2044.5: Upcoming Departures(?): The Options and Opt-outs

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2044.5: Upcoming Departures(?): The Options and Opt-outs

Post by Rubaboo » Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:48 pm

The 2044 season is in the books, and it's time for the BBA to begin to turn its collective eyes to the offseason. Before coaches and GMs around the league can start courting players who have recently become unattached, however, it's always a good thing to secure the home front. The Aztecs have some business to get done on that front before the offseason begins in earnest. Several players await external forces to decide their fate, as they have team options in their contracts. Others hold their teams hostage while deciding their own futures. The Aztecs have several such players, as Yunosake Terada and Wagaw Fakihi have the power over their own futures and Denis Pham, Luis Gracia, and Gerard Wagner await word on whether they should pack up their stuff and head for the job market.

Contract Opt-Out: 1B Yunosake Terada
Age: 31
2044 Stat Line: .235/.348/.449, 30 HR, 92 RBI, 119 WRC+, 3.0 WAR
Contract Remaining After Opt-Out: 2045 - $10M, 2046 - $10M(T), 2047 $20M(T)

Terada was acquired before the 2044 season from Louisville to inject some power into the Aztec lineup. It's hard to argue that he did just that. 30 bombs tied for the team lead and his 3 WAR was 4th among Mexico City hitters. Now, though, Terada gets to decide his next step. Does he turn down potentially $40M to hit the FA market, looking for what could be a final payday at 31? It seems pretty unlikely that the Aztecs would pick up a $20M option on him in '47, and, depending on the team's direction in 2046 that one is far from guaranteed. The smart choice for Terada might be to tear up his contract and seek something more than the $10M he'd be guaranteeing himself by opting in. Time will tell.

Player Option: SS Wagaw Fakihi
Age: 24
2044 Stat Line: .214/.272/.362, 29 2B, 7 3B, 13 HR, 1.0 WAR
Contract Remaining after PO: 2045 - $2.5M

Fakihi flipped the script after a crummy 2043 in Montreal and played well enough for the Aztecs to earn his $2.5M. While not excelling, he held his own at short despite his weak arm and probably would have had better offensive numbers if he had been playing in an environment where his abilities as a baserunner were fully utilized. Whether he opts to stay for 2045 or not is anyone's guess but if he goes surely someone would be willing to pony up more than $2.5M for a guy who can play short or be a gold glove 2B?

Team Option: SP Denis Pham
Age: 33
2044 Stat Line: 32 GS, 9-11, 178.0 IP, 4.25 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 85 K, 50 BB, 121 FIP-, 0.5 WAR
Contract Remaining after TO: 2045 - $7.5M

2044 was a rough one for Denis. He had statistically the worst year of his career to go along with some dramatic lumping, losing a point of stuff and 3(!) ticks of velocity. His numbers reflect the fact that he might need to consider a career outside of pitching. It seems to be largely a foregone conclusion that the team will elect to decline his $7.5M option and go in another direction.

Team Option: SP Luis Gracia
Age: 39
2044 Stat Line: 32 GS, 14-14, 202.1 IP, 4.31 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 93 K, 28 BB, 93 FIP-, 3.4 WAR
Contract Remaining after TO: 2045 - $6.5M, 2046 - $6.5M(T)

Gracia, despite pushing 40, did exactly what the Aztecs needed him to do in 2044 and did it quite well. He was among the teams best pitchers in most categories and added a reliable lefty to the group that wasn't there without him. It seems unlikely that he will be allowed to leave and should spend 2045 in the back half of the Aztec rotation doing what he does.

Team Option: RP Gerard Wagner
Age: 32
2044 Stat Line: 80 G, 11-9, 26 SV, 167.0 IP, 4.10 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 96 K, 48 BB, 92 FIP-, 1.5 WAR
Contract Remaining after TO: 2045 - $3.8M, 2046 - $3.8M(T)

It seems strange that the team is debating picking up a 3.8M team option for a guy who has been their best reliever by a mile over the last handful of years but that's what age does to a player I guess. Wagner followed the team path in 2044, with a dominant April and a very good May before declining the rest of the season and eventually ceding his 9th inning role to FA signee Jose Castro. Did Wagner get old on July 1 as his numbers and tanking ratings seem to suggest? That's what the team will have to figure out.
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Re: 2044.5: Upcoming Departures(?): The Options and Opt-outs

Post by RonCo » Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:05 am

The Wagner decision is a tough one.
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Re: 2044.5: Upcoming Departures(?): The Options and Opt-outs

Post by Rubaboo » Thu Nov 12, 2020 8:01 am

RonCo wrote:
Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:05 am
The Wagner decision is a tough one.
Yeah. I ended up cutting him loose. There's no doubt he could still be productive but I have some serious concern with his rapid rating loss and his underlying numbers. I might look to bring him back if he hangs around in FA awhile.
Fred Holmes
General Manager
Mexico City Aztecs - BBA

BBA Champs - 2052
JL Champs - 2027, 2052
JL MW Champs - 2022, 2023, 2024, 2027
JL Sun Belt Champs - 2035, 2036, 2038
JL Frontier Champs - 2051, 2052
JL Manager of the Year - 2023, 2024, 2026, 2052

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