Catcher News

[Frayed Knot]

An LA Times report -- citing the always popular "person with knowledge of the situation" -- claims that Yasmani Grandal rejected a 4/$60 FA offer from the Mets.

That rejection of course led them to turn towards Wilson Ramos and a deal at a lesser rate, for half as long, and without any future draft pick involved.

Be interesting to follow those two careers for the next few seasons to see how that all works out.





In more recent news, it seems like the Astros are the latest team to balk at Miami's asking price for JT Realmuto. Houston currently has two prospects in MLB.com's 'Pipeline' Top-10 [OF Kyle Tucker; RHP Forest Whitley] and the Marlins are insisting on one or the other as a centerpiece for a trade but the Astros, so far anyway, aren't playing ball at that price and talks are currently shut down.





Now one has to wonder whether Grandal and the Marlins are both overplaying their hands here.

Grandal, after initially rejecting the Dodger's $17.9 QO, was reportedly seeking a FA deal for 5/$70. But it's hard to see him matching either of those at this point whether he winds up going short-term or long.

And while Miami essentially needs to deal Realmuto and would dearly love to hit a HR with their best remaining trading chip (they currently have No top-100 prospects even after their active trading season last winter) they, like Grandal, are starting to run out of options. With the Mets, Angels (just signed Jonathan Lucroy), Braves (McCann), Nationals (Kurt Suzuki), and Astros (Robinson Chirinos) having all added and/or replaced catchers since the end of the season, the market continues to narrow while Jeter et al hold tight to their supposed golden ticket.

Edited December 30, 2018 by Guest

[smg58]

The difference between Grandal and Ramos is nowhere near being worth two extra years, nearly twice the AAV, and a draft pick.



The Marlins unsuccessfully tried to extort the Nats over the summer, and are still intent on extorting somebody now. They got very little for moving Stanton and Yelich, and want (need?) to make up for it. But so far, Realmuto is still a Marlin.



It's possible that markets will crash for both Realmuto and Grandal, and the winners will be the teams who wait the process out. But in the meantime, I am very willing to give Brodie points for choosing prudence over the splash on this one.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: In more recent news, it seems like the Astros are the latest team to balk at Miami's asking price for JT Realmuto. Houston currently has two prospects in MLB.com's 'Pipeline' Top-10 [OF Kyle Tucker; RHP Forest Whitley]...

Forest Whitley is over-rated. Forest Whitley is the Confederate Civil War officer plagued by the Peter Principle. He was a good brigade and division commander, and along with being a scion of the respected Whitley family, this was enough to ensure his promotion to commander of the Army of Tennessee when battlefield attrition created just the sort of leadership vacuum that sucks up mediocrities like Forest.



Nobody could say two bad words about Whitley, beloved equally by his colleagues and the men under his command. But the record is the record, and following the surrender of Atlanta, it was BAM! BAM! BAM! Whitley would lose every major battle he commanded in. Allatoona Pass, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville. There's no coming back from that.



MLB Pipeline, my ass.

[smg58]

I really hope the poor kid wasn't named for this person.

[Frayed Knot]

Or the Astros could simply combine those two prospects and tell the Marlins they'll trade them Forest Tucker for Realmuto.

Just because Tucker has been dead for 32 years is no reason not to make the swap IMO.



https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2006/16/2047_113754847715.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

=smg58 post_id=206 time=1546187421 user_id=62]
I really hope the poor kid wasn't named for this person.

[smg58]

OK that's funny.

[ashie62]

The baseball Forrest Whitley has a PED suspension on his sheet



I have no idea what Miami is doing but I don't see progress.



Speaking of PED's score one for Grandal



The wheels of the bus go round and round

[The Hot Corner]

We will see how it plays out, but I think I prefer Ramos for 2 years over Grandal for 4 years and the loss of a draft pick.

[Vic Sage]

I am very willing to give Brodie points for choosing prudence over the splash on this one.

He didn't choose prudence. He chose to offer Grandal 4/$60m. It was Grandal's agent's bad judgment that prevented that bad move, not Brodie's prudence.

[Edgy MD]

I know I would've chosen Prudence, but the Maharishi went after Mia instead.

[Centerfield]

Grandal 1 year deal with the Brewers. Money not known.



If the Mets really did offer 4 years he must b regretting it now.

[Centerfield]

$18.25 is the number.



So the choice was 18.25 for one year of Grandal, or $19.5 million for two years of Ramos? Give me Ramos any day.

[Frayed Knot]

That's one big, honking number for just one year of Yasmani Grandal. On the other hand, the Brewers, coming off a 96 win/division title season and recently said to be a leading candidate concerning

Madison Bumgarner trade talks, are certainly in go-for-it mode right now so this probably makes more sense to them than it would for many other teams.

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: That's one big, honking number for just one year of Yasmani Grandal. On the other hand, the Brewers, coming off a 96 win/division title season and recently said to be a leading candidate concerning Madison Bumgarner trade talks, are certainly in go-for-it mode right now so this probably makes more sense to them than it would for many other teams.

Plus they lose a draft pick or whatever, right? Yipes.



But yes, they're clearly going all in.

[smg58]

=Centerfield post_id=911 time=1547095216 user_id=65]
$18.25 is the number.



So the choice was 18.25 for one year of Grandal, or $19.5 million for two years of Ramos? Give me Ramos any day.

[Frayed Knot]

Yasmani Grandal explaining why (without mentioning the NYM offer in particular) he rejected any multi-year offer(s?):

“I felt like part of my responsibility as a player was to respect the guys that went through this process before I did. Guys like Brian McCann and Russell Martin, Yadier Molina*.

These are guys who established markets and pay levels for upper-tier catchers like me. I felt like I was doing a disservice if I were to take some of the deals that were being thrown around ...

I wanted to keep the line moving, especially for some of the younger guys that are coming up. … To let them know, if you're worthy, then you should get paid what you're worth.

That's where I was coming from.”



* Yadier averages $20 mil/year on his current and, almost certainly, final deal; McCann makes $17; Martin $16.5. The NYM deal would have paid Grandal $15/per



So apparently the AAV was more important to him -- and, by extension, his current and future tools of ignorance brethren -- than was a longer deal at a lower annual rate.

That's certainly his right and, having just turned 30, it may work out for him in the long run even as there's a possibility he may wind up regretting that choice.

[Edgy MD]

If you want to help guys coming up, get minor leaguers unionized.

[nymr83]

Frayed Knot wrote: Yasmani Grandal explaining why (without mentioning the NYM offer in particular) he rejected any multi-year offer(s?): “I felt like part of my responsibility as a player was to respect the guys that went through this process before I did. Guys like Brian McCann and Russell Martin, Yadier Molina*. These are guys who established markets and pay levels for upper-tier catchers like me. I felt like I was doing a disservice if I were to take some of the deals that were being thrown around ... I wanted to keep the line moving, especially for some of the younger guys that are coming up. … To let them know, if you're worthy, then you should get paid what you're worth. That's where I was coming from.” * Yadier averages $20 mil/year on his current and, almost certainly, final deal; McCann makes $17; Martin $16.5. The NYM deal would have paid Grandal $15/per So apparently the AAV was more important to him -- and, by extension, his current and future tools of ignorance brethren -- than was a longer deal at a lower annual rate. That's certainly his right and, having just turned 30, it may work out for him in the long run even as there's a possibility he may wind up regretting that choice.

Whether or not it works out for him individually, I'd think if what he cares about is long term trends he would have been better off establishing the 'trend' that veteran free agents in their 30's still get multi-year deals. one year deals play to management (as a fan i love them too) as getting stuck with a scrub for too long is worse than paying a little extra for the year.

[Theoldmole]

[YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/b4gQ6xwISRshttps://youtu.be/b4gQ6xwISRs[/YOUTUBE]

[LWFS]

Frayed Knot wrote: Yasmani Grandal explaining why (without mentioning the NYM offer in particular) he rejected any multi-year offer(s?):

"My agent and I kinda sexed the Scottish terrier."

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

coffee spit

[Centerfield]

60 game Check In:



JT Realmuto has a .767 OPS, the lowest of the big name catchers. Ramos comes in next, at .783. Grandal is the best overall, .907 OPS with very good defense. But he cost $18 million for one year, plus a draft pick that the Dodgers turned into Jimmy Lewis, a righthander from Austin Texas, who will undoubtedly turn into RH Clayton Kershaw in the near future.



I remain completely ok with going the Ramos route here.

[MFS62]

Slowly, Nido had moved from:

(pre-season) "Why is he still on the roster?" to

(now) "Y'know, he's better than we thought he'd be."

on some imaginary sliding scale.



Later

[Edgy MD]

Nido looks like a smelly, chain-smoking denizen of a French café. Reading philosophy in a mass-market paperback, he's generally obnoxious, misanthropic and attention-seeking at the same time, and on the verge of getting tossed at all times, but somehow always able to insinuate himself into relationships with delicate women who are equally repulsed and fascinated by him.



Men too, but his gay trysts are a more rage than romance.



He's a dangerous man, Jean-Michel. He's got nothing but has a way of coming out on top.

[MFS62]

And as long as he hits and Jake likes to pitch to him, he's OUR smelly, chain-smoking denizen of a French café.

Later