2063 A Look at Player Options Batters

[Trebro]

2063 A Look at Player Options Batters

Now that I'm getting in the swing of writing these, I am pleased that I once again could get to the BBA dudes with player options, not just those with opt outs in their contracts. Last year this required several entries because there were so many. For whatever reason, there are far fewer this year. I've grouped them into batters and pitchers, as is tradition for me at this point and ensures you have a nice, digestible post to read instead of endless scrolling.

So who's deciding if they should stay or go as a batter? Well, the first name's awfully familiar...

1B Wafid Bishr, Mexico City
Age: 36
Player Option is for: $20.5 Million
2063 Stats of Note: .296 ave, 26 HR, 95 RBI, .871 OPS, 133 OPS+, 51(!!) SB, and 3.9 WAR

Fresh of executing his option in 2062, which I absolutely thought he'd decline, Bishr is back on the list due to his player option for 2064. And lo and behold, the stats, while still good, are starting to slip. While his average was up from .293, he hit 13 fewer HR and lost 2,2 off his WAR. Perhaps most concerning was his OPS crashing over 80 points and his OPS+ dropping by 18 points. The only significant increase was in stolen bases, which I believe are up league-wide.

Bishr should have taken my advise and gone for one last big deal. Instead, he's starting to slip and there's no way he reaches 20 million or gets a long-term deal after a marked decline. Bishr is a Mexico City legend. He should be, but probably won't be, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But it would be absolutely criminal of the game to try to seek a multi-year deal. It just isn't happening.

This time I think Bishr EXECUTES THE OPTION.

IF Sammy McNeill, Portland
Age: 36
Player Option is for: $13.6 Million
2063 Stats of Note: .258 ave, 8 HR, 41 SB, 88 OPS+, -4.5 ZR at SS, 2.1 WAR

Sammy was the one that got away for me when I was trying to build a team to compete that ended up horribly. While McNeill's current version is a far cry from the one who signed the deal, he had 5 WAR as recently as a season ago and helped the Lumberjacks win a Monty. He's done everything they asked for, the jerk! Now he's at the end of the deal, and his skill are definitely eroding. The 11 defense is now a 7, and it wouldn't shock me if he regresses to a 5 by opening day 2064. That's a big problem, because while he's somewhat useful defensively at third, that 88 OPS+ doesn't look great when you're asking for over ten million dollars a year.

This one reminds me a lot of Unem Ploid. I can guarantee now that McNeill won't get anywhere near what he'd make by staying put, even with multiple years. But he's got a greedy agent and 2 5+ WAR seasons in 2061 and 2062. I think we have a classic case of cutting off your digital nose to spite your face.

I think McNeill, rather stupidly, DECLINES THE OPTION.

3B (sorta) Emilio Morales, Jr.
Age: 30
Player Option is for: $12 Million
2063 Stats of Note: .247 ave, 34 HR, 93 RBIs, 101 OPS+, -1.4 ZR at 3B in 41 games, .4 WAR

Morales hits home runs. That's nice. He really does nothing else. I know chicks dick the long ball, but he's otherwise pretty unappealing as a player, since honestly, 277 in 11 seasons isn't exactly making anyone forget Simpson anytime soon. He is good with the RBI stat and is typically above average in terms of OPS+, but that OPS that's barely above a common type of airplane just turns me off personally and makes this one a bit harder for me to be objective. I don't think the game will be objective at all, seeing a guy who's only 30 with a 30+ HR season, and 45 in two of the three years before this past one. That's going to make his agent believe he can get a nice payday on a 3 or more year contract, even if they won't bother to ring up the Yellow Springs office.

I think Morales DECLINES THE OPTION.

1B Zenobius Kazantziakis, Valencia
Age: 37
Player Option is for: $8 Million
2063 Stats of Note: 70 games, .284 ave, 2 HR, .743 OPS, 105 OPS+, .4 WAR

Okay, I think Valencia owes me a flyer-type prospect for having to type this guy's name into my feature. Zen, as he is known and as I will be calling him because I don't want to break my Control-V button, is an aging first baseman with no power left. (Actually just checked, make that never had any power.) Once upon a time you could squint and play him at second, too, but those days are long over. E managed a -.7 ZR in just NINE INNINGS at second base in 2063. His ZR was -8.7 in 57 games back in 2054 in his only extended look there. This is the tail end of a four year deal that Valencia signed, presumably hoping to get around 2 WAR per year and instead getting 2.4 total so far (2.5, -5, .4). Only 2061 worked out as intended and that feels like a distant memory. We have the same issue again as with other players on the opt out/player options list, in which the player's financial ambition is going to potentially get in the way of their common sense. But man, that 2062 was so brutal. I think I'm probably wrong here, but I think the complete collapse of his skills might actually make the game engine realize the colossal mistake of giving up the cash here.

I think Zen EXECUTES THE OPTION.

In the end of this group of four, I went with a split decision. It wouldn't shock me if I'm wrong on McNeill and that I'm trying to outguess the game's internal logic and he opts in. I'm positive that Portland would prefer he opts out, and since anything that causes Chris pain is a good thing, maybe I should be rooting against my own prediction!

At any rate, I welcome your comments!

[ae37jr]

Bishr shocked me. Thought for sure he would stay put. Like you said, his stats are still outstanding(even if declining). But those ratings look very mid. It will be interesting to see what he gets in Free Agency. Personally I would not give him more than like $10 million for 2 years, But I would not be shocked if someone signs him fo more and he puts up 4 WAR.

Mexico City has to be thrilled. He had a no trade clause and the team looks ready for a reset. Corfield and Zorba likely will be bought out and OOTP 25 darling Charles Barling heading to free agency, the books are just about clear. Though I hope Corfield gets brought back at a lower rate to finish his Hall Of Fame career with the Aztecs.

[BaseClogger]

Somebody could sign Bishr and Big Papi to platoon at 1B and come out of it with 5 WAR.

[BaseClogger]

Is Zen the only one you got correct and it was a layup?

[Trebro]

Is Zen the only one you got correct and it was a layup?

Yeah I Completely misjudged this group. Really surprised.

[BaseClogger]

Glad Morales opted in. Sac is gonna have to get creative to improve their aging roster. Wanted McNeill to opt-in for the same reason. Chris needs a shortstop.

[Trebro]

Glad Morales opted in. Sac is gonna have to get creative to improve their aging roster. Wanted McNeill to opt-in for the same reason. Chris needs a shortstop.

I even said it would be better if Sammy stayed put haha

[Lane]

Glad Morales opted in. Sac is gonna have to get creative to improve their aging roster. Wanted McNeill to opt-in for the same reason. Chris needs a shortstop.

I hate it. Thought for sure he'd opt out. At least I'm only on the hook for $2.4 million

[BaseClogger]

Glad Morales opted in. Sac is gonna have to get creative to improve their aging roster. Wanted McNeill to opt-in for the same reason. Chris needs a shortstop.

I hate it. Thought for sure he'd opt out. At least I'm only on the hook for $2.4 million

The worst team since the 2027 River monsters won’t need the cap space anyways.

[Lane]

Glad Morales opted in. Sac is gonna have to get creative to improve their aging roster. Wanted McNeill to opt-in for the same reason. Chris needs a shortstop.

I hate it. Thought for sure he'd opt out. At least I'm only on the hook for $2.4 million

The worst team since the 2027 River monsters won’t need the cap space anyways.

very true