2055 AL Albatross List
Jun 16, 2020 21:16:53 GMT -5
AstrosGM_Shane, Rich - Former GM, and 5 more like this
Post by MetDaMeats on Jun 16, 2020 21:16:53 GMT -5
Baltimore Orioles
**** (No change) Jose Lopez (RF)
*** (New) Phil Wilson (LF)
** (-1 star) Jen-Kan Hu (3B)
Boston Red Sox
*** (No change) Orlando Garcia (3B)
Chicago White Sox
*** (+1 star) Cesar Perez (C)
*** (-1 star) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
* (-1 star) Steve Guindon (3B)
Cleveland Indians
*** (+1 star) Alfredo Sanchez (SP)
** (No change) Carlos Rocha (SP)
* (New) Kip Blue (SP)
Colorado Rockies
** (-1 star) Albert Hernandez (CF)
** (New) Duane Hansen (DH)
* (-1 star) Sarsa-Dengal Robienayai (SP)
Detroit Tigers
** (-1 star) Douglas Pittman (C)
Houston Astros
Even through he takes up 29.4% of the Astros budget, I refuse to put John Toney’s $6 million dollar contract on this list. We have standards here at Albatross Central (which is, of course, what I call my couch).
Kansas City Royals
***** (+1 star) Pedro Mulert (SP)
**** (+1 star) Enrique Herrera (RF)
*** (No change) Mario Medina (C)
** (+1 star) Bill Kachmar (RF)
** (+1 star) Jose Contreras (2B/SS)
Los Angeles Angels
**** (+2 stars) Alex Carras (1B)
Minnesota Twins
*** (-1 star) Guilhem Ciaravella (SS)
New York Yankees
*** (New) Felix Gomez (C)
*** (No change) Kevin Lopez (SP)
** (-1 star) Jorge Taylor (SS)
** (-1 star) Steve Bauer (3B)
Oakland Athletics
Jay Quinton is a tremendous, unapologetic jerk. But he’s no albatross.
Seattle Mariners
***** (+2 stars) Alfredo Rojas (CL)
Tampa Bay Rays
**** (No change) Jim Chesney (3B)
*** (New) John Miller (SP)
* (No change) Jose Rodriguez (RP)
Texas Rangers
** (No change) Brady Henderson (3B)
** (New) Edward Boer (SP)
* (No change) Oliver de Kok (CF)
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays are under new management but still no albatrosses. YET.
**** (No change) Jose Lopez (RF)
- $105 Mill through 2057.
- I think Bruce Boyer serves as an interesting comparison case. Very similar batting skills (Lopez has slightly more power, Boyer is slightly better at making contact), except that Boyer plays second base and does not need a platoon partner. I think those differences are what make it possible for Boyer to earn double Lopez’s WAR on a regular basis.
*** (New) Phil Wilson (LF)
- $48.04 Mill through 2057.
- Look, I think it’s a testament to how rough this free agency has been that a guy who has spent the last two years on minor league contracts is commanding more money per year than any other outfielder received this offseason. This man signed on the dotted line at the exact right time.
** (-1 star) Jen-Kan Hu (3B)
- $78 Mill through 2060.
- $13 Mill player option in 2061.
- A good third baseman is hard to find. Sometimes I get curmudgeonly about these things. Enjoy your star drop Jen-Kan. You’ve earned it.
Boston Red Sox
*** (No change) Orlando Garcia (3B)
- $101.72 Mill through 2058.
- $25.93 Mill team option in 2059 with a $10 Mill buyout.
- $2.5 Mill MVP bonus.
- $1 Mill All-Star bonus.
- Being a star without a Comp tag made Orlando one of the bright spots of the 2055 free agent period. And he cashed out like the glimmering, anomalous unicorn he was. Honestly, the only way he could have earned himself more money was by changing his last name to Boucher.
Chicago White Sox
*** (+1 star) Cesar Perez (C)
- $70 Mill through 2057.
- $20 Mill player option in 2059.
- He can still send the ball into the stratosphere but against right-handers he may as well be batting while doing the bird-box challenge. That’s a pop-cultural reference for being blind-folded. THE KIDS LOVE THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE THEY RELATE TO IT.
*** (-1 star) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
- $130 Mill through 2060.
- $20 Mill player option in 2061.
- I’m going to lower his star rating. He had a fantastic 2054 and I’m willing to ignore the utter impossibility of him repeating that level of success for the next 6 years in a row, just this one time. Call me sentimental!
* (-1 star) Steve Guindon (3B)
- $80 Mill through 2056.
- $37.5 Mill player option in 2057.
- Much like Wolverine, he’s the best there is at what he does. Also like Wolverine, he is Canadian and has a metallic skeleton. The coincidences are beginning to mount. Look. Steve Guindon is Wolverine.
Cleveland Indians
*** (+1 star) Alfredo Sanchez (SP)
- $115.28 Mill through 2057.
- Player opt out after 2057.
- $73 Mill through 2059.
- $30 Mill team option with an $8 Mill buyout in 2060.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought that the Indians were toast when Sanchez went down last year. Instead they clawed their way into a wild card spot. Now that he’s healthy, Sanchez is going to very valuable to the Tribe, though I’m worried he may have lost a step.
** (No change) Carlos Rocha (SP)
- $52.1 Mill through 2056.
- Player opt out after 2056.
- $52.1 Mill through 2058
- $4 Mill Cy Young award Bonus.
- $1 Mill All Star bonus.
- It turns out that when your ace herniates a disc, having Carlos Rocha as a backup ace is a pretty solid option. He’s getting the going rate for a guy of his skills. Not a bargain, but eminently tradable.
* (New) Kip Blue (SP)
- $42 Mill through 2057.
- $14 Mill player option in 2058.
- Blue isn’t the best pitcher that Cleveland’s got. However, I’d argue he’s the most valuable. He’s got a live arm and the kind of petite contract you love to see. And of the three Cleveland aces, he’s the only one with 4 excellent pitches. Sidebar: The Cleveland Aces is a pretty good team name. Just throwing that out there.
Colorado Rockies
** (-1 star) Albert Hernandez (CF)
- $39.75 Mill through 2057.
- $13.25 team option in 2058 with a $3.3125 Mill buyout.
- $13.17 team option in 2058 with a $3.3125 Mill buyout.
- $1 Mill bonus form 550 PAs.
- $1 Mill MVP bonus.
- Promised role: Starting lineup.
- I gotta say, I did not anticipate Hernandez having the second best statistical season of his career in 2054. I just wanted a solid outfield presence. He’s probably going to regress back to the mean this year, but I have to give him credit for a hell of a surprise performance.
** (New) Duane Hansen (DH)
- $60 Mill through 2057.
- $16 Mill team option in 2058 with a $6 Mill buyout.
- $13 Mill team option in 2059 with a $6 Mill buyout.
- $1.5 Mill bonus from 550 PAs.
- $1.5 Mill MVP bonus.
- $1.5 Mill All Star bonus.
- Maybe I’m a big sap, but I’ve had a mission for a long time now: Make sure Duane Hansen leaves the game without ever having worn any other major league uniform. He’s not going to spend the twilight of his career tossing interceptions in Tampa Bay like a chump! He’s going to retire as a Patriot the way he was meant to! Hey! I think I just blacked out for a second!
* (-1 star) Sarsa-Dengal Robienayai (SP)
- $112 Mill through 2058.
- $28 Mill team option in 2059 with a $8 Mill buyout.
- $27.9 Mill team option in 2060 with a $8 Mill buyout.
- $1.5 Mill MVP award bonus.
- $1.5 Mill Cy Young award bonus.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- With Alfredo Sanchez wounded and Norris Barton retired, the Cy Young was just waiting for Robie to smuggle it home to Colorado. Now I want to see him do it twice.
Detroit Tigers
** (-1 star) Douglas Pittman (C)
- $34 Mill through 2057.
- A catcher with a solid bat is becoming increasingly rare. Pittman’s value may be on the rise due to resource scarcity, more than anything else.
Houston Astros
Even through he takes up 29.4% of the Astros budget, I refuse to put John Toney’s $6 million dollar contract on this list. We have standards here at Albatross Central (which is, of course, what I call my couch).
Kansas City Royals
***** (+1 star) Pedro Mulert (SP)
- $15 Mill through 2055.
- Player opt out after 2055.
- $73 Mill through 2059.
- $18 Mill team option in 2060 with a $4.5 Mill buyout.
- I worry that sometimes I come off as too critical when I write these, and this contract is one of those situations where I want to make sure I clarify how little I am judging KC for this deal. The GM did everything right here. But every once in a while the hammer of the gods falls down upon us and we are crushed under the weight of sudden injury. Chaos reigns, people. Chaos reigns.
**** (+1 star) Enrique Herrera (RF)
- $45 Mill through 2057.
- $15 Mill team option in 2058 with a $4.05 Mill buyout.
- $15 Mill team option in 2059 with a $4.05 Mill buyout.
- Sure, Moneyball is great, but walks are only an asset if they’re undervalued. When you pay retail for them they start looking a lot less special. That's why, despite his solid OBP, I’m still not enthused about Herrara getting paid 7 figures each year.
*** (No change) Mario Medina (C)
- $142 Mill through 2058.
- $37 Mill team option in 2059 with a $9.25 Mill buyout.
- I cannot, in good conscience, add a star to a 5 WAR player who led the league in homeruns, RBI’s and slugging. I’d never live it down. However, I think it’s vital to note that his time at the catcher’s position may be nearing its end. He’s still a valuable first baseman/DH, but one of these days he’s going to end up on the scrap heap like his buddy Mario Garcia if he isn't careful.
** (+1 star) Bill Kachmar (RF)
- $99.2 Mill through 2058.
- Player opt out after 2058.
- $53.6 Mill through 2060.
- $26.3 Mill team option in 2061 with a $6.795 Mill buyout.
- $26.3 Mill team option in 2062 with a $6.795 Mill buyout.
- Losing a month to the DL hurt him last year. I still think this contract is a winner, but sooner or later it might be time to shift him to designated hitter just to maintain his value.
** (+1 star) Jose Contreras (2B/SS)
- $45 Mill through 2057.
- Player opt out after 2057.
- $60 Mill through 2061.
- $15 Mill player option in 2062.
- When I look at his stats for a bit I realize that Jose’s batting average has never really been all that stellar. He’s been getting by on having some surprising pop for a middle infielder. But as he creeps closer to the Mendoza line it gets tougher to put him in the upper echelon of batters.
Los Angeles Angels
**** (+2 stars) Alex Carras (1B)
- $75 Mill through 2059.
- $14 Mill player option in 2060.
- Carras isn’t a bad batter. It took me a little bit to figure that out. But he is a truly, truly awful first baseman. Earning a -20.8 zone rating is hard to accomplish at a position that primarily requires you to stand still. But Alec is going to keep costing the Angels defensive runs until he’s put safely in DH where he will no longer be a danger to himself or others.
Minnesota Twins
*** (-1 star) Guilhem Ciaravella (SS)
- $40 Mill through 2055.
- $40 Mill player option in 2056.
- Double congrats to the Twins! First, for their 2054 playoff team. That was great run. Second, for the last year that Ciaravella will appear on this list! Despite his consistent quality, he’s been a true financial albatross for the Twins. He’s cut off most all other spending avenues, while remaining next to untradable. EXCEPT: If you can make it the playoffs, he’s the exact guy you want sitting at shortstop. It’s a real head scratcher for me.
New York Yankees
*** (New) Felix Gomez (C)
- $92 Mill through 2060.
- Every fiber of my being wants to increase his albatross rating. But I can't deny that the man has consistently put up great WAR ratings throughout his career. Even though he remains a solid defensive catcher with significant power, the potential to bat .200 can really hurt your homerun total. Gomez can't afford to lose any long balls.
*** (No change) Kevin Lopez (SP)
- $90 Mill through 2057.
- $30 Mill player option in 2058.
- We need to talk about Kevin. MORE MOVIE REFERENCES FOR THE YOUTH. His movement against righties is deteriorating, but homeruns haven’t been his problem. Walks are up, K’s are down, and he just isn’t pitching as many innings as he used to. It’s just so odd to see a legitimately good pitcher perform worse after leaving Colorado’s launching pad.
** (-1 star) Jorge Taylor (SS)
- $40 Mill through 2055.
- Player opt out after 2055.
- $135 Mill through 2059.
- $30 Mill team option in 2060 with a $10 Mill buyout.
- $30 Mill team option in 2061 with a $10 Mill buyout.
- A guy would have to have a set of cast iron balls to opt out of this sweetheart contract at age 33. But there’s a legitimate question as to whether Taylor will be delusional enough to think he deserves $40 plus a year. And the eerie thing is, if he plays like he did in 2054, he just might.
** (-1 star) Steve Bauer (3B)
- $100 Mill through 2058.
- $24 Mill team option in 2053 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
- The bright lights of the Bronx didn’t seem to phase Bauer at all, and he had the best year of his career at age 33. As with Albert Hernandez in Colorado, I wouldn’t bet on a repeat performance. But, you gotta love seeing your big free agent signing feast on the opposition's pitching
Oakland Athletics
Jay Quinton is a tremendous, unapologetic jerk. But he’s no albatross.
Seattle Mariners
***** (+2 stars) Alfredo Rojas (CL)
- $29.14 Mill through 2056.
- Wow. That shoulder inflammation hit Rojas like a ton of bricks. It is not often that a team’s highest paid player is a reliever. So, having your highest paid player be a reliever that’s putting up negative WAR is unheard of. Truly a perfect albatross storm in Seattle. Again, no judgement here. There but for the grace of the random number generator go we all.
Tampa Bay Rays
**** (No change) Jim Chesney (3B)
- $21.13 Mill through 2055.
- Player opt out after 2055.
- $63.9 Mill through 2058.
- His defense is important and shouldn’t be ignored. If he was making 5 million less, or his contract was 2 years shorter, I think I would still consider it reasonably tradable. But as it stands, it’s just a little more than I would be comfortable paying for a guy with his skill set.
*** (New) John Miller (SP)
- $60.75 Mill through 2059.
- $12.94 Mill player option in 2060.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- I’m lost here. His FIP tells a tale of a solid pitcher who has been let down by his defense. His rWAR tells a different story about a guy losing his edge. I think I’d feel better making a judgement if I could reliably explain what rWAR was… Which I, full disclosure, cannot.
* (No change) Jose Rodriguez (RP)
- $26.14 Mill through 2056.
- $12.57 Mill team option in 2057 with a $3.6425 Mill buyout.
- $12.57 Mill team option in 2058 with a $3.6425 Mill buyout.
- No real comment here. He’s great. However, I think he may have intentionally let his WHIP go up during his final years on the Blue Jays just so he wouldn't have to sign a long term contract in Canada. That's just devious and cruel.
Texas Rangers
** (No change) Brady Henderson (3B)
- $160 Mill through 2059.
- $32 Mill player option in 2060.
- $16.5 Mill in 2055.
- Is it nuts to think about putting him at DH? The Rangers have a lot of guys who can play the hot corner, and maybe no one who jumps out at me as a real competitor for the designated hitter role. Am I overthinking this? I may be overthinking it. Am I though? I need to lie down.
** (New) Edward Boer (SP)
- $50 Mill through 2058.
- $11 Mill in team option 2059 with a $3.25 Mill buyout.
- $11 Mill in team option 2060 with a $3.25 Mill buyout.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- Honestly, this contract doesn’t interest me much. But I would like to take this moment to point out that Amghar Sumait cost himself a massive amount of money twice this offseason. He lost $5 mill by opting out of his contract and another $5 mill when he didn’t take Texas’s qualifying offer. Betting on yourself and losing is rough. Betting on yourself and losing $10 million dollars is the kind of thing that can cause a man’s ego to wither like a raisin. Can someone check on Amghar? How’s he holding up?
* (No change) Oliver de Kok (CF)
- $30 Mill through 2056.
- Player opt out after 2056.
- $54 Mill through 2059.
- $18 Mill in 2060 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- $20 Mill in 2061 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- He was the obvious choice for the Silver Slugger (Duane Hansen) award at CF in 2054. Frankly, he could have challenged for Gold Glove if Kenzaburo Sato hadn’t been performing miracles out there in Anaheim.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays are under new management but still no albatrosses. YET.