Gerrit Cole: Enemy of Decency

[G-Fafif]

MFYs sign most desirable free agent pitcher on the market*: 9 years, $324 million.



*Gerrit Cole, not Rick Porcello

[batmagadanleadoff]

I wonder what Cole woulda gotten if he'd won two Cy Young awards?



(Headline from less than a year ago:)



Jacob deGrom's Patience Has Handsomely Paid Off With A Five Year $137.5 Million Contract Extension

[kcmets]

$36 million semololians per year, no-trade clause and no deferred money.

I knew I should have taken my slider more seriously.

[Guest 41Forever]

Nine years for a pitcher seems insane.

[Lefty Specialist]

=41Forever post_id=28113 time=1576070287 user_id=69]
Nine years for a pitcher seems insane.

[bmfc1]

He can opt-out after 5. Not my $ and insane or not, he's great.

[kcmets]

Opting out of 144 million guaranteed clams in one's middle 30's would be insane

too. I just try and imagine how much money the Yanks make for just one WS home

game and it all adds up in my head.



The Wilpons never got it, they never will...

[Ceetar]

here's hoping those improvements were a product of the Astros and not necessarily transferrable.

[Frayed Knot]

=bmfc1 post_id=28115 time=1576071510 user_id=73]
He can opt-out after 5. Not my $ and insane or not, he's great.

[Centerfield]

"Unsustainable", says the guy selling his team.

[smg58]

More than anything else, it's and indication that the Yankees are going back to the George Steinbrenner era of being the beast when it comes to spending. George's kids had been good soldiers, bringing the Yankees' payroll from 85% of team revenue to 35% (I forget the article where I saw that number) and allowing the rest of the league to keep spending down. Then (a) the players union noticed that revenues have skyrocketed but players' salaries have plateaued, and ( the Yankees noticed that the 2010s came and went, and the World Series came to New York City once and it wasn't to the Bronx. So now teams are throwing money at players again, and the Yankees are leading the way. The more things change...



As for where that leaves the Mets? I see getting one of Ryu, Bumgarner, or Keuchel as a necessity and not a luxury, and the team had better be prepared to pay. The alternative is accepting fourth place in the division.

[Gwreck]

=41Forever post_id=28113 time=1576070287 user_id=69]
Nine years for a pitcher seems insane.

[ashie62]

One day Steve Cohen will make a deal like this and we will rejoice

[Guest 41Forever]

Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast said we don't need to play the season. The Yankees are winning 110 games and the World Series. Sucks to be the Rays, and the Red Sox should go through the rebuilding. But, he said, it wasn't about the money.



I gotta stop listening to that.

[Edgy MD]

=Gwreck post_id=28229 time=1576139730 user_id=56]
=41Forever post_id=28113 time=1576070287 user_id=69]
Nine years for a pitcher seems insane.

[MFS62]

Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast said we don't need to play the season. The Yankees are winning 110 games and the World Series. Sucks to be the Rays, and the Red Sox should go through the rebuilding. But, he said, it wasn't about the money. I gotta stop listening to that.

I already don't listen to a grown man who calls himself "Buster"?

Later

[Gwreck]

Edgy MD wrote: Images? Even for billionaires, there are good investments and bad ones.

This investment is in fact good for their image, no? That they're willing to spend money necessary to compete?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Images? Even for billionaires, there are good investments and bad ones. This investment is in fact good for their image, no? That they're willing to spend money necessary to compete?

It's much more than simply calculating how much the Yankees can afford to spend. It's that the Yankees stand to gain more from a WS win, or a nice playoff run. And they'll benefit more from the same playoff run that any other team can theoretically have. In other words, a playoff run, or WS win is worth more to the Yankees than to most other teams. Funny how the Mets play in the exact same city yet can't leverage those features. What poetic justice that they're gonna lose their team because as far as Katz's kids are concerned, Jeff Wilpon is the douchebag dick that every baseball insider already knows he is.

[Edgy MD]

Edgy MD wrote: Images? Even for billionaires, there are good investments and bad ones. This investment is in fact good for their image, no? That they're willing to spend money necessary to compete?

If you think the alleged image boost along with the production they get is worth the value of the contract, then you do. I sure have my doubts.

[Gwreck]

As you are aware, that not what I wrote.



I disagree that it is “insane” to sign Cole to a 9 year contract, and in support of that I cite that management is tremendously wealthy, running a successful and profitable enterprise, and this acquisition provides massive benefit in the short term. As noted, I am of the opinion that this contract could well wind up being a sunk cost at the back end but is worth doing because of the massive benefit now.



I also disagreed with your suggestion that “image” could make this a bad investment.



Why do you think a 9 year contract for Cole is a bad investment? Do you agree that it is “insane?” What are your doubts?

[Edgy MD]

=Gwreck post_id=28335 time=1576189284 user_id=56]
As you are aware, that not what I wrote.