What Is Joe Mauer's Market Value?
by Jesse on Nov 22, 2009 11:31 AM EST
in Speculation
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PrintUm...a lot?
FanGraphs converts WAR to a dollar value, by way of attempting to estimate what players would be worth on the open market. Naturally, after the exceptional season Joe Mauer had in 2009, that number is positively extortionate.
| Year | Age | WAR | Dollars | MM:WAR |
| 2004 | 21 | 1.3 | $4.0 | $3.08 |
| 2005 | 22 | 3.5 | $12.0 | $3.43 |
| 2006 | 23 | 6.1 | $22.4 | $3.67 |
| 2007 | 24 | 3.0 | $12.3 | $4.10 |
| 2008 | 25 | 5.9 | $26.4 | $4.48 |
| 2009 | 26 | 8.2 | $36.8 | $4.49 |
| Total | 27.9 | $113.9 | $4.08 |
And so, essentially, Mauer's value over the course of his career has been approximately $4,080,000 for every win over replacement. Obviously that nuber has jumped dramatically over the last few years.
Being able to chart an 8.2 WAR is astounding, especially for a catcher. The next closest qualifying catcher compiled a 4.9 WAR in '09, and Victor Martinez fantasy owners were probably pretty happy about that. Is Mauer likely to repeat that kind of success in 2010? I wouldn't put it past him, and nobody in the Twins organization would mind considering that by that point Joe will likely have been extended. But realistically, even for one of the best players in the game that's going to be a tough cookie to bake more than two or three times (even Albert Pujols has topped 8 wins above replacement just three times in his spectacular career).
Let's say, for argument's sake, that Mauer is 7.5 wins average over the next six years. If the millions a player is worth for every win over replacement he is continues to rise, what would a six-year deal for Mauer come out to?
How does $225 million sound? Because that might be a conservative estimate, particularly if A) Joe is worth more than 7.5 wins over replacement across the next six years and/or B) the mean cost per win over replacement is more than $5 million in that span.
My estimates are all monkey estimates/back of a napkin scribblings, so feel free to modify any of this. And of course, FanGraphs value doesn't necessarily translate to real world value.
But the question is: would you sign Joe Mauer to a six-year, $225 million dollar contract? If that seems unreasonable, that's because it is. It's $37.5 million per year, or about as much as Joe was "worth" in 2009 according to FanGraphs.
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Seems kind of steep.
A-*Rod is getting about $28M a year worth every penny What’s his “Real world” value?
"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Nov 22, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions
It is a lot...
but the Twins can’t afford to NOT sign him to at least market value. They don’t keep Mauer here and there will be rioting in the streets of Twins Territory. They have to, unfortunately, do what they can to keep him here.
That said, I don’t think he’ll gouge the Twins for tons of money. He knows what this team is, and he seems to be a pretty level-headed guy. He’ll take a (small) cut for a hometown discount, and stick around for hopefully another 10…20 years.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
For those saying no...
…I think there is a real possibility of outright fan rage if Mauer is not kept in MN. No, you’re not gonna lose ’em all, but there is a real chance that you would lose a good chunk of an entire generation of fans.
I don't buy that for a second.
People were mad when Hunter left – but the contract he got was too high and not too many sensible fans would have argued keeping him here for that contract.
People were mad when Santana left – but the contract he got was too high and too long and not too many sensible fans would have argued keeping him here for that contract.
People (alright only a few) and Twins players were mad when Silva left – but the contract he got was too high and too long and not too many sensible fans would have argued keeping him here for that contract.
People were mad when Lawton left – but…oh wait, he was traded, and I was probably the only one who was mad.
Anyway, only foolish fans would be rioting if the Twins failed to sign him to a six-year, $225 million dollar contract. $37.5 million/year is ridiculous for anyone other than the REAL Jesus (and even then, only if he bats LH).
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions
and plays SS
Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?
I don't think they should do 6/225, but they are going to have to pay big to keep him.
And the point is, they have to. There is no option but to keep him in Minnesota. Torii and Johan, while they were loved by fans, are just not comparable to Joe Mauer.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
I liked Lawton
coolest batting stance the Twins have ever had (Knobby is too close to the cool/dumb border to win that).
I personally, and I’m sure many other Twins fans, will be furious if the Twins sign Mauer to that kind of money. Not because I don’t love Mauer, cause I do, but with how frugual the franchise has been in the past when we were essentially 1 big player away from a potential World Series. How do you shell out that kind of money to 1 man? You’ll handcuff the team like KG did with the Wolves. I loved KG to death, but it didn’t allow for any error. If the Wolves paid 1 guy too much money cough T-Hud cough and that player didn’t produce for more than 1 year, the team is screwed. So Hopefully we can do like a 6 year $130 million, that’s still quite a bit of money
I definitely agree with you and archie2227
that fans will be very mad, and the org. would see an attendance drop, but I ultimately believe that the contract has to be good for both sides (and will be) – like uofmike said below.
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
Big difference between Mauer and Hunter and Santana
Hunter clearly let it be known he was shopping around. $$$
Santana wanted to leave because he was upset with the FO not wanting to win, in his opinion.
Mauer wants to stay here. It won’t take $37.5M/year like Jesse is saying though, not even the yanquis would pay him that much.
But yeah, I would never be a Twins fan again if he left without a genuine effort to re-sign him.
"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Nov 22, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
big differences there, I agree.
But the one similarity is that the Twins Org. would not have been smart to try and sign them for the contracts they got. Just like the Twins Org. would not be smart to sign Joe to a 6 yr. $225million contract. If someone else pays him that, so be it.
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 5:38 PM EST up reply actions
also, because I agree with you,
I also believe that means Mauer (unlike Hunter and Santana) is more likely to re-sign without testing the waters, and ultimately re-sign for a reasonable amount.
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
Would Baby Jesus do it any other way?
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
People are mad....
that the Twins made Nick Punto a $4+ million dollar man, rather than have him sign elsewhere!
Visit www.TwinsCards.com and check out "rosters" to see my collection!
understand your point
but that’s not the poll question – “6 years / $225 million?” was the question.
It isn't going to take $225 million
over 6 years; that’s so far beyond the market. That’s an AAV of $37.5 million. They obviously need to sign him, and I think it might take something like $25 million AAV. 6/150? 7/175? Something like that makes sense to me; 6/225 does not.
An alternative would be something like 10 years, 225 million or so. Not sure whether either side would want to do that, but you never know.
And another thing: the chance that Mauer averages 7.5 WAR a year for the next 6 years has to be under 10%, no?
by Eric in Madison on Nov 22, 2009 12:38 PM EST reply actions
Average WAR over next six years
And another thing: the chance that Mauer averages 7.5 WAR a year for the next 6 years has to be under 10%, no?
Yes, I’d have to say an average of 7.5 WAR is at the upper end of projections for Joe. First, he’d obviously have to continue his awesome production at or near 2009 levels. Looking at the ups and downs of the previous three years, I would not bet on it. Second, he’d have to stay healthy over those six years, another area where he has had issues in the past. Finally, he’d have to remain a catcher for those six years, otherwise he loses around 1 WAR due to positional adjustment (more if the move means more time at DH).
I think over a six year period, accounting for risk, decline, etc, an average of 5.5 or 6.0 WAR may be more realistic. This comes out to an AAV more in line with $25M range.
by Adam Peterson on Nov 23, 2009 8:04 AM EST up reply actions
couple things
1) Not a free agent yet = discount
2) Injury risk = discount
3) Risk he can’t stay at catcher = discount
4) Long term contract = discount
He would be a 5.5 WAR DH, 6.5 WAR 1B assuming average defense. I’d pay for 6, 6, 6, 5.75, 5.5, 5.25, 5, 4.75 over an 8 year extension due to aging. Long term contracts are generally discounted 10%. I’d offer him a maximum of 8 years/175. I agree that something like 6/150 might get it done.
I agree on the amounts.
But not necessarily on your reasons for discounts. With number one, if you mean it’s a discount because the Twins won’t have to bid against the Yankees and Red Sox next winter, then sure that’s probably a discount. But it’s not something the Twins can go to the negotiating table with.
The injury risk discount and the position risk discount don’t work for me. He’s one of the best players in baseball, and one of the best hitters no matter what position he plays. Maybe Joe’s agent gives the Twins a 2-for-1 coupon for Chilis. God I love Chilis. Chips and salsa……..
The long-term contract discount I think pretty much speaks for itself. Nobody out there is about to sign Mauer to a one or two-year deal. Any realistic offer the Twins make is going to have to average at least $20 million a year, like your ideas suggest. I don’t think those totals really make for any sort of a discount.
I’m referring to discounts off his projected WAR. We are used to seeing this already factored in. That’s why 6/225 seems too high, while 6/140 or 8/175 seems about right.
by Jon Kammerer on Nov 22, 2009 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
yeah... show me where fangraph money equals real money
Do agents actually use these numbers when they negotiate? I always figured it was just funny money. $38M/yr for a catcher is insane. No one will give him that.
I wouldn't expect them to.
But it would be an interesting to find out the ratio of real contract dollars VS FanGraphs value dollars. Maybe that’s something I can tackle as guys get signed this year.
fangraphs $ win
The total value of free agent contracts signed for 2009 divided by the estimated true talent in WAR = $4.5M/win. This had been going up at about 10% per year, but has held steady during the recession. Dave Cameron’s explanation is linked below.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/win-values-explained-part-six
by Jon Kammerer on Nov 22, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
I hadn't read that, thanks.
It’s good to know their formula is grounded like that. When I looked at Mauer’s $/win, I wasn’t sure how that was grounded, but of course it proposes that somebody out there might actually pay $36 million a year for Joe.
It would be interesting to see the WAR/$$ distribution
Yes, the overall average is $4.5M / WAR. But how is this distributed across different WAR? Your projections assume a linear relationship, but in reality I doubt that’s how the market truly functions at the bottom or top ends. At the top (obviously more relevant here), I suspect the AAV relative to the highest paid players in the game comes into play.
by Adam Peterson on Nov 23, 2009 8:08 AM EST up reply actions
AROD
signed for 10/275 or 10/300 with homerun milestones. 3 year average WAR 7.9. cost per win at the time 4.1M/win. with a 10% discount for long term contract 10/291. agreed it’s not perfect at the extremes but should get you in the right ballpark. see the above link for more detailed explanation.
by Jon Kammerer on Nov 23, 2009 9:23 AM EST up reply actions
Their formula is still funny money though...
Teams always overspend in the postseason to fill roster holes. The marginal-cost for the “next win” is more than the cost of an average win. You can’t use Mike Lamb’s $4M contract to estimate the cost of blue chip players.
I suppose their formulas show that teams pay way too much for guys like Mike Lamb & Rondell White.
Generally oft injured or part time players get less than they were worth
Rondell White and Mike Lamb might be exceptions. Although, I don’t know what their projected value was at the time we signed them.
by lookatthosetwins on Nov 23, 2009 5:37 PM EST up reply actions
Dollars and cents
You always wonder. Like Washburn, would he go from $10 million to $2 million. I mean, $2 is a lot. Pavano did it, absically. Even Crede. Is half 0r what he made in ’09 better than nothing, if he can still play ball?
Often, a grizzled vet prices themselves out of the marketplace by NOT accepting a contract for a million. Which is minimum wage for a guy who ahs paid his dues these days.
It’s like telling someone who made a $100,000 grand that you can have a job for $25,000-30,000.
Visit www.TwinsCards.com and check out "rosters" to see my collection!
RonDL + Lamb = The end of the Ryan era
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Joe Mauer 8/180 > Mark Teixira 8/180. Joe obviously has a little bit more risk than Mark, but is a substantially better player and is younger. I’d be pretty happy with 8/180. To me, worst case scenario is he gets hurt and has to play first base, and has a drop in production. If that was the case, he’d still probably be in the 3 WAR range, worth 12-15 mil per year, and would be overpayed, but not by that much. If we get a couple of years close to the production of this year, it would be hard for him not to be worth it over the course of the contract.
I’d be very happy with 8/180 or 6/140. Obviously a pretty large risk, but a risk that would be needed.
by lookatthosetwins on Nov 22, 2009 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
If you can get him for Teixeira’s contract, you have to be satisfied with that.
by Eric in Madison on Nov 22, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
Beyond the field
Like you said, if he were to get injured and switch positions it’s still Joe Mauer, his bat is valuable wherever you play him. Also his value to ticket/merch sales for the Twins organization has to be huge so if they’re overpaying him for what he does on the field I assume he makes up for it in revenue for the Twins.
Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?
+1
8/180 is very sensible and locks up Mauer well into his 30’s. I’m guessing this ends up as a 6/140-150 extension, locking Mauer up for the next 7 years. I’d be happy either way, but ecstatic if we lock him up for 8 years.
by Adam Peterson on Nov 23, 2009 8:11 AM EST up reply actions
Ok, sorry, slightly off-topic here...
but tomorrow is the day that Joe Mauer wins the AL MVP award (as I’m sure you’re all aware). Here’s ESPN’s take on the whole deal. It seems two people at ESPN have not watched baseball this past year.
I would only think MVP would add to his cost, no? Or do awards like that not factor in?
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
Obviously Jon Miller
and something called Steve Berthiame love the Yankees, because there’s really no good reason to vote for either of those guys over Mauer. Nice to see Joe was picked overwhlemingly, though.
And I would think that if Mauer’s agent doesn’t use Joe’s MVP as a reason to pay him more, then he’s not doing his job. I can see maybe using as a tactic for award incentives, saying Joe should get more money for an MVP under a new contract, like $2 mil instead of $500K.
Just stopping in to say
Happy Mauer-Day Eve everyone!
ckb,
have you ever met natetheskate ?
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
18 hours til glory!
:)
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
he got a ton of grief here,
for jinxing a big game down the stretch with a comment similar to yours.
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 11:29 PM EST up reply actions
huh?
The decision is being made this season. He’s one year a way from free agency. No way the Twins let him get to free agency if he wants to stay in Minnesota. You get it done now. Ramos has already ripped through the system as much as he can. He’s a good prospect as well. He doesn’t get traded though unless Mauer is signed or close (they’d be dumb otherwise). I’d even say you’d hold on to him as a potential reason to move Mauer to an infield position…
by diehardtwinsfan on Nov 22, 2009 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
Let's see Ramos rip through the system
and then decide what to do after we’ve already locked up Mauer. If Ramos arrives as advertised in 2011 or 2012, then we could (a) move Mauer out of the catcher spot, (b) let them share catching duties and DH Mauer regularly, or © trade Ramos to address other needs.
I suspect that Jose Morales’ development could be a factor here. If he improves his catching defense and remains an effective hitter, we may have an embarrassment of riches behind the plate.
by Adam Peterson on Nov 23, 2009 8:15 AM EST up reply actions
Berra and Howard?
Could be nice luxury to have a backup that is equally as good as the starter. With the DH it wouldn’t be too hard to keep both guys fresh.
Ramos's value has not peaked
I could see him hitting 30 HRs between AA and AAA if he stays healthy all year. With that kind of production, you can justify moving Kubel to left and splitting the DH duties between Mauer and Ramos in 2011.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
But what if he doesn't do that?
There’s no guarantee for that sort of power. Besides, unless there is a pressing reason to do so (injury), the Twins are not going to “split” Mauer between catcher and DH. He’s gonna catch.
Look, I have no idea what Ramos’ value is on the trade market; I really don’t. They certainly don’t need to do anything right now, but on the other hand, if he’s the price for a real upgrade, say in the rotation, I wouldn’t hesitate. There’s nothing wrong with having him, but he isn’t indispensable (assuming Mauer is resigned).
by Eric in Madison on Nov 23, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
I'm saying it's likely
He has that sort of power. He just hasn’t shown it quite yet because of injuries and league factors.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
If Ramos is at all close to Mauer in ability
Close enough to justify splitting time between them (Even at two positions), the Twins would probably be way better off trading one (Ramos, clearly) for either something like an ace pitcher or top tier prospects.
If Ramos is actually that good, the Twins should give him time to develop and show him off a bit. And then trade him. Because he would have enormous value and the Twins need a catcher less than perhaps any team in MLB history.
It's not Mauer vs. Ramos
It’s Ramos vs. Young.
If Delmon doesn’t turn it around, I want Ramos at DH and Kubel in left field.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Hopefully some of the Twins decent outfield prospects
will develop alongside Ramos. Kubel is a great DH. He is much less good in the field.
Defensively, Kubel is better than Young
That’s not saying much, however.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Mmmmm.....pies!
"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Nov 24, 2009 12:09 AM EST up reply actions
What is a hot dogs's market value?
Year….# hot dogs consumed by Jason Kubel…Cost
2007….113….$245
2008….143….$299
2009….167….$341
2010….?….??
Do the math. Keep the hot dogs coming…
The beard abides.
by Jason Kubel's Beard on Nov 23, 2009 7:51 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Wow, Kubes was really slacking in '07.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
The Grey Lady weighs in on Mauer
in an article here.
More of a broad look at possibilities swirling in the Twins kingdom.
Lifetime
Could the Twins do a long-long term contract…10-20-30 years.
$200 million for a decade. Option/buyout for another 5 deending on if he’s playing. Plus a “lifetime services” contract in the $2-3 million range to remain Mr. Twin? Give him stock that he has to sell back to the team (assuming they DO make a profit) if he ever parts way with the team.
Of is it totally best to take as much as you can UP FRONT (a signing bonus on top of BIG salary for 5-7 years) and worry about the piddling amounts that you can get being part of the Twins family after your career has ended?
Which brings up abother question??? WHy hasn’t baseball basically allowed more “performance” bonus. Everyone gets a bonus if the team does well. Some get a higher bonus if they do extremely well.
I always wondered this, back in the days when Jack Morris was shopping his service. Why should any other team pay Jack an enormous amount of money because of what he did as a Detroit Tiger. These are the people that should’ve rewarded the guy umpteen millions for what he did for the team. Why should I, as a Twin, pay him to do more/less (unknowingly at the time) to work for me than what he got in the past. The whole free agent thing IS an award for working on the cheap in the past, but usually the team of the future suffers in typing up payroll. Does abseball truly need a salary cap?
Visit www.TwinsCards.com and check out "rosters" to see my collection!
Couple of remarks
FIrst, they can’t give him equity; that’s against the basic agreement, I believe. Players can’t be owners.
Second, they could do something really long-term—say 10 years for $200+ million. Don’t know whether either side would want to do that; Mauer might want to have the chance to become a free agent again at age 33, especially if the Twins fall on hard times again.
Finally, that’s the way the business works. Teams have 6 years of major league control over players; that almost always includes at least most of a player’s peak years. Most players don’t get to free agency much before 30. There’s no requirement that teams then pay those guys exorbitant salaries, and yet they often do. We have seen a revaluing of 2nd and third tier FAs in recent years, as teams begin to value their compensation picks more and more. Teams do pay for what they expect to get, its just that they often expect much more than is reasonable, based on past performance they are unlikely to repeat.
by Eric in Madison on Nov 23, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
If you'd like to watch the moment when ESPN is blessed by Baby Jesus...
the link is here. “Live awards show”. Whatever. Just give him the thing so we can stop dragging this business out.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
27/28 First place votes...Joe Mauer is your 2009 AL MVP!!!
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
Yeah...Miggy Cabrera? Wtf?
Oh well. He won, no worries :)
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
Probably the same guy
who voted Verlander over Greinke
I see a pattern here, Detroit writers...
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
And the guy who put put Placido Polanco in at 9th.
Take that guy’s ballot away, seriously.
Hahaha.
Ok, now I’m convinced it’s a Detroit writer.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -Earl Weaver
I don't know how much grief he can get for that, though.
Cuddyer got a 7th and a 10th and Kubel got an 8th
Cuddyer and Kubel are both better than Polanco
And Mauer deserved all his 1st place votes.
The Miggy/Polanco ballot combo is ludicrous.
WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.! M. V. P.!
"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Nov 23, 2009 2:19 PM EST up reply actions
I thought we had a fairly intelligent set of readers/contributors on this site.
But 338 people (to date) voted for: “Yes, pay him whatever he’s worth”
wow.
by montanatwinsfan on Nov 24, 2009 1:31 PM EST reply actions
And why is this such an idiotic stance?
Sure, pay a guy what he’s worth. Considering that “whatever he’s worth” is subjective to an individual fan’s opinion…$150M, $200M, etc, why do you find this so shocking?
The simple fact is that Joe Mauer will be signed for whatever Joe Mauer wants. If he wants as large a contract as possible, he’ll wait until free agency and let NY, Boston, etc bid for him. If this happens, he’s probably well into the $200M’s.
by Adam Peterson on Nov 24, 2009 9:08 PM EST up reply actions
Question/answer doesn't entirely line up
I would vote for “pay Joe Mauer what he’s worth.” Like you said, that is subjective and goes to any fan’s opinion. Hard to argue against.
That said, I would not vote for “pay Joe Mauer a 6yrs/$225 MM contract.” $37.5 MM per year is an outrageous amount of money that would constitute more than a third of our payroll. To me, it’s FAR more difficult to justify that contract. I think that’s what montana is getting at.
by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Nov 24, 2009 11:15 PM EST up reply actions
Agree.......
Sadly, baseball is a marketplace where some teams can pay multiple players VERY high salaries. The Yankees can pay, perhaps, 3-4 players $15-20 million and it’s still the same percentage of their payroll as if the Twins just pay one player such an amount.
Plus, again using the Yankees as an example, they can absord (although they truly don’t want to) a big contract over time and not have it hurt the team in years to come. While other teams pretty much need to keep the underproducing big contract around (Joe Mays is a perfect example) where not only are you trying to get your $$$‘s worth out of the player (or soemthing) but that person is also taking a roster spot that another more productive player could hold, just because you can’t jettison 2-years of a $25 million multi-year contract.
Can anyone explain, too, why someone coming off a year of the disabled list and IS arbitration eligible would get any sort of pay raise? Let alone doubleling a salary?
Visit www.TwinsCards.com and check out "rosters" to see my collection!
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