TVT 2041.3 - Set in Stone
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2019 11:21 pm
Well, they did it. They actually signed a free agent. Not just any free agent, a MASSIVE free agent. After a failed attempt at signing Feliciano Rafael earlier in the off-season, no one thought the Mounties would try to sign a big name. Well, they only went and signed possibly the biggest name, or at least the biggest name that was left. Seeing what the Mounties paid him, it's no wonder this guy didn't sign until spring training. You have to imagine what his demands were in the beginning of the off-season. That player is Aaron Stone.
The contract structure looks like this, 30M/30M/15M/15M/15M, with a player opt out after the third season and a fifth year team option. Just looking at the contract, you see that it's front loaded so the big money doesn't interfere with the potential arbitration salaries that the young players will be receiving in a couple seasons. It's a very risky deal, but it's the price you have to pay to get one of the best players in a premium position. So you may be wondering, why would the Mounties sign a catcher? Well, the current catching situation isn't great. Andres Martinez is on the final year of his contract and he is the not the long term solution. Angelo Deluccio is a little too far out to fit in the Mounties window. We also assume because of his failed PED test, the front office would rather use him as a trade chip for proven talent, possibly a pitcher or shortstop. The Mounties could have tried a cheaper option, but where's the fun in that? The Mounties have money, you can't just let it sit there. There's too much to talk about when you think about Stone's production. Last year with Yellow Springs, he had a 4.7 WAR in 114 games. With him sitting in the middle of the lineup behind a bunch of young, talented bats, there is no telling how well Stone could perform.
With this signing, there are only a few positions that the Mounties really need. Obviously a top of the rotation pitcher would be nice, but with a few young starters poised to make their debuts this season, they may not need one, or at least they could use one of those young starters in a trade. The same can be said about the bullpen as a few young guys should be up this season. The other position that the Mounties could look to improve is shortstop. Carlos Martinez was a solid hitter in his rookie season but he was abysmal defensively. So, look for the Mounties to scour the shortstop market this season.
The Stone signing made fan interest shoot up, but what would really make fan interest skyrocket is a playoff birth. This may be the year where the Mounties finally make it back to the playoffs. We can only hope.
The contract structure looks like this, 30M/30M/15M/15M/15M, with a player opt out after the third season and a fifth year team option. Just looking at the contract, you see that it's front loaded so the big money doesn't interfere with the potential arbitration salaries that the young players will be receiving in a couple seasons. It's a very risky deal, but it's the price you have to pay to get one of the best players in a premium position. So you may be wondering, why would the Mounties sign a catcher? Well, the current catching situation isn't great. Andres Martinez is on the final year of his contract and he is the not the long term solution. Angelo Deluccio is a little too far out to fit in the Mounties window. We also assume because of his failed PED test, the front office would rather use him as a trade chip for proven talent, possibly a pitcher or shortstop. The Mounties could have tried a cheaper option, but where's the fun in that? The Mounties have money, you can't just let it sit there. There's too much to talk about when you think about Stone's production. Last year with Yellow Springs, he had a 4.7 WAR in 114 games. With him sitting in the middle of the lineup behind a bunch of young, talented bats, there is no telling how well Stone could perform.
With this signing, there are only a few positions that the Mounties really need. Obviously a top of the rotation pitcher would be nice, but with a few young starters poised to make their debuts this season, they may not need one, or at least they could use one of those young starters in a trade. The same can be said about the bullpen as a few young guys should be up this season. The other position that the Mounties could look to improve is shortstop. Carlos Martinez was a solid hitter in his rookie season but he was abysmal defensively. So, look for the Mounties to scour the shortstop market this season.
The Stone signing made fan interest shoot up, but what would really make fan interest skyrocket is a playoff birth. This may be the year where the Mounties finally make it back to the playoffs. We can only hope.