[Official] Astros Offseason Thread

His contract only vests if he also has 1000 plate appearances in 2017 and 2018 (plus he cannot finish 2018 on the DL). He will not hit that 1000 plate appearance number. He had 399 in 2017, so he needs 601 in 2018. His highest ever was 509 when he was 25 years old.

 

You have misread McCann's contract . There is no way his option vests after '18.

 

It actually could vest, but three events have to occur:

1. Catch 90 games in 2018 - probable
2. Have 1000 plate appearances in 2017 and 2018 - mathematically possible, but essentially impossible
3. Not finish 2018 on the DL - unknown

 

He had 399 PAs last year, iirc?

You think he'll make 1000?

 

No...not even close. That's why I said it was mathematically possible but essentially impossible.

 

That was not a serious question. I gotcha.

You need to start the all-time "Our Guys" Team
SP: Unit
SP: Gooden
SP: Sid Fernandez
Need more...

1B: Eddie Matthews
2B: ???
SS: Tejada?
3B: Castilla

OF?

 

The Astros could unilaterally vested the final year, after winning back to back championships.

I’m just saying.

 

That's what I've been thinking, a vesting option is essentially a team option, we don't need him to reach the vesting triggers.

If he maintains his recent production, and Stassi hasn't had some sort of offensive breakout, I can't see why we wouldn't do it.

 

McCann has expressed a desire to finish his career with the Braves. The Astros could certainly say they will vest his contract without him making the numbers, but McCann doesn't have to agree to it.

 

Does he have to agree to it?

I was of the belief that vesting options were basically team options, with players having some measure of control. That's why Verlander had his voided before he accepted a trade to us. I don't think McCann has any say in it.

 

I am not a lawyer, nor do I know the intricacies of sports contracts, but I can't imagine a club can automatically vest a contract without a player's consent. Assume that a player with vesting options doesn't meet them, but has a phenomenal year and could get much more on the open market. No way they want club control over that.

 

This is the only article I can find that mentions it, wish we had a Bimathug for this forum, but I'm pretty sure his option is a team option unless he hits the triggers, which he won't do. From a player standpoint it is better than an outright team option, and those aren't all that rare.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/11/astros-acquire-brian-mccann.html

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/01/options-in-mlb-contracts-primary-option-types.html

 

I'm not sure where the confusion comes from...

There is a team option for 2019. If he meets those requirements above (he won't), it becomes a player option. There is not a "vesting option" as I read it from the above posted article.

 

That's what a vesting option is, an option that changes when certain requirements are met.

 

I may be wrong, and it happens a lot, but my understanding of vesting options is it guarantees the salary for next season.

Like Justin Verlander for example -- if he finished Top 5 in the Cy-Young, his salary for the next year was guaranteed at $22M (before they mutually agreed to terminate this option).

That's not what McCann's deal is -- next year is either a team option or a player option depending on certain requirements. Neither option require the consent of the other side. So again, I don't know what you guys are confused about...

 

McCann has to meet 3 qualifiers per his contract. He will not play 600 innings next year, so his option is moot.

 

Teams or players can absolutely retain vesting rights regardless of "consent". That's what a team or player option is. Whoever has the option can dictate whether it vests. Sometimes conditions determine whether and how it vests, but it will vest because it was part of the contract. It doesn't matter if either the player or team doesn't want the option to vest. They knew the consequences of the option before agreeing to the contract. Now, there are remedies to every situation. Buyouts, trades, mutually disregarding options, etc., but that's a separate issue.

I'm no BimaThug, but I am a lawyer (ADA at the DA's Office here in town), and I do have some background in contracts and sports law. BT's grasp of the NBA is truly impressive, and CF is lucky to have him as a poster. I've yet to come across an MLB version of BT, but a good baseball legal mind is, ironically, Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw).

You nailed it. McCann has a player option for 2019. So there are (3) outcomes. First, if it does vest, then McCann could make HOU pay him 15m for the 2019 season. If it doesn’t vest, then the team dictates his future.

If it doesn't vest (and remember, it won't, because McCann isn't getting 600 ABs), then HOU has two options: First, HOU could still choose to pay McCann 15m for 2019. McCann is still under contract, so he’s still obligated to play for HOU in 2019 if that’s what HOU wants. Last, HOU could make McCann an UFA (I.e., release the organization from the obligation of paying McCann 15m in 2019). Remember, the player option isn't guaranteed until the conditions are satisfied and the player chooses to vest into the optiom. But, absent that trigger, HOU can just walk away because the option did not vest.

 

re: baseball guru... there's also no salary cap to analyze! The answer to 99% of the "can we" questions is yes lol.

The only time you'd really need to know the detailed rules is for the draft and international signings. tellitlikeitis does a great job of keeping us up to date there IMO.

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/inside-baseball-where-will-remaining-mlb-free-agents-go/


Heyman predicts Lucroy will sign with Houston and mentions the Astros as a potential destination for Greg Holland.