You seem to be correct: Yes, if cash considerations are included in an MLB trade, that amount is counted towards a team's Competitive Balance Tax (commonly called the "luxury tax") as part of the player's total contract value, meaning it does count against the tax. Key points to remember: How it's calculated: The tax is based on the average annual value (AAV) of a player's contract, and any cash given in a trade is added to that AAV, contributing to the overall tax calculation. Impact on payroll: Even if the cash is paid upfront, it is spread out over the duration of the player's contract when calculating the tax
I used Verdugo as an example of a level of OF'er we can expect to get. Maybe it is via trade and not FA, and yes, maybe slightly better. Ultimately, I don't think the Pressly trade "most likely signals Bregman's return". I also don't see how or why we would still have interest in Arenado at this point. Bregman's AAV will still push us over the tax level. Unless Crane is willing to deal with the tax (maybe he is more open to it now in light of market spending trends...), and due the the related hodge-podge and daily lineup issues our roster presets...while I would LOVE a Breggy return, it's hard to see that as the odds on favorite result/occurrence. Who knows. Maybe this is our zig to the decade-plus contract zag...we won't sign players that long but will now deal with shorter term tax consequences. Edit: also, why would we still want Arenado? He presents similar issues as Bregman
It’s gonna be an exciting next 2 weeks. I’ll be shocked if Houston doesn’t add a $10M/yr+ contract. Possibilities: Add Bregman, Paredes to LF Add Arenado, Paredes to LF Trade Paredes for a good OF (Yoshida, Robert Jr., Nimmo, ????) Sign multiple fringe OF (Verdugo, Heyward)
Let's hope for a good harvest and pray hard for this to happen. I certainly will be breaking out the beads.
Definitely will be interesting. I was drawing up Parades trades but I think our FO is going to be a bit too excited to part with him just yet. ZiPS projected Paredes to have a stronger offensive year than Breggy, FWIW. He could be a monster at Daikin (spelling??). Ugh. RIP Juicebox. I suggested Paredes to the OF months ago and got blasted for it. I'm a bit concerned that he's never fielded reps in the OF at any point in his professional career...but if Berkman can learn CF...surely Paredes can learn a corner.
I’m not an Astros’ insider, but I’m very confident the Astros didn’t trade Ryan Pressly of all players to sign an outfielder of Alex Verdugo’s caliber who is coming off a terrible season. Verdugo is looking at a deal with an AAV of a few million, at most. It’s also not hard at all to see how the Pressly trade is connected to Bregman. Three days ago, it was reported the Astros 6-year, 156-million offer to Bregman was still on the table and the team had not ruled out a reunion. Reporters then started saying moving Pressly would be necessary to accommodate a Bregman return. The very next day, trade discussions involving Pressly heated up and they had trade parameters agreed to with the Cubs and Tigers within a few hours. Around the same time, reports started surfacing that the Astros and Bregman were talking again and both sides had interest in a return. In addition, reports started circulating that Jose Altuve wants Bregman back so badly that he’s willing to move to left field for him, which Altuve confirmed at the Astros’ Fan Fest yesterday. Today, you have multiple reporters saying the Pressly trade opens the door for Bregman’s return to the Astros. Arenado would be a backup plan if they can’t come to terms with Bregman, but with Santander and Profar off the board, they should be thinking creatively when it comes to upgrading the outfield. Enter getting another big bat at third base and shifting Paredes or Altuve to left field.
I do not put any credence in the recent media pontifications with the actual probability of an AB return. Just because it's being talking about doesn't mean there is correlation to it actually come to fruition. I think it is just as, if not, more likely, that these talking points were leaked by Boras' team in an effort to try to get DET/BOS/etc. to up their respective offers, rather than it being "proof" of an AB return.
Of course, but Bregman doesn’t have the lateral mobility to play shortstop like he did when he was younger.
Regardless of whether you believe the recent reports about Bregman and the Astros from Chandler Rome and national MLB reporters, the Astros did not trade one of their proven high-leverage relievers and cash for a fringe prospect so they can sign a fourth outfielder caliber player in Alex Verdugo less than a month before Spring Training. They are thinking bigger than that.
Pena is better than him at SS probably by a considerable margin. Paredes is a way better defender than Altuve at 2B at this point. I truly think the defense would be better with Altuve in LF. An infield of Bregman, Pena, Paredes and Walker is about as good as it gets defensively. Meyers/Dubon in CF with Chas in RF…you’d have only one bad defender (Altuve) playing the position you want the bad defender while playing at home 81 times. On top of that, he already said he is willing.
Correct. However, the Astros have been trying to trade him since the beginning of the offseason. Th trade finally went through because HOU was now open to eating some of his salary, as opposed to their stance at the outset of the offseason.
Altuve has always been pretty good at the pop flies and he can still move pretty well. There might be a couple of disaster plays on line drives over his head but I think he can be average out there.
So you think it’s just a coincidence that right after the Bregman rumors came out they made this deal? I’m not saying anything is certain but the Astros clearly have interest in Bregman returning…this isn’t just some made up rumors by Boras.
All I said is I don’t put anything into the timing of the “reports” and media talking points and that same is not proof that AB’s return is likely.
