2054 NL Albatross List
Mar 21, 2020 18:09:09 GMT -5
Rich - Former GM, Commish_Ron, and 7 more like this
Post by MetDaMeats on Mar 21, 2020 18:09:09 GMT -5
Arizona Diamondbacks
*** (New) Mal Lewis (SP)
*** (New) Taro Takahashi (2B)
Atlanta Braves
**** (New) Alberto Ramirez (SP)
** (New) Eric Honess (1B)
Carolina Warhounds
*** (New) Jeremy McNeil (SP)
* (New) Lorenzo Hernandez (C)
Chicago Cubs
**** (New) Juan Silva (CF)
*** (New) Billy Jenkins (CF)
Cincinnati Reds
*** (New) Gerald Callahan (CF)
*** (New) Alfonso Tellez (LF)
*** (New) Miguel Valentin (SS)
** (+1 star) Hisamitsu Kanegawa (LF)
Los Angeles Dodgers
*** (No change) Eric Byford (3B)
*** (New) Vincent Watson (1B)
Miami Marlins
** (New) Bruce Hooper (1B)
** (New) Lee Peterson (2B)
Milwaukee Brewers
** (New) Carlos Gutierrez (SP)
** (New) Jose Nunez (SP)
Montreal Expos
** (-1 star) Roberto Rodriguez (2B)
New York Mets
*** (No change) Jorge Molina (2B/3B)
** (New) George Briggs (SP)
Philadelphia Phillies
**** (New) Henry Alexander (SP)
*** (-1 star) Fred Caballero (SP)
*** (New) Octavio Macias (2B)
*** (+1 stars) Dan Turner (LF)
Pittsburgh Pirates
*** (+1 star) Dave Peterson (LF)
** (New) Fellipe Carrillo
San Diego Padres
** (New) Jim King (SP)
** (+1 star) Kata Okada (DH)
** (New) Manny Sanchez (SP)
* (New) Jack MacGruder (LF)
San Francisco Giants
*** (-1 star) Dana Brassard (SS)
*** (-1 star) Alberto Perez (C)
* (New) Jake Moore (SP)
St. Louis Cardinals
* (New) Tony Padilla (CF)
Washington Nationals
**** (+2 stars) John Ross (1B)
** (New) Raymond Page (LF)
* (No change) Chris Allen (CF)
* (-1 star) Julian Robles (SP)
*** (New) Mal Lewis (SP)
- $25 Mill through 2055.
- $12.5 Mill player option in 2056.
- Mal took a brief excursion to Pittsburgh but now he’s back home with the Diamondbacks. He’s a pure innings-eater these days. No more, no less.
*** (New) Taro Takahashi (2B)
- $129 Mill through 2060.
- $19 Mill player option in 2061.
- Here’s the problem with Taro: He’s has the perfect second baseman’s bat but he can only barely play second base. Maybe by batting average alone he totally deserves this contract, but I find it harder to justify if he’s moved to playing 1st or DH.
Atlanta Braves
**** (New) Alberto Ramirez (SP)
- $28 Mill through 2056.
- $10 Mill player option in 2057.
- I don’t doubt his skills, but last year he had a strained back, shoulder tendinitis, a sore shoulder, elbow tendinitis and a torn triceps. That’s two kinds of tendinitis! That’s too many tendinitises!
** (New) Eric Honess (1B)
- $20 Mill through 2055.
- $1.5 Mill MVP award bonus.
- I like seeing Honess in Atlanta. I just hope he doesn’t pull a Tom Brady and spend the last year of his career SOMEPLACE HE DOESN’T BELONG!
Carolina Warhounds
*** (New) Jeremy McNeil (SP)
- $12 Mill through 2054.
- $12 Mill vesting option in 2055 after 160 innings pitched.
- McNeil has never blown his opponents away but he’s always been a solid 4th or 5th starter. I couldn’t quite bring myself to pay him like a 3rd starter, though. I think he’ll serve Carolina well in that capacity.
* (New) Lorenzo Hernandez (C)
- $53.8 Mill through 2057.
- $19 Mill player option in 2058.
- Promised Role: Starting Lineup
- One of the top 5 or 6 catching arms in the entire league. It’s a rare skill that gets overlooked a lot. He throws out about 3 base stealers out of every 10. Honestly, I’m not sure how that compares across the league, but it sounds pretty good!
Chicago Cubs
**** (New) Juan Silva (CF)
- $96 Mill through 2059.
- I get very, very nervous about signing players that aren’t fully developed. His defense and speed are top notch, but it’s quite an expensive gamble to play.
*** (New) Billy Jenkins (CF)
- $51 Mill through 2056.
- $15 Mill team option in 2057 with a $4.75 Mill buyout.
- Jenkins is right on the tradability border. He’s putting up enough WAR to have value but is just expensive enough to make me concerned. I still say he could move in the right deal.
Cincinnati Reds
*** (New) Gerald Callahan (CF)
- $237.84 Mill through 2059.
- $1.5 Mill MVP award bonus.
- Gerry was definitely the prize of free agency. Right now, the Reds have him set up to take some fielding practice at second base during spring training. I love a power hitting second baseman as much as anybody, but I would be very surprised if he every really starts at that position.
*** (New) Alfonso Tellez (LF)
- $81 Mill through 2056.
- He hit in the .230 range during both the 2050 and 2053 seasons, however there’s something a that worries me about his performance last year which makes me think he might not bounce back. In 2050 he hit .269 against righties to go with his abysmal .121 against lefties. But that’s the kind of performance that can be written off as a fluke. Last year he hit .233 against righties and .216 against lefties. The fact that he was equally terrible against pitchers from both sides gives me a little pause.
*** (New) Miguel Valentin (SS)
- $85.28 Mill through 2057.
- I’m not crazy about the skill decline or the number of years left on the contract. 4 stars felt like it would be a bit of an overreaction, but I think the argument could be made he’s making twice what he’s worth. I’m just too sleepy to make it right now.
** (+1 star) Hisamitsu Kanegawa (LF)
- $39.68 Mill through 2054.
- $39.68 Mill player option in 2055.
- Promised role: Starting lineup.
- $2 Mill MVP award bonus.
- He’s starting to slow down in his old age, but it’s looking like Cincy timed this contract just about right. Nothing’s more satisfying than a contract that ends right when you want it to.
Los Angeles Dodgers
*** (No change) Eric Byford (3B)
- $40 Mill through 2055.
- Byford’s solid. He doesn’t offend me and neither does his contract. He’s like the human version of the color beige. In all honesty, as I was writing this last night I just about fell asleep. That’s what Byford does to me.
*** (New) Vincent Watson (1B)
- $40 Mill through 2054.
- $20 Mill team option in 2056 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- I got 8 great years from Watson, but I had an inkling that he was heading for a decline in 2053. However, his 2053 was worse than I could have imagined. I don’t think he’ll repeat his replacement-level play, but it’s a sad descent for a quality player.
Miami Marlins
** (New) Bruce Hooper (1B)
- $33 Mill through 2056.
- The Marlins made two big trades last year for their playoff run: One was for Brady Henderson and the other was for Hooper. Bruce doesn’t exactly rate on the same scale as Brady, but he’s still a really solid bat. Then something weird happened. Neither of them hit above .225! When I saw it happened for Brady I assumed it was a fluke. But happening twice can mean only one thing… POISON.
** (New) Lee Peterson (2B)
- $48 Mill through 2057.
- $12 Mill team option in 2058 with a $3 Mill buyout.
- $12 Mill team option in 2059 with a $3 Mill buyout.
- Once upon a time the White Sox had four superstar infielders. They kept two, let one hit free agency, and traded the last one to Miami. You might argue that Peterson is on the downslope of his career, but I still think he has something left in the tank. And his contract is reasonable for a team that doesn’t have a lot of dollars to throw around.
Milwaukee Brewers
** (New) Carlos Gutierrez (SP)
- $62.6 Mill through 2059.
- $13 Mill player option in 2060.
- Right now Gutierrez is more about potential than performance. He’s got all the skills in place to put up monster numbers, he just… hasn’t? Yet? The Brewers are betting that they’ll get a few big years from him, followed by trading him for all of your prospects. Am I giving away secrets here? I’m sure John will forgive me.
** (New) Jose Nunez (SP)
- $38 Mill through 2057.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- Nunez is sneaky-good. He’s not going to blow you away with his skills, but when you put a solid infield behind him he can put up some reliable WAR. Reliability is one of those things I can’t enough of from a pitcher.
Montreal Expos
** (-1 star) Roberto Rodriguez (2B)
- $27 Mill through 2056.
- I don’t love Roberto. But his skills in the infield and his decent bat make him tradable. However, both those points of strength are kind of borderline. If either degrades even a little in either it’s going to be tough to move him.
New York Mets
*** (No change) Jorge Molina (2B/3B)
- $108.4 Mill through 2057.
- The good news is that he put up a lot of value on the basepaths last year. He led the NL in stolen bases with 41, which is pretty impressive. The bad news is he’s not likely to have superlative value with his bat anymore and he opted in to an extra 100 Million of the Mets’ buckaroonies.
** (New) George Briggs (SP)
- $42 Mill through 2055.
- $21 Mill team option in 2056 with a $5.5 Mill buyout.
- Briggs was an interesting guy in last year’s free agency! Pro: Has the skills of a reliever but can start. Con: He is 35. Pro: He was not a compensation free agent. Con: He is 35. Pro: Has three strong pitchers and hefty stamina. Con: HE IS A DECREPIT OLD MAN.
Philadelphia Phillies
**** (New) Henry Alexander (SP)
- $210.8 Mill through 2062.
- $28.07 Mill team option in 2063 with a $8.6 Mill buyout.
- The Phillies terrify me. Henry Alexander is a really solid pitcher, but MAN! He’s going to be on their team making max money until he’s 41! When pitchers start to break down, they don’t do it slowly. They explode like a poorly wired hoverboard. Remember hoverboards?!? Those were a thing! Side note: Is the team option on this contact illegal? Not to narc or anything, it just looks like a pretty large jump.
*** (-1 star) Fred Caballero (SP)
- $122.7 Mill through 2057.
- Fred’s holding steady, but I’m really worried about the back half of this contract. When I look at it I feel this overwhelming sense of impending doom that I just can’t shake... Oh wait. That’s just from watching the news. Fred’s probably fine.
*** (New) Octavio Macias (2B)
- $104.875 Mill through 2057.
- $30 Mill player option in 2058.
- I adore his contract at $11 million. I’m ambivalent about it at $30 million. That’s a heck of a raise. Fortunately, it’s short enough that if he keeps up his current level of production he’ll his money. Maybe.
*** (+1 stars) Dan Turner (LF)
- $243 Mill through 2060
- Promised Role: Starting Lineup.
- NO TRADE CLAUSE.
- The Phillies should be very pleased with his performance. Also, the Phillies should be very scared of his performance. He is definitely worth $20 million a year right now. Also, he is definitely not worth $48 million a year right now. He’s making me feel a lot of cognitive dissonance here. I DON’T LIKE IT.
Pittsburgh Pirates
*** (+1 star) Dave Peterson (LF)
- $120 Mill through 2056.
- $40 Mill player option in 2057.
- Not to be a broken record, but my big problem is he should be DHing. Last year he had a total -13.1 ZR playing both corner outfield positions. He’s not an outfielder anymore and it’s beginning to affect his value.
** (New) Fellipe Carrillo
- $52.08 through 2057.
- I’m gonna be honest. Sometimes I start to write up guys and realize I have nothing to say about them mid-sentence. Yeah. That’s happening here.
San Diego Padres
** (New) Jim King (SP)
- $120 Mill through 2057
- Player opt out after 2057.
- $60 Mill through 2059.
- $30 Mill player option in 2060.
- Funny, but true. Angel Solis used to be in this spot. But now his contract doesn’t even come close to making the list. This era of big-spending Padres is exciting!
** (+1 star) Kata Okada (DH)
- $140 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.
- 2053 was his first real off-year. It’s nothing that establishes a pattern, but it’s a warning sign. He’s no longer in the untouchable part of his career. Fortunately, the price is right for a star batter. Some guys out there are performing the exact same and making double.
** (New) Manny Sanchez (SP)
- $128.048 Mill through 2060.
- $18 Mill team option in 2061 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- $18 Mill team option in 2062 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- The money is perfect. I’m not certain his health is though. The very first injury of his career was Tommy John surgery. Since then he’s never had anything truly severe happen but the risk is there. Gonna watch him closely for signs of wear and tear.
* (New) Jack MacGruder (LF)
- $59.2 Mill through 2057.
- $14.8 Mill team option in 2058 with a $3.7 Mill buyout.
- $14.8 Mill team option in 2059 with a $3.7 Mill buyout.
- I feel for the NL West. I really do. I remember when the A’s were ascendant and they kept getting these great players (Carl Holmes, Norris Barton) and signing them SOOOOO cheaply. It’s a real kick in the crotch for a division rival.
San Francisco Giants
*** (-1 star) Dana Brassard (SS)
- $72 Mill through 2057.
- I think I’ve been too harsh on him. Winning the gold globe at shortstop is pretty tough to do. Winning it twice in a row is even tougher. He deserves some credit for putting up a +9.8 Zone Rating at an extremely difficult position.
*** (-1 star) Alberto Perez (C)
- $41 Mill through 2056.
- Promised role: Starting Lineup.
- Nope. He didn’t opt out. Gotta admit, he does have a tremendous catching arm.
* (New) Jake Moore (SP)
- $114.5 Mill through 2060.
- $15 Mill team option in 2061 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- $15 Mill team option in 2062 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- I was nervous about the number of years as first glance. But then I considered his age, his health and the fact that his contract is frontloaded and I actually really like this deal.
St. Louis Cardinals
* (New) Tony Padilla (CF)
- $61. 75 Mill through 2057.
- $18 Mill team option in 2058 with a $4.5 Mill buyout.
- The Cards lost a lot of great players last off season, but Tony Padilla is not a bad player to be left with after the dust settles. Though, if I’m being honest, this is certainly a case of “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”
Washington Nationals
**** (+2 stars) John Ross (1B)
- $75 Mill through 2056.
- I have always been skeptical about Ross. A perfectly healthy player with his sort of abilities should NOT be putting up back to back replacement level years of production. You just can’t rely on him. He’s just plain untrustworthy! I’m going to stop short of calling him a liar-liar-pants-on-fire, but you get where I’m going with this.
** (New) Raymond Page (LF)
- $43 Mill though 2055.
- Good news: Raymond Page still has a monster bat. Bad news: He can no longer play outfield. There are two ways to visualize this. The first is a depressing scenario in which his body has broken down to the point that he’s staggering through the outfield on crutches. The second is a much more amusing scenario where he honestly doesn’t know what or where the outfield is. Actually, that’s pretty depressing as well. I’m gonna have a brief cry and I’ll see you in spring training.
* (No change) Chris Allen (CF)
- $63 Mill through 2056.
- NO TRADE CLAUSE.
- $1 Mill MVP Bonus.
- Greatness is boring, so Chris Allen is boring. Go away Chris Allen and do something interesting.
* (-1 star) Julian Robles (SP)
- $172 Mill through 2059.
- This is about the price you’re going to end up paying for an Ace pitcher. Really isn’t any way to avoid a contract this large if you want a guy to anchor your rotation.