No one ever knows. J R Richard. Dickie Thon. Players who seemed like they were headed to great careers who didn't through no fault of their own. Perspective changes with maturity. That bird in the hand looks a little better when you've been around awhile.
Morton’s contracts were 1 or 2 years. AAV on shorter contracts is higher. Corbin came off a seasons of 190, 200, and 202 innings pitched. McCullers is great, but he’s had one season of 162 innings and no other more than 130. He’s not going to get paid like a 200+ innings guy based on one season alone.
Investments are easier nowadays though so I wonder if this can play a part. People are becoming millionaires overnight by investing a couple hundred dollars and some crypto, so imagine if you have people like Lance you invested instead a couple hundred thousand or something. Makes the contract from your employer not matter as much. Like my employer pays me a nice amount but I also have investments, so even though I can find a higher paying job in this employer's market, I'm comfy where I'm at due to what I have outside and can recognize a good situation. Maybe Lance felt the same partially? Hopefully CC does.
Overestimated his Dads big league success so not generational wealth, but still doesn’t strike me as a guy that purely money motivated. I think 95% of people would take the highest guaranteed dollars, I could see him factoring in legacy and culture into his decision. Kinda reminds me of how Brady always got paid, but never as much as worse QBs who wanted to break highest contract record. At the end of his life I doubt Brady will be concerned about the 100 plus million he left in potential salary.
The notion that Lance agreed to less money because he was not poor growing up or because he liked Houston are just wrong. He was offered a fair market value extension given his injury history and he took it. It’s not that complicated. It’s not like he signed a sweetheart deal at the time—it was risky for the Astros as well, too, even if it looks great in hindsight.
So you're saying that if he doesn't get drilled in the eyesocket or have a stroke he's got a chance to be good for a while?
When that deal was signed nobody was saying how huge a bargain it was. They went way higher than I thought he had earned to that point. I never understand hang ringing about not maximizing earnings. I'm not saying don't try to earn as much as you can, but you reach a point of being stupid set for life rich. All the money beyond that is gravy. LMJ has now reached that point. He's also in a place he's happy to be, playing meaningful games, and supported by a fan base that isn't likely to be hostile at any point.
MLBtraderumors did a recent look at Jose Berrios as an extension candidate and used LMJ as the primary comparison. Kinda agrees with the idea that there was definitely risk on the Astros' side of the deal and LMJ's injury history was a signficant factor. Link
