by Valerie Davies, for the Yellow Springs World
Continuing his tradition with the Nine since GM Rob McMonigal took over, multiple players agreed to one year offers on or around the the end of the season, locking up their spots on what is expected to be a heavily churned roster, given yet another year of losing and some new players on the horizon.
As readers already know, second baseman Juan Silva avoided arbitration back in June, signing a one year, 4.76 million dollar deal on what is likely to be his last short-term contract. It's no secret that the sleeper hit (and 2062 All Star), is angling for a long-term deal with the team to keep him in Yellow Springs at least until his early thirties. Whether McMonigal wants to do that or not is still up in the air. When I asked him about it, I received the following, cryptic answer: "We can't even discuss this until he hits five years of service time per league rules."
Also avoiding arbitration in June was former All-Star Don Anderson, who, rather than meet with the panel judge, opted to sign a one year, 2.5 million dollar contract. The former Rule 5 selection made good has been a rock in center field for the Nine and at that price is still quite a bargain. He notched 4.5 WAR in his second full season as a starter, which, depending on who you talk to, is worth about $12 million. Some might even say, given he's at a premium position, that it might be closer to $15 million. Even if he regresses slightly in the field next year, it's a great deal.
The players who signed so far are:
CL Jesus Rios, for 1.8 million
Rios is an interesting case. He was another Rule 5 pick (from Mexico City in the 2059/60 off-season) who did not play particularly well (5.58 ERA in an inexplicable 44 games) but ended up having a good enough spring in 2061 to make the team. His sophomore season wasn't significantly better (4.46 ERA in 66 games but a 2.0 WAR that makes me question how much I use this stat) but it was decent. Then, in 2062, manager Bill Inkster moved Rios into the closer role, where he was leading the league in saves at the All-Star break but was snubbed because of one bad performance that shot his ERA up and a general distaste for the save statistic in general.
Rios, however, had a rough second half of the year and was eventually moved out of the role after blowing several saves in a row. Where he fits in the Nine's plans is anyone's guess. It might even including being converted to a starting pitcher, where his extreme stamina might help him succeed. I was a bit surprised he got a new contract, but I think McMonigal and maybe Inkster, too want to see what else he has for them.
SP/RP Hannes Schwarzacher, for 1.4 million
If he hadn't been a first round draft pick in 2056, I doubt I'd be writing about him here. But the once-promising Schwarzacher (4 WAR and FIP- 82 in 2060) has had two seasons in a row with an ERA well over 5, and it cost him his spot in the rotation, at least for now. Everything indicates that after a solid second year, "Schwarz" lost some of what made him so good. "I don't know what to tell you," one scout wrote back when I asked him about the change. "It's like all of a sudden, poof! Out of the Park with 25 percent of his talent."
That's a slight exaggeration but it was a sharp enough decline to hurt. He did do better in a bullpen role in September, so that might be where he gets a chance to reset, as a left-handed back end piece. Or he may be placed back in the rotation and hope for the best, but I don't think the control is there for anything more than a few innings of work.
UTIL Dwight Hartsock, for 1.1 million
A minor league free agent signing in the 2060/61 off-season, Hartsock is one of those players that managers love, especially when they can bat around .270. The thirty year old can play all three outfield positions competently thanks to having a great ability to patrol the field, though he's best in the corners, of course. He can also play second base decently and fake it at third or short, for those times when his bat is needed more than the glove of a weak-hitting starter. When not overused, he's a great piece that can help a manager out of a tight spot.
Is that ability worth a little over a million? As long as he can keep hitting, sure. But at thirty, that might be an open question, making this choice, too, a bit of a risk, albeit not a terribly expensive one. It's likely his last ride in a Nine uniform arbitration increases salaries exponentially and one more jump would put Hartsock back on the unemployment line.
IF Cesar Aybar, for 800,000
At the risk of opening a wound for Nine fans, Aybar is the only good thing that came out of the infamous trade that sent superstar Carter Cramer to powerhouse Nashville. I'll give that a moment to sink in.
Aybar was the starting shortstop for the Nine but his defense regressed badly in 2061, forcing the team to look elsewhere and move Aybar into a supporting role, where he struggled to get his back back to the .269 average of a regular. But while his skills fell back a bit, on a team lacking a rudder, Aybar became one of the team leaders and is now seen as a captain, which is extremely important. Added to his defensive skills at second, third, and short (if kept to a minimum), the young man, who turns 26 this spring, has a lot of value as a player who can be a late inning substitution, especially if a lefty is on the mound.
There are still two others waiting on contracts, relievers Dane Colclough and Bryant St. John. I asked McMonigal about them and he said, "Those talks are still ongoing, Valerie."
Given they aren't done deals and we're approaching the hearing date, I think both shouldn't plan on extending their leases on their apartments.
