2060 AL Albatross List
Aug 15, 2021 17:52:17 GMT -5
Rich - Former GM, Commish_Ron, and 2 more like this
Post by MetDaMeats on Aug 15, 2021 17:52:17 GMT -5
Hey new guys! Welcome to my albatross list of the longest and most expensive contracts in the league. As usual I want to clarify that this is all in good fun and not meant to be taken super seriously. We all pull out a regrettable contract every once and a while, myself included. So please, do not take anything below as a personal criticism of any kind.
LEGEND:
* A great contract. No need to worry.
** Has some downside, but could make you look pretty smart.
*** A few red flags that could go either way.
**** This contract may be having a negative impact on the team.
***** Severe Albatross potential on every level.
Baltimore Orioles
*** (New) Art Bligh (C)
*** (New) Paul Peoples (SS)
Boston Red Sox
** (New) Ruben Martines (RF)
Chicago White Sox
**** (No change) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
*** (-1 star) Angelo Cruz (RF)
* (-1 star) Sifaks Ben Hassi (1B)
Cleveland Indians
*** (+1 star) Joe McGee (3B)
** (No change) Kip Blue (SP)
Colorado Rockies
*** (No change) Ken Cooper (SP)
** (New) Al O’Brien (LF)
Detroit Tigers
* (-1 star) Dave Baker (RF)
* (No change) Jotaro Inagaki (SS)
Houston Astros
*** (New) Armando Ferreira (SP)
** (No change) Berhanu Pnyango (SP)
* (No change) Bill Smith (RF)
* (New) Manny Rivera (2B)
* (No change) Paul Burke (SP)
Kansas City Royals
Jose Contreras is a Met. Pablo Diaz is an Athletic. And Bill Kachmar and Jorge Salazar are Rangers. Not an albatross to be found in Kansas City.
Los Angeles Angels
** (-1 star) Kenzaburo Sato (CF)
** (No change) Gilberto Vasquez (SP)
Minnesota Twins
*** (+1 star) Ramon Crus (SS)
New York Yankees
**** (No change) Bobby Lott (LF)
**** (New) Robert Haynes (RP)
*** (New) Luis Valensia (SS)
Oakland Athletics
***** (No change) Travis Olsen (2B)
*** (New) Dave Jamison (3B)
*** (-1 star) Hua-Ding Xie (SP)
* (New) Jaime Lopez (CF)
* (-1 star) Pablo Diaz (1B)
Seattle Mariners
* (New) Jude Herbet (1B)
Tampa Bay Rays
* (No change) Eduardo Gutierrez (SP)
* (-1 star) Fernando Gutierrez (SP)
* (-1 star) Yusuke Tanaka (RF)
Texas Rangers
* (No change) German Santos (SP)
* (No change) Makalani Korra (CF)
Toronto Blue Jays
Just finished a big paper and now I want to sleep for a week. That’s why I have nothing witty to close out the list. NOTHING.
LEGEND:
* A great contract. No need to worry.
** Has some downside, but could make you look pretty smart.
*** A few red flags that could go either way.
**** This contract may be having a negative impact on the team.
***** Severe Albatross potential on every level.
Baltimore Orioles
*** (New) Art Bligh (C)
- $36.45 Mill through 2062.
- $12.15 Mill team option in 2063 with a $4.5 Mill buyout.
- The great catcher drought continues to ravage the PBL. The days of the power hitting catcher are done my friends! These are the end times! REPENT YEE BACKSTOPS! REPENT!
*** (New) Paul Peoples (SS)
- $54.88 Mill through 2063.
- $13.72 Mill vesting option in 2064 after 525 PAs.
- Free agency was rough this year. I’m saying it was rough! But I suppose that in a weak year it pays to be one of the top two shortstops available. He’ll steal 20 bags and won’t embarrass you with his glove, but you like to see some better OBP from a guy with no pop.
Boston Red Sox
** (New) Ruben Martines (RF)
- $85 Mill through 2064.
- I’m not in love with his fielding ability. When you take his injury history into account he sort of screams DH to me. But I’d really hate to have to platoon a DH spot. I’ve got a lot of unanswered questions about this guy.
Chicago White Sox
**** (No change) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
- $20 Mill through 2060.
- $20 Mill player option in 2061.
- What kind of year is my old friend Fernando going to have? The year where little injuries plague him all season long? Or the year where something huge knocks him out for months? It’s a real shame because he’s one of the best infield gloves around.
*** (-1 star) Angelo Cruz (RF)
- $26 Mill through 2061.
- $12 Mill player option in 2062.
- I’m not lowering Cruz’s albatross rating because he's earned it. I'm lowering it because Harry Casz’s sudden and extremely suspicious retirement has left the White Sox with a little more money in their coffers. We know that the team sent guys to break Casz’s legs right? I can’t be the only one thinking it.
* (-1 star) Sifaks Ben Hassi (1B)
- $70 Mill through 2063.
- $17.5 player option in 2064.
- There’s nothing to complain about here, but I do want to note that Sifaks has only ever really had a single season that was truly GREAT. He’s been very good repeatedly, but 2054 was the only time he ever became utterly transcendent. Still, not bad for a Rule V guy.
Cleveland Indians
*** (+1 star) Joe McGee (3B)
- $46 Mill through 2061.
- $23 Mill player option in 2062.
- Since 2057 he’s lost 40 points off his average and, more distressingly, 140 points off his slugging. It’s strange, because his ratings look the same as they ever have. He’s still valuable (because third base is a position that’s only slightly less barren than catcher) but these aren’t comforting changes.
** (No change) Kip Blue (SP)
- $64 Mill through 2061.
- $36 Mill team option in 2062 with a $9 Mill buyout.
- I’m forced to wonder how much a 35 year old Kip Blue would have gotten in free agency if he had been available this year. I mean, at least Bo Moore money, right? They’re not making them like this guy anymore.
Colorado Rockies
*** (No change) Ken Cooper (SP)
- $25.5 Mill through 2061.
- $14 Mill team option in 2062 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- $14 Mill team option in 2063 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- You know, Cooper has been really surprising. I could have sworn he’d be slammed in the thin air of Mile High Stadium, but he’s been pretty darn good at keeping the ball in the park. As long as he keeps the K’s coming I’m a happy guy.
** (New) Al O’Brien (LF)
- $28 Mill through 2061.
- $14 Mill team option in 2062 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- $14 Mill team option in 2063 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- Any chance Houston wants to trade me Alejandro Garcia? I could use an all Al outfield.
Detroit Tigers
* (-1 star) Dave Baker (RF)
- $114.24 Mill through 2065.
- $22.04 Mill team option in 2066 with a $7 Mill buyout.
- I watch a competition television show where grown men forge historical weapons in their backyards. Anyway, whenever I picture Dave Baker, I will always be picturing ABS Master Smith David Baker.
* (No change) Jotaro Inagaki (SS)
- $40 Mill through 2061.
- Detroit rode the best SS in the AL all the way the World Series. The AL Central could go in a lot of different directions, but I can attest to the fact that this isn’t a team you want to run into during the playoffs.
Houston Astros
*** (New) Armando Ferreira (SP)
- $26.5 Mill through 2061.
- $15 Mill team option in 2062 with a $3.8 Mill buyout.
- This guy puts you in a tough position as a GM. On the one hand, there is NO ONE out there with his kind of pitching ability. On the other hand, his limbs are attached to his body by duct tape and prayer. So you do what you have to do: Give him a short term deal and hope for the best. And buy more duct tape.
** (No change) Berhanu Pnyango (SP)
- $28.5 Mill through 2061.
- Player opt out after 2061.
- $13 Mill through 2062.
- Fun fact: Berhanu is near perfect at sacrifice bunting. If that’s not enough to make you want to abolish the DH, I don’t know what will.
* (No change) Bill Smith (RF)
- $40.15 Mill through 2062.
- Smith’s personality is described as “Full throttle all the time.” Now, I’m a guy who likes to spend a lot of time on his couch, so that sounds horrific.
* (New) Manny Rivera (2B)
- $62.5 Mill through 2063.
- Player opt out after 2063.
- $78 Mill through 2066.
- $28 Mill team option in 2067 with a $7.3 Mill buyout.
- I can’t predict the future. Maybe he’ll develop some horrific degenerative disease by 2063. In that case, sure he should take the money that Houston is offering him. But if I’m this guy, and even vaguely healthy, I’m opting out of my contract in 2063.
* (No change) Paul Burke (SP)
- $52.5 Mill through 2062.
- Promised role: Starting Pitcher.
- 2055: 3rd place in Cy Young. 2056: 2nd place in Cy Young. 2057: Won the World Series. 2058: Won the Cy Young. 2059: 2nd place in Cy Young. I think we all know what this means. Houston cannot win a ring if Paul Burke is in contention for the Cy Young. I HAVE THE DATA.
Kansas City Royals
Jose Contreras is a Met. Pablo Diaz is an Athletic. And Bill Kachmar and Jorge Salazar are Rangers. Not an albatross to be found in Kansas City.
Los Angeles Angels
** (-1 star) Kenzaburo Sato (CF)
- $188.25 Mill through 2064.
- Player opt out after 2064.
- $85.3 Mill through 2066.
- $42.65 Mill player option in 2067.
- I still don’t love the back end of this contract, but I swear that his glove and his speed must be worth at least 5 WAR without even factoring in his bat. I think he should hit .200 for a year just so we can determine how much his non batting skills are really worth. Come on. Try it. For science.
** (No change) Gilberto Vasquez (SP)
- $108.65 Mill through 2064.
- Player opt out after 2064.
- $72.39 Mill through 2067.
- He had a disappointing 2059 because he couldn’t keep the ball in the park. He allowed 18 more homeruns than he ever has in any year he’s pitched. He’s got too much talent for this to continue.
Minnesota Twins
*** (+1 star) Ramon Crus (SS)
- $37.5 Mill through 2062.
- Player opt out after 2062.
- $25 Mill through 2064.
- I’m always fascinated with guys with great ratings as base stealers, but abysmal speed. I picture them standing at first, timing their movements perfectly, waiting for just the right pitch… And then crawling in slow motion as the man at second waits to tag them out.
New York Yankees
**** (No change) Bobby Lott (LF)
- $56 Mill through 2062.
- $18 Mill player option in 2063.
- Unless he hits 50 homeruns, Bobby Lott is bad at the game of baseball. Except… He might just hit 50 homers.
**** (New) Robert Haynes (RP)
- $105 Mill through 2064.
- What is Robert Haynes supposed to be? He’s got the pitching profile of a starter, the stamina of a middle reliever, the injury history of a rodeo clown, and the paycheck of a superstar. I’m not sure what he’s going to be doing on the Yankees, but he’ll be doing it for half a decade.
*** (New) Luis Valensia (SS)
- $90 Mill through 2064.
- $18 Mill team option on 2065 with a $6 Mill buyout.
- Depending on what you think of Paul Peoples, Luis may have been the best shortstop on the 2059 free agent market. But this is a large chunk of change for a guy who is going to ride the pine against lefties whose main skill seems to be taking bases on balls.
Oakland Athletics
***** (No change) Travis Olsen (2B)
- $19.32 Mill through 2060.
- $19.32 Mill player option in 2061.
- If he had opted out it would have been a pretty tricky way for the A’s to get some low-level prospects out of San Diego. But he didn’t, and the A’s are still footing the bill while Olsen lounges on a beach in sunny southern California.
*** (New) Dave Jamison (3B)
- $60.383232 Mill through 2064.
- Still hits around .300 but the man never walks. But if you’ve got the money to spend he’s not the worst guy to have in the hot corner.
*** (-1 star) Hua-Ding Xie (SP)
- $28.36 Mill through 2061.
- Player opt out after 2061.
- $14.5 Mill through 2062.
- $14.5 Mill vesting option in 2063 after 160 IP.
- $14.5 Mill vesting option in 2064 after 160 IP.
- Promised position: Starting pitcher.
- Another confusing occurrence in OOTP is pitcher has mediocre movement but perfect curveballs. It feels like that shouldn’t be viable combination.
* (New) Jaime Lopez (CF)
- $140 Mill through 2064.
- Player opt out after 2064.
- $56 Mill through 2066.
- At first I was confused when the A’s were buyers at the 2059 trade deadline. Well, all their moves seem pretty prescient now. Maybe they sensed that there was a big offseason trade would be bringing two huge bats into town and turning them into contenders. Is Lopez pricy? Sure. But there’s no shame in praying sticker price for a guy like him.
* (-1 star) Pablo Diaz (1B)
- $163.1 Mill through 2067.
- The only downside to this deal is that Oakland has 4 viable first basemen. I remember back when the Yankees used to have this problem.
Seattle Mariners
* (New) Jude Herbet (1B)
- $39.5 Mill through 2062.
- $14.7 Mill player option in 2063.
- I wonder if Jude Herbert will be with Seattle his entire career. I hope so. He seems nice.
Tampa Bay Rays
* (No change) Eduardo Gutierrez (SP)
- $71.55 Mill through 2064.
- I have nothing to say about Eduardo Gutierrez. Except for this: He once had gout for two days. And as we all know, gout will destroy you.
* (-1 star) Fernando Gutierrez (SP)
- $144.17 Mill through 2066.
- A near perfect starter except for his terrible changeup. Tampa should dock his salary when pitches it.
* (-1 star) Yusuke Tanaka (RF)
- $138.46 Mill through 2065.
- He’s nicknamed Dopey but he’s actually quite intelligent. There’s can be only one explanation: This man loves dwarves.
Texas Rangers
* (No change) German Santos (SP)
- $116 Mill through 2064.
- Player opt out after 2064.
- $18 Mill team option in 2065 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
- $18 Mill team option in 2066 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- $2 Mill Cy Young award bonus.
- He’ll be back in time for the playoffs, but still… It’s rough to lose Santos for the regular season. That being said, I find it hard to pity any team with Makalani Korra, Bill Kachmar, Jorge Salazar and Brady Henderson. Ugh. It was sickening just to type that list.
* (No change) Makalani Korra (CF)
- $188 Mill through 2068.
- You can’t predict things. Some guys stay in the league for decades and some guys suddenly flame out for no reason at all. But if Korra keeps up this pace he’s going to challenge guys like Sotan Kono and Roberto Vasti for greatest player in PBL history.
Toronto Blue Jays
Just finished a big paper and now I want to sleep for a week. That’s why I have nothing witty to close out the list. NOTHING.