Offseason, 2017-2018

[bluerap23]

Glad that we can now go a few months without Jay Bruce rumours.

How long before a trade rumour?

[polo007]

Read on Twitter

Top free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox have been engaged in a staredown/stalemate for weeks. And judging by Martinez’s commitment to the cause, it may go on quite awhile longer.

Miami acquaintances of Martinez say he is willing to “hold out,” certainly into spring training, for what he believes should be his market value. The Red Sox have offered Martinez a five-year deal, and sources suggest at least one other has, too.

The Diamondbacks still have Martinez atop their list as well, and while a D-backs person suggested he didn’t believe an official five-year offer was extended, it’s hard to imagine them still being in it for less, and they are in it.

In any case, word coming out of Miami is that Martinez, 30, believes it appropriate that he get a six-year deal. It isn’t known what kind of total dollars the Red Sox, Diamondbacks and maybe others are offering (the Jays also have been showing interest and met with Martinez at the Winter Meetings), but sources suggest that Martinez is seeking $30 million-plus annually — $200 million if he can get it but at least $180 million, following his boffo season, first in Detroit and then Arizona.

The interested teams are believed offering somewhere in the $120 million to $150 million range (yes, that’s a big range, but the offers to this point are unknown). So it’s believed he’s in the neighborhood of around $50 million short of the asking price at present. That sounds like a lot.

But Martinez’s willingness to wait is bolstered by the reality that there are multiple teams involved (Arizona’s involvement may have been underplayed to this point) at somewhat similar levels, and also the fact that there is no one comparable – at least when it comes to 2017 performance. Jay Bruce and Carlos Gonzalez have been productive offensive performers, but Martinez’s 2017 season was extraordinary while Bruce’s was just very good and CarGo’s uncharacteristically unproductive (at least until the final several weeks).

While Boston has been seen as the favorite, word is Martinez prefers to play the outfield rather than DH, which is one edge the D-backs may have, and they’ve hired his personal hitting coach, Robert Van Scoyoc, as the team’s hitting strategist.

[bluerap23]

Balsy. These moves rarely pan out for free agents.

[Kinger95]

I hope Boston gives Martinez 30 mill. We’re not competing with them in the next 2/3 years anyway. Best case scenario is they have to pony up for all they young talent they have and overpay some free agents like Martinez and if he falls off the last 2 years of the deal and they’re up against the tax threshold they might back themselves into a corner as far as retaining guys like sale and other free agents

[Topher]

Unfortunately this off season has been extremely underwhelming. What exactly is the plan here? Would hate for it to have been a 2 year one and done.

[JaysRule15]

$200 million for Martinez. Wow, would not want to be the team that ponies up that kind of cash.

[polo007]

The #BlueJays sign Ezequiel Carrera to a one-year, $1.9 million contract before tomorrow's arbitration filing date.

Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2018

The #BlueJays sign Aaron Loup to one-year, $1,812,500 deal for their second arbitration-eligible case of the night

Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2018

[dagger]

Donaldson signs 1 yr $23m to avoid arbitration

That's more than Bryce Harper's similar arbitration avoidance deal.

[dagger]

COTS has us at $145 million in obligations to our current, returning roster (already updated for Loup and Zeke). Included in that number was $42.25 million for six arbs including Donaldson. With JD signing, that leaves approximate $19m to cover Stro, Sanchez, Pillar, Travis and Osuna. All but Stroman are A1. Stro is in his second arb round. So it's a pretty good bet that all of that $19m will be used in arbs, maybe a bit more. There also is an assumption of 9 pre-arb players on the roster. So the bottom line seems to be $145m was a reasonable guess by COTS, and might leave $15-20m for free agents of any kind. One gap - Diaz is listed as pre-arb, but as we know, he can't take such a large pay cut under the CBA. So that might chop a couple million off the assumption of cash available.

[Wo1verine]

Pretty much confirms Josh will be traded before this years deadline.

They had this window to negotiate an extension and Jays obviously had 0 interest, which is fine just fast forward the damn rebuild ffs

15-20M to spend is chump change unfortunately we need to spend about double that to have a real shot this upcoming season.

[Raptors Realtor]

Blackman and Rockies avoid arbitration with 1 year deal for $14M, seems like a steal for the Rockies?

https://www.tsn.ca/mlb-rumours-blackmon-avoids-arbitration-1.966227

[dagger]

Sanchez gets $2.7m to avoid arbitration.

[dagger]

Read on Twitter

[Schad]

Travis is about $250k below his arb projection; Sanchez is $800k over. Donaldson is $2.3m over. Surprised we settled with Sanchez, honestly; I'd have gambled simply because it'll have a major impact on the rest of his arb years.

Also means we can shave another $2.85m or thereabouts off our available money.

[jaymeister15]

Travis is about $250k below his arb projection; Sanchez is $800k over. Donaldson is $2.3m over. Surprised we settled with Sanchez, honestly; I'd have gambled simply because it'll have a major impact on the rest of his arb years.

Also means we can shave another $2.85m or thereabouts off our available money.

I'm drawing a complete blank on the specifics, but wasn't there a roster move either this past season or the one before that Sanchez agreed to, when he didn't have to, that cost him a decent amount of money?

Probably had some sort of side agreement with him to make up for it later on.

[Schad]

I'm drawing a complete blank on the specifics, but wasn't there a roster move either this past season or the one before that Sanchez agreed to, when he didn't have to, that cost him a decent amount of money?

Probably had some sort of side agreement with him to make up for it later on.

Not that I'm aware. He and Boras threw a fit when we renewed his contract at the league minimum last year, and he couldn't have hit arbitration any earlier (from the time he was first called up in 2014).

[jaymeister15]

Not that I'm aware. He and Boras threw a fit when we renewed his contract at the league minimum last year, and he couldn't have hit arbitration any earlier (from the time he was first called up in 2014).

Found what I was thinking of, sent him to the minors during 2016 to save some innings. The $30k it cost him was less than I was thinking though, and they gave him the min. after this happened, so guess it didn't affect it.


https://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2016/08/21/blue-jays-aaron-sanchez-takes-one-for-team-in-being-demoted-griffin.html

And when he put his head on the pillow at the team hotel later that night, he was a major-leaguer, but when he reported to the ballpark on Sunday he was a minor-leaguer. He will not lose service time for his MLB-enforced 10-day stint but will lose about $27,400 (U.S.) in salary. According to Cot’s Contracts website, Sanchez is being paid $517,800 in 2016. He will earn about $900 for his 10 days as a Dunedin Blue Jay.

[Skin Blues]

Donaldson signs 1 yr $23m to avoid arbitration

That's more than Bryce Harper's similar arbitration avoidance deal.

Arbitration salaries are comparable in terms of annual raises, not total value. Harper got an $8M raise in his final arb-eligible season, compared to Donaldson who got a $7M raise. Harper was starting from a lower base salary because he signed away his first pre-arb year when he was 17 years old, which effectively lowered his potential arbitration awards for each subsequent year by about $3M.

[dagger]

It's true that JD had a process that would have put him in the ballpark where he signed, but this at least looks like a bargain

Read on Twitter

[Schad]

It's a little below his projection, but not spectacularly so. As Skin Blues noted, it's a matter of raises, and among other things Donaldson's numbers were boosted by the fact that he was a Super 2 player...their first three seasons of arb (Donaldson's were bought out, but for about what he'd have gotten) are pretty similar:

Machado: $5m, $11.5m, $16m
Donadlson: $4.3m, $11.65m, $17m


Speaking of: if the Cubs aren't able to work out an extension, Kris Bryant's path through arbitration is going to be obscene, given that he'll be four-year-arb with a first year at $10.85m. And by "obscene" I mean "somewhat closer to what he's worth than is typical in arbitration".