2043 NL Albatross List

[MetDaMeats]

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.

Arizona Diamondbacks
*** (New) Allen Dewitt (SP)

• $13 Mill through 2044.
  
• A reasonable pitcher, but that torn rotator cuff is a big downside. Only has two good pitches so a patient team with some money to spare could do worse than try to use him as a reliever when he gets healthy.

Atlanta Braves
** (New) Kent Catron (SP)

• $40.8275 Mill through 2047.
  
• Really solid number 3 guy. He’s held back a bit by slider and forkball that grade out as B minuses.
  

* (New) Jose Gutierrez (C)

• $42.075 Mill through 2047.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
  
• There’s a lot to like about Spanky. I just wish he was a slightly better catcher, you know? Best case scenario would be his zone rating breaking even.
  

* (New) Mario Soto (SP)

• $91.14 Mill through 2048.
  
• Nothing to complain about here. Although it is pretty weird how his changeup just hasn’t developed correctly.

Carolina Warhounds
*** (New) Dave Bean (SP)

• $13.35 Mill through 2044.
  
• $8.5 Mill vesting option in 2045 after 160 IP.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
• Can “Buttermilk Tommy” still start? Sure. If last year is any indicator he can probably do quite well. However, I’m not too sure a guy with 2 solid pitches and 3 crappy ones should be dong anything but relief.
  

Chicago Cubs
*** (New) Jose Baez (SP)

• $25.2 Mill through 2045.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
  
• I like the price on Baez, but you have to be a little wary of the injuries. He hasn’t had a full season’s worth of games since 2041 

Cincinnati Reds
***** (+2 stars) Robbie Gill (SP)

• $79 Mill through 2046.
  
• This trade has got to sting the Reds. He hasn’t pitched a complete season since coming to Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Mel Wolfe has been covering himself with glory while he basks in the Arizona sun.

*** (New) Gabriel Camacho (SP)

• $64.28 Mill through 2046.
  
• Well. Camacho’s stopping at his third Midwest city in three years. He’s a fascinating guy, and there’s no doubt he’ll be worth 16 Mill a year. Eventually. I’m just not convinced this is the year he comes into his own. 

*** (New) Millard Van Pelt (SP)

• $10 Mill through 2043.
  
• $10 Mill player option in 2044.
  
• I feel like a broken record, but every time I see a guy with only two strong pitches all I can do is picture him as a reliever. His changeup is just good enough to keep him on the borderline. And every once and a while he keeps his homeruns low and puts together a great season.  

Los Angeles Dodgers
*** (New) Tony Encarnacion (SP)

• $56.718 Mill through 2046.
  
• Player Opt Out after 2046.
  
• $17 Mill team option in 2047 with an unknown buyout.
  
• $18 Mill team option in 2048 with an unknown buyout.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher. 
• Hmm. I like Tony, and he’s served the Dodgers well. However I’m worried that when you hold him to the standard of his new contract extension he might be a bit of a disappointment.
  

* (-1 star) Danny Hayes (SP)

• $30 Mill through 2043.
  
• $27.5 Mill vesting option in 2044 after 180 IP.
  
• Besides his devastating 2040 injury he’s been nothing short of spectacular. But now come the big question. What do you do with him after his final contract year? 

Miami Marlins
*** (+1 star) Chris Bryant (SP)

• $36 Mill through 2044.
  
• $18 Mill player option in 2045.
  
• $18 Mill player option in 2046. 
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
  
• I do not like the way his stuff is declining. In the past three years his velocity has dropped around 7 miles per hour. 89-91 mph is pretty middling. And it could get worse.
  

** (No Change) Jose Rivera (1B/OF)

• $25 Mill through 2043.
  
• Player Opt Out after 2043.
  
• $30 Mill in 2044.
  
• $30 Mill vesting option after 130 games in 2045.
  
• $30 Mill vesting option after 130 games in 2046. 
• If I were Miami, I’d be making some serious phone calls about moving Rivera. Maybe he’ll opt out of his contract, but probably not with that huge payday coming in 2044. And if you don’t think you can compete this year, now’s the time to squeeze a few prospects out of him.
  

Milwaukee Brewers
The Brew Crew has a lot of interesting guys coming to the end of their contracts. I’m interested to see exactly what moves they make in the near future.

Montreal Expos
*** (New) Fernando Maldonaldo

• $34 Mill through 2046.
  
• The quest for .500 continues! Is Fernando the guy to take the Expos there? Possibly!
  

New York Mets
The Metropolitans are running things on a shoe-string this year. Maybe next time!

Philadelphia Phillies
* (New) George MacKinney (LF)

• $69 Mill through 2047.
  
• $16 Mill player option in 2048.
  
• I’m not sure if MacKinney is a superstar, but he’s put up a solid resume so far. But any guy who puts up a .300 average with 30 homers on the regular can start for me. 

Pittsburgh Pirates
** (New) Ki-Nam Im (SP)

• $53.5 Mill through 2046.
  
• $14 Mill team option in 2047 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
  
• A torn labrum kept off the mound for a good long while last year. Now that he’s back he’ll be looking to finish what he started in Miami. 

* (New) Obke Jansen (SP)

• $72 Mill through 2047.
  
• $16 Mill team option in 2048 with a $4 Mill buyout.
  
• Last year’s dominant crusade led him to the Cy Young and lead the powerhouse Pirates to the NLCS. And boy did he ever get his payday.  

* (No change) Hadde Lieder (RF)

• $28 Mill through 2044.
  
• I’m not sure if he’ll ever put up 42 homers ever again, but last year’s power streak has got to raise some interesting questions about whether or not Hadde’s worth a monster extension. 

San Diego Padres
*** (New) Miguel Cruz (SP)

• $30 Mill through 2048.
  
• It takes some brass balls to sign a guy who comes out of nowhere with no track record to a 6 year contract. But then again, the money isn’t too high, so why not gamble.
  

*** (New) Darren Sanders (SP)

• $12 Mill through 2044.
  
• Ever since he signed his extension his stuff has been dropping precipitously. He’s never broken the bank, but even still San Diego probably feels a little relief to see the end of contract coming soon.

** (New) Scott Porter (SP)

• $12 Mill through 2044.
  
• $6 Mill team option in 2045 with a $1.5 Mill buyout.
  
• He’ll fill up a rotation. Nothing fantastic, but rarely as bad as he was for the Dodgers last year. 

San Francisco Giants
**** (New) Hemmu Mahiri (SP)

• $20.5 Mill through 2043.
  
• $20.5 Mill player option in 2044.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher. 
• Hemmu’s been a continual disappointment since he was signed in 2040. He’s got so much potential… But it must feel like putting coins into a slot machine waiting for it to pay off. Those massive $20 million dollar coins.
  

St. Louis Cardinals
***** (New) Pablo Cordero (RF)

• $57 Mill through 2045.
• Is there a sadder story than that of Pablo Cordero? It’s like signing that 7 year contract took so much out of him that he just couldn’t bear to swing the bat any longer. It just all became too much for the guy.
  

Washington Nationals
*** (New) Warren Smith (SP)

• $28 Mill through 2044.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
  
• This is a huge expenditure for a guy whose velocity has fallen off the map in recent years. It’s never been an issue before, but I worry that this could be the year his strikeout numbers finally fall off the map. 

** (New) Mike Lucas (SP)

• $48 Mill through 2045.
  
• Promised Role: Starting Pitcher.
  
• The Nats can see an entryway into the playoffs. Atlanta is still a big hurdle, but they were only a few games out of the Wild Card. Hopefully a big expenditure like Lucas will give them the boost they need. 

[Wilson_DodgersGM]

I love these kinds of posts so much, it'd be great if more people contributed things like this. I'll be thinking of an aspect of the league to write about to help encourage it.