriousness, comparing BA across different eras doesn’t really say much. The game is much different than 60 years ago.
.230 is pathetic in any era. This is exactly the type of player you let leave as a free agent. AJ Preller knows talent. He’s really good at that. But his roster building is atrocious.
Have you seen how many stars batted .230 or below last year…?
The biggest change was shrinking the parks. People weren’t swinging for the fences because there were were only a few parks where you could hit it out as easily as they can now. Anyone swinging for the fences didn’t hit them often enough to stay around.
True that.
Crappy players getting seven year eight-figure deals was unheard of in the 1960s. As it should be now.
bronxmac, if you’re saying Cronenworth is a crappy player, you’re showing a lack of understanding of what a good player is.
Nope. Not saying that.
More had Aaron Hicks im mind. But nobody in the 1960s got 7 year deals.
But i do think seven years is too long.
Hicks got 7 years at $70 million. No reason at the time to take that risk. Now, the Yanks take up a valued roster spot solely due to the contract… Stunting the development of lots of younger players. I can’t stand seeing that.
Thanks for clarifying. I didn’t see the connection, but I can see how the Hicks contract with stick in Yankees fand’ minds.
Want him?
Seriously, it’s not the money, per se, to me. It’s the subsequent using of a player’s huge salary to justify playing him, regardless of his performance. And in the process, stunting or even killing a young player’s progress.
I don’t know. I think comparing players of today and those of the early-mid 60s is actually fair. They seem to be pretty comparable until MLB decided to raise the mound in an attempt to stunt the pitchers a bit.
The Pads have been overpaying for a few years with, so far, not much to show for it. If you’re a Mets fan, you’re used to it also. Decent player, but not one to commit to that many years. First base? Really?
@always. huh? Only 2 teams had more to show for it last year.
I agree. I find it hard to fathom SD can’t find someone better with a year or so, lst alone swven.
Cronenworth would be in TripleA right now if this was the 1960s.
=============================
I checked about half the years. The MLB average in the mid-60s was lower than it was last year. In fact, pulling 1965 as a comp. Cro would’ve ranked #83 in average at a minimum of 500 PAs.
LFG Mets, you know nothing about the history of the game or the statistical differences across eras. The game has passed you by, so stop making comparisons and evaluations of players based on the old 19th century stat known as batting average.
The 60s were a LOT tougher for hitting conditions. The strike zones were armpits to knees. The mound was higher. Ballparks were bigger, especially in the alleys.
I love how you analytic loving fans keep saying batting average is an archaic stat. Let me pose this question. Which scores a player from 2nd with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, a well placed single or a walk? I would rather have a batter with a stat line of .285/.329/.449 at bat in that scenario than one with .225/.369/.439. It would take 3 walks to score that runner and only one single. I would also suggest that before analytics took over the game there wasn’t this need for things like a pitch clock to attempt to lure new fans. The game had strategy and was exciting. Now it’s all about math and has gotten dull. It’s rare a team will allow a single player or 2 to put a team on his back and get them into the playoffs through sheer will. Managers don’t run the team anymore, the gms do. Analytical darlings like Jason Hayward and Jacoby Ellsbury get megadeals that weigh teams down for years. While hardworking bulldogs like Scherzer have to get their agents to call in a favor to get them a contract below what they are worth.(Remember when he first hit FA with Detroit?) Do you really think a pitcher like Greg Maddux would become the highest paid pitcher today when he never threw over 91? Doubt he would get a call up with most teams today. How many Maddux’ have we missed because they didn’t throw hard and sucked their first couple of years? 30 years ago a young pitcher like Mikolas would have been allowed to figure it out in MLB. He wouldn’t go to Japan to do it. Even though math has always been my bag and I appreciate the new statistical approach I think overall the game was better off before Beane and Friedman brought analytics to the forefront of the game.
Excellent. I agree.
If you look at the rosters of Moneyball, both the prior year and the current year, it’s deceptive. Most of the team was great. And put together by the methods used by the scouts. Billy Bean was wrong, in my opinion.
And I watched Greg Maddux numerous times live. He was like an Einstein on the mound.
I agree BA is valuable in that specific situation, which is what percentage of the time? Overall, there are many better ways to evaluate and apply player skills.
I’m not sure how you jumped from that to the pitch clock…
No 1-2 players have ever been able to put a team on his/their back and carry them to the playoffs through sheer will. Hitters get 1/9th of the chances to hit, starting pitchers go every five days, relievers 2-4 times per week. It’s not like basketball where you can give the ball to Michael Jordan every time.
Maddux threw fast when he was young. He, Scherzer, Roy Halladay, etc. needed – and received – time to develop. And they all got paid a lot of money once they developed their skills. Carlos Rodon is a recent example.
My favorite era of baseball was the ’80s. I loved all the stolen bases, triples, etc. – lots of action. But guys like Vince Coleman weren’t as valuable as their skills made them seem to be once teams realized getting caught stealing is much more detrimental than moving up 90 is beneficial.
Analytics have been a part of sports for a long time, though the influence has increased greatly in the last 2-3 decades. Is the game more efficient? Probably. Is it more exciting, better? That’s subjective.
Sports change and evolve constantly, always searching for the “best” version of the game. I like that these new rules are an effort to de-emphasize home runs and strikeouts and get more balls in play and more action. Perfection is impossible, but I appreciate the efforts to make baseball more appealing.
Maddux was close to the perfect pitcher, and the odds of finding another Maddux are close to zero.
Moneyball wasn’t a one-year change from scouts to stats, it was an evolution. Although, the Moneyball team did win 20 games in a row and made the playoffs. Something was right.
Disagree. Maddux would thrive more today. But you’re correct. Maddux would have a tougher time because everyone dismisses softer throwers in favor of 100mph Tommy John candidates. Which is ironic. Tommy John won 286 games, 160+ with a rebuilt elbow.
Yeah, but look at the squad. They lost Giambi. But their pitching staff was awesome. They had Tejada and Chavez. I give Beane SOME credit, but his scouts did a great job just to get to that point.
coffinnail, I would rather have a batter with a .229/.369/.509 slashline in that situation than one with a .285/.329/.439 slashline. Or even a .305/.329/.439 slashline, HRs and doubles score that runner even if they are on 1st..
BA alone is a useless stat. Period. End of discussion.
Math DETERMINES the strategy because the most efficient way to score runs wins more games and winning the game is the goal for the team. The strategy will always revolve around that goal. Always has, always will.
Maddux threw mid 90s at the beginning of his career. Which in the late 80s was at the top end of the scale. He got to learn to pitch without top level velocity at the end of his career because he was so effective WITH velocity early in his career.
Managers never ran the team, they ran the GAME. General Managers build and run the team. It still works that way for successful teams.
Your run on, troglodyte era post hurt the eyes with its formatting and the brain with its lack of logic.
Pads Fans,
As I said above, I think BA is of limited utility, but when you say, “End of discussion,” as if you rule by fiat and no one can challenge you, it certainly turns off a number of people.
What about bottom of the ninth, runner on third, tie game, two outs? Do you want a .225/.375/.500 batter or a .300/.325/.375 batter at the plate? In this very limited circumstance, I’d take the guy with the higher BA.
BA isn’t a totally useless stat. It’s just been greatly overvalued for a very long time.
Too much nonsensical blather to address at one time. And anyone that says ‘period , end of discussion’ isn’t worth the time or effort anyway.
….do you enjoy baseball at all? Serious question. Calling players drama queens tells me you only like complaining about them
JCrons .240 batting average is the lowest of his career and he’s only 28 so there is good reason to believe there will be some bounce back. Also, he does a lot of other things well. He has not one time during his career been league average with the bat and that’s THIS day in age. OPS+ see’s it that way.
I can see room for haggling over this being an overpay or not but there is no denying JCron is worth a multi year contract. He can fill into multiple positions and at least won’t hurt you with his bat.
I dont agree with Park Adjusted Stats. OPS+ and WRC+ are just garbage peddled into the mainstream analytics to excuse poor performance on the field. Case in point, Arenado has done just as well if not better playinh for the Cardinals than he has for the Rockies. You can make a case for DJ Lemehiu, Euginio Suarez, Matt Chapman, Trea Turner, etc. These stats dont mean anything
You are discounting just how hard Arenado works to improve every year. His numbers would likely be higher if he was still playing in Colorado. He was disappointed in his batting average his first year in St,. Louis so he found a way to correct it and still keep his power.
They will always be someone going against the averages in certain parks but adjusting for the park is better than pretending they are all the same offensively.
@LFGMets. That’s a lot of opinion you have there. Am I supposed to take your opinion for it or do you have any reason to explain your belief? At the moment it looks to me like stats like OPS and WRC don’t jive with what you want to believe is true.
LFGMets, you don’t have to agree with park-adjusted stats, but they’re anything but garbage. It just means you’ve fallen behind as baseball analysis advances.
The only way around park adjusted stats is setting exact requirements for park dimensions.
And elevation, humidity, wind… basically, all climate-controlled domes.
Ballparks are deceiving. Yankee Stadium is a haven for lefty HR hitters now, but in Ruth, Mantle and Maris’ cases, they all actually did better on the road. So ballpark adjusted stats can also be myth-busters.
Really good player.
Would even be better if he sat against some LHPs
117 Career OPS+ indicates your assessment is correct, 27. We’re super stoked on this deal! Congrats Jake, go Pads.
But declining, and now a full time 1B. They can get that 1B production from a random dude on a one year deal each off-season.
@seamaholic. If you consider all the players in MLB who’s 2022 was slightly worse than 2021, then you’d label 50% of league as “declining”. His OPS+ in 2022 was still quite good, and he provided a clutch bat. This year he’ll bat 5th behind Tatis, Soto, Bogaerts and Machado, which should boost his stats and land him a third consecutive year as AS,
Jake is an elite defender at 2nd base. He moved to 1st base to accommodate Xander Bogaerts who is the only Padre who has hit so far this year.
Cronenworth at 1b largely negates his value (which has been inflated by his versatility). As a first baseman, his stats are roughly equivalent to…Eric Hosmer’s.
Crone is 200x better than Hosmer
Jake is a Gamer. I believe he could play Every position if Needed. Those of Us who see him every day realize his value. He needs to stay aggressive at the plate, hit the ball to all fields. Love his attitude. GO JACOB.
haha, though he says he’s fine with his new name Jake as well.
Not an April Fools joke, though I don’t think teams should make announcements on April Fools.
It’s not April Fools day on the west coast yet so I doubt it’s a April fools joke.
Lol what
Because April Fools is a day where you don’t take announcements seriously.
The Padres ensuring they have the oldest roster in baseball in a few seasons!
His OPS has declined each of the last three seasons, and he was under control for 3 years anyway. Why do they feel the need to buy his age 33+ seasons????
Agreed. Odd extension. Didn’t need to do it and he’s declining. Perhaps the dollars are much lower than what we’re thinking but there is no need to extend everyone. Some players regress and never get back to peak.
This spending with reckless abandon suggests that Padres owner knows something about the future of the planet, the very near future, that the rest of us do not.
@Treehouse Or he thinks he does. He may think he’s the Second Coming of the Prophet Mohammed, who knows with all that spending he’s doing.
Maybe he’s selling soon and cares very little about future commitments?
Now that we know the terms of the deal – 7/$80m – I have to back off of my end of days sarcasm and concede that this is an excellent, team friendly deal for such a versatile player. Every club could use a player like Cronenworth.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner.
especially when you consider what a typical all-star 2B costs these days
Except he is not an average second baseman, he is a below average first baseman now.
50 games at 2b this year ( Kim sits vs tough RPs), full-time 2b after 2024. He’s a well-above average defensive 1b
Jake is not “declining.”
Assuming this is similar tot he darvish deal, I think it will help with signing Soto.. give a little extra in his later years to bring down the AAV on his prime years
Why? Just don’t think they needed to do this. Use this money if they are serious about Soto. What’s next? An extension for Grisham……..
Have you seen Soto play the past two days? He looks lost in the OF and he isn’t really looking that great at the plate either. He looks to be a prime candidate for dropping off very early in his career. I am thinking Andruw Jones without the defense. Maybe even Josh Hamilton.
Maybe it is just a start of the season anomaly, but it’s an anomaly that would make me think twice before spending half a billion on this guy.
Two days?
Sorry I would have a bigger sample, but they have only played two days. And in those two days, Soto looked lost.
One could also increase your 2-game sample and include his March ABs in WCB and ST, then you’d have to conclude he’s the second coming of Ted Williams.
We’ll see how the next two seasons play out. He’ll have to earn a big FA deal in 25.
One could, if one didn’t care if the ABs were in MLB games. I’m sure he looked pretty good in batting practice too, but that means nothing.
Point being a 2 game sample is wee small
I understood your point. But when there are only a total of 2 games played at the time, it was either that or nothing. My point was that if you have ANY doubt about a player, even a small one, it probably isn’t a good idea to invest potentially half a billion dollars in him.
Not to mention the fact that Soto didn’t exactly set the world on fire in SD last year either.
@hiflew. Sure, but they have 2 years to make that decision and Soto has 2 years to earn a longterm deal. No need to dwell on this just yet?
I agree, He could turn around and be NL MVP this year. My point was that if I was watching those two games and seeing both at the plate and in the field I would be very hesitant in giving him a long term deal. The one thing that small sample can show is lack of effort and Soto just didn’t appear to be trying really hard. That would cause me to not pay long term no matter how good his results were. Effort is the one thing that is in complete control of the player.
Andruw Jones? Soto has been in for 6 seasons. Jones had 6 more great seasons after his 6th before he declined. You’re also basing this off two days? HAHA
Glad I can amuse you without even trying. Easy audiences are great.
What do you want me to base it off of? The rest of the season that hasn’t happened yet. I have watched him for two games and wasn’t impressed with his defense or his effort. I don’t know that he will fall off, I just know that if I was going to gamble $400-500 million or so, it would be on someone else or multiple someones else.
BTW, most of Jones’s greatness was with his defense, something that Soto will never be able to fall back on.
He wasn’t great last year either. Very good, not great (when you consider how awful his defense is). I think hiflew may be right. Every once in a while a dude arrives on the scene at some ridiculously young age and lights the world on fire, only for his peak to happen at 22 or 23 instead of the usual 27 or 28. Everyone’s different.
How about not basing any analysis off 2 days at all?
Why does it bother you what I do? I don’t have any real power to sign or not sign the man and I don’t think any owners are going to turn to me for advice in signing anyone.
Soto is a below average Fielder.
My question is HOW he got a Gold Glove. Seem like he is a little worried to give up his body when he is Near the wall catching a ball. He was more Aggressive swinging in Spring Training and WBC. His Soto Shuffle is getting Old, needs to step up and hit the Damn Ball.
I love this guy as a player! Glad he’ll be in the NL west for the foreseeable future he’s a pleasure to watch. Sadly for him he might have to take an bit of an underpay to stay on that team.
I’m guessing it’s a 7 year/83.8 million deal with at least two opt-outs, including one at 4 years.
Good guess on the guarantee though the opt-outs would lower the total.
Buying out his 33-36 years must be to get a deal on his 30-33 years.. guessing this helps the books for a possible Soto extension
BREAKING: Padres sign everyone for $3 billion
Is a physical required? Asking for my friend Carlo Scorrea.
The Padres. LOL!
Padres, worst record in MLB right now
That aged badly. And quickly.
#bronxmac77 – I figured it probably would. I was just taking advantage of the opportunity, while it existed. Now the Phillies have the worst record in MLB.
I am guessing around 7 years/$120M guaranteed w/ $5M signing bonus and $5M buyout on a $25M option, give or take.
So 8 years/$119.225M ish or 9 years/$144.225M total.
Before you post your prediction of contract guarantees, just knock a third off the total. Your guesses are always way high.
Padres hitting a bankruptcy wall in 5 years.
Regardless of what the dollar amount is. This makes no sense. Who are the Padres even bidding against? 7 years. Good luck with that!
Maybe the Padres are trying to lay the groundwork not for a Soto extension but for a $600 mill contract for Ohtani and to prove to him they will have a legitimate team around him for the long term.
I’m sure Cronenworth extension was at the top of Ohtani’s demands.
@ hiflew – Agreed. He plays the OF like he resents having to play the OF. At the very least, he takes plays off. A fly ball landed at his feet in the opener and he was standing flat-footed when it nearly hit him in the foot. Maybe make him a DH.
Would you want to spend as much as it will likely cost for Soto to get half a player?
If he gets back to hitting like he did before last season, which he will, then his fielding ability is not important. Ted Williams, for example, was not good defensively, and didn’t really care to improve. But he was the greatest hitter in the game so it didn’t matter.
Another terrible contract for SD
29. Long time?
Most likely a net value of what you would expect on a five-year deal, but spread out over 7 years. Padres are trying to spread out all their dollars for the Soto extension and/or an Ohtani addition.
Interesting…. Old school review of his stats would question how good he is and beg the question of how he was an all star last year. But when you dive into all his numbers and versatility, its not hard to see why a team would want to lock him up. Solid ball player. Curious how much that contract will ultimate me once officially announced
The founder of this site still writes articles? Interesting… I have only seen articles on player chats, subscriptions, and the Cubs player chat. I didn’t know he still does articles (not even a Cubs player).
Got to keep on top of things 24/7.
Padres save money on those alternate uniforms.
Recycled shower curtains and trailer park wall paper don’t cost much at all.
Yeah they look pretty hideous, lol.
Back when the Phillies, Tigers & Giants signed ,basically, their entire teams to long term contracts, it was after they had done some winning.
Each one of these new deals the Pobres sign gets worse & worse. Cronenworth is a nice player. Just not the kind that should be extended for 7 yrs & through age 36. Siedler is a hero. Too bad his POB is incapable of doing much more than spending Pete’s money.
Tigers? They haven’t won anything in over a decade
Padres? They haven’t won anything since little George Washington cut down cherry trees.
They beat the Mets and Dodgers in the playoffs last year. That’s winning something? But I’m a Giants fan, what do I know…
][V][ GO BLUE ! Great job Cronenworth !!
This… ( points for emphasis), THIS is the deal you’ve been waiting for.
Go Padres? (0-2).
Who locks up a league average hitting first baseman into their late 30’s? Didn’t they learn their lesson with Hosmer? One minute you get exited for Padres’ fans because the team is finally going to be competitive, then this happens. You quickly realize it will never last because the front office still has no clue. Machado better keep up his cardio and yoga. He’s going to be gloving it at 3B for at least seven more years. Soto is getting ready to become the highest paid DH in history.
My relatives in San Diego have a term. It’s called “Pad it.” They try not to get too excited because in the end, the Padres will “Pad it.”
He’s not really a first baseman, he’s a middle infielder that they’re playing at first right now because they have Xander and Ha-Seong Kim. Over his career so far he’s played 2B/SS almost 90% of the time.
To me this only makes sense if you eventually move him back to 2B. I think this makes it more likely they trade HSK this offseason to someone who can actually use him at SS. Either that or Kim walks in FA after 2024 and they move Crone back then. Another domino from this is Jackson Merrill is super redundant now with all these long term IF contracts. He’s probably getting traded for pitching soon.
@CNichols. And I fear they may need pitching soon. I doubt they will extend Kim now, and agree this makes sense only if Cronz plays 2B long-term
So X is sticking at short so Crone can justify his contract by playing 2B? The situation isn’t getting any more clear. There is no justification for this contract. This is a Rockies’ move. I stand by my previous statement.
According to Melvin, Cronenworth will play about 50 games at 2b this year when tough RH pitchers put Kim on bench.. Incredible flexibility for a manager. Kim’s contract ends after ‘24, after which Cronenworth slides back to 2B full-time.
@DonOsbourne:
“Who locks up a league average hitting first baseman into their late 30’s? Didn’t they learn their lesson with Hosmer”
Cronenberg is not a league average hitter, the money will be insignficant by the time they get to the backend, and this is not Hosmer money. The analogy does not pass any test you might give it.
Compared to the deals that we are seeing now, the new normal, this one is just fine. Sure, it might blow up, but so might they all. This is not two or three hundred million dollars. It will not hobble the team, at least not with this ownership.
Who’s “Cronenberg?”
I’m sure he meant Cronenbourg.
the horror film director plays IF for Pads?
Whoever opens the vault for Soto more than likely will regret it in the long run.
The dollars aren’t terrible,, but the timing is odd. Just for fun, let’s say Cro gets $7 & $10M over the next two arb years. That makes the extension $63M/5. He’d have been a 32 year old 1B in 2026. It feels like SD is taking on way too much risk for whatever (if any) discount they get.
April Fools?
There’s a lot of hate for the Padres here. I never thought I’d live to see the day that other teams’ fans would care about the Padres. I am living the dream.
Every franchise deserves to win it all once, including the Padres. That still doesn’t change the fact that AJ Preller is a profoundly shortsighted GM.
This extension suggests he’s longsighted
Except for that whole issue of paying for his age 35 and 36 seasons.
In 6-7 years of MLB inflation his $10/yr will be an even better bargain
If your boss said not to worry about it, why would you worry about it?
And when they do, $9M/yr will be nothing.
“Even better bargain…”
Heh heh heh heh…
Farsighted?
Insightful
I myself am green with envy over this .333 winning percentage juggernaut. Let’s hope its not a juggerNAUGHT.
All the best!
Good player but now that he’s a full-time 1B, this is a massive overpay. Padres are out of control and more and more I suspect their owner’s gonna dump a steaming pile of mess on the next owner within a few years, like Jeffery Loria.
I expect the dollar amount will be very close to the Gimenez extension given Cronenworth’s $4.2 million salary for 2023 and two remaining years of control. That’s far too much for a player who will be 35 at the end of his extension.
The presumption that Seidler will spend indefinitely is just misguided. Once Preller has merely inflated the value of the current roster above $300 without any appreciable results, the well of generosity will dry up.
*$300 million
@dank. If $10MM/yr for a well-above league average 2b is upsetting to you, what compensation would you suggest a MLB team pay?
Pay him for a shorter term, like 3 years.
Wouldn’t get him at $10 MM per year if only 3 year extension
That’s exactly the point. IMO, 3/$40 million would still be a better value than the current extension due to his age in the latter years.
decline is a possibility. It’s also possible he gets better in 30s.
Btw, can we drop the misnomer that Cronenworth is only costing $11 million per season? The team is now over the second luxury tax threshold and paying a 62.5% rate on any payroll above $273 million in 2024. Soto and Harder will cost significant amounts to retain. Hardly bargain bin pricing.
Can’t wait for the average age of Padres players to be 50 in a couple years, LOL.
All this talk about how old the Padres will be in 8-10 years. Yet, the Mets set themselves up for a rotation that averaged about 36 years old this off-season and all of those Mets fans were making room on the mantle for the trophy.
I guess it just all depends on whether or not it’s your team or their team when it comes to age!
Mets are an old and flawed team. Everybody knows it
Not the Mets fans on this site.
Those old Mets pitchers were all productive players last year. There is no way of predicting how the Padres players will age, but they are unlikely to all remain productive into their late 30’s the way the Mets’ pitchers have. The Mets took on a much lower risk based on recent production.
How many games has Verlander pitched in last 2 years though?
Seems like a pretty good bargain for the Pads
As a Padre fan i love Jake but i don’t understand the urgency to do this deal at this time. Hes a solid player but @10 mil/year idk. But hey its not my money! Go Padres!!!
@ Burrito. $10 MM/year is the cost of an average middle IF. Jake is well above ave (OPS+ 117) so in no way is this an overpay, it’s actually quite a bargain as dictated by the market.
If they want to pinch $ they could have signed someone like Miguel Rojas OPS+ 85 and accept a big drop in performance. Why do that if the idea is to compete?
He had 3 years of control through his age 32 season left after this one. Totally unnecessary extension and the Padres will be so bad in a few years when their entire payroll is committed to players in their mid 30s
2 years of control after this one. Not 3.
Given an 8 team no trade clause I’m picking NY, California, and Seattle. I’ll leave my reasons to the imagination of the reader
I imagine no one gives a sheet about your reasons.
Offended much? Lol. The point of an opinion is not for people to care or agree. That said, the majority of people agree with what I said and if you don’t know that you are not getting out of NY enough.
Who says anyone is offended?
You’re the only one who thinks this is a popularity contest. Keep projecting with your projectile vomit, though.
“The majority agree with what I said.”
Geez what a pathetic, weak little dweeb.
No matter what you say I’m not gonna get upset cause I don’t care about your opinion.lol
You are obviously offended and your last comment as well shows that you have no understanding of basic human psychology cause you indeed keep projecting (in psychological terminology) onto me and trying to say something to upset me. As I said I don’t care about approval. In regard to the last comment I am stating a fact. You are taking it as an opinion. You are wrong. I’m sorry but I can’t keep responding to these. I don’t care to waste time on something that doesn’t matter to me. I already said my opinion. It was a passing comment. I don’t care to argue just because you feel like you need to attack a person for having a different opinion.
Blah BLAH blah BLAH blah BLAH blah BLAH babbling baboon BLAH blah BLAH…
Rishi swishi son of bishi…
diatribe
If they’re lean, are they a diet tribe?
Someone did so you are already proven incorrecto bro
You have a problem.
Get help. Soon.
Hey swishi! I just contacted NY, California and Seattle! They don’t WANT your sorry-ass!
So everyone is on the same page. Which in your case, is the epilogue of a very sad story.
All the best!
After looking through the comments more I see you posted nonsense everywhere so you are indeed a troll (as I suspected). It’s a bit pathetic that you say I am the one with a problem and need help. Ok. I’ve really gotta let this thread go now friend. Anything else you post I am not gonna look at so if you want to further waste you’re time go ahead. You won’t be wasting mine so I don’t care. I never meant anything against the majority of people in those places but their government and many companies that reside there. Although there are some pretty annoying people at Yankees games. Only some. But heck I’m a braves fan and I see some annoying drunk red necks occasionally.
Shut up. Bye.
I know their owner means well but this is so unnecessary. This guy might be a utility player in a few seasons and they gave him 7 years lmao
Even if you were to ignore his OPS+ 117 and his consecutive AS appearances, $10 MM/yr will be the cost of a solid veteran utility player in 6-7 years, if it isn’t already
All Star appearances mean nothing and his OPS+ has trended down for three straight seasons to last years’ 111. If he continues to decline, he will be a league average hitter before this contract even kicks in. There is no way to defend this extension.
He’s not declining.
Reclining?
Wasn’t he an injury replacement last year? ASG mean nothing. Julio Urias leads baseball in ERA since 2019 and he’s never made an ASG.
You read the first part of my sentence, but didnt seem to read the rest of the sentence.
I only replied to that because it was a ridiculous statement to make. No one gives out contracts over ASGs anymore. There is literally no reason to pay this type of player until he’s in his late 30s. You should be able find a 115 OPS+ corner bat in your farm system, unless you think Cronenworth brings so special type of leadership.
One good reason, CBT management
Little late for that, isn’t it, sport?
tie me kangaroo down
I read the first part twice.
Now I’m gonna get the papers… get the papers
There were 9 parts, especially read parts 4, 7 and 11
don’t overlook his ability to stay healthy, which in this day and age should be considered the 6th tool. this is a fair deal
Great deal for a solid player. You could do alot worse for the money. Glad the Crone Zone stays in the 619!
Kudos to the Padres for locking up this future hall of famer. A true centerpiece with which they can build around.
This should assuage antsy Pads fans after this ‘Rockie’ start.
Heh heh heh heh…
HEH HEH HEHEHE HEH!
Padres leading!
Padres leading! Woo HOO!
Victory lap.
Pads win!
Pads win!
Pads win!
Still dwelling in the cellar, under .500
I would call this move intelligent, except that… Well… I don’t feel like I can.
Hope there is plenty of Geritol in the Padres locker room, they’re going to need it, all these long term contracts will go bad and start collecting mold in the not to distant future!
Good deal…….bad deal?
Remains to be seen.
But you know who’s happy?…..Padre fans.
If you’re not a Padre fan I don’t know why you care.
I do know we can buy a jersey of our favorite player and in most cases he will end his career as a Padre.
Tatis,Machado,Bogaerts,Musgrove,Cronenworth…..
It’s gotta suck putting on that Betts or Bogaerts jersey in Boston…or Lindor in Clev or Arenado in Col.
We used to be that team…for 50 years.
Not any more….good or bad this is MUCH better.
I bought a Babe Ruth jersey.
But he ended his career as a Brave.
So there’s that.
Did you buy it while he was playing for the Yankees and you were going to his games?
Yes.
But I utilize a progressive diet and exercise plan.
Actually, I still have a personalized Padres jersey from 1998. The blue alternate jersey with orange numbers. Sweet.
I bought my personalized Padres jersey when I was a season ticket holder. Saw Mr. Padre numerous times. Met the late great Jerry Coleman and Mark Grant too.
It would be kind of funny if Cronenworth went .326 with 22 bombs and 118 ribbies though. Just because.
17 bombs and 89 ribbies last year. So .260 and 22 and about 95 is a real possibility with Bogaerts and Tatis batting in front of him this year.
Still don’t get that long an extension. Don’t they have years of control now?
2
HOME RUN!
HOME RUN!
HOME RUN AGAIN!
Maybe the Pads were smart to lock up Cronenworth. Juan No no Soto (.071) sure sucks sour buttermilk.
Three more outs and the Pads square the season!
Most of the ‘modern’ metrics, stats, analytics are useless and cause paralysis by analysis.
It’s not complicated: bases good, outs bad. Harness good, block bad.
“Then” looks awful when set off by commas and is the wrong word choice for the situation. It needs to say “Cronenworth’s new seven-year deal therefore buys out his final two arbitration years plus another five of free agency.” There’s no reason to use “then” over the more appropriate “therefore,” and “then” doesn’t make the writer look more sophisticated. It has the opposite effect, in fact.