Non-NYM off-season moves

[Frayed Knot]

I have no doubt that this will turn into a NYM off-season moves thread before Page 1 is over, but I'm gonna try anyway.


- Gerritt Cole invokes his opt-out although the Yanx can void that opt-out by agreeing to a one-year $36 million contract for 2025 (NYY need to decide by Sunday night)

- Speaking of the Yanx, they decline their option on 1B Anthony Rizzo ... does that mean they go after Pete???

- SDP SS Ha Seong Kim opts out of his part of the mutual agreement he had with the Padres

[metirish]

Is Cole worth that added $36 million to make it five years $180 million ? I guess we will find out

[Frayed Knot]

That $36mil salary is what they've been paying him all along so that doesn't change.
Given the choice of locking themselves into 5 x $36 vs no Cole at all I think the Yanx keep him.
He turned 34 two months ago so he'll turn 39 at the tail end of that added season.

[Centerfield]

Can’t help but think Cole may have overplayed his hand.

If I’m a GM, my 34 year old pitcher opting out of the last 4 years of a mega contract sounds ideal to me.

[Gwreck]

Instead of spending 5/$180 on Cole, that money might better be used on a Corbin Burnes.

If Cole does hit the open market, I wouldn’t be opposed to the Mets signing him for a 2 or 3 year deal.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Same here. In fact, for every single free agent from here to the end of time, I'd like for the Mets to sign them only for as long as they're good. I'd also like for their Mets contracts to expire just when they crap out and suck. I only want for the Mets to sign the good players, not the ones that are gonna be crappy and sucky.And if they suddenly become crappy and sucky in the middle of their Mets contracts, they should opt out and go play for the Yankees right away. I would put that in their contracts, too.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Same here. In fact, for every single free agent from here to the end of time, I'd like for the Mets to sign them only for as long as they're good. I'd also like for their Mets contracts to expire just when they crap out and suck. I only want for the Mets to sign the good players, not the ones that are gonna be crappy and sucky.And if they suddenly become crappy and sucky in the middle of their Mets contracts, they should opt out and go play for the Yankees right away. I would put that in their contracts, too.

Because Gerritt Cole, who's been Cy Young caliber in six of the last seven seasons, is opting out of a four year contract with the Yankees because suddenly, he only wants ... a two year contract.

[Bob Alpacadaca]

Instead of spending 5/$180 on Cole, that money might better be used on a Corbin Burnes.

If Cole does hit the open market, I wouldn’t be opposed to the Mets signing him for a 2 or 3 year deal.

Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast saying that not only did Cole perhaps overplay his hand, but that the Yanks might be better off letting him go. Overpaying for a pitcher in his mid-30s with elbow issues might not be the best path when there are other options out there.

[metirish]

Seems like a lot ?

[Edgy MD]

One problem with Cole is that folks' last memory of him is a royal screwup.

It shouldn't affect his value much on paper, but it does in his marketability. The guy is probably likely to get booed on Opening Day. I wouldn't be surprised for the Yankees to instead focus on somebody who isn't Cole but is otherwise Cole-ish. Maybe Blake Snelly.

[metirish]

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hmmmm!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

BRING HIM HOME, David!!?1

[Centerfield]

Braves #5 prospect Drake Baldwin is just about ready to make the jump to the bigs. This move probably has more to do with that. Though you wonder if they could have exercised the option and traded Travis. He's 35 years old now, but still had a .739 OPS and 15 HRs.

[Frayed Knot]

My instinct is that the time to pickup Td'A has passed.


And in the one outcome I didn't expect, Gerrit Cole is apparently going to stay with the Yanx but without the added season.
iow, he opted back in to the deal he just opted out of a few days ago.
This isn't official but the deadline for such stuff is 5:00 today ... and it happens to be 5:00 today as I type.

[MFS62]

Cole agrees to stay on with MFYs and extend contract.
https://sny.tv/articles/yankees-gerrit- ... rlvfHXFiQg

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Cole agrees to stay on with MFYs and extend contract.
https://sny.tv/articles/yankees-gerrit- ... rlvfHXFiQg

Later

I guess the Mets won't be getting Cole on a two year contract. This is such a shocker to me.

[Centerfield]

My instinct is that the time to pickup Td'A has passed.


And in the one outcome I didn't expect, Gerrit Cole is apparently going to stay with the Yanx but without the added season.
iow, he opted back in to the deal he just opted out of a few days ago.
This isn't official but the deadline for such stuff is 5:00 today ... and it happens to be 5:00 today as I type.

The SNY article says the sides are discussing an extension, but haven't agreed to anything yet. If the opt-out was withdrawn, that means Cole is chickenshit. He opted out trying to force the Yankees hand but he knows that he wouldn't get that on the open market.

Dumbass.

[Frayed Knot]

Right. It wounds like the team said that they wouldn't negate his opt-out by giving him that 10th year [5 already played, 4 + 1 to go] but were open to discussion
about an differently structured extension (more years but lower AAV?) and he took the TBD route rather than risk losing the 4x$36 already in the bag.

[Centerfield]

Pure speculation by me. But I wonder if having Boras as his agent saved his ass here.

If I were the Yankees, I would have cut him loose. I don't see how a 34 year old pitcher with a grumpy elbow gets anything more than 4 years, $36M per on the open market. But knowing that Boras represents Soto (and others) maybe the Yankees didn't want to piss him off.

I'm glad he's back with the Yankees. Cuz I think that takes them out of the running for any of the "aces" on the market. Plus a 4 (or more) year deal to a 34 year old pitcher is exactly the type of contract you want a rival to have.

But it would have been interesting to see what he got on the market. I don't think the speculation of a 3 year deal with high AAV would have been that far off.

[MFS62]

Travis D'Arnaud 2 year $12 million deal with the Angels.

Later

[cal sharpie]

Angels seem committed to making Logan O'Hoppe their catcher so Travis will likely be a back-up. The apostrophe in his last name probably clinched the deal.

[smg58]

Angels seem committed to making Logan O'Hoppe their catcher so Travis will likely be a back-up. The apostrophe in his last name probably clinched the deal.

It's not a bad hedge bet from their perspective.

[Frayed Knot]

He really hasn't been a full time starter since 2020. Partly that was due to his injuries but he came into both the '23 & '24 seasons with the backup label in Atlanta.
He wound up with substantial playing time this past year due to Sean Murphy injuries and, even as the titular backup, he was getting around 1/3 or so of the starts
rather than the 1-in-5 that typically goes to the caddy of the duo. So more like option 1B than a strict 2

Kind of surprised he got two years but it's not a crazy deal for a 37 y/o and the man from Lakewood, CA gets to likely finish his career 17 miles down the road
(so about 90 minutes with traffic)

[ashie62]

Good deal for both sides