This cannot go on much longer.

[nymr83]

Edgy MD wrote: No, acting in concert on the labor side is quite legal.

It may be legal in an unregulated workplace, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits it so the owners could have a cause of action - good luck proving anything.

edit - I didnt see the post you were responding to until now. it is not a violation of laws but a contractual violation.

[nymr83]

Hosmer deal proves that not only aren't the owner colluding, but there are still dumb teams out there willing to give bad 8 year deals to mediocre players at the least premium position coming off a career year!

[ashie62]

J.D. Martinez to Red Sox 5yrs/110 million.

50 million in first two years with two opt-outs

Next!

[nymr83]

That is an AMAZING deal for the playet there. Because its a huge number for 2 years and basically the team insuring him against injury/suck after that. He hits the market again if he hits

[Mex17]

Now with Darvish, Hosmer, and Martinez signed, is there any reason for Moustakas/Morrison/Arrieta/Lynn/Cobb to keep holding out, let alone any of the players who are below even them?

[nymr83]

is there a reason? i don't know! each player should or shouldn't "hold out" based on their own best interest and not some idea of whats best for other players or "the market" - hopefully they have good agents advising them as such. hopefully they don't get the bad advice Stephen Drew got after (what turned out to be) his career year.

it may be time for some guys to sign and not the optimal time for others. and money isn't the only factor, maybe some guys just want to know where they are moving their family to already and that certainty is worth losing a few bucks?

[nymr83]

Instead of making some crazy collusion claim that they cant prove, MLBPA decided to test the waters by suing the Marlins, A's, Pirates, & Rays accusig them of not meetig their obligation to spend revenue sharing money on improving the team.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22595160/mlbpa-files-revenue-sharing-grievance-miami-marlins-oakland-pittsburgh-pirates-tampa-bay-rays

Since money is fungible, and i presume each team spends at least its revenue sharing money, i dont see how they prove anything. there is nothing in the CBA (but there should be) saying the teams need to spend OTHER money!

But Jeter is getting sued. awesome!

[smg58]

I would guess that the question to ask is, has the revenue sharing money resulted in a corresponding increase in the team's payroll? And if not, is there a justifiable reason for it?

But if there are any sort of clearly defined, objective criteria for evaluating this, I'm not aware of them.

[Edgy MD]

This is the silliness born of an artificial economy.

[Frayed Knot]

Ichiro poised to sign with ... the Mariners.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ichiro poised to sign with ... the Mariners.

Birds chirping...
OK, I'll go for it.

Fuck Ichiro!

Later

[Edgy MD]

Go, Ichiro!

[Guest 41Forever]

Edgy MD wrote: Go, Ichiro!

Yeah, I'm right there with you. This is a nice way to cap off a career. I don't know if he'll make it through the season, but going out as a Mariner seems right.

[nymr83]

MFS62 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Ichiro poised to sign with ... the Mariners. Birds chirping... OK, I'll go for it. Fuck Ichiro! Later

I know some Yankee fans who will say that for you in Japanese!

[MFS62]

From Rotoworld:

Mike Moustakas' agent Scott Boras suggested to Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star that his client might not sign until after the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft. That would no longer tie Moustakas to draft pick compensation and could finally spring open a fruitful market for the 29-year-old third baseman, especially if he is willing to accept offers that would only carry through to the end of the 2018 season. He can not have that draft pick compensation tied to him next winter, per the CBA rules. "Watch what happens," Boras said. "This player has no picks attached to him. It goes away, because they can only put it on him once. So now it's a totally different world for Moose." Boras and Moustakas were believed to be seeking upwards of five years and $75 million when this offseason began.

Boras, playing the angles again. The player will probably get as much for that first half a season as he would for a full first season if a team really wants to sign him. And teams will have a better handle on their needs mid-season.
I wonder if other still unsigned free agents might have to wait that long?

Later

[nymr83]

i could work out well for him or it could blow up in his face, certainly the riskier road.

[smg58]

After Stephen Drew, I'm amazed that Boras still could (or would) talk anybody into going that route.

[A Boy Named Seo]

There's little incentive for a team to offer a 1-year/larger dollar contract to any of these dudes either, as most of the big name dudes left are tied to the compensatory pick. If I'm still a team with holes to fill, I just leave that low-ball offer sitting there (like Minny's 2-year/$20M offer for Lynn). I'm sure none of these dudes in their prime years (Moustakas, Lynn, Cobb) really want to sit out.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think this is a strategy for Boras as much as it is a justification for pointing out that the compensation conditions do in fact depress the market value for those to whom it's attached.
If negotiations are going to drag into the season he might as well set up his his anti-compensation pick arguments in advance just in case it gets to that point.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Frayed Knot wrote: I don't think this is a strategy for Boras as much as it is a justification for pointing out that the compensation conditions do in fact depress the market value for those to whom it's attached. If negotiations are going to drag into the season he might as well set up his his anti-compensation pick arguments in advance just in case it gets to that point.

Yeah, I don't think he expected this at all. MLB's de facto salary cap dictates that teams can't operate the old skool way anymore.

[MFS62]

MLB network os reporting Lance Lynn to the Twins - 1 year, $12 million.
Later

[nymr83]

MFS62 wrote: MLB network os reporting Lance Lynn to the Twins - 1 year, $12 million. Later

crap, i had him on my NL-only team, there goes another keeper!

Mets should have made that offer

[bmfc1]

[tweet:3p6m9fo9]

[/tweet:3p6m9fo9]

[smg58]

Nymr83 wrote: MFS62 wrote: MLB network os reporting Lance Lynn to the Twins - 1 year, $12 million. Later crap, i had him on my NL-only team, there goes another keeper! Mets should have made that offer

I agree.

The Phillies get Arrieta for 3 and 75.

[Vic Sage]

good for the Phillies. That's a serious overpay, and it'll bite them. Arrieta is in decline; i'd take Lynn at 1/2 that price for 1 year.

[Frayed Knot]

Vic Sage wrote: good for the Phillies. That's a serious overpay, and it'll bite them. Arrieta is in decline; i'd take Lynn at 1/2 that price for 1 year.

Yeah, I was just about to post that how you feel about that deal depends on how much you think his trends are likely to continue.

H/9: 5.9, 6.3, 8.0 [2015-2017]
HR/9: 0.4, 0.7, 1.2
ERA: 1.77, 3.10, 3.53
K/BB: 4.92, 2.50, 2.96
IP: 229, 197, 168
... and then there are the reports of reduced velocity, etc.

That he only turned 32 earlier this week means that it's not out of the question that he turns things around, but the 2014-2016 portion of his career [9th, 1st, and 9th in CY voting] seems more like the outlier
when compared to the 2010-2013 and then 2017 seasons.

[Centerfield]

That’s a lot more than I thought he’d get.

Philly likely overpaid, but our path to any Wild Card just got harder.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: That’s a lot more than I thought he’d get. Philly likely overpaid, but our path to any Wild Card just got harder.

well, it's not September so we're still talking division anyway. So this was probably neutral in that regard.

[nymr83]

I would much rather be the team getting the steal of a Lynn deal, but i would have signed up for Arrieta too.

The money is Wilpons not mine so wtf do i care if he gets 20 or 25 mil? I care mostly about length of deals - if this guy doesn't live up to the hype, how long are we stuck with him? 3 years at age 32 doesn't seem too long here.

[Edgy MD]

Well, the idea is that $75 mill invested poorly in one place means $75 mill not invested wisely in another place.