Salary Dumping, 2009
by Randy Richardson on Feb 10, 2009 5:02 PM CST
39 comments
With contract offers being so depressed this offseason, it got me to thinking about how many players currently have over present market value contracts. I made a rough list. I only looked at players with guaranteed money of $2 million per year or more. My main criteria was "Would this player clear waivers?" - if the answer was "yes", then they are on the list. Some of these players are bad and some of them are very good - I'm in no way suggesting that all of these players will be put on waivers with the intention of giving them away. I'm sure you'll find glaring omissions and some guys are a stretch for this list - it's just a rough list. Also, superstars with huge salaries who are still performing were given a pass and injured players who are in the final year of their contract were ignored.
My thought is that, as teams start falling out of contention, they'll place these guys on waivers, not with the intention of working out a trade, but just as a plain salary dump. We could also see some trades with substantial money involved. It just seems that teams with financial wherewithal for 2009 and forward could be in a great position to take on some expensive, but good players for the price of the contract only. We could also see more players simply released, like Andruw Jones and Adam Kennedy, as teams just want to move on. It is difficult to gauge both the current financial position and future commitment of all ownership groups - I guess we'll find out more as this season plays out.
Also, some of the players in the last year of their contract might clear waivers now, but would have positive trade value later in the season when the financial obligation is lower. All the contract info is from Cot's Baseball Contracts.
Angels - Torii Hunter 4yrs/$71.5 million, Gary Matthews, Jr 3/33, Justin Speier 2/10, Juan Rivera 3/12.75
Astros - Miguel Tejada 1/13, Carlos Lee 4/74, Kaz Matsui 2/10, LaTroy Hawkins 1/3.5, Doug Brocail 2/5.35, Mike Hampton 1/2
A's - Eric Chavez 2/26, Bobby Crosby 1/5.25
Blue Jays - Scott Rolen 2/22, BJ Ryan 2/20, Vernon Wells 6/100, Lyle Overbay 2/14
Braves - none
Brewers - Jeff Suppan 2/27, Bill Hall 2/15.7, Jason Kendall 1/5, David Riske 2/9
Cardinals - Troy Glaus 1/11.25, Joel Pineiro 1/7.5, Kyle Lohse 4/41
Cubs - Alfonso Soriano 6/106, Kosuke Fukudome 3/38, Reed Johnson 1/3, Luiz Vizcaino 1/4
Diamondbacks - Eric Byrnes 2/22, Chad Tracy 1/5.25
Dodgers - Juan Pierre 3/28.5
Giants - Barry Zito 5/101.5, Aaron Rowand 4/44, Randy Winn 1/8.25, Dave Roberts 1/6.5
Indians - Travis Hafner 4/51.75, David Dellucci 1/4
Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki 4/68, Carlos Silva 3/35 Jarrod Washburn 1/10.35, Miguel Batista 1/9, Kenji Johjima 3/24, Yuniesky Betancourt 2/9
Marlins - none
Mets - Carlos Delgado 1/16, Luis Castillo 3/18
Nationals - Austin Kearns 1/9, Nick Johnson 1/5.5, Wily Mo Pena 1/2
Orioles - Melvin Mora 2/16.8, Jamie Walker 1/4.5, Ryan Freel 1/4
Padres - none
Phillies - Raul Ibanez 3/31.5, Adam Eaton 1/9, Geoff Jenkins 1/8
Pirates - Jack Wilson 1/7.85
Rangers - Michael Young 5/80, Vicente Padilla 1/13.75, Hank Blalock 1/6.2, Frank Catalanotto 1/6
Rays - none
Reds - Francisco Cordero 3/37, Ramon Hernandez 1/9, Willy Taveras 2/6.25
Red Sox - JD Drew 3/42, Mike Lowell 2/24, Julio Lugo 2/18, Jason Varitek 1/5
Rockies - Todd Helton 3/56.9, Jason Marquis 1/9.9, Yorvit Torrealba 1/4
Royals - Jose Guillen 2/24, Coco Crisp 1/6.25, Kyle Farnsworth 2/9.25, Ron Mahay 1/4
Tigers - Magglio Ordonez 1/21, Gary Sheffield 1/14, Carlos Guillen 3/36, Dontrelle Willis 2/22, Nate Robertson 2/17, Brandon Inge 2/12.9
Twins - Michael Cuddyer 2/16.25, Jason Kubel 2/7.2
White Sox - Jim Thome 1/13, Paul Konerko 2/24, Jermaine Dye 1/12.5, Jose Contreras 1/10, Scott Linebrink 3/15
Yankees (I probably should have just omitted them) - Derek Jeter 2/41, AJ Burnett 5/82.5, Jorge Posada 3/39.3, Johnny Damon 1/13, Hideki Matsui 1/13, Robinson Cano 3/27, Damaso Marte 3/12
A cursory examination of this list also gives an idea of which teams have the most questionable 2010 and beyond commitments, most notably, the Angels, Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Mariners, Red Sox, and Yankees.
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Carlos Lee would appear
to be a superstar who is still performing. He was having an MVP-like season last year prior to getting hurt.
Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball
by willamos2 on Feb 10, 2009 5:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Nice work
Rec.
Yeah. Spies. They're little guys with beady eyes and long fingernails. They plant bugs that can pick up the hush of a man's heartbeat - or the whisper of a falling hair.
by lonestarJon on Feb 10, 2009 5:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Good stuff
Rec
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"They say brevity is the key to wit, so shut the f*ck up." Dad
by RangerFloppy on Feb 10, 2009 5:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Nice list
I think Blalock would get picked up on revokable waivers right now. As would Coco Crisp. But outside of some of the 1 year guys, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. But this is generally indicative of long-term deals in a declining market – most everyone under a long-term contract right now looks overpaid.
Oh, and I’d rather have MY’s contract than Hafner’s (4/51), Hunter (4/72) or Wells’ (6/100) right now…
by JBImaknee on Feb 10, 2009 5:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Those were precisely my thoughts about Coco and Hankles. Coco brought in a very interesting arm via trade this Winter, so saying he'd go unclaimed now is perplexing.
And there are some other guys on there who would get claimed for sure.
Ichiro? Yah, he’d get claimed. I know that contract is cumbersome, but he’s freaking Ichiro. Someone would put up the dollars to bring in a bankable star like him. The Dodgers I think would be all over that. Maybe the Angles and the Mets, too.
Cano is probably the name I most disagree with being on this list. He’d get claimed, pure and simple. He’s young (this will be his age 26 season) and has a track record of success to fall back on, even with last year’s first half self-immolation. I mean he did rebound and post an .815 OPS in the second half of last season, not half bad for a 25 year old 2b.
Johnny Damon at 1/13 is pretty reasonable, too.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I hate Michael Young.
"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith
by thedirkatron on Feb 11, 2009 2:23 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
no doubt that some of these guys would
get claimed, it only takes one team to want them. As far as Ichiro – the Mariners make money because of him – he legitimately sells tickets and merchandise. They’d never release him. That having been said, now that he plays RF, he’s very mediocre.
Oh, and Damon – no way.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Feb 11, 2009 10:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
remember
he plays RF because he was “too good” in CF and it made their corner OF “lazy” because of how much ground he covered
so the logical decision is to move him back to a corner OF and roll with a diff CF instead of getting non “lazy” corner OF, right?
lol
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 10:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Ichy has much more value now
that he’s a pitcher!
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
by Rodney on Feb 11, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
thats awesome.
also NPB tracker is a GREAT site
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 9:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
heh aki iwamora is in too
Not to be outdone by Ichiro, Akinori Iwamura has dusted off his pitcher’s glove and begun working on his repertoire. Sanspo, of course, has the news and a picture. According to the article, he has six breaking pitches, including a cut fastball and a shuuto. No word on whether he can reach 92 with his heater.
So does Tatsunori Hara have another option for emergency situations? Let’s ask Iwamura: "there won’t be an appearance. Ichiro-san will go for us (laughter)"
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 9:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
other intersting things from npb tracker
colby lewis is an ace, and he is on the same team as ben kozlowski
yu darvish, switch pitcher?
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 9:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
re: Damon and Ichiro.
Ichiro could play CF it’s just that the M’s like him better in RF for some reason, and he’d make money for LAD or the NYM, too- though I agree this is all a moo point since the M’s ain’t releasing the guy who is basically their own little Asian version of a sack with a dollar sign on it. Also, he’s not mediocre. He’s still very good.
As for Damon… I think you’re way underrating him. A 1/13 deal for a guy who was by some counts the 13th best position player in the AL last year? Yes, please. He’d be gobbled up in a heartbeat, imo.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I hate Michael Young.
"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith
by thedirkatron on Feb 11, 2009 10:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
re: Damon and Ichiro.
Ichiro – I should have said his bat seems average, at best, for COF these days. His defense obviously compensates for that some. By the metric you gave, Damon is better than Ichiro. The way this FA market has played out this offseason suggests to me that Damon wouldn’t currently get 1yr/13mil. Off the top of my head, I think Teixeira and Howard are the only position players to get more than $11 million per season in this market.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Feb 11, 2009 11:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, and I'd much rather have Torri or Wells right now than FFace.
I mean it’s not even anywhere near remotely close.
They’re better players for only slightly more money, and they’re not malignant fucktards who make me so disgusted with the state of humanity that I want to defecate in public.
Hafner I’m not so sure about only cause I think there’s a really good chance he’s never gonna be fully healthy ever again.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I hate Michael Young.
"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith
by thedirkatron on Feb 11, 2009 2:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldn't take Wells in FFace's place
More money and doesn’t look like he can do too much on defense and while his bat probably won’t be as bad it was in 2007, he’s still on the decline. If I’m taking a crappy player, might as well go with the cheaper one. I’d do a Hunter/Young swap though.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Feb 11, 2009 9:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Wells' defense has been going downhill something fierce, but I still think he's a better bet to a productive player over the next 6 years than FFace is over the next 5.
Plus, I don’t hate the living shit out of Wells with every fiber of my being like I do Face, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I hate Michael Young.
"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith
by thedirkatron on Feb 11, 2009 10:13 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The hate thing might make it worth it
But you can’t be in favor of paying 20 million dollars more for a crappy Wells over Young. Not even looking at the Rangers need for a 3B over another crappy CF (after all, we got the great Andruw Jones), Wells just isn’t worth it.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Feb 11, 2009 10:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I disagree. I tink Wells is enough better than Face to justify what amounts to the same contract only with an extra year at 20mm tacked on at the end.
Plus, never underestimate the power of hate.
Especially the Dirkatronical kind of hate… that’s a strong brew, brother.
Trust me.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I hate Michael Young.
"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith
by thedirkatron on Feb 11, 2009 10:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Haven't we had this discussion before?
Anyways, isn’t the whole point of a bad contract to get out of it? That extra 20 million for what amounts to the same crappy production (assuming Young is close to neutral at 3B) just doesn’t seem worth it.
Plus I’m sure once Wells came here, he’d talk a whole lot of shit about Marcus Lemon.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Feb 11, 2009 10:58 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Now tell us how you really feel.
Scott Feldman for 2009 AL Cy Young
Scott Feldman for 2010 AL Scott Feldman
by Maximilian on Feb 11, 2009 9:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
i like wells now
but iirc his contract is even worse than FOTF
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 10:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
good post
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 10, 2009 8:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Heh
Nice list.
I’m not sure what the worst contract on that list is…
Wells at 6/100? Helton at 3/56? Hafner at 4/51? Matthews at 3/33?
I think I’d go with Juan Pierre (3/28.5) just over Carlos Silva (3/35). Pierre has 1 season in his entire career (over 8 seasons) with an ops+ over 100. He’s averaged an ops+ of 78.5 over the last 4 years. That’s unbelievably bad.
"LSB: We’re all-scaploading, all the time." -AJM
by BAC on Feb 10, 2009 8:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
the MY one
In reference to how good the Steelers have been in their history: "No one is even close to them."- Steal Home
by hinduplaya on Feb 10, 2009 10:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
When I was looking at the list
I was thinking Zito had the worst. Also, even before pre steroids, would a team claim A-Rod?
by groundingout on Feb 12, 2009 1:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I tihnk we will start seeing more and more non-tenders of decent young players with less than 6 years service time also
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Feb 10, 2009 9:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
also
jason kubel is the 3rd best hitter on the twins, i dobut he gets cut
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Feb 11, 2009 10:59 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
AJ Burnett 5/82.5
Why is this over market value? Didn’t he just get this contract offer? Thus making it market value?
by Agreen07 on Feb 11, 2009 2:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
It's over market in the "new market".
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
by Rodney on Feb 11, 2009 3:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
from what I've read,
no other team was willing to offer that fifth year. Also the Yankees have the most money to throw around so it stands to reason that other teams couldn’t/won’t take on the Yankees’ big contracts. The same thing could probably be said for Sabathia – he’s a great pitcher – but I’m not sure that any other team would want that contract.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Feb 11, 2009 7:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
where would you rank mike young
that still makes the mike young deal look bad. at least it’s not as bad as…
among these? middle of the pack? one of the worst? one of the “not so bad”?
Barry Zito 5/101.5
Torii Hunter 4yrs/$71.5
Gary Matthews, Jr 3/33
Vernon Wells 6/100
Juan Pierre 3/28.5
Aaron Rowand 4/44
Kenji Johjima 3/24 (i know the money amount is small compared to the rest but, if it were 3/10 it would still be bad)
Todd Helton 3/56.9
Michael Young 5/80
Omar Vizquel: your starting shortstop for the 2009 AL all-star team.
by gossamer on Feb 11, 2009 9:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps...
I’m just being a homer, but I think I’d take MY’s deal over all those deals right now.
The only one I may consider better would be Johjima (just because the amount is so small compared to MY’s).
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Feb 11, 2009 9:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
the todd helton one
i don’t think is that bad, or was he injured pretty badly? torrii hunter, barry zito and vernon wells stick out as the worst to me.
Omar Vizquel: your starting shortstop for the 2009 AL all-star team.
by gossamer on Feb 11, 2009 9:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I see guys like
Wells, Young, Rowand as being very expensive but not bad players. The worst contracts seem to be guys like Matthews, JR, Silva, Hafner who seem to not be able to be competitive any longer.
Torii Hunter was really good last year, his last couple of years are the ones teams wouldn’t want.
"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels
by Randy Richardson on Feb 11, 2009 9:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Showalter's Contract
Ends on 10-9, I think. So, this is the last year we pay that loser millions.
by 3Bagger on Feb 12, 2009 1:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Nice Job...
with a very good topic. That COT’s site is an excellent way to burn-up time. This is an odd economy.
by 3Bagger on Feb 12, 2009 1:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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