2015 MLB Season

[The Buscher]

The Reyes news depresses me immensely.  I mean, domestic violence is terrible any way you slice it.  But Reyes was one of my favorite players ever to wear a Mets uniform and he was so fun to watch.  I was so sad when he left even though it was obvious the Mets weren't going to re-sign him.

But if the allegations are true?  Then fuck him.  There should be zero tolerance for this kind of bullshit in 2016.

6 hours ago, Ziggy Srardust said:

ESPN says Davis agrees to a deal with the O's

The real loser here appears to be Cespedes.  The Orioles offered him a 5 year, $90 million deal and have reportedly pulled it.  It seems they only did it hoping to bait Davis into signing because the O's aren't expected to have the money for two sluggers since they also need to sign a starting pitcher.

As I said earlier on Cespedes, I never wanted him on more than a 1-year deal.  And at this point, a 1-year, $20 million pillow contract in advance of a really bad free agent market next year might be his best bet.  If he signs a 1-year deal from a team other than the Mets I'm going to end up being really disappointed.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Bad News Busch

[gunnar hendershow]

The Davis signing turns him into this generation's Bobby Bonilla. He's getting paid until 2037, albeit the amounts for the last 25 years of the deal are small and help ease the burden of his salary when he's playing on the team. I would never take a deal like that as a player when in 20 years taxes could be higher and inflation could have made the 1 or 2 million I'm getting a bit less valuable. But it works for the O's who only have him on the bill for $17 million a year while he's actually playing.

Because christ that contract is gonna be an albatross in a couple years. 

[The Buscher]

Justin Upton to the Tigers.  6 years, $132.75 million.

Most expected the Tigers to be quiet after the Zimmermann signing, but I never bought that.  Hard to imagine that team not being a disaster in the next few years as the core of their roster continues to age, but Mike Ilitch is 86 years old and has said repeatedly that he wants to get Detroit a title before he departs this planet.  He's always going to be willing to open up the wallet.

Decision time should be coming soon for Cespedes, as he's the only power hitting outfielder left.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

On January 16, 2016 at 08:58, Ziggy Srardust said:

Anyone know MLB's policy toward domestic violence? I know the police are looking at Jose Reyes right now

The commissioner has pretty broad power and can suspend players without a conviction or even charges for any number of games.

The Tigers are going to have a great lineup, yet the rotation beyond Verlander and Zimmermann and the bullpen is still suspect.

[The Buscher]

I didn't realize this upon my initial posting but Upton's deal includes an opt-out clause after 2017.  The vast majority of the big contracts doled out this offseason have some sort of opt-out provision and it sure does appear to be the new norm.

I can see the potential for them to hurt baseball down the line if some regulation isn't added into the next CBA.  That ridiculous 2018 free agent class (Harper, McCutchen, Keuchel, Harvey, Fernandez, Donaldson, Machado, and guys that could opt-out of their current deals like Kershaw, Price, and Heyward among others) could command teams to fork over, say, $30-40 million in the first year of a deal and then include an opt-out for the next offseason.  Every offseason could turn into a glorified fantasy baseball auction draft and then everybody changes teams every year.

[The Buscher]

OKAY FORGET EVERYTHING BAD I EVER SAID ABOUT OPT-OUTS A FEW DAYS AGO.  Cespedes back to the Mets.  3 years, $70 million with an opt out after only 1 year.   

There is not a single Mets fan out there that thought Cespedes was going to be anything more than a rental.  The Wilpons opened up their wallets for once.

He actually had a 5 year deal worth north of $100 million from the Nats.  And he took less to go back to the Mets.  Hard not to love that.