Troy Tulowitski...

SammyKhalifa · Post by **SammyKhalifa** » Thu Dec 20, 2018 2:38 pm

143934252233246467560 wrote: This is a weird all-around deal. He may well want a one-year pact to rebuild his value and resign for something longer term (beyond his current Blue Jays deal), or he might want something longer term right away. But on this one unique occasion, the Pirates are able to bid with anyone (until it goes beyond the current two-year Toronto assist).

His deal is already set. Any team that signs him takes over his current contract. The catch is that because Toronto released him, they are responsible for continuing to pay all but the MLB minimum each year. His contract calls for 20 million in 2019, 14 million for 2020 and the 4 million buyout for 2021. But the team that signs him will pay only $555,000 for 2019 and whatever the increase is for 2020. So because his contract is already established and any team that signs him pays only the MLB minimum portion of it, Tulo's only issue is how much and where he will play. Any team has nothing to lose by taking him while Toronto pays him, but his injury history makes it tough for top contenders to rely on him. So while he wants to be a starter, a team that signs him and starts him will have to have a solid plan B in case he can't make it thru the season. But the better he looks in a workout, the more likely a top contender is to sign him. IMHO, the Pirates would be a last resort for him if they were offering him the starting SS job while better teams weren't promising him he would start.

I'd still think that most true contenders either already have a SS or don't want to gamble on one. As much as we like to complain about the team (rightly), the Pirates don't completely suck and also have a gaping hole at his position. I can actually see how he might like the situation here and think it's better than at most of the other likely landing spots.

notes34 · Post by **notes34** » Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:06 pm

If he looked good, just offer him the starting role SS. We have a huge hole there as it is. Let Newman be the backup.

Roberto218 · Post by **Roberto218** » Tue Dec 25, 2018 8:41 pm

Pirates are an ideal for for Tulo. Hope it happens.

fjk090852-7 · Post by **fjk090852-7** » Wed Dec 26, 2018 2:14 am

310C010611170C51525B630 wrote: Pirates are an ideal for for Tulo. Hope it happens.
I really felt that he would have signed before the holidays, so now we will have to wait until after the New Year. Normally this week between Christmas and New Years Day is a very quiet week for baseball transactions.

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Wed Dec 26, 2018 5:00 pm

These are dark times indeed on the baseball news front. Fortunately it's almost January. Root sports will soon have replays of games from last year (and ones they win at that!) so there is that to look forward to. Players seem to be waiting longer now to reach agreements on contracts.

SammyKhalifa · Post by **SammyKhalifa** » Wed Dec 26, 2018 7:25 pm

45475D5B4D280 wrote: These are dark times indeed on the baseball news front. Fortunately it's almost January. Root sports will soon have replays of games from last year (and ones they win at that!) so there is that to look forward to. Players seem to be waiting longer now to reach agreements on contracts.

An interesting article on that--

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ba ... urned-off/

First 50 days of spending by MLB clubs in free agency: 2013 - $1.229 billion, 2014 - $1.173 billion, 2015 - $1.401 billion, 2016 - $976.5 million, 2017 - $469.8 million, 2018 - $442.5 million

DemDog · Post by **DemDog** » Wed Dec 26, 2018 11:14 pm

30020E0E1A280B020F0A0502630 wrote: These are dark times indeed on the baseball news front. Fortunately it's almost January. Root sports will soon have replays of games from last year (and ones they win at that!) so there is that to look forward to. Players seem to be waiting longer now to reach agreements on contracts.

An interesting article on that--

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ba ... urned-off/

First 50 days of spending by MLB clubs in free agency: 2013 - $1.229 billion, 2014 - $1.173 billion, 2015 - $1.401 billion, 2016 - $976.5 million, 2017 - $469.8 million, 2018 - $442.5 million

Interesting read Sammy. Sounds to me like the owners are telling the players that they need to show some restraint when asking for the world in guaranteed salaries. I just wonder what a guy like Mercer would have made 10 yrs ago.

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Wed Dec 26, 2018 11:23 pm

That is an interesting article. Thank you for posting it. I get the sense that owners are going year to year on anyone they can -- which are the mid-level and lower players. Maybe only the top tier guys get multi-year deals.

SCBucco · Post by **SCBucco** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:30 am

Signed with the Yanks.

BenM · Post by **BenM** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:59 am

A chance to win a ring.

Since money wasn't an issue, I wonder if the Bucs were ever a realistic destination.