OT: Should the Tigers have tried to get Choo for 7/130+?

Submitted by ca_prophet on

I have been really hoping that the Tigers would use the savings on the Fielder deal to sign a big bat, with my preference being Choo.  Today he signed with the Rangers for 7 years and $130M:

http://tracking.si.com/2013/12/21/shin-soo-choo-rangers-seven-year-130-million/?eref=sihp

I would much rather have the Tigers not signed Nathan and Davis in order to sign Choo (even if they had to go to 7/140), even if they end up re-signing Scherzer.

I can't think of too many extensions for pitchers that worked out.  Even Tim Lincecum ended up justifying the Giants decisions to go year to year with him, despire possibly the best ever pre-arb career for a pitcher.

What do y'all think?

 

GRFS11

December 22nd, 2013 at 10:11 AM ^

according to Wikipedia is the 26th largest of all time in baseball.  Choo is a good player, but to make him one of the highest paid outfielders in baseball today seems ludicrous.  I guess if you have the money, then why not?  Still, you can buy a lot of good players for $130 million.

ca_prophet

December 22nd, 2013 at 7:54 PM ^

Due to inflation, if nothing else. It also goes up because free agent salaries are set by the team that makes the most attractive offer, which usually means (players being human) the team offering the most money.

Baseball is awash in cash at the moment due to regional TV deals (whether that's wise or sustainable is a whole different thing) and that cash is being used for player signings, accelerating the usual trend.

Put another way, the free-agent price for a given player goes up every year. $20M doesn't buy Cabrera anymore - now it buys Choo. When the Tigers go to extend Cabrera there's a good chance it will take $30M per year, because he'll get that and more in free agency.

AVPBCI

December 22nd, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^

We still need bullpen help....

Id go look at balfour....get him cheap and take the risk..

 

Dd has always neglected the pen, step it up...nathan and balfour

 

Is jesse crain out their too still...

 

And I gotta deal with coke again, with, and below..

 

b-diddy

December 22nd, 2013 at 11:52 AM ^

the economics of baseball are changing, big time. revenue sharing, more tv money for the national and local contracts (by factors of 2x's and 3x's). this contract, and this offseason, is crazy in comparison of past years, but might be reasonable compared with future years.

i like our platoon in left, but i did hear the good argument that we may have wanted choo after this season, and next year the fa market for OF will be weak.

all in all, i am content with this offseason. the tigers never reached their potential last year, and i think we may be worse on paper this year but i bet we win more games, and our ws odds should be about the same. so to slim down the payrole and accomplish that is great gm'ing.

one critique is the fister trade. no one seems to like it. in hindsight, i wish we have traded fister to boston for iglesias rather than the deal that was made (and kept garcia). seems like a package could have been made, and garcia would have made the choo debate a non starter. 

 

Sleepy

December 22nd, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^

Think I read that the current rate for 1.0 WAR on the open market is about $6 million, meaning Choo's only gotta be a three win player to be worth his annual salary...