PREAMBLE
As much as I want this malaise to fade away, I think it’s best for everyone involved to dedicate one last year in 2020 to the rebuilding process. One last year would provide more reliable answers to the questions that keep Sox fans up at night. Leave this offseason with a top-notch starting pitcher, get Luis Robert’s feet wet, find out who is legit and who needs to be replaced, and go guns-blazing for Mookie Betts in 2021.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Alex Colomé, $10.3M Trade
- Yolmer Sánchez, $6.2M Tender
- James McCann, $4.9M Tender
- Carlos Rodon, $4.5M Tender
- Leury García, $4M Non-tender
- Evan Marshall, $1.3M Trade
- Josh Osich, $1M Non-tender
- Ryan Goins, $900K Non-tender
Total payroll: ~$15.6 million
CLUB OPTIONS
- Welington Castillo: $8 million/$500,000 buyout Decline
Total payroll: $500K
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Jose Abreu (made $16M in 2019) Retain
- Iván Nova (made $9,166,167 in 2019) Let go
- Jon Jay (made $4M in 2019) Let go
- Hector Santiago (made $2M in 2019 on split contract) Let go
Total payroll: $12 million (explained below)
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Madison Bumgarner 4/$114 guaranteed, expandable to 8/$188 via three club/vesting options @ $22/$3.5 per year. All the $3.5 buyouts are guaranteed. Pay structure @ $30.5/$18.5/$18.5/$18.5, then $18.5 ($3.5)/$18.5 ($3.5)/$18.5 ($3.5)/$18.5 ($3.5), then $3.5/$3.5/$3.5/$3.5, then another $3.5 for each option exercised. Options vest with at least 25 starts the previous season.
No. 2: Jose Abreu 2/$30 guaranteed, expandable to 3/$41 via a club/vesting option with a $3 buyout. Pay structure @ $12/$12, then $11 ($3), then $3, then $3 if the option is exercised. Option vests with at least 550 plate appearances the previous season.
Total payroll: $30 (Abreu’s $12 million was already included above).
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Nick Madrigal/Evan Marshall/Royals choice of Matthew Thompson or Andrew Dalquist/Royals choice of Lenyn Sosa or Yolbert Sanchez/another minor leaguer outside the top 30 list for Whit Merrifield/Danny Duffy
You’re basically trading a high-end prospect in Madrigal, an interesting pitching prospect of the Royals’ choosing, and an interesting middle infield prospect of the Royals’ choosing for a proven player in Merrifield, plus trading a potential flip candidate bullpen arm in Marshall and some other youth for a lefty 5th starter in Duffy.
No. 2: Trade Alex Colomé/Padres choice of two of Luis Gonzalez, Luis Basabe, or Micker Adolfo/another prospect outside the top 30 for Wil Myers/Taylor Trammell
Offer Myers a proposal: we agree to pick up his option if he agrees to restructure his deal. Instead of $22.5/$22.5/$22.5, then $20 ($1), tell him you can go $30/$14.5/$14.5/$14.5, then $3.5/$3.5/$3.5/$3.5 at the end. Basically, I’m considering the negative value on Myers to be a purchase price on Trammell. Plus, if he has a bounce-back season, I’m hoping that the remaining 3/$43.5 contract can be traded if enough cash is included with it.
Total payroll: $18.95 million from Royals trade, $19.7 million from Padres trade
SUMMARY
Abreu $12, Merrifield $5, TA $4, Moncada $600K?, Myers $30, Robert 600K? Eloy $2.333, McCann $4.9, Collins $600K?, Engel $600K?, Mendick $600K?, Yolmer $6.2, Zavala or some other third catcher $600K?
Total position player payroll: $68.033
Giolito $600K?, Bumgarner $30.5, Duffy $15.25, Cease $600K?, Lopez 600K?, Kopech $600K?, Cordero $600K? Fulmer $600K? Bummer $600K?, Herrera $8.5, Ruiz $600K?, Fry $600K?, some random third lefty $600K?
Total pitcher payroll: $60.25
Explanation for the overage:
If Abreu really “means more to us than he does to anyone else,” then prove it. Otherwise, it was all just nonsense. Hopefully Yolmer gives Uncle Jerry enough warm fuzzies as well, because hiding Eloy’s bad defense with Merrifield would be nice once in a while.
