Justin time: Verlander to Houston

[metirish]

[smg58]

Gilbert is #68 on mlb.com's rankings. Two years ago the Mets traded Pete Crow-Armstrong, the #7 prospect who like Gilbert is a AA centerfielder, for a AAAA pitcher and two months of Javier Baez -- after learning that DeGrom was done for the season. I have issues with Eppler, but we've had much worse. I'm kind of impressed by Eppler's willingness to tear down what he built, actually. But he's coming across as being better at selling than at buying, and that's not a good look.

[metirish]

[batmagadanleadoff]

As it was explained to me today, for luxury tax purposes, any money the Mets send the Astros to pay down Verlander contract is treated identically to having that money on [the Mets] payroll. So if they're sending $54M to HOU as reported, those are taxable payroll dollars for the Mets.

I'm surprised that this needs explaining. Why would it be otherwise?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think we had seen (incorrect) reports stating that the Mets would be off the hook for the money they sent the Rangers when they dealt Scherzer.

[Edgy MD]

Down with the payroll tax.

[metirish]

[Frayed Knot]

Translation: 'Look how many millions they gave me for pitching 16 games/94 innings!!!!!'





OK, he could very well be sincere in his remarks too.

If so it was nice of him to say so publicly.

[Edgy MD]

Ryan Clifford https://www.milb.com/gameday/cyclones-vs-blueclaws/2023/08/03/727056/final/boxhomered in his first trip to the plate with the Mets organization.



Probably more importantly, he also singled and walked twice in his five appearances.

[Chad ochoseis]

As it was explained to me today, for luxury tax purposes, any money the Mets send the Astros to pay down Verlander contract is treated identically to having that money on [the Mets] payroll. So if they're sending $54M to HOU as reported, those are taxable payroll dollars for the Mets. I'm surprised that this needs explaining. Why would it be otherwise?

I'm guilty of posting it to the forum. I read this https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/competitive-balance-taxhere:

[bLOCKQUOTE]A team's Competitive Balance Tax figure is determined using the average annual value of each player's contract

on the 40-man roster

, plus any additional player benefits.

[/bLOCKQUOTE]

I took that to mean that if Verlander's on the Astros' 40-man, then his salary applies to the Astros' luxury tax ceiling, even if the Mets are actually paying the bulk of his salary.



I read "plus any additional player benefits" to mean "the value of any extra non-monetary benefits a team is giving to players on its current roster" - like if the Mets decided to buy Jacob DeGrom a private plane to fly home to Florida after ballgames to keep him from jumping ship last year - not "the additional money they're paying to players not on the 40-man".



So, that's not the correct reading?

[A Boy Named Seo]

It's anything but clear.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The money that the Mets sent to the two Texas teams was for players on the 40 man (and 26 man) rosters. The Mets are spending that cash so the expenditure is charged to the Mets for luxury tax purposes.



Here's a question: It looks like the Mets are gonna get a top 10 1st round pick in next Summer's amateur draft. Are they in line for some kind of luxury tax penalty on that purported pick, given the size of their payroll?

[Lefty Specialist]

From MLB:



Clubs that are $40 million or more above the threshold shall have their highest selection in the next Rule 4 Draft moved back 10 places unless the pick falls in the top six. In that case, the team will have its second-highest selection moved back 10 places instead.

[nymr83]

so the Mets are REALLY incentivized to tank

[The Hot Corner]

=nymr83 post_id=134163 time=1691292185 user_id=54]
so the Mets are REALLY incentivized to tank

[Edgy MD]

Down with the tax!

[nymr83]

It is pretty dumb. If you spend money and suck, well, you should suck harder. And this after they tried to eliminate tanking by taking away the automatic first pick

[Edgy MD]

I'm totally down with taking away the first pick. I just want them to take away all the other picks, too.