You're preaching to the choir. I guess if Yuli had one, it might make sense if the Astros felt obligated to keep him or didn't have a better option.
1) He's about to turn 24 2) He's averaged almost 15 ks per 9 in his profesional career. There's raw stuff there...
If he turns out to be a top arm, i have no problem donating $50 to the tip jar. The focus needs to be around winning a championship this year. Not about the what ifs.
Exactly. It's pretty pointless. It's probably a players union issue. If a player opting out had to pay money, it'd lower the guaranteed value of the contract. The union wouldn't be okay with that type of option. I never understood the point of the player getting money for deciding to opt out. If a team doesn't pick up an option and the player gets money, I get it. If a player opts out and no money is exchanged; that's also whatever. But if player Bob has a $10m option that he chooses not to exercise why is he still getting $300k (or whatever) for opting out. That opt out money is guaranteed money; why isn't it just added to the prior season salary. Seems like a weird and unnecessary distinction, perhaps only for cap purposes.
Just watching MLB Tonight and they were focus on how Frankie Montas was a 100% trade to beat the Astros.
Probably helps that two of the GMs involved were dealing with their former teams. I liked McDermott, he looks like he's got really good stuff. Still Murray looks like a much safer bet to contribute in the majors. Interesting that Click bolstered their already solid upper level pitching depth. Baltimore got the long term upside here in McDermott and Johnson that their PD staff can figure out. Doesn't seem bad for a rental slugger who is more above average than great. The Rays involvement is curious. They're giving up two solid pitching prospects for the chance to upgrade Brett Phillips to Jose Siri. This trade seems facilitated by the Rays 40-man roster crunch. Still, he's going to an organization that excels at putting players in situations that maximize their talents, and Siri is amazing at nearly every part of being a CF, except the most important one. Mancini seems like a great fit. He can fill in for either Brantley or Gurriel. He's a RH power hitter, so he could go on a legendary hot streak as he gets accustomed to the short LF porch. He seems like a decent dude, getting to join an Astros clubhouse that, despite the team's reputation, seems like a solid group. Unless there's another trade to address the position, subtracting Siri doesn't make the Astros CF position clear, it just took one option off the table. Still, with Meyers, McCormick, and Dubon capable of holding down the position, they do have some depth.
I wasn't criticizing the move. I would have done it. Just saying i wouldn't be surprised if he's another Josh Hader down the road.
They're usually just ways to spread out the contracts over more years to lower the tax hit. I think there was a mutual option that got picked up once. KC used to give them out quite a bit, maybe to make their players more tradable.
Astros trading Siri to an AL East rival of the Yankees, clever move, hopefully he helps the Rays beat the Yankees
