J.J. to Stay?
Robins use state of the art analytic technics to make decision.
This summer the Brooklyn Robins sent an actual prospect to Vancouver in exchange for veteran overpaid infielder J.J. McQuade. It was a somewhat surprising move for a team entrenched in a long term rebuild. Granted Jesús García will never become a superstar He is an interesting young player who could have been used as a chip down the road.
It's obvious what Brooklyn saw in McQuade. He is the poster boy for intangibles. A team captain, extremely popular, can play all 4 infield positions, loyal, smart, intellegent.. you name it and he has it. An A-1 asset for a rebuilding team to have. Fan interest soared and the troubled clubhouse righted the ship after the trade. So are we assuming that Brooklyn is picking up his option for another two years and $22 million? Not so fast.
It's long speculated that the Robins have been headed down that road. The team feels that his contract almost pays for itself in off the field contributions. After all, the single biggest goal the team has set for 2039 is to get to 100 fan interest. Letting McQuade walk is a step in the wrong direction. But a new thought process is to take a chance on gaining additional fan interest and saving money.
We have good knowledge that the Robins are going to decline McQuade's team option, buying it out for $3 million. Then they will attempt to resign him at a lesser price. It's not a new philosophy. Cheapskate GM's have been employing it since the dawn of time. But the caveat here is the popularity of the player involved. If Brooklyn succeeds at signing J.J. then they will most likely have him at much less then the $22+ he is owed currently and they will also recieve another wave of fan interest buzzing around the resigning.
Of course the big "if" here is whether or not McQuade wants to play in Brooklyn again. He is currently angry about the teams record and his own presonal play. Declining the option will likely escalate his anger. But c'mon... we all know J.J. McQuade doesn't have an angry bone in his body. Surely he will forgive the team, ie an "aw schucks" and sign on the dotted line. Right?
