I Could Have Sworn I Was Worth More Than That!!

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

I don’t care if it’s half of what you wanted, just SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE!!

Said MLB owners everywhere.

With the weirdest, MLB free agency period ever in full swing, no one is receiving the contract they’d expected. But with the start of the season just 16 days away, players’ hands are being forced — literally. As usual, we made a handy dandy list of the latest market misreads (from best to worst):

4.) Lance Lynn

Lance Lynn barely made the list. Lynn has had a solid MLB career. With a career e.r.a. of 3.38 and a winning record in every season he’s been a starting pitcher, Lynn is a nice addition to any starting rotation. After signing a 1-year, $12 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, he’ll get right to work and try to improve a below average pitching staff. The only problem is, Lynn could have stayed in St. Louis, with the Cardinals, for a 1-year, qualifying offer of $17.4 million. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but $5.4 million is $5.4 million.

3.) Jake Arrieta

Rewind your clocks a little more than 2 months. Right around the New Year, Jake Arrieta publicly stated he would be seeking a new contract of approximately 6 years and $160 million. That’s $32 million per year. Yeah, not so much. After holding out as long as he could, Arrieta “settled” on a 3-year, $75 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. The deal became official on Tuesday. $25 million per year isn’t bad for a 32-year old who’s best days are behind him. But by Arrieta’s estimation, he left an imaginary $85 million on the table.

2.) Carlos Gonzalez

Oh Carlos. What were you thinking?? Betting on yourself is a great concept. It exhibits a clear sense of confidence, and it often pays off. But sometimes, it backfires. Carlos Gonzalez was reportedly offered a 3-year, $45 million extension with the Colorado Rockies last Spring. Obviously Gonzalez didn’t foresee one of the worst seasons of his career, but I bet he wishes he had that contract now. Instead, he’ll have to re-prove himself on a 1-year, $8 million deal. Good luck!

1.) Mike Moustakas

Mr. Moustakas takes the cake. He accomplished it all this off-season. Mike Moustakas was reportedly seeking a long-term deal in line with his former teammate, Eric Hosmer (8-years, $144 million). HA! Moustakas and his super-agent, Scott Boras, were slightly off on this one, huh?! The worst part is, Moustakas turned down not one, but two deals significantly more than the 1-year, $6.5 million contract he signed with the Kansas City Royals.

First, he refused to sign the 1-year, $17.4 qualifying offer from the Royals. And then, he turned down a 3-year, $45 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Really solid decision making!! The real problem is, no one has ever had the huevos to tell Moustakas he’s just not that good. Scott Boras is like that parent who’s never had the courage to tell their kid they’re not good at something. And it cost Mike Moustakas $38.5 million.

Eh, it’s just money. Right??

Side Note: Neil Walker signed a 1-year, $5 million deal with the New York Yankees on Tuesday. And Ichiro Suzuki is coming back to the Seattle Mariners on a 1-year, $750,000 deal. Walker provides veteran stability in a young infield and is an absolute bargain. Ichiro can’t seem to hang ’em up, as he’s currently 44 years old. Good for you Ichiro!!

Who’s had the worst off-season so far?? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.

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One Raindrop Can Open The Floodgates

February 16, 2018 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

This is a weird time for Major League Baseball.

With approximately 100 unsigned free agents, the majority of MLB teams have multiple holes to fill. If this were December 16th, it’d be a non-issue. However, MLB is entering unchartered territory. This nonsense is about to effect my fantasy baseball research!! Just three days before every team’s first spring training workout, many big name, free agents remain on the market:

J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, and Lance Lynn.

Maybe, just maybe, Thursday was the first raindrop that’ll open the floodgates. Three free agents signed on the dotted line:

Andrew Cashner (SP – Baltimore Orioles)

Jaime Garcia (SP – Toronto Blue Jays)

Eduardo Nunez (3B/OF – Boston Red Sox)

I know what you’re thinking. These aren’t household names!! What are you talking about?!

Listen, sometimes there’s an unsung hero behind a revolution. Everyone relax. I’m not comparing the American Revolution to the 2018 MLB free agency battle, but these low-level signings could be John Adams. It’s time for a history lesson I see….

John Adams was disliked in Congress. Despite having the ideas to bring the North and South together, he couldn’t be the face of the revolution. Instead, Thomas Jefferson became the face of the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams = Andrew Cashner

Thomas Jefferson = J.D. Martinez

Once all these big names have signed contracts for the 2018 season, no one will remember where, and when, Andrew Cashner signed. They will, however, remember J.D. Martinez.

I applaud those who made it through the history lesson without falling asleep on your keyboard.

Andrew Cashner

Andrew Cashner is a right-handed starting pitcher. Thursday, he signed a 2-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. For those who don’t know me, I don’t often sugarcoat things. And I’m not about to start now.

Andrew Cashner sucks. Like, a lot. The fact that he’s about to get paid $16 million to throw baseballs (rarely for strikes) is absurd. Cashner is going to get ripped to shreds in the American League East.

Jaime Garcia

The fact that Jaime Garcia is set to make $10 million this season is sickening. Parents, listen up….

Have your baby do everything with their left hand. At the age of 2, put a baseball in their hand, and have them throw strikes every day until they reach the Major Leagues. Then, promptly retire.

Eduardo Nunez

Over the past 2 seasons, life in San Francisco and Boston afforded Eduardo Nunez full-time playing opportunities. He didn’t disappoint. Thursday, Nunez signed a 1-year deal with the Red Sox for an undisclosed amount. This deal is pending a physical, which after last year’s knee injury, isn’t a slam dunk. Stay tuned on this one.

Will Thursday’s free agent signings get the ball rolling?? Or will players remain in a stalemate with ownership?? Spill your guts in the comment section below.

What Do You Mean ‘Double Check’ My Sources?!

January 12, 2018 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

The world has been waiting….

Waiting for the dominoes to start falling in Major League Baseball. Who knew that first domino would be a fake report?! Wednesday morning, multiple sources reported Gerrit Cole had been traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Houston Astros. By Wednesday afternoon, we had learned this report was as make believe as the Easter Bunny. Sorry parents. Apparently, some journalists prefer being 1st and wrong over being 2nd and right.

See, this is a fun time for MLB; the offseason. The time when rumors fly, money gets tossed around, and players potentially relocate. Until Wednesday, this offseason had been notoriously slow. Just 30 of the 160 potential free agents had signed with their respective teams. Over the past 2 days, free agency has built up speed. It turns out, all it needed was a little nudge from a fake report.

These new deals are 1-year contracts in order to avoid arbitration:

Cody Allen – $10.575 Million (Indians)
Khris Davis – $10.5 Million (Athletics)
Patrick Corbin – $7.5 Million (Diamondbacks)
Miguel Gonzalez – $4.75 Million (White Sox)
Mike Zunino – $2.975 Million (Mariners)
Randal Grichuk – $2.6 Million (Cardinals)
Zach McAllister – $2.45 Million (Indians)
Jake Marisnick – $1.9 Million (Astros)
Tommy Kahnle – $1.3125 Million (Yankees)

Arbitration is a legal process used when a player (prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent) and team can’t come to terms on a 1-year contract. Both the player and team submit their proposed salary contracts to a 3rd-party, neutral arbitrator. The arbitrator then determines a fair salary based on the player’s statistics. Despite retaining the rights to said player, arbitration isn’t generally the 1st step in a long-term, healthy relationship.

While everyone’s attention turned to 1-year contracts, and a fake report, the New York Mets swooped in and ACTUALLY signed a contract paying out more than $12 per year. On Wednesday, the Mets came to terms with Jay Bruce on a 3-year, $39 million contract. While Bruce isn’t a hop on my back and ride to the playoffs type of guy, he’s a solid offensive outfielder. On a team (as cheap as the Mets) lacking offense, I like this deal for the Mets.

Only 2 bigger contracts have been signed, so far, than Bruce; Carlos Santana and Wade Davis. Santana signed a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on December 20th. This makes the Bruce deal look even better. As for Davis, his 3-year, $52 million contract with the Colorado Rockies makes him the highest paid relief pitcher (per year) of all-time. We’ll see how he enjoys the “comfort” of pitching in Coors Field.

With just over a month until pitchers and catchers report, expect an avalanche of dominoes to fall in the near future. Here are the biggest, unsigned names:

J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, and Yu Darvish.

MLB Free Agency, a time when wildly overpaying players has become America’s new pastime.

What do you think of the Jay Bruce contract?? Does Wade Davis deserve to be the highest paid reliever of all-time?? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

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