Sure let's sign EE for 80-100 mil and then trade for another 1B with 200 mil left on his contract and then add Sale. Lol. Tigers would probably take AJ Reed for Miguel Cabrera straight up if the Astros sparred them all that luxury tax on that ridiculous contract.
Some people are getting a little, to borrow a phrase, irrationally exuberant. Everyone should take a deep breath.
Source: The Astros avoid arbitration with outfielder Nori Aoki, agreeing on a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. From Jake Kaplan's twitter
If Encarnacion or Beltran signs here, Gattis will be on the bench most nights against RHPs. That is absolutely fantastic news... just means they've built a lineup full of good hitters.
vs. RHPs Springer Bregman Altuve Correa Encarnacion/Beltran Reddick Gurriel McCann Aoki vs. LHPs Springer Bregman Altuve Correa Encarnacion/Beltran Gurriel (LF) Gattis Reddick Gonzalez These lineups are stronggggg
Early details of the CBA: Joel Sherman New CBA is agreed upon. Hear luxury tax threshold is going to start at about $195M rise to $210M-$215M over life of 5-yr deal, sources say Hear new CBA will have 60-70 pct penalty for those extremely over threshold, about $250M payrolls or greater. Currently highest is 50 pct Hear in the new CBA there will be NO 26th roster spot. The current conditions with 25 and expanded rosters in Sept stays. Second person confirmed that the luxury tax threshold maxes out at $210M in final year of 5-yr CBA deal Heard 1 other interesting CBA detail: new MLB players will be banned from using smokeless tobacco, those already playing grandfathered in hearing penalty for teams over luxury tax signing qualified FA will be loss of 2d and 5th round picks, plus $$ if repeat offenders Hear that age limits on international players covered by caps in the new CBA is rising from 23 to 25. So, for example Lourdes Gourriel waited until his 23d b'day in Sept to sign so there were no $ restrictions, now he would have to wait to turn 25 Ken Rosenthal Source: Luxury-tax thresholds could rise in something close to this progression over new five-year CBA: $195M, $197M, $206M, $209M, $210M. Some additional details on new CBA coming, starting with this: A player no longer can receive a qualifying offer more than once. Team that loses QO free agent will get pick only if player signs contract of $50M+. Pick it gets will depend upon that team’s market size. Club that signs QO free agent, if it exceeds luxury-tax threshold, will lose 2nd-rounder, 5th-rounder and $1M in int’l bonus money. Club that signs QO free agent, if it does not exceed luxury-tax threshold, will lose 3rd-rounder. Also: The Athletics will be phased out as a revenue-sharing recipient over the next four years. And on schedule: Starting in 2018, season will start mid-week, helping create extra off-days in schedule. Other QO rules remain same: Player must be on team entire season to be eligible. Amount will be determined by average of top 125 salaries. Ken Rosenthal New draft-pick comp rules could spur trades, with teams under luxury-tax threshold getting only third rounder for losing QO free agent. Sources: New rates on luxury-tax penalties do not fully apply in 1st year. Transition rules will effectively average old, new rates in ’17. AP All-star game will no longer determine HFA Minimum stay on the DL reduced from 15 days to 10 Jon Heyman No international draft, but int'l signings are said to be capped to 5-6M per team per year. Jayson Stark Teams that lose a free agent who rejects a qualifying offer will still get a draft pick. The details: For most teams, that pick would be a sandwich pick immediately following the competitive-balance picks that are awarded after the second round. However, if that team comes from the 15 smallest markets and is receiving revenue-sharing money, and it loses a free agent who signs a contract worth at least $50 million, that pick would follow the first round. And if the team losing that player is over the luxury-tax threshold, the pick would follow the fourth round. Bob Nightengale The tax rate for teams exceeding luxury tax: 20% (1st time), 30% (2nd time), 50% (3rd time). For teams going $20M to $40M over,add extra 12% And teams that exceed luxury tax threshold by more than $40 million, could find themselves paying as much as 90% in taxes.
So awesome, thanks for that. Just initial thoughts: I was really hoping they'd make the Intl Draft happen, with tradeoffs to the players on the Lux Tax and extra roster spot. I guess the buscones get to keep getting rich off those kids for a while longer. I like the FA compensation changes and how they're tied in the the Lux Tax. So does the cap on intl signings per team eliminate all overages and penalties like we have with the current system? Hard cap per year, no carryover? 6M per team per year is more/less than the average spent league-wide over the past X years?
I'm all aboard the EE train. While I'd prefer Beltran on two years vs EE on 5, I won't complain because team is going all in for next three years/four years.
Yeah, I think this is a last ditch effort for TOR to up their bid. Hopefully, this isn't what HOU is used to--being used by agents to get offers from the team of the players choice.
I'd still take my chances with Altuve because of the steals. Plus I think there is a decent chance you can redraft Correa since he had an off year.
Keeper wise, altuve vs Correa depends on which rounds they can be kept in, and for how long you can keep them. Altuve was top 10 all year. I'd keep him if possible, unless Correa is in a killer good slot and can be kept for significantly longer.
