I am willing to offer myself up at half that price. I'll even throw in half the years!
33 thoughts on “December 14, 2022: Corre-no”
Do you think they’ll push for Ródon and/or Swanson? Or just call it a day on the big names? Offering less than Seager and Turner got makes it seem that Correa just kept things alive to push San Fran higher. (Which is smart.)
My guess is that they'll do what they usually do--make a show of going after big names, but not actually get any of them.
Seems right. Though they've landed Donaldson and Correa in back-to-back offseasons, so maybe they can actually pull something off?
I give them some credit for Correa, but it was also a very unusual situation which is unlikely to be repeated.
And yet, they'll probably still win all 162 next year!
162-0! Absolutely!
The Twins' offer was an odd one. It had higher AAV but the number of years meant Correa would have to make up the "shortfall" compared to Seager or Turner at 38. They needed to go shorter to allow him another shot at free agency at about 35 or extend the deal until he's 40. It won't be long until deals like Ilya Kovalchuk are done. He signed a 17-year deal with very low salaries at the end to get around cap restrictions.
They need a max salary length. I’m all for paying guys what they are worth TODAY and taking money from the owners (have a guaranteed revenue percentage for the players), but having so many team-controlled contracts with a handful of deal for hundreds of millions over 10+ years is just a totally broken compensation system. Trying to project these guys’ worth 6-13 years is just hoping for the best.
They need a max contract length because not having one allows teams to end-run the CBT, which is why the owners will never ask for one.
From a player’s perspective, any money you make earlier in the deal seems more valuable — it’s not as susceptible to inflation, and it allows for savvy investment that accrues value over the period of the contract. Yeah, the Bobby Bonilla & Chris Davis contracts are hilarious owns of the FOs & owners who agreed to them, but ultimately that money is worth less today than it was when they signed those contracts.
Ultimately, I can’t understand the motivations of any player who signs a deal carrying them into their forties. I’ll never know what deferring a few million in annual income means in practical terms or what that signals to one’s peers. I suspect a certain amount of it is a prestige game, where the money becomes meaningless and forgoing some of it for a heretofore rare contract stretching well into one’s least productive years is the true sign of luxury & status in the game. Correa wanted his Dior contract, and higher annual salaries couldn’t buy that prestige.
We're bandying a log of player names around here, but substituting the agents' names is almost as meaningful.
I think the primary motivation for players signing these long deals is that they don’t hit FA until they are pretty old. When you’re 28 already, potentially just had your best year ever, it’s hard to do, say, a 5-year deal and hope you’ll get an even better deal at age 33. So the system kind of encourages them to look at it like it’s their one chance for a big payday.
I am going to give the Twins FO credit for putting out competitive offers that make sense. The difference is that the deeper pocket teams can put forth these lengthy contracts deep that run into player's age 41 years knowing that the last 3-4 years are probably going to be a bust. They can absorb the salary in those last few bust years and still field a competitive team. Mid to small market teams can't (and should not) offer these types of contracts. Personally, I think it's a crappy workaround for these large market teams to get the player they want while still trying to avoid the luxury tax. I am not sure what the answer is, but this 13 year contract is actually a 10 year contract and those total dollars should be charged against payroll calculations over 10 years and not 13 years. Outside the top 6-7 large market teams, clubs need to lean heavier on their farm clubs. I am going to give this regime a couple more years to see if they can finally breakthrough with some high end talent from their farm club, or savvy trades. If the minor league pipe line is still not producing by 2024/25... then I will join the growing wave of discontent.
I think this is how I'm feeling. 2 years ago I was down on this FO big time, and then they signed Donaldson and Correa, which bought them major leeway with me. It's the pipeline that's the bigger question, but with the Covid years I'm willing to give them a few more to get things right... I think that '24/'25 timeline seems about right.
The only counter-strategy I have is to offer a lot of 6-7-year deals for players entering their first year of arbitration. The downside is you have to have a decent player in the first place (or trade for them), but the upside is that you push out their FA by 3-4 years. But I’d rather gamble on a player’s prime years than on their 32+ years. Players entering arbitration are far enough away from free agency that I don’t think they would generally be willing to accept some guaranteed cash even if it means delaying FA.
As some of you may know, if you have any students in your class who identify as Christian, they may ask to be excused from school to observe the Christian holiday of “Christmas,” more popularly referred to as Yom Christmas or Nittel.
Yes, I remember laughing about her helpful guide to Easter
Observance of Yom Christmas begins on Erev Christmas.
This may seem like an obvious point to make, but since the Christian day typically starts in the middle of the night, the time holidays begin is not always obvious.
I have to admit that I was very excited to have Correa on the squad last season, but I’ve been wondering about how much it set them back. They needed a rebuild and I think adding the top free agent and then being initially successful in a terrible division shook their plans. Also, if no Correa, then perhaps Lewis is the starting SS by the All Star Break and they don’t have him learning a new position at the big league level and running into walls…
Lewis played 46 innings in centerfield at the Arizona Fall League in 2019, along with 105 innings at third and 34 innings at second, compared to a mere seven innings at short. He also had eight innings in center earlier that year in Pensacola. Now that was 2019 versus 2022, but he simply couldn't play for various reasons between those two seasons. He did log two games in left along with one game in center in St. Paul prior to returning to the Twins.
You and your facts.
Apparently they don’t think of him as a SS… I wasn’t paying attention to that.
I know there are concerns about Lewis at SS, but he didn't look all that bad in the few games he played there last year.
There were doubts by scouts on whether he can stick at shortstop. In the AFL that year, there were two other shortstop prospects that got time there and Lewis opted to play elsewhere to get into games. I don't know if the team still thinks he needs to play elsewhere or wants to try SS first.
I am super bummed we didn't land Correa, probably the most bummed I've been since, I don't know the M&M boys getting brain injuries.
That said (and maybe I am just too positive) I still like this FO and coaches.
The move was portrayed as a financial salvation for U.C.L.A.
The athletic department deficit has skyrocketed over the last three years from zero to $103.1 million, according to the school’s statement of revenues of expenses, thanks to a confluence of cratering football attendance, the former football coach Jim Mora’s contract buyout, the breach of Under Armour’s apparel deal and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wow. WTAF?
I sure hope that general revenue will not be diverted to prop up a failing athletic department.
I think a lot of the lower tier B10 and SEC teams like Minnesota, Miss State, etc. would be in the same boat without the huge TV contracts they have.
Do you think they’ll push for Ródon and/or Swanson? Or just call it a day on the big names? Offering less than Seager and Turner got makes it seem that Correa just kept things alive to push San Fran higher. (Which is smart.)
My guess is that they'll do what they usually do--make a show of going after big names, but not actually get any of them.
Seems right. Though they've landed Donaldson and Correa in back-to-back offseasons, so maybe they can actually pull something off?
I give them some credit for Correa, but it was also a very unusual situation which is unlikely to be repeated.
And yet, they'll probably still win all 162 next year!
162-0! Absolutely!
The Twins' offer was an odd one. It had higher AAV but the number of years meant Correa would have to make up the "shortfall" compared to Seager or Turner at 38. They needed to go shorter to allow him another shot at free agency at about 35 or extend the deal until he's 40. It won't be long until deals like Ilya Kovalchuk are done. He signed a 17-year deal with very low salaries at the end to get around cap restrictions.
They need a max salary length. I’m all for paying guys what they are worth TODAY and taking money from the owners (have a guaranteed revenue percentage for the players), but having so many team-controlled contracts with a handful of deal for hundreds of millions over 10+ years is just a totally broken compensation system. Trying to project these guys’ worth 6-13 years is just hoping for the best.
They need a max contract length because not having one allows teams to end-run the CBT, which is why the owners will never ask for one.
From a player’s perspective, any money you make earlier in the deal seems more valuable — it’s not as susceptible to inflation, and it allows for savvy investment that accrues value over the period of the contract. Yeah, the Bobby Bonilla & Chris Davis contracts are hilarious owns of the FOs & owners who agreed to them, but ultimately that money is worth less today than it was when they signed those contracts.
Ultimately, I can’t understand the motivations of any player who signs a deal carrying them into their forties. I’ll never know what deferring a few million in annual income means in practical terms or what that signals to one’s peers. I suspect a certain amount of it is a prestige game, where the money becomes meaningless and forgoing some of it for a heretofore rare contract stretching well into one’s least productive years is the true sign of luxury & status in the game. Correa wanted his Dior contract, and higher annual salaries couldn’t buy that prestige.
We're bandying a log of player names around here, but substituting the agents' names is almost as meaningful.
I think the primary motivation for players signing these long deals is that they don’t hit FA until they are pretty old. When you’re 28 already, potentially just had your best year ever, it’s hard to do, say, a 5-year deal and hope you’ll get an even better deal at age 33. So the system kind of encourages them to look at it like it’s their one chance for a big payday.
I am going to give the Twins FO credit for putting out competitive offers that make sense. The difference is that the deeper pocket teams can put forth these lengthy contracts deep that run into player's age 41 years knowing that the last 3-4 years are probably going to be a bust. They can absorb the salary in those last few bust years and still field a competitive team. Mid to small market teams can't (and should not) offer these types of contracts. Personally, I think it's a crappy workaround for these large market teams to get the player they want while still trying to avoid the luxury tax. I am not sure what the answer is, but this 13 year contract is actually a 10 year contract and those total dollars should be charged against payroll calculations over 10 years and not 13 years. Outside the top 6-7 large market teams, clubs need to lean heavier on their farm clubs. I am going to give this regime a couple more years to see if they can finally breakthrough with some high end talent from their farm club, or savvy trades. If the minor league pipe line is still not producing by 2024/25... then I will join the growing wave of discontent.
I think this is how I'm feeling. 2 years ago I was down on this FO big time, and then they signed Donaldson and Correa, which bought them major leeway with me. It's the pipeline that's the bigger question, but with the Covid years I'm willing to give them a few more to get things right... I think that '24/'25 timeline seems about right.
The only counter-strategy I have is to offer a lot of 6-7-year deals for players entering their first year of arbitration. The downside is you have to have a decent player in the first place (or trade for them), but the upside is that you push out their FA by 3-4 years. But I’d rather gamble on a player’s prime years than on their 32+ years. Players entering arbitration are far enough away from free agency that I don’t think they would generally be willing to accept some guaranteed cash even if it means delaying FA.
https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/a-note-from-grants-wife-celine-gounder
My favorites are 15, 19, 24, and 26
Her whole schtick is hilarious.
Yes, I remember laughing about her helpful guide to Easter
I love that "since the Christian day starts in the middle of the night" bit.
17. "Richly-clad Wise Guys"
😅
Here is the Mastodon link
https://babka.social/@jewwhohasitall/109506878041494663
I have to admit that I was very excited to have Correa on the squad last season, but I’ve been wondering about how much it set them back. They needed a rebuild and I think adding the top free agent and then being initially successful in a terrible division shook their plans. Also, if no Correa, then perhaps Lewis is the starting SS by the All Star Break and they don’t have him learning a new position at the big league level and running into walls…
Lewis played 46 innings in centerfield at the Arizona Fall League in 2019, along with 105 innings at third and 34 innings at second, compared to a mere seven innings at short. He also had eight innings in center earlier that year in Pensacola. Now that was 2019 versus 2022, but he simply couldn't play for various reasons between those two seasons. He did log two games in left along with one game in center in St. Paul prior to returning to the Twins.
You and your facts.
Apparently they don’t think of him as a SS… I wasn’t paying attention to that.
I know there are concerns about Lewis at SS, but he didn't look all that bad in the few games he played there last year.
There were doubts by scouts on whether he can stick at shortstop. In the AFL that year, there were two other shortstop prospects that got time there and Lewis opted to play elsewhere to get into games. I don't know if the team still thinks he needs to play elsewhere or wants to try SS first.
I am super bummed we didn't land Correa, probably the most bummed I've been since, I don't know the M&M boys getting brain injuries.
That said (and maybe I am just too positive) I still like this FO and coaches.
Now maybe the trainers, on the other hand...
UCLA and U$C to join the B1G.
https://nyti.ms/3j7HibR
Wow. WTAF?
I sure hope that general revenue will not be diverted to prop up a failing athletic department.
I think a lot of the lower tier B10 and SEC teams like Minnesota, Miss State, etc. would be in the same boat without the huge TV contracts they have.