Baseball Contract Insanity

[AZGrizFan]

Homer Bailey has agreed to a six-year, $105 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, a source tells ESPN's Jim Bowden.

According to the source, Bailey's agreement includes a mutual option for a seventh year. The right-hander, who was 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA last season, has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Thursday. Bailey asked for $11.6 million while the Reds have offered $8.7 million. Bailey avoided arbitration last season with a one-year, $5.35 million deal.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Sunday night that Bailey was nearing a six-year, $100 million contract with the Reds.

The 27-year-old Bailey is 49-45 in his career with a 4.25 ERA. He set career bests in innings pitched (209) and strikeouts (199) last season. He also threw his second no-hitter in two seasons.

So, it's bad enough that a career .500 pitcher with an ERA over 4.00 could get a $100+ Million deal. What I REALLY don't understand is this: Why give him a SIX year deal averaging over $17 mil PER YEAR, when he was only asking for $11.6 mil in arbitration?

[Chizzang]

Homer Bailey has agreed to a six-year, $105 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, a source tells ESPN's Jim Bowden.

According to the source, Bailey's agreement includes a mutual option for a seventh year. The right-hander, who was 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA last season, has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Thursday. Bailey asked for $11.6 million while the Reds have offered $8.7 million. Bailey avoided arbitration last season with a one-year, $5.35 million deal.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Sunday night that Bailey was nearing a six-year, $100 million contract with the Reds.

The 27-year-old Bailey is 49-45 in his career with a 4.25 ERA. He set career bests in innings pitched (209) and strikeouts (199) last season. He also threw his second no-hitter in two seasons.

So, it's bad enough that a career .500 pitcher with an ERA over 4.00 could get a $100+ Million deal. What I REALLY don't understand is this: Why give him a SIX year deal averaging over $17 mil PER YEAR, when he was only asking for $11.6 mil in arbitration?

How does Jacoby Ellsbury go from $9 Mil a year to $21 mil
he's a career .297 hitter - which is great - but he's played 700 games in 7 seasons
and simple math tells me that's 100 games a year for $21 Mil

too much !!!

[LeadBolt]

Homer Bailey has agreed to a six-year, $105 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, a source tells ESPN's Jim Bowden.

According to the source, Bailey's agreement includes a mutual option for a seventh year. The right-hander, who was 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA last season, has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Thursday. Bailey asked for $11.6 million while the Reds have offered $8.7 million. Bailey avoided arbitration last season with a one-year, $5.35 million deal.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Sunday night that Bailey was nearing a six-year, $100 million contract with the Reds.

The 27-year-old Bailey is 49-45 in his career with a 4.25 ERA. He set career bests in innings pitched (209) and strikeouts (199) last season. He also threw his second no-hitter in two seasons.

So, it's bad enough that a career .500 pitcher with an ERA over 4.00 could get a $100+ Million deal. What I REALLY don't understand is this: Why give him a SIX year deal averaging over $17 mil PER YEAR, when he was only asking for $11.6 mil in arbitration?

Some one in the front office needs a remedial math course? The Reds are afraid of 500 pitchers with 4+ ERA's getting away? They have a trade on the works to get rid of this guy and bring in someone they really need?

[Chizzang]

The Free Market has been good to Baseball Players...
As they like to point out - if the money wasn't there - the owners wouldn't pay those salaries

It's like when I complain about some CEO getting a 20 million dollar bonus running a company that lost money
It's a complete head scratcher

[Seahawks08]

The Free Market has been good to Baseball Players...
As they like to point out - if the money wasn't there - the owners wouldn't pay those salaries

That's true enough, but there are simply some deals that are horrible. This is one of them. Bailey does not have a good track record save for one year, and he will be making $19M in 2017, 21M in 2018, and 23M in 2019. First, Votto, now this.

[Ivytalk]

The latest Phillies example is Kyle Kendrick, a career mediocrity who just signed a one-year deal for $7.6 million to "avoid arbitration." 2013 stats: 10-13, 4.70 ERA.

[andy7171]

Just wait for Trout to get his next contract. It ain't slowing down anytime soon.

[ASUG8]

I've been to one company sponsored game at Wrigley a few years back and I haven't been to any game above single A since I was a kid and i obviously wasn't paying for them then either. I had heard it's pretty expensive for a family to go to a single game, so I looked it up. This really isn't something the average Joe can do 5-6 times a month during the season:

The Fan Cost Index comprises the prices of four adult average-price tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two least expensive, adult-size adjustable caps. Costs were determined by telephone calls with representatives of the teams, venues and concessionaires. Identical questions were asked in all interviews.

http://www.kshb.com/sports/baseball/mlb ... ball-teams" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But it looks like attendance has remained pretty constant historically across the board:

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/2010 ... ndance.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally, I'd rather go to our local park a half mile from my house, pay $5 to park, get a couple of $8 tickets and a few $4 beers and not feel bad when I get bored in the 6th inning and go to a bar across the street.

[Baldy]

The Braves could teach all of MLB how to manage a team.
Just this off season they signed the entire core of their young players to long term extensions.
Freddie Freeman
Craig Kimbrell
Juilo Teheran
Jason Heyward
Andrelton Simmons

Sorry, NL East.

[ASUG8]

The Braves could teach all of MLB how to manage a team.
Just this off season they signed the entire core of their young players to long term extensions.
Freddie Freeman
Craig Kimbrell
Juilo Teheran
Jason Heyward
Andrelton Simmons

Sorry, NL East.

....and are saying buh-bye to Turner field to get out of the hood and move to Gwinnett.