Last Shortstop Standing

[Edgy MD]

Two Questions:



1. If you're a team in the market for a shortstop, and you came up empty on Xander Bogaerts and Trea Turner (perhaps because you had problems putting their vowels in the right place), are you going harder after Dansby Swanson right now, or Carlos Correa?



2. Do you think anyone is looking at Luís Guillorme as a potential regular?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I think maybe they would.



I was thinking the Mets should get Jean Segura as an unconventional DH/infield reserve but I prefer Guillorme

[A Boy Named Seo]

I'd put Correa a full notch or two above Dansby.



I guess I'd consider Guillorme as a regular, but it would only be if my team was already pretty wonderful up and the down the lineup. If his on-basing takes a step back, you've got a bench player starting.

[Frayed Knot]

Both Correa and Swanson are former 1/1 draft picks (2012 & 2015). I was thinking that Dansby, the college boy, was older and he is but only by months. I guess I forgot to factor in the Braves' quick promotion tendencies and should have realized that they can get six-plus seasons out of a college draftee and still see him hit FA-gency before turning 29 (Feb '23)



That the Yanx somewhat surprisingly re-upped IKF right about the same time as Rizzo took them (seemingly) out of the SS Sweepstakes in which most expected them to be a major player.

[Frayed Knot]

Danby Swanson apparently just got married (to USWNT player Mallory Pugh ... quick, draft their kids for whatever sport you want) so maybe that's part of what's delaying his FA negotiations.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Frayed Knot wrote: Danby Swanson apparently just got married (to USWNT player Mallory Pugh ... quick, draft their kids for whatever sport you want) so maybe that's part of what's delaying his FA negotiations.

I wonder if Nomar and Mia Hamm had any athletic offspring?

[Centerfield]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Danby Swanson apparently just got married (to USWNT player Mallory Pugh ... quick, draft their kids for whatever sport you want) so maybe that's part of what's delaying his FA negotiations. I wonder if Nomar and Mia Hamm had any athletic offspring?

Twin daughters and a younger son. Probably got scholarship offers in pre-school.

[G-Fafif]

A surprising new team has emerged in the Carlos Correa sweepstakes — or maybe not so surprising, considering the amount of money the New York Mets already have spent this offseason. Yes, Steve Cohen might be at again. Cohen's Mets are showing interest in Correa, according to sources familiar with the team's thinking. Correa, 28, likely would play third base for the Mets, alongside his fellow native of Puerto Rico, shortstop Francisco Lindor. “I'd say there's some smoke,” one Mets person said. “I'm not sure how big the fire is, though.” Mets general manager Billy Eppler declined comment. While a full-blown pursuit of Correa might feel like a stretch, given the size of Correa's expected payday and the expenditures already lavished out by the Mets this winter, Cohen has already expanded the parameters of what it is possible for an owner to spend.

https://theathletic.com/4000022/2022/12/13/mets-free-agent-news-carlos-correa/https://theathletic.com/4000022/2022/12/13/mets-free-agent-news-carlos-correa/

[Lefty Specialist]

Feels like a stretch is right. Seems more like the typical Boras 'mystery dark horse team' that he floats with the writers to get his paydays up.



Correa would have play third with the Mets. Some team will severely overpay him to be a shortstop.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I think agents are going to leak that the Mets are interested to drive up prices whether the Mets are interested or not.

[G-Fafif]

[vtmet7]

I don't know what to say to that...seems like an overpay to me

[batmagadanleadoff]

You have to factor in inflation, increasing revenue streams and the ever-increasing value of the franchises themselves when considering these long-term contracts for the best baseball players. These players will surely decline by the end of their contracts, but given the financial climate that would likely exist 13 years from now, their contracts would be - relatively -- much cheaper than they appear today. At this rate, 13 years from now, the top players will be making $80M a year or so.



The AAV of Correa's new contract is about $26M. That would rank him at about the 25th or 26th highest paid baseball player for next season. He signed a 13 year contract. 13 years ago, in 2009, the 26th highest paid player, Albert Pujols, (StL) earned $14.4M. So salaries, at least for the very best players, have just about doubled over the last 13 years or so.



The teams aren't stupid and they're surrounded by financial experts, the very best. They wouldn't be offering these contracts if they couldn't afford them. And if revenues continue to increase, the Union will insist on higher and higher salary caps.



BTW, the highest paid player over the last 20 or so seasons, relative to what everybody else was making, I think, was A-Rod, when he signed with Texas and eventually had the Yankees pick up the remainder of that contract when he was traded. I think that the A-ROd contract was and remains the largest outlier of a contract over that span.

[Lefty Specialist]

Boy, 13 years is a long time. He'll be 41. I have to assume there's an opt-out in there somewhere, no?

[Frayed Knot]

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=114757 time=1670998982 user_id=68]
BTW, the highest paid player over the last 20 or so seasons, relative to what everybody else was making, I think, was A-Rod, when he signed with Texas and eventually had the Yankees pick up the remainder of that contract when he was traded. I think that the A-ROd contract was and remains the largest outlier of a contract over that span.

[nymr83]

https://twitter.com/jeffpassan/status/1602887992313626625

Passan, or someone else, broke this on ESPN around midnight last night. Yet the athletic article was still posted this morning. oops!



But hey, this is part of the joy of being a fan of Steve Cohen's Mets! we're in on everyone!

[metirish]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Boy, 13 years is a long time. He'll be 41. I have to assume there's an opt-out in there somewhere, no?

No opt outs apparently

[MFS62]

One Correa point for 'Thon in our FA contest.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Sometimes the market, or at least the preception about the market, seems to shift in fits and starts.

Keep in mind that when Correa first became a FA he settled on a short term deal with the Twins.

Now, two years older, he scores one for 13 freakin' years with a (theoretically) better club.

And, yeah, Covid was likely a factor for the earlier go around ... but still!

[Frayed Knot]

So, assuming that Stevie allowed Billy to kick the tires on Correa as a 3B-man (I'm dubious as to the seriousness of that attempt, but let's play along for now),

what's to prevent him from doing the same with Swanson?



Sign him NOW!!!! Steve





In all seriousness, I'm not even sure who's still looking for, and can also pay top dollar for, a SS at this point.

All of which makes me think that Swanson's return to Atlanta is the likely outcome. It also makes me wonder

who the Giants thought they were bidding against to get them to ink Correa for a baker's dozen.

[metsmarathon]

if i'm reading the market right - and my performance in the FA contest is surely an indicator that i'm probably not - i think the twins and cubs are very much capable of landing swanson. i feel like boston should probably be in on him too, but i don't think even they know what the hell they're even doing.



maybe atlanta is playing super-coy, but i don't think they're actually in on him, unless he really, really doesn't like getting over-paid.

[Edgy MD]

Dansby Swanson is a fantastic name if you imagine hearing it yelled in a Bostonian accent.



As for the length of these deals, I get the notion that, to the mindset of teams, length is just a way to defer salary.



If I want a guy at $100 million over four years, but that's not getting it done, I can up the salary offer or I can go to, like, $140 million over seven. Most of that additional money is still for those first four years, but I get to hold on to it and let it make money for me in municipal bonds or pharmaceutical futures or whatever. If he still has something left in the last three years of that contract, good for us.

[nymr83]

Edgy MD wrote: Dansby Swanson is a fantastic name if you imagine hearing it yelled in a Bostonian accent. As for the length of these deals, I get the notion that, to the mindset of teams, length is just a way to defer salary. If I want a guy at $100 million over four years, but that's not getting it done, I can up the salary offer or I can go to, like, $140 million over seven. Most of that additional money is still for those first four years, but I get to hold on to it and let it make money for me in municipal bonds or pharmaceutical futures or whatever. If he still has something left in the last three years of that contract, good for us.

Looking to invest? Wilpon knows a guy...

[Frayed Knot]

More Hey Man!:



Swanson's new wife plies her trade in Chicago.

Might that give an in to the Cubs?

They were bad in '22 but over .500 in second half so maybe thinking they're nearly back?



LAD (just lost T. Turner) and Sawx (Bogaerts) also in on the Dansby sweepstakes. Braves still in though "cautious".

[Edgy MD]

It's raised a lot of eyebrows that the Braves have been really sitting out this offseason. But folks gots to recall the context is that the Braves have been locking up very young players with pre-arb extensions in the last year.

[metirish]

Swanson to the Cubs , Passan on it ,says Dave Kaplan first, details to come

Edited December 17, 2022 by Guest

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

7x177

[Edgy MD]

metirish 1st!!

[metirish]

Bucket first with the details



A fine player 7/177 fine? I guess that's like a good deal nowadays

[MFS62]

And no Swanson points in our FA contest.

Later