Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945705)

I'm not so sure that contract is "doable" for the Royals in their present situation.

They're not going to want to guarantee that 5th year on a player that will be then 37. So a 5 for $90 mil. contract would look something like;

Year 1: 18 mil.
Year 2: 20 mil.
Year 3: 22 mil.
Year 4: 25 mil.
Year 5: 28 mil. (Team option - $5 mil. buyout)

IF the Royals are interested in re-signing Gordon and his price tag is around 90 mil. that is the type of contract they would have to consider.

I love Gordon, but it doesn't make sense to give that contract to a player that is 32 years old. 27 or 28, maybe.

If his price tag goes that high, the Royals would be smart to let him walk and focus on LoCain and/or Moose. Maybe give Salvy a little more $$$ for some extra years trade off. Hoz is a pipedream. He is Taylor made for Yankees stadium and I'm sure the Yankees would throw 28-30 mil. Per year at him once he hits FA at the young age of 28. And if not them, someone else will.

Gordon is a franchise icon and will always be a 'Royal' at heart, but it's time to tip our cap, thank him for his years of service and move on. Unless his price tag becomes lower than expected ( say $75 mil. over 5).


You can't cripple the future of the franchise over sentimentality.

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945744)

You don't count the total salary in the 5th year if it is an option year, you count the buyout amount.

Thus, the guaranteed amount of the contract would be 5 years for 90 mil. And that is the type of contract the Royals would have to do if his price tag goes that high. Which, again, makes no sense for them long term.

Originally Posted by Saul Good (Post 11945761)

WTF are you talking about? That would be 4 years $90,000,000

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945789)

Well, you can either call it for 4 for 85 or 5 for 90. The option amount is for the 5th year, so you would be paying the 90 million over a 5 year period. Again, this is assuming Gordon were to land a contract for a guaranteed 90 million.

I mean, yes the Royals could also do:

Year 1 - 14 mil.
Year 2 - 16 mil.
Year 3 - 18 mil.
Year 4 - 20 mil.
Year 5 - 22 mil.

But under that scenario, you're guaranteeing that you're paying Alex 22 million in his 5th year, when he is 37 years old. IF the Royals really want Gordo back, I don't see GMDM guaranteeing anything beyond 4 years. It's just not the way he typically does business.

I still don't think it will matter because some team will overpay and offer him stupid money (over $100 mil.) for his age. Thus is the way of baseball and contracts nowadays.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut (Post 11945629)

AL fans: I've done some digging on Chen; looked at arsenal and what not, watched some clips on Youtube - why is there not more buzz around the guy?

He's a legitimate 4 pitch pitcher with 2 fastballs (making him a 5 pitch pitcher). His average fastball velocity is over 91 but it's because he's a tinkerer in the Greinke mold; he adds and subtracts from his fastball a lot. I watched an AB where he had 94/95 with ease to blow away Nelson Cruz. He's a lefty so even if his velocity declines a bit, his stuff will play up as he ages.

He pitched to a mid 3's ERA in an hellish homer environment (not to mention with so many road games in Boston, Toronto and NYY). He has a superlative walk rate and his HR rate away from Camden is top shelf.

Why is this guy so far under the radar? Is there something you guys see about him that I'm missing? This guy appears to be a no-shit #2 starter with the potential to be among the top 10 LHSP in the league (non-Kershaw division). What am I missing? Why don't people seem to think he's as good as I do?

Originally Posted by Saul Good (Post 11945807)

Think about what you're saying. You said that the Royals don't want to pay for that fifth year, so you suggest paying the same amount of money for only 4 years.

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945835)

I'm saying IF Alex gets a guaranteed 90 mil. (which he probably will) and the Royals really want him back, they can either have him on the books for 4 or 5 years. And, IMO, GM DM will not want him on the books for a 5th year at his age 37 season.



He's getting the money either way in the above scenario. You're just either paying it over 4 or 5 years.

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945874)

I don't think the Royals are willing to guarantee 5 years to Alex. IMO, he will get 90 million in guaranteed money.

Ultimately, that was what I was trying to say. I don't think they want to commit beyond 4 years. Again, just my opinion.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 11945957)

I get not wanting to commit beyond 4 years. But they're not going to give him the money he'd get over 5 years from someone else over 4 years, either.

At that point, you might as well have the fifth year of the contract. If you're on the hook for $90 million anyway, and can spread it over five, you might as well.

The $90 million is a sunk cost either way. Even if you don't get much value at all out of year 5, it's still an extra year of value.

To put it in WAR terms:

Year 1 - 4.5 WAR
Year 2 - 4 WAR
Year 3 - 3 WAR
Year 4 1.5 WAR
Year 5 - 1 WAR

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin (Post 11945874)

I don't think the Royals are willing to guarantee 5 years to Alex. IMO, he will get 90 million in guaranteed money.

Ultimately, that was what I was trying to say. I don't think they want to commit beyond 4 years. Again, just my opinion.

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish (Post 11945819)

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...005152575.html

Do you remember his strange "demotion" last June? He was pitching great and they cited "general soreness". That was after he went 8 1/3 in a victory and struck out 9.