The market has been a little hotter than I expected. Maybe with Boras slow playing everything last year it caused the opposite to happen this year. I think once Soto signs it’s going to go lightning fast. I bet most of the big names are gone by Christmas. As a Twins fan it’s sad because they will just pick up the scraps left behind. My only hope would be a trade.
MLB: ***2026 MLB Season Thread***
- Thread starter BigJCy
- Start date
The market has been a little hotter than I expected. Maybe with Boras slow playing everything last year it caused the opposite to happen this year. I think once Soto signs it’s going to go lightning fast. I bet most of the big names are gone by Christmas. As a Twins fan it’s sad because they will just pick up the scraps left behind. My only hope would be a trade.
Nobody was outspending Steve Cohen. Largest deal in professional sports history
It’s already 51 million a year with nothing deferred. I can’t think of a single way he’d opt out of that. I would find it very hard to believe that number would go up if he’d opt out.
"Present day value", Ohtani deferred all but $2M of his yearly $70M till the end of the contract. Huge lump sum at the end which is pretty weird. Helps the Dodgers in their luxury tax each year, not sure why he did it though. Time is money and he gave away a LOT of time. Guess he is already rich as hell and really wanted to play in LA. Still, he does have $680M guaranteed in ten years that he can borrow against if he needs a $100M of so to play around with to buy a small nation or something.
Our economists at work used to get hip deep into having to calc present day value. Glad they were figuring the cost benefits ratios and not me.
I think the thought was Shohei is happy to live off his $65 million endorsements. He is the face of Japanese athletics and they’re fanatic over there
Not that I care that much but NY sports talk claimed he chose the Mets and the two deals were only 5 mil different.
Yankees deal was 16 years for $760
Mets deal was 15 years for $765
Not sure if the Yankees had any deferral amount where as Mets had none.
Also Mets supposedly had some escalators/incentives that could get the contract to $800 million.
They at least got the most out of their one year of Soto. Still, Cashman is no manager savant so they will spend a lot of money on junk players and keep their goofy ******* manager because the players love him. The only thing keeping the Yankees in the mix is that they got VERY lucky in drafting Aaron Judge and Cole was willing to sign with them. Plus a couple of unexpected rookies exceeded everyone's expectations the last couple of seasons. Cashman did not have Gil winning ROY on his bingo card. Gil was a Twins single A throwaway in a low level deal so not thinking that was a great GM move. It was only one season ago the Cashman assembled a a gazillion dollar team that missed the postseason entirely.
2025: Going to need a lot from the "kids". Need the kid Jasson Domínguez to be rookie of the year level. Anthony Volpe needs to take another step up. Austin Wells*** needs to show he's the lefty power. Luis Gil only needs to stop walking guys (lead MLB in BB) to be a real ace.
As for the old guys, the best thing that could happen is for DJ LeMahieu to become so embarrassed that can't hit anymore and just retire. Or Yanks just cut him and eat the contract. Likely that DJ just eats his pride and collects his $30M still owed him and keeps "playing" . Wish Cashman could admit his is done and cut him but that would be admitting a mistake and Cashman is too big of an egotistical elitist to do that. At least they had the option to buy out Rizzo for $6M and cut him loose. I think he'll end up retiring after no one signs him. They need to find a 1st baseman somewhere and they have none in the minors. Plan B is converting a AA catcher with no future behind the plate to play 1st, not much of a plan.
*** Wells had an interesting rookie year. Reputation was "Guy can hit, can he catch in MLB?". Comes up and wins the catcher spot and does great on defense and game calling but struggled hitting after a hot streak hitting cleanup. I am kind of high on him.
/end mini rant
