2052 NL Albatross List

[MetDaMeats]

Arizona Diamondbacks
* (No change) Raul Miranda (CL)

• $19.27 Mill through 2052.
• $19.27 Mill player option in 2053.
• Had an off year in 2051 where he earned a measly 1.9 WAR… When your closer’s off years are better than most relievers best years you’re in a pretty good place.

Atlanta Braves
I’m not sure if Eric Honess will move this season, but some team that’s in need of a first baseman should try to make an offer.

Carolina Warhounds
*** (+1 star) Colin Shafer (RF)

• $28.2 Mill through 2054.
• Last year the Warhounds stunned the world and made it deep into the playoffs, coming within one game the World Series. The question is, can they do it again when nearly 30% of their budget goes to players like Shafer and Jose Garza, who may not put up 2 WAR combined this year. 

Chicago Cubs
**** (No change) Jorge Amador (RF)

• $22 Mill through 2053.
• $11 Mill player option in 2054.
• Poor old cubs. They’ve got a place holder GM and an eensie-weensie budget, most of which is going to Amador. If he could field it would be one thing, but as a DH he leaves something to be desired. 

Cincinnati Reds
**** (+1 star) Howard Nichols (SP)

• $34 Mill through 2053.
• NO TRADE CLAUSE.
• My prediction is that this year he provides more value from his personality than his arm. Having a Captain on the team makes everything a little easier. That being said, I think the Reds would prefer he put fewer balls in play.

*** (+1 star) Jen-kan Hu (SS)

• $17.37 Mill through 2052.
• $17.37 player option in 2053.
• Has a profile that's very similar to the Cub's Jorge Amador. He walks less, but makes up for it with solid infield defense. Still a bit overpaid, but has value. 

*** (+1 star) Samuel Brousseau (CF)

• $15.79 Mill through 2052.
• Player opt out after 2052.
• $15.79 Mill through 2053.
• Brousseau has put the Reds in a bit of a pickle. His injuries make it safest to keep him at DH, but Kanegawa’s defense is so bad it’s hard to justify not putting ole Sam in the outfield. Maybe Kanegawa at first base and Brousseau at DH? That’s still pretty rough. 

* (No change) Hisamitsu Kanegawa (LF)

• $119.04 Mill through 2054.
• $39.68 Mill player option in 2055.
• Promised role: Starting lineup.
• $2 Mill MVP award bonus.
• Not much to say. He’s paid to rake, and he rakes. In fact, his nickname should be changed to “The Groundskeeper.” That’s so much better than “Betz.” What kind of nickname is “Betz”?

Los Angeles Dodgers
**** (No change) Pablo Cadima (SS)

• $60 Mill through 2054.
• $20 Mill team option in 2055 with a $5 Mill buyout.
• $20 Mill team option in 2056 with a $5 Mill buyout.
• Normally a 4.9 WAR season would mean I'd consider lowering his Albatross rating, but in Cadima’s case I’ll make an exception. I’m calling it a fluke. If he hits over .230 I’ll eat my hat. And your hat. I’ll eat all the hats. 

*** (No change) Eric Byford (3B)

• $25 Mill through 2052.
• Player opt out after 2052.
• $60 Mill through 2055.
• $26 Mill team option in 2056 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
• It’s weird. His 2052 season wasn’t much better than his 2051, and yet his WAR jumped from 0.9 to 3.4. I think this actually says a lot more about the declining skills of replacement-level third basemen in the league than it does about him. 

Miami Marlins
***** (No change) Andy Hebert (1B)

• $11.4 Mill through 2051.
• $7.6 Mill paid by Houston Astros through 2051.
• $11.4 Mill player option in 2052.
• $7.6 Mill paid by Houston Astros through 2052.
• Poor Andy Hebert. Being traded to the Marlins as a salary dump is kind of like your dog being sent to that nice farm family that lives upstate. My parents tell me that Rex is happy up there, but I never get to go visit him. I mean, what gives? Wait. Is my dog dead?

Milwaukee Brewers
Hey guys. Here’s a secret. The Brewers are taking a shot at their division this year, and they’re trying to do it without spending any money whatsoever.

Montreal Expos
**** (No change) Cesar Ofeda (C)

• $8.5 Mill through 2052.
• $8.5 Mill player option in 2053.
• Well, he took the first of two player options, so it's likely he’ll be eating budget space until the end of 2053. 

*** (New) Roberto Rodriguez (SS)

• $42.5 Mill through 2056.
• This is a pretty hefty extension relative to the ones the Expos usually offer. His contact-forward skill set is setting off warning bells for me. I want to see how consistently he can hit .300 before I make a final judgement. 

New York Mets
*** (No change) Albert Garcia (SP)

• $49.14 Mill through 2053.
• Promised Role: Starting pitcher.
• It’s probably an overreaction on my part, but his arm just isn’t quite as electric as it used to be. 9 to 10 strikeouts per 9 is pretty good, but his peak seems to have passed. 

*** (No change) Jorge Molina (2B)

• $54.2 Mill through 2053.
• Player opt out after 2053.
• $108.4 Mill through 2057.
• He’s in his days of prime value right now. But he scares me a little. His defense and speed are great backup skills to have, but I’m not sure they can justify the massive contract if he suddenly stops hitting .300.

Philadelphia Phillies
**** (+1 star) Fred Caballero (SP)

• $166.7 Mill through 2057.
• The elbow inflammation that kept him out for 3 months in 2051 wasn’t the kind of injury that debilitates a player. But it’s important to recognize that we’re in the point of Fred’s career where we’re just waiting for the injury that does finally leave a permanent mark. 

** (-1 star) Dan Turner (LF)

• $33 Mill through 2053.
• Player opt out after 2053.
• $243 Mill through 2060
• Promised Role: Starting Lineup.
• NO TRADE CLAUSE.
• He’s going to be a valuable DH for quite some time. I just have no idea if that time is 8 whole years or if it’s going to be significantly less. All I know is that on his 34th birthdaty he’ll be making just shy of $50 million a year. Sheesh.

Pittsburgh Pirates
*** (New) Mal Lewis (RP)

• $50 Mill through 2055.
• $12.5 Mill player option in 2056.
• This isn’t that crazy of a contract. It’s just kind of long, and most of the Pirates other large deals are terminating soon. 

** (-1 star) Dave Peterson (LF)

• $200 Mill through 2056.
• $40 Mill player option in 2057.
• I have a piece of advice for the Pirates. Switch Dave Peterson to DH immediately and put Orlando Martin in the outfield. I know Martin’s a worse fielder, but the amount you gain in Zone Rating will never match the devastation you’ll feel when a star making $40 Mill a year gets injured diving for a fly ball. Take it from the guy who has kept Duane Hansen in one piece for over a decade. 

San Diego Padres
**** (+1 stars) Angel Solis (SP)

• $52 Mill through 2055.
• $14 Mill team option in 2056 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
• $14 Mill team option in 2057 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
• On the one hand, I don’t think he’ll lead the NL in homeruns allowed again. On the other, I do think he was paid to be the Padres ace, and he hasn’t lived up to that potential since signing his extension in 2050. 

** (+1 star) Antonio Lopez (C)

• $38 Mill through 2053.
• Player opt out after 2053.
• $16 Mill through 2054.
• $16 Mill player option in 2055.
• Had a slight decline in his bat last year. But really, since he was so good beforehand it basically just turns this into a good contract as opposed to an offensively great one.

* (No change) John Howe (RF)

• $65 Mill through 2055.
• $15 Mill team option in 2056 with a $4.5 Mill buyout.
• $15 Mill team option in 2057 with a $4.5 Mill buyout.
• Promised role: Starting Lineup.
• I misspelled John Howe’s name last year and no one told me? My shame knows no bounds.

* (New) Kata Okada (DH)

• $172 Mill through 2060.
• $20 Mill team option in 2061 with a $5 Mill buyout.
• $20 Mill team option in 2062 with a $5 Mill buyout.
• It’s always scary to sign a guy to a contract with 10 guaranteed years. But this is as safe a bet as you can make for a decade’s investment. But look out Padres. It’s almost time to start doing some budget busting triage. Some of those young stars nearing the end of arbitration are going to have to go.

San Francisco Giants
**** (+1 star) Alberto Perez (C)

• $29 Mill through 2053.
• Player opt out after 2053.
• $41 Mill through 2056.
• Promised role: Starting Lineup.
• I do wonder if he opts out because he thinks he should be a $20 Mill a year player. He shouldn’t, but I wonder if he thinks that.

**** (+1 star) Dana Brassard (SS)

• $110 Mill through 2057.
• Yeah. This one makes me nervous. Don’t know what else to say. Then again, I’m a nervous guy.

St. Louis Cardinals
* (No change) Alfredo Sanchez (SP)

• $27.0875 Mill through 2052.
• $30.5 Mill player option in 2053.
• Promised role: Starting pitcher.
• The first big Sanchez extension is nearly over. I wonder how the second big extension will compare…

Washington Nationals
** (No change) John Ross (1B)

• $28 Mill through 2052.
• Player opt out after 2052.
• $102 Mill through 2056.
• $23 Mill team option in 2052 with a $7.5 Mill buyout.
• I’m not going to mess with this rating just yet, but my Spidey-sense is tingling. The power is still there, but if he start batting .250 or lower it’s going to become slightly harder to justify his top tier contract. This is all speculative, of course.

** (New) Julian Robles (SP)

• $216 Mill through 2059.
• The money is right for what he can offer. My only criticism is this contract leaves the Nats with no outs if something unforeseen happens. And even with great pitchers the situation can change overnight.

* (No change) Chris Allen (CF)

• $105 Mill through 2056.
• NO TRADE CLAUSE.
• $1 Mill MVP Bonus.
• What can you say about Chris Allen? We all wish he was on our team, but he never will be. So just sit and stare longingly from afar, you weirdos.