OnlyBucs

In my daily read of MLBTRs I saw this important post about Bell and what it might take to get him to sign an extension.



Scott Boras on Josh Bell Long-Term Extension

I think this is the key portion of that article:



While Bell has taken the torch from McCutchen as the face of the franchise, the Pirates would be hard-pressed to lock up the former to such a team-friendly deal. The Pirates would likely love to do that, but their low-budget ways don’t sit well with Boras, who told Mackey: “The Pirates are making a lot of money. The revenue structure of this game, you can go back and look at 2003 or ‘04, they’re probably making $100 million more than they did back then. Yet their payroll is within $20 million of where it was back then. The ability to do it is not the question. It’s the model, the choice of what they want.”



Boras isn’t wrong, as Mackey points out. The Pirates’ Opening Day payroll has climbed by just $20MM (from $54.8MM to $74.8MM) dating back to 2003. Over the same span, though, their listed revenue has skyrocketed from $109MM to $254MM.

I expect Bell to go to Arb in the offseason and end up with a pretty good salary next season. That will leave two years of Arb, with a salary jumping higher each year. I just don't see them keeping him beyond next year, especially given they have two first basemen ready for the majors (by next year, anyway) and more on the way. They will use that money for some other position.



The point that stuck out to me was how much receipts had increased versus how little salaries had increased. Pretty stark.

No chance Bell signs an extension heading into arbitration.

I am already wondering what salary figure Boras will request for Bell in arbitration for next season. If Bell continues to have this tremendous season, and I hope he does, Boras will request an arbitration amount which might be the highest for a first year arbitration eligible player. If that happens you know the Bucs will take Bell through the trial process which stinks.

I would also expect Boras to win that hearing.

6C6E747264010 wrote: I would also expect Boras to win that hearing.
If they were smart they would settle at a middle ground, but Nutting & Company will not do that. In my opinion it just hurts the relationship between the player and ownership.

I don't expect to win a battle with Scott Boras. But at some point, if you're going to hold yourself out as a major league franchise, you have to step up. As much as it hurt, letting Cutch go was probably the right call. But if Bell is for real, you just can't let him leave this early in his career for anything less than a dumptruck full of star talent. And maybe not even then.

Josh Bell will be traded before he hits free agency. Get prepared.

7161605741414D220 wrote: Josh Bell will be traded before he hits free agency.  Get prepared.
I don't know, why don't we just be happy about now for now and worry about that down the road.