Spending Money for next year

[bedir than average]

The data is in a nice table on the FanHome frontpage

There is quite a bit of financial flexibility, even if there isn't a lot of positional flexibility. The team can take money back in offseason trades and/or sign large value Free Agent contracts. The small value of the good but not great bullpen means that the money can be focused on the one or two starting pitching slots while also searching for a way to add to the lineup particularly the goal of getting a lefthanded power bat.

[coachjeff]

What's Sherrill's status for next year? I assume he and several of the others (Morrow, Rowland Smith, Jones) are still under club control and won't draw much in terms of salary.

[bedir than average]

yes, to all listed above.

[bedir than average]

I didn't list any of the pre-arb guys, because their values is basically locked in at under .5M and in many cases we can't know which ones will be on the 25Man roster, well outside of Felix.

The minimum will be just at .4M, and so for every 5 guys at that value that's 2M dollars on the payroll.

[bedir than average]

I'm surprised the news that there is up to 30 Million dollars under the budget is more well received.

[phredmojo]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

I'm surprised the news that there is up to 30 Million dollars under the budget is more well received.

30 million or 130 million, it doesn't matter when you have howard lincoln, bill bavasi and john mclaren all coming back

[bedir than average]

McLaren isn't under contract for next year, and someone is going to be the fall guy (I don't mean the Lee Majors TV Show).

[phredmojo]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

McLaren isn't under contract for next year, and someone is going to be the fall guy (I don't mean the Lee Majors TV Show).

maybe you missed the news from howard lincoln today. both bavasi and mclaren are back for 2008

[phredmojo]

Bavasi, McLaren to return for 2008 season

[bedir than average]

That's what I get for going to the dentist.

[phredmojo]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

That's what I get for going to the dentist.

at least the dentist was less painful lol

[bedir than average]

actually true, they didn't even use any anesthesia

[PositivePaul]

Yeah, actually, I was sorta surprised to hear that Lincoln wasn't going to change the payroll in a negative direction. I took that as about the only corn kernel in the heap of dung that this organization has force-fed all of us...

I mean, if it's their prerogative to throw millions of dollars into the palaces of crappy players rather than cram the wads into their own pockets, I'd much rather see the $$$ go to the players, since we all know they would never ever give it back to the fans, even in the form of free ticket comps or $1 BBQ Sandwich night.

Since Bavasi likes to buy out people's arbitration years, expect to see guys like Sherrill and Felix get more than they would normally. I expect a 3/$6 million for GS52, and probably 3/$15 for Felix, so that's $7 million-ish for those two. I believe they're both at the point where Putz and Lopez were last offseason. Either way, they're both going to get pretty decent raises for 2008.

I expect Richie to be gone, and we'll see how much salary they have to give away. It's possible that they may not have to send along more than $3-4 million, depending on who they get back. Broussard is a goner (too expensive).

I was chatting w/Churchill the other day, and I joked that we'll see Bartolo Colon given a 5/$100 deal to come here. I agree with him that we're likely to see a trade that we'll be OK with, and one where we'll want to gouge our eyes out. After all, that's what Bavasi's pretty much done every year since he's been here...

[coachjeff]

The free agent pitching market is pretty pathetic. Guys who are old or coming of injuries or are from Japan:

Bartolo Colon 2007: $14 million, 2008: Free Agent (Age 34, DL elbow)
Curt Schilling 2007: $13 million, 2008: Free Agent (Age 40, DL shoulder)
Huroki Kuroda (Age 32)
Koji Uehara (Age 32)
Carlos Silva 2007: $4.75 million club option (exercised), 2008: Free Agent (Age 28)
Jason Jennings 2007: $5.5 million club option (exercised), 2008: Free Agent (Age 29, Elbow injury)
Jon Lieber 2007: $7.5 million, 2008: Free Agent (Age 37, foot tendon injury)

None really excite me. If Colon were healthy and at the right price, he would be my pick of this crop. Adds to our rotation and subtracts from our top rival. That being said, his constant physical issues the last two years scare me. Let's not plant any 5 year contract ideas in Bavasi's head. Maybe 2-3 years if the price is right?

[marinerswinws]

Id go for the Japanese imports if i were the mariners.