2014.01 - Buffalo Sauce - Is he worth it?

[mrbornac]

Following the 2009 season, with the first EBA draft, the Buffalo Bison had the first pick in the Rule 6 draft, allowing players to be selected from the EBA and placed into the Free Agent pool. At that time, California was spending money like a drunk sailor, offering contracts to three different players, all by my memory with poison pill seasons in the deal. We were struggling to get our offense (as well as our pitching) going at that time, so we decided to take the hit and sign Carlin Adie to the contract that California had offered. 2015 is the poison year.

His deal, which has been reasonable to this point, explodes into a $20,070,000 team option for next season. Personally, I had expected that by the time the sixth year of his deal would come up, I would decline the option year, try and sign him to an extention, and failing that, attempt to add him back as a free agent if the team needed him at that point.

Adie started out in Buffalo being great, and has been, well, very good since then. Does a "very good" player deserve twenty real large?

Enter (stage left) the 2014 MBBA season.

All Adie is doing right now is showing the league that with the pieces around him, he can be close to unstoppable. In April, he is 37/101 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 8 dingers, scored 21, knocked in 25, walked 16 times, 2 more times then he struck out at 14. His .366/.458/.703 gives him an OPS of 1.161. Even Kyle would have to respect that he had a WAR in April of 2.0. Hell, he stole a base in 4 out of 5 attempts.

Long story short. We may actually be happy to agree to a one year 20.07 million dollar season. If we continue to have one of the best offenses, and he is making it happen, we will be happy to pay him.

[trmmilwwi]

Adie has been one of the best EBA signings and has been very productive after transferring over. He would command big money via FA so the lump sum hit may be worth it if you can make the finances work. He's a good player.. I have to wonder what an extension would look like!

[aaronweiner]

When I was running Birmingham, I signed Ashton Fontenot to a 7 year, $155 million contract, still the largest that I'm aware exists. I paid him $15 million a year and had a team option for $30 million + a player option for $30 million at the end of the contract (team option triggered the player option). It was far from a sure thing that I'd have triggered the options, but it wasn't for certain I wouldn't have: guy was a tremendously good player when I signed him.

At your payroll I'd be thrilled with a one-year deal for Adie at $20 mill.

[mrbornac]

Part of the reason my payroll is in good shape is I have avoided the huge salaries pushing up into the 20M range. But I think, if all goes well this year, that I will be happy to accept that option.

[wualumni]

Hey! Don't be calling me a drunken sailor!


Jason Martin
GM - California Crusaders (MBWBA)
GM - Texas Rangers (BBA)

[mrbornac]

Hey! Don't be calling me a drunken sailor!


Jason Martin
GM - California Crusaders (MBWBA)
GM - Texas Rangers (BBA)

If not a drunken sailor, then what is your excuse?

[wualumni]

It was a team coming from a 40 win season desperate to make a change and trying to win some fans back.


Jason Martin
GM - California Crusaders (MBWBA)
GM - Texas Rangers (BBA)

[mrbornac]

Fair enough 8) 40 Wins? Was that when we started the weighted rankings for draft picks?

[wualumni]

No. That was before that. My team was that bad. They were left in dire straights when I arrived. No talent and no prospects.


Jason Martin
GM - California Crusaders (MBWBA)
GM - Texas Rangers (BBA)

[mrbornac]

I wonder why you didn't have the first pick that season then......

[wualumni]

I did. I think after the 40 loss year I got Danny Lamb. Who then pitched 2 innings in his first minor league game and was out for the year. LOL - he has turned out to be a great pitcher, but he did take a hit in ratings after that.


Jason Martin
GM - California Crusaders (MBWBA)
GM - Texas Rangers (BBA)

[mrbornac]

Gotcha, I thought you meant that 2009 was your 40 win season, my mistake...

[agrudez]

Even Kyle would have to respect that he had a WAR in April of 2.0.

Hah... I like Adie! Sure, he is afflicted with right-handed-itis, but he is still, as you say, a "very good player".

The thing about that TO, btw, is you can't decline it until the end of the season at which point you'll have only 1 sim (I believe) before he becomes a FA... so a slim chance you can get him unless you go over his initial demand. Now, on the FA market I'd personally sign him for 5x50 and feel pretty good about it... but he might get upwards of 7x80 if someone goes on a drinking binge. So if you want to re-sign him in the end, you're probably better off eating the 20M TO to give yourself a season's worth of negotiation time to get a reasonable deal done afterwards - instead of getting caught up in the lunacy of FA.