2058 AL Albatross List
Feb 28, 2021 13:27:36 GMT -5
AstrosGM_Shane, Rich - Former GM, and 8 more like this
Post by MetDaMeats on Feb 28, 2021 13:27:36 GMT -5
Hey new guys! This is my seasonal article about the longest and largest contracts in the league! First rule, contract size is relative (some teams can afford to spend $40 million on one player, and for others its their entire payroll). If I ever need a tie-breaker to decide if a contract is an Albatross I imagine how tradable it might be. Second, any contract that only has one year of guaranteed (non team option) money is non-albatross, no matter how large it is. Finally, it's all in good fun. Everyone's had an Albatross at one time or another. Any contract critiques are purely for entertainment and not to be taken to heart!
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
* (-1 star) Jorge Ramirez (C)
Boston Red Sox
** (-1 star) Jose Vera (DH)
Chicago White Sox
**** (No change) Angelo Cruz (RF)
**** (No change) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
** (No change) Harry Casz (DH)
** (New) Sifaks Ben Hassi (1B)
** (+1 star) Steve Guindon (3B)
Cleveland Indians
***** (+1 star) Alfredo Sanchez (SP)
** (No change) Carlos Rocha (SP)
** (-1 star) Joe McGee (3B)
** (+1 star) Kip Blue (SP)
Colorado Rockies
** (New) Ken Cooper (SP)
Detroit Tigers
** (+1 star) Jotaro Inagaki (SS)
Houston Astros
* (No change) Paul Burke (SP)
Kansas City Royals
**** (No change) Jose Contreras (SS)
*** (+1 star) Bill Kachmar (RF)
** (New) Pablo Diaz (1B)
* (New) Jorge Salazar (DH)
Los Angeles Angels
** (-1 star) Naoki Masanobu (1B)
Minnesota Twins
If some of Minny’s young starting pitchers fully develop they could challenge for control of the AL Central. But that’s a big if.
New York Yankees
***** (No change) Guilhelm Ciaravella (2B)
*** (New) Bobby Lott (LF)
*** (New) Carl Holmes (RF)
*** (No change) Felix Gomez (C)
*** (-1 star) Jorge Taylor (SS)
** (-1 star) Jin-song Xiu (1B)
* (-1 star) Ivan Gomez (1B)
Oakland Athletics
*** (No change) Cesar Perez (C)
*** (No change) Hua-Ding Xie (SP)
** (No change) Travis Olsen (2B)
Seattle Mariners
* (New) Alex Guzman (RF)
Tampa Bay Rays
** (No change) John Miller (SP)
** (New) Fernando Gutierrez (SP)
** (New) Yusuke Tanaka (RF)
* (New) Eduardo Gutierrez (SP)
Texas Rangers
*** (No change) Hector Martinez (LF)
* (No change) Brady Henderson (3B)
* (New) Makalani Korra (CF)
* (No change) Pete Gawley (C)
Toronto Blue Jays
Good ole Toronto. By the time I’m at the bottom of this list I’m always ready to stop writing and take a nap. The past few years the Jays have been kind enough not to force me to write up any Canadian albatrosses. All right. Nap time!
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
* (-1 star) Jorge Ramirez (C)
- $25.22 Mill through 2049.
- After only getting 4 at bats in 2057, Jen-Kan Hu decided he’d rather retire than be publicly humiliated. An all-around win for Baltimore’s pocket book after destroying a good man’s self-esteem. This doesn’t have anything to do with Jorge Ramirez, but I felt that the sheer heartlessness of the Oriole front office needed to be revealed to the public. J'Accuse!
Boston Red Sox
** (-1 star) Jose Vera (DH)
- $21.33 Mill through 2058.
- $21.33 vesting option in 2059 after 490 PAs.
- Look. I think we can all agree that Jose Vera is far to unpleasant to go any further on the All-time Home Run list. It would be best for everyone involved if he was just benched permanently, Jen-Kan Hu style, before for retiring in disgrace. So, let’s just declare Duane Hansen all-time homer run king and be done with it! That sound good to everyone else?
Chicago White Sox
**** (No change) Angelo Cruz (RF)
- $12 Mill through 2058.
- Player opt out after 2058
- $40 Mill through 2061.
- $12 Mill player option in 2062.
- I’m having trouble trying to figure out Cruz’s role on this team based on his stats. My best guess is that these days he’s mainly a platoon guy? At any rate, Cruz would be a fool to opt out of this sweetheart deal while he’s batting at replacement level. But who knows? Maybe he’s a fool!
**** (No change) Fernando Gonzalez (SS)
- $64 Mill through 2060.
- $20 Mill player option in 2061.
- The fact is, Gonzalez keeps taking his full salary for playing half a year of baseball. And he's going to keep getting hurt this way until his contract ends. He’s just too busted up to stay on the field longer than that. Part of me felt like giving him a fifth star but I have to admit that when he’s on the field he still performs quite well. He’s right there on the borderline, though.
** (No change) Harry Casz (DH)
- $40 Mill through 2060.
- He batted .311 in 2057 with 31 homeruns, so nothing to worry about at DH, right? But take a closer look at his left/right splits from last year. The man went .341/.385/.623 against right handers as compared with .203/.222/.306 against lefties. That’s a severe drop off against the southpaws.
** (New) Sifaks Ben Hassi (1B)
- $18 Mill through 2058.
- Player opt out after 2058.
- $87.5 Mill through 2063.
- $17.5 player option in 2064.
- A 1st round pick notwithstanding, the King of the Rule V Draft was traded relatively cheaply last year. And it all has to do with that nasty little opt out he’s got. If I were him I would probably stick with this deal. Lots of guaranteed years there. But there’s no telling whether a player will listen to reason.
** (+1 star) Steve Guindon (3B)
- $25.06 Mill through 2058.
- $26.06 Mill player option in 2059.
- The big problem here is that Guindon’s ability to play third base is beginning to suffer. Now that Sifaks Ben Hassi is taking up real estate at first, there aren’t a ton of options except to tolerate Guindon’s defensive deterioration.
Cleveland Indians
***** (+1 star) Alfredo Sanchez (SP)
- $73 Mill through 2059.
- $30 Mill team option with an $8 Mill buyout in 2060.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- The good news is that Sanchez has his most expensive contract year is behind him. The bad news is that he opted in to being paid all his remaining expensive contract years. Additionally, sometime during Cleveland’s World Series run in 2055 he forgot how to competently throw a changeup. He’s been in decline ever since.
** (No change) Carlos Rocha (SP)
- $84 Mill through 2058.
- $28 Mill team option in 2059 with a $7 Mill buyout.
- $28 Mill team option in 2060 with a $7 Mill buyout.
- With Blue injured most of the year and Sanchez a shell of his former self, Carlos Rocha was the only functional member of Cleveland’s Big Three in 2057. But, miraculously, he put the entire team on his back and forced them into the playoffs. Single-handedly, with no shoes, in the snow, both ways.
** (-1 star) Joe McGee (3B)
- $87 Mill through 2061.
- $23 Mill player option in 2062.
- Yeah. The reservations I had about this contract were pretty dumb. Third basemen are just expensive now.
** (+1 star) Kip Blue (SP)
- $122 Mill through 2061.
- $36 Mill team option in 2062 with a $9 Mill buyout.
- Oh, the sad, strange tale of one Kipyard Blue. He wanted to give the Indians a discount but due to an unforeseen clerical error it never went through. So now he’s making max money into his mid 30s. On a side note, I know his name isn’t really Kipyard. I just kind of wish it was.
Colorado Rockies
** (New) Ken Cooper (SP)
- $49 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.
- I’m a tad worried about his movement against righties but that’s all I can really think to say about him. In all honesty, I’m not even sure he belongs on this list. But pretty much all my other contracts are expiring or team options next year. Even Duane!
Detroit Tigers
** (+1 star) Jotaro Inagaki (SS)
- $80 Mill through 2061.
- Inagaki didn’t have a stellar year last year but the team only ended up 1 game out of the playoff hunt. The AL Central is currently wide open and the Tigers definitely have roster youth on their side. This could be one of the rare occasions where a rebuilding team actually manages to rebuild!
Houston Astros
* (No change) Paul Burke (SP)
- $92 Mill through 2062.
- Promised role: Starting Pitcher.
- I don’t have anything interesting to say about Burke. However, I would like to mention that his fellow rotation member Armando Ferreira has now notched two World Series rings back-to-back. One with Milwaukee, and one against Milwaukee. Funny old world, isn’t it?
Kansas City Royals
**** (No change) Jose Contreras (SS)
- $60 Mill through 2061.
- $15 Mill player option in 2062.
- Another year, another Mendoza-line effort from Contreras. My heart wants to give him a five star albatross rating but I can’t quite bring myself to do it. He’s just a little too cheap. That being said, I can’t imagine anyone would be super interested in trading for him at this point.
*** (+1 star) Bill Kachmar (RF)
- $26.3 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.
- The Royals are playing a dangerous game with Kachmar. His injury history means that he needs to be DHing pronto. Every year he stays on the field is another year his amazing career could get cut down early. I know Salazar is a worse outfielder, but I’d choose negative zone rating over torn ligaments any day.
** (New) Pablo Diaz (1B)
- $180 Mill through 2067.
- Wow. We don’t see 10 year contracts very often and this one is majorly backloaded. Will he be a $30 million dollar player at age 36? I have absolutely no idea. By way of contrast, jump down to Makalani Korra's deal to see decade-long contract that I have no qualms about.
* (New) Jorge Salazar (DH)
- $36 Mill through 2060.
- $12 Mill team option in 2061 with a $4 Mill buyout.
- $12 Mill team option in 2062 with a $4 Mill buyout.
- I understand the urge to trade for this guy. 9 WAR batters with miniscule contracts just don’t end up on the trade block. Ever. He’s certainly worth spending your entire 2058 draft on. The only question is whether or not to put him in the outfield.
Los Angeles Angels
** (-1 star) Naoki Masanobu (1B)
- $26 Mill through 2059.
- $13 Mill vesting option in 2060 after 525 PAs.
- This might be galaxy-braining a little, but I was wondering something. Is it a waste to be a power hitting speedster? I mean, the value on the basepaths is kind of moot during a homerun trot. Naw. I’m overthinking this. This was a stupid idea. I'm really ashamed now. DON'T LOOK AT ME!
Minnesota Twins
If some of Minny’s young starting pitchers fully develop they could challenge for control of the AL Central. But that’s a big if.
New York Yankees
***** (No change) Guilhelm Ciaravella (2B)
- $65 Mill through 2059.
- $32.5 Mill player option in 2060.
- I was so busy worrying about his power degrading that I forgot to keep an eye on his fielding! Ciaravella’s claim to fame has always been that he was a big swinging defensive savant at shortstop. But now that he can barely play second base, I don’t see where his value is anymore.
*** (New) Bobby Lott (LF)
- $96 Mill through 2062.
- $18 Mill player option in 2063.
- This has been a relatively subdued year for the Yankee checkbook. Their M.O. is always to grab the biggest bat of free agency. But Lott feels like a consolation prize in the Mike Aitkenhead sweepstakes if I’m being honest. And one that cost a comp pick, to boot.
*** (New) Carl Holmes (RF)
- $96 Mill through 2060.
- $30 Mill player option in 2058.
- In 2057 he collected a 3 year contract extension, his 2000th hit, his 500th homerun and a .221 batting average. This guy is pure power at this point in his career. And although that power is still considerable, you’re not going to be seeing him on the base path that much unless he’s touching them all.
*** (No change) Felix Gomez (C)
- $54 Mill through 2060.
- In any other time period his star rating would be going up. Batting .197 is pretty much unacceptable from a guy making real money. But we live in the age of the Great Catcher Drought, so he stays where he is. Also, I imagine the Yankees would argue with me that $16 Mill qualifies as “real money.”
*** (-1 star) Jorge Taylor (SS)
- $65 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.
- Still a maestro at the plate when he’s healthy. But I would be deeply surprised if he plays the remainder of his guaranteed contract without some significant DL time.
** (-1 star) Jin-song Xiu (1B)
- $80 Mill through 2061.
- $20 Mill player option in 2062.
- I think Xiu just goes to show that it is incredibly hard to put up WAR from the DH spot. The fact that a 53 home run season could, somehow, only be worth 3.4 WAR is a little crazy. But I can’t really blame him for that strange statistical quirk.
* (-1 star) Ivan Gomez (1B)
- $43.53 Mill through 2060.
- $14.51 Mill team option in 2061 with a $5 Mill buyout.
- Last year, Gomez was one of the Yankees most valuable players. He led the team in WAR, hits, weighted Runs Created, and tied Xiu for homeruns. He’s also one of their more economical players, which is an awful nice combo.
Oakland Athletics
*** (No change) Cesar Perez (C)
- $30.5 Mill through 2059.
- $9 Mill player option in 2060.
- I’m not crazy about having to give him $20 Mill this year but you can’t argue with an extension that chops his price tag in half. Especially when he’s one of the team’s WAR leaders.
*** (No change) Hua-Ding Xie (SP)
- $53.08 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.
- Curveballs and Changeups are two pitches that rarely develop properly. So, I have to give Xie credit for his very strong breaking pitches. But one of these years he’s going to toss a few too many hangers and give up 40+ homeruns.
** (No change) Travis Olsen (2B)
- $34.64 Mill through 2059.
- Player opt out after 2059.
- $19.32 Mill through 2060.
- $19.32 Mill player option in 2061.
- Pricy, but it’s tricky to find a guy with an adequate bat that can put up positive zone ratings at shortstop. I’m struggling to find something interesting to say about Olsen. He hit 18 triples back in 2055. That’s kind of impressive, right?
Seattle Mariners
* (New) Alex Guzman (RF)
- $32.22 Mill through 2060.
- Player opt out after 2060.
- $10.74 Mill through 2061.
- Hey! A real, live, Seattle albatross! He’s a solid producer and the locals love him, so this contract makes sense. Now the only thing I want to know is whether Jude Herbert will be getting an extension too.
Tampa Bay Rays
** (No change) John Miller (SP)
- $25.58 Mill through 2059.
- $12.94 Mill player option in 2060.
- Promised role: Starting pitcher.
- At the risk of repeating myself, I have to reiterate that John Miller is a really confusing player. He’s got all the qualities you want from an ace, but he just hasn’t ever found a way to tie all those skills together.
** (New) Fernando Gutierrez (SP)
- $166.53 Mill through 2066.
- Ah! Fernando and Eduardo Gutierrez (no relation) both got paid big this year. Maybe I’m crazy but I think I like Eduardo a little better. Fernando’s got a higher ceiling, but his cost and injury proneness worry me. Now all the Rays have to do is trade for Carlos out of Atlanta and they’ll complete the Gutierrez starting pitcher set!
** (New) Yusuke Tanaka (RF)
- $167.88 Mill through 2065.
- Buying the top guy out of international free agency is always an expensive proposition. Tanaka had already cost Tampa $17.6 Mill before he even entered their minors. But every once and a while you take a big swing on a guy and it pans out. Now the only problem is shelling out the dough to keep him in town.
* (New) Eduardo Gutierrez (SP)
- $97.17 Mill through 2064.
- Really, I’m so peevish about TB developing two high quality SP prospects that I’m going to use this space to talk about Katsuyuk Johnson. It was a bold move for him to opt out of a $10 Mill contract, but it really didn’t pay off. But hey, he never claimed to be an economist.
Texas Rangers
*** (No change) Hector Martinez (LF)
- $26 Mill through 2059.
- $13 Mill team option in 2060 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- $13 Mill team option in 2061 with a $3.5 Mill buyout.
- $1 Mill bonus after 550 PAs.
- His transition into the outfield seems to have gone pretty smoothly. He is getting slightly more money than he deserves, though not enough to be a liability.
* (No change) Brady Henderson (3B)
- $64 Mill through 2059.
- $32 Mill player option in 2060.
- I’m really so jealous of Texas for drafting Brady that I cannot see through my blind rage to humorously conclude this blurb. THIS BLURB IS UNCONCLUDED.
* (New) Makalani Korra (CF)
- $222 Mill through 2068.
- This contract is a bundle but this is what you pay to keep a two time MVP in town. He reminds me a lot of a left-handed Duane Hansen before the injuries sent my pal to DH. I don’t know if any other player in his age range compares in terms of superstar potential. Signing anyone for a decade is scary but I can’t argue it here.
* (No change) Pete Gawley (C)
- $50 Mill through 2059.
- $24 Mill team option in 2060 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
- $24 Mill team option in 2061 with a $6.5 Mill buyout.
- MVP Award Bonus: $2.5 Mill.
- What the heck? Texas put the best catcher in the PBL on the trade block, but no one bit? What gives? And by the way, he’s not just the best catcher currently. If you’ve looked at the upcoming catching prospects you know that Gawley is the best catcher for the foreseeable future.
Toronto Blue Jays
Good ole Toronto. By the time I’m at the bottom of this list I’m always ready to stop writing and take a nap. The past few years the Jays have been kind enough not to force me to write up any Canadian albatrosses. All right. Nap time!