As the offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Press conference in Arizona:
At 2:00pm CT this afternoon, the Diamondbacks will be holding a press conference to introduce newly-signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the press. Both Rodriguez himself and GM Mike Hazen will be in attendance. Rodriguez, who signed a four-year, $80MM contract as the Winter Meetings were coming to a close last week, is the largest free agent signing by the D-backs since the ill-fated Madison Bumgarner deal signed prior to the 2020 season. The press conference could shed some light on Arizona’s payroll flexibility going forward this offseason, as the reigning NL champs are into uncharted territory with regards to their payroll. RosterResource projects them for a $127MM payroll in 2024, a figure that comes in just below the club’s all-time high payroll of $131MM back in 2018 (per Cot’s Baseball Contracts). That would seemingly leave little room in the budget for further additions, but Arizona has nonetheless been connected to bats at the top of the DH market such as J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler.
2. Contracts yet to be made official:
Yesterday saw the Royals make their one-year agreement with left-hander Will Smith official, designating right-hander Collin Snider for assignment to make room for Smith on the club’s 40-man roster. With Smith now officially on the roster in Kansas City, it’s possible that two other signings that were agreed upon over the weekend could be made official in the near future as well: fellow southpaw Andrew Chafin’s $4.75MM deal with the Tigers, and catcher Austin Hedges’s $4MM pact with the Guardians. Cleveland already cleared a spot for Hedges on their 40-man roster by shipping catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Marlins the day of their agreement with Hedges, while the Tigers currently have just 38 players on their 40-man, leaving them room on the roster for another addition even after Chafin’s deal is made official.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
With the Winter Meetings now in the rearview mirror and baseball’s biggest free agent off the board, are there any questions burning in your mind about the offseason? Are you wondering what’s next for your favorite team, or perhaps curious about what the market for a particular free agent looks like? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.
I’d say the odds are favorable that ARI gets better value out of this contract than Madbum’s.
That must be where the crickets get their martinis because that’s a pretty low bar.
How well E-Rod is acquainted with a dirt bike greatly affects their ability to find more value in his deal than MadBum’s.
MadBum seemed like he would have to have the jersey ripped off his back before he’d stop pitching. Now it is a little surprising that he is effectively out of the league. I would think that some team would sign him to a minimum deal and try to fix him.
MadBum has a lot of miles on that arm. I don’t get that he’s the type of guy that would be able to reinvent himself for a later-career resurgence, but that’s me. As cringy as it is to see some young kids pimping plays, it’s even moreso seeing enforcers like MadBum continually barking at guys for minor offenses.
Question the chat: should the jays go essentially all in prospect wise and get eloy and Robert from CHI town? Are they better off just trading for Eloy Jeminez alone at a fair price or nick Castalonos for close to free if they take on 10-12M per season left on his deal as the DH option they need who ays 30 games in the grass or so.I s there a world were the twins trade Kepler/RF, Poloncos/2b/3b and ED Julien 2b/LF for Manoah, Schneider espinal and a good prospect or 2
geg42
Madison Bumgarner is still under contract with Arizona for 2024 and Arizona will be paying him $5M per year in deferred contract money in 2025, 2026, and 2027. He is set financial and doesn’t need to pitch. He also understands that his body totally lost its ability to pitch in the majors. Brett Strom worked with him to make adjustments two years in a row to compensate for slower pitch speeds and lack of effectiveness, and nothing worked. He is done.
Bumgarner should never of signed with Diamondbacks, its the second worst place for pitchers to go.
You do realize that since the installation of the humidor, Chase Field is more of a neutral ballpark, right?
That is the chance when you sign a pitcher with a lot of innings, Mad Bum pitched his A**off for the Giants over 200 innings a couple of times playoff performance with a lot of innings. Only so many innings in a human’s arm. His arm speed slowed down, there was nothing left in his arm when he was released, when it goes it goes. D’Backs knew that when they signed him, it was no surprise, that why he was released, they were hoping for 5 years, instead of should have signed him for 3 years.
I appreciate your insight.
At least Bumgarner has his historic World Series work to hang his hat on
If Arizona can’t get Martinez or Soler, maybe their best bet is to go for Hunter Renfroe. He would instantly be their starting RF (Carroll in LF and Thomas in CF) and give them that additional right handed power bat that they apparently covet. Instead of a full-time DH they can then use a rotation for guys needing a rest day which would be especially helpful for Marte. Either McCarthy or Fletcher becomes the 4th OF in this scenario. The other thing Renfroe gives them is a strong throwing arm in the outfield, which they currently do not have.
Padres are screwed. Season is over before it began. Team has no money to spend. MLB wants the Padres to fail.
MLB didn’t force them to sign, Tatis, machado, boegerts to a mega deal
MLB is forcing them to shed payroll. Forcing a trade of Soto to a lager market clib. MLB wants the Padres to be a ‘smaller market’ team.
And what mechanism does MLB have to “force” an entity to reduce expenditures or even increase it?
@towinagain, MLB didn’t do any of that. The ownership group of the Padres has changed direction. If ownership sets financial goals and those goals can’t be achieved if Soto is kept then he gets traded. Same for the free agents. If resigning Snell, Hader etc doesn’t align with the financial goals of the team, then they won’t be Padres. Padres Ownership is making Preller make tough decisions, not MLB
“Forcing them to shed payroll”…So, in your fantasy, The Padres have zero accountability and responsibility for their own team?
Arctos Sports Partners is the new face of baseball.
tow – The Padres severely violated MLB rules, they have only themselves to blame.
He would have gone to Milwaukee if SD had been forced to trade him to a lager market club.
They are considered a small market because of their location. They have tried to get Mexico interested in Padres Baseball. It is just the economics of San Diego; they have two teams that have deeper pockets hour and a half from them in LA. MLB is mindful of a team financial before the TV contracts. San Diego spent above their means when they sign all those players to 10- and 12-year contracts. Yes, they did not know Ballys Sports TV was going to go under, San Diego was trying to compete with LA, the D’Backs are a small market team, now you have Las Vegas getting a team, that is four teams that San Diego has to compete with for the baseball economic tv and radio dollars.
Smaller market teams are subservient to larger market teams in MLB.
Arctos Sports Partners will ruin baseball.
There is a lot of the offseason left with plenty of free agents available. Allow the A’s for a chance to thrive by voting to allow a Las Vegas move but hope that SD fails?
Absolutely MLB wants the Padres to fail. MLB favors the Dodgers.
Pushed for a trade of Soto.
Pushed of Ohtani in LA.
MLB loves Petco but could care less about ever seeing a WS Championship in SD.
MLB would own San Diego if the Padres won the first ever professional championship for San Diego.
Hey relax.
We can offer Blake Snell 10 years 30 mill. 10 years 200 mill in deferred
We can offer Jordan Montgomery 10 years 25 mill. 10 years 200 in deferred
We can offer bellinger 10 years 40 mill. Then 10 years 200 mill
Remember it’s not a luxury tax dodge. Oh and their aavs are only 20-25 mill each.
@Jobu is that really any different than the Padres paying Manny $17M a year now and then paying $39M per year the last 6 years of his deal? Backloaded, deferred it’s all an effort to reduce present day expenditures. Every team tries to figure out how to best handle their budgets, it’s a business.
Wampum – yes it is different. padres aren’t paying Manny until he is 50 years old (or Mookie until he is 48).
But they could……they either didn’t try or the players/Preller didn’t want to. Not deferring large deals was a choice. Padres have the same rules as any other team. Calling out the Dodgers or any other team for working within the rules and having a better outcome than the Padres seems like jealousy.
Backloaded doesn’t work the same ways deferred money does.
A 10 year 150 mill contract is 15 mill aav no matter if player makes 20 20 20 20 20 10 10 10 10 10 or any variation of of frontloading/backloading a contract.
Deferred doesnt count against cbt like frontloading/backloading does and its tax dodging in many forms. I cant think state of california is very happy with this arrangement.
Do people seriously think the dodgers are giving Ohtani 68 million every year for 10 years? No they’ll take out a loan for 30-40 years or do some kind of shady business. Ohtani will get his money and Dodgers pay off a loan probably less than 15 mill a year rather than 68 mill for 10 years.
Not only do they have to pay him exactly that amount every year for 10 years after the contract, they also have to pre-fund a percentage of that each year well ahead of time. I don’t know the details but it’s not some shady business.
Im with Longtime on this one. Long term contracts beyond expected service time essentially work as a pension, which is no longer a payment for service but instead a benefit of employment. That benefit should be offered to all players. Beyond that, the Dodgers are transferring an outlandish sum to a retired player which may, will, reduce monies for players in the future. If this is allowed as a matter of policy, future players will carry an unfair burden. Contracts should expire upon retirement. If that means teams pay the remainder in the year of retirement, so be it. Its the only way to do it equitably.
Do the rules prevent Dodgers from taking a loan out, paying him the 680 mill or whatever is left after pre funding, and then paying off a loan over 30-40 years reducing their yearly financial committment? If so show me in the CBA that says Dodgers can’t do that.
Wampum – I didn’t call out anyone. Maybe someone did – I was just pointing out that it is different when you said it wasn’t.
@Jobu, yes, the Padres can. All teams can. Some teams execute it, some don’t. All teams have the same opportunity to defer contract $$, Dodgers did, Padres didn’t.
Its like youre having a conversation with yourself and imaginary people instead of reading what people are saying.
@jobu I read your response right up until the “shady business” comment. I almost stopped at the California tax comment as taxes will be paid based on salary for each and every year salary was earned, but I just shrugged that off as a probable disgruntled Californian comment. But the shady note went too far and I reverted back to my original comments that the rules are the same for all teams.
Wampum – as I’ve read in reports, I’ve he ISNT LIVING IN CA when those payments start, CA loses out on taxes. That is reality not fantasy.
ERod must be happy to be out of Detroit. What a clown show Harris has going on. They need to find an owner that wants to win.
If that’s true why didn’t Erod accept the trade?
Certainly not because he loved being in Detroit. Probably just to stick it to them. They are clowns.
I can imagine the chat now…those Dodgers are dodging the CBT and this shouldn’t be allowed by Manfred! No, they are not so just stop yourselves!
Who cares if they are or aren’t. Semantics. It’s a bad look for baseball. Rich got richer. Now 2/3 to 3/4 of the league cannot compete for a title.
Only 4 to 5 teams have a shot. As a Padres fan we fall in to the category of the group that doesn’t have a chance. The team has absolutely no money to spend, like a majority of clubs.The season ended before it began.
Yup MLB would have veto the deal if it was padres or any small market team deferring money but since it’s the dodgers and Ohtani and their unlimited cash flow it’s acceptable and get special treatment . they found a loophole and right player it’s legal .A Problem is TV money , with teams and thier own deals , while the the Bally bankruptcy hurting others
Arctos Sports Partners.
The Padres were banking on having Bally Sports network as having their own Sports Network as the Dodgers, the Yankees have. They signed that 20 year TV deal that was originally call Fox Sports Network, sold to Bally. Padres had the up front money from then Fox Sports Network, they signed Hosmer, Manny, Tatis, etc. they had the idea of signing Soto with the Sports network deal. Now they have no sports network only local, they are back to where they were before the Fox Sports Network times a small market team buried by LA sports. Only with a lot of big contract debt.
Lol Braves are a publicly traded team and used brains and development to have payrolls far under the mega teams with a budget. Sand Diego went buck wild and made some dumb signings. Leave it at that. Even Mets fans can admit their owner is dumb for paying players mega deals that play for other teams now. I do think the dodgers not getting stuck with the 70mm AAV of Ohtani is garbage and I’m sure that will be changed soon because everyone will jump into the loop hole now.
PS AZ made the WS last year and have half the payroll of San Diego.
Look up Arctos Sports Partners as to the strategy behind modern day baseball.
“4 to 5 teams have a shot…bad look for baseball”..I hate to interrupt your pity party, but you do realize it was Texas & Arizona in last yrs World Series, not necessarily the richest teams by revenue, attendance or payroll.
Arctos Sports Baseball.
Padres will probably be better than Rockies and Diamondbacks and will have a chance for a wild card in 2024.
In your dreams…
Nolan Arenado; what do I have to do to get the Cardinals to trade me to the Dodgers?
You sound obnoxious
Baseball is lame. Too many spoiled front runner fans who think this is college football.
San Diego market size before the RSN was limited, RSN provided them with a sizeable increase that was supposed to last 20 yrs. Padres took advantage of that with big time contracts, they were banking on the longevity of the RSN. Seidle had the right idea, trying to get the Padres a championship. He had all the good will in doing it, h meant well, he gave Preller a go gett’em no worry about the cost, I’ll tell you when to stop. They seen the RSN as a 20 year gold credit card. Now they are stuck in a corner with these Big contracts and not the revenue coming in since the RSN went bankrupted. They have no choice, I see they’re payroll back down to the mid tier teams category by 2026. it was fun while it lasted.
Fun while it lasted is right . Thanks MLB
Swinging (and all other down in the dumps Padres fans): the Padres window is still open for 24-27 (ish). That crop of AA SP and bats looms very much for real. Snelling, Thorpe, Lesko and the other guy I’m forgetting creates a very cheap rotation with Musgrove and Darvish may slot into closer.
Salas, Merrill, Zavala, Marsee, Martodelli (sp?) along with Campy, Tatis, Manny, Bog.
All of these cheaper guys allows for an addition of a bat for 1b shifting Cro to super utility.
Yeah, it does feel like a letdown but after that sinks in, consider that 25-27 window.
Also, there is room to add maybe 2 4’s to the SP which would make things interesting if King performs as he did in 23, bounce back years from Cro, Tatis, Manny, Bog and a full season of what Campy showed.
24 isn’t over yet!!
The main issue many people, myself included, have with wasteful owners is this: In a capitalist market, owners try to make a profit and workers try to make the most money. However, if a few billionaires are diehard fans of a team, and other owners either care less or have less money to spend, thry aren’t necessarily cheap. It’s those guys who forve other owners to either waste money and take losses on their investments or to spend less and lose more. I get that Oakland is really cheap, but you can’t expect everyone to care about winning more than anything.