Official 2024 Off-Season Thread!

[GovClintonTyree]

I'm iffy on Snell. He benefitted from a great deal of luck and his FIP was more than a run higher. But this is probably why I’m in the casual fan camp.

I hate “effectively wild” lefties. They throw a million pitches and have one good year in three and everybody fawns over them because they throw hard but they wouldn’t know a strike if it bit them in the ass.

This goes back to my first year of Little League when I got hit in the front hip twice in one game. Bastard said he was sorry, too.

[CyYoung31]

Went to visit my grandmother at her nursing home for thanksgiving. Juan Soto’s family was visiting him at the same time. His grandson told me Juan is trying to force his way to the Braves.

How do guaranteed contracts work if the recipient dies before the end of it?

[GovClintonTyree]

I understand all of the possibilities here, but you know what? If we’re going to pay a TOR pitcher $30M/yr for six years (too much for too long) I’d rather it be Max Fried.

[cajunrevenge]

That would require Max to agree.

[JohnAdcox]

I was also told that the Braves are assuming that Max is gone, period.

[Oklahomabrave]

I was also told that the Braves are assuming that Max is gone, period.

Did he mention any trade rumblings?

[Enscheff]

I was also told that the Braves are assuming that Max is gone, period.

This seems pretty obvious. AA has shown a willingness to let FAs walk if they don’t agree to extensions. If he was willing to let Freeman and Swanson walk there’s no way he stresses over letting Fried walk.

[JohnAdcox]

No trades mentioned.

[cajunrevenge]

Went to visit my grandmother at her nursing home for thanksgiving. Juan Soto’s family was visiting him at the same time. His grandson told me Juan is trying to force his way to the Braves.

I work with a relative of Yordan Alvarez who he helped bring over from Cuba. She's always telling me "Por favor deja de seguirme" Which I think is Cuban for Alvarez is trying to force his way to the Braves.

[JohnBoy]

I just submitted contract questions to Google's artificial intelligence tool as part of a work exercise.

Here's the input for Max Fried:
You are a baseball general manager. Write a detailed free agent contract offer for Max Fried to start when his current contract with the Atlanta Braves expires at the end of the 2024 season. If the signing bonus is deferred in whole or in part, the amount of the deferral cannot be more than the total signing bonus amount. If the player is unable to play due to injury, the contract cannot be voided. A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest.

And the output:

Contract Offer for Max Fried

Team: [Team Name]

Player: Max Fried

Position: Starting Pitcher

Term: 6 years

Total Value: $162 million

Annual Average Value: $27 million

Signing Bonus: $20 million, of which $10 million can be deferred without interest

Guaranteed Money: $162 million, including the deferred portion of the signing bonus

Escalators:

• $5 million if Fried wins the Cy Young Award
• $2 million if Fried is selected to the All-Star Game
• $1 million if Fried is named to the All-MLB Team

Incentives:

• $1 million for 150 innings pitched
• $1 million for 200 innings pitched
• $1 million for 17 wins
• $1 million for 19 wins
• $1 million for 200 strikeouts

Deferrals:

• A maximum of $10 million of the signing bonus can be deferred without interest
• A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest

NTC:

• Full no-trade clause for the first 3 years of the contract
• Limited no-trade clause for the remaining 3 years of the contract

Reporting Bonuses:

• $50,000 for spring training
• $25,000 for each regular season series played

Other Provisions:

• Fried will be guaranteed a roster spot for the duration of the contract
• Fried will have the right to approve all endorsements and sponsorships
• Fried will have the right to live in his own home during the season

Injury Protection:

• In the event of a season-ending injury, Fried will still receive his full salary for that season
• If Fried is unable to play baseball due to injury, the contract cannot be voided

[JohnBoy]

And here's one for Yamamoto:

Input:
You are a baseball general manager. Write a detailed free agent contract offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If the signing bonus is deferred in whole or in part, the amount of the deferral cannot be more than the total signing bonus amount. If the player is unable to play due to injury, the contract cannot be voided. A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest.

Output:
Contract Offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Team: [Team Name]

Player: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Position: Starting Pitcher

Term: 7 years

Total Value: $245 million

Annual Average Value: $35 million

Signing Bonus: $30 million, of which $15 million can be deferred without interest

Guaranteed Money: $245 million, including the deferred portion of the signing bonus

Escalators:

• $7 million if Yamamoto wins the Cy Young Award
• $3 million if Yamamoto is selected to the All-Star Game
• $1.5 million if Yamamoto is named to the All-MLB Team

Incentives:

• $1.5 million for 175 innings pitched
• $1.5 million for 200 innings pitched
• $1.5 million for 20 wins
• $1.5 million for 22 wins
• $1.5 million for 250 strikeouts

Deferrals:

• A maximum of $15 million of the signing bonus can be deferred without interest.
• A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest.

NTC:

• Full no-trade clause for the first 4 years of the contract.
• Limited no-trade clause for the remaining 3 years of the contract.

Reporting Bonuses:

• $75,000 for spring training.
• $35,000 for each regular season series played.

Other Provisions:

• Yamamoto will be guaranteed a roster spot for the duration of the contract.
• Yamamoto will have the right to approve all endorsements and sponsorships.
• Yamamoto will have the right to live in his own home during the season.

Injury Protection:

• In the event of a season-ending injury, Yamamoto will still receive his full salary for that season.
• If Yamamoto is unable to play baseball due to injury, the contract cannot be voided.

[Enscheff]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/...aron-nola.html

Apparently AA offered at least 6/162, then probably increased the offer to some degree. That means he has at least $27M-$30M for 2024.

AA spent $4M of it on Lopez immediately after Nola signed, which tells me he used the difference between Nola’s $27M+ and whatever he pays for someone like Stroman to add Lopez.

I do think it’s possible they go cheap in LF, meaning we get to watch Grissom sink or swim out there for 3-4 months.

[cajunrevenge]

And here's one for Yamamoto:

Input:
You are a baseball general manager. Write a detailed free agent contract offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If the signing bonus is deferred in whole or in part, the amount of the deferral cannot be more than the total signing bonus amount. If the player is unable to play due to injury, the contract cannot be voided. A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest.

Output:
Contract Offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Team: [Team Name]

Player: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Position: Starting Pitcher

Term: 7 years

Total Value: $245 million

Annual Average Value: $35 million

Signing Bonus: $30 million, of which $15 million can be deferred without interest

Guaranteed Money: $245 million, including the deferred portion of the signing bonus

Escalators:

• $7 million if Yamamoto wins the Cy Young Award
• $3 million if Yamamoto is selected to the All-Star Game
• $1.5 million if Yamamoto is named to the All-MLB Team

Incentives:

• $1.5 million for 175 innings pitched
• $1.5 million for 200 innings pitched
• $1.5 million for 20 wins
• $1.5 million for 22 wins
• $1.5 million for 250 strikeouts

Deferrals:

• A maximum of $15 million of the signing bonus can be deferred without interest.
• A maximum of 20% of each year's salary can be deferred with interest.

NTC:

• Full no-trade clause for the first 4 years of the contract.
• Limited no-trade clause for the remaining 3 years of the contract.

Reporting Bonuses:

• $75,000 for spring training.
• $35,000 for each regular season series played.

Other Provisions:

• Yamamoto will be guaranteed a roster spot for the duration of the contract.
• Yamamoto will have the right to approve all endorsements and sponsorships.
• Yamamoto will have the right to live in his own home during the season.

Injury Protection:

• In the event of a season-ending injury, Yamamoto will still receive his full salary for that season.
• If Yamamoto is unable to play baseball due to injury, the contract cannot be voided.

All that money and he gets 75k for showing up to work at spring training and 35k just for showing up to games.

[zitothebrave]

Brandon Woodruff non-tendered. Would be an interesting player to look at. Concerns over him pitching this year, but aside from potentially signing him on a cheap longer term deal, you have to wonder if he would consider signing something like a 1/5M contract with an option for 15M

I wonder if he'd sign something like a 5/75 contract. It's much smaller than if he hit FA healthy, but probably will be much more than what he would get otherwise. There's probably be a healthy injury clause in there I assume.

Woodruff when healthy, he's a beast, from 2019-2022 he was 11th in fWAR for pitchers. Hanging around guys like Fried, Alcantara, Gausmann, and Burns.

[zbhargrove]

Brandon Woodruff non-tendered. Would be an interesting player to look at. Concerns over him pitching this year, but aside from potentially signing him on a cheap longer term deal, you have to wonder if he would consider signing something like a 1/5M contract with an option for 15M

I wonder if he'd sign something like a 5/75 contract. It's much smaller than if he hit FA healthy, but probably will be much more than what he would get otherwise. There's probably be a healthy injury clause in there I assume.

Woodruff when healthy, he's a beast, from 2019-2022 he was 11th in fWAR for pitchers. Hanging around guys like Fried, Alcantara, Gausmann, and Burns.

Shoulder problems. No thanks…

[cajunrevenge]

Woodruff is looking at something like 2 years 5 million total not 5 years 75 million.

[zbhargrove]

Yeah no one is giving a guy recovering from shoulder surgery a long deal lmao

[thewupk]

Snell to me is a lot like Glavine. And his performance so far in his career is how I think Glavine would do in the modern game. A good starter that can wildly out perform his perphials from time to time to put up stellar seasons. But he's already 30 and you'd likely be paying him like an ace for a long time who's had his best seasons behind him.

[50PoundHead]

Snell to me is a lot like Glavine. And his performance so far in his career is how I think Glavine would do in the modern game. A good starter that can wildly out perform his perphials from time to time to put up stellar seasons. But he's already 30 and you'd likely be paying him like an ace for a long time who's had his best seasons behind him.

He reminds me a bit more of Nolan Ryan in that he can tolerate the walks because his raw stuff produces weak contact and a low BAA. Don't get me wrong, he's not in the Ryan strata at this point (and probably never will be), but Snell's stuff is top-drawer.

From time-to-time, I still have trouble figuring out how Glavine was as successful as he was given that he didn't have a "put 'em away" fastball that could tie hitters up inside. He did command the outer half as good as any pitcher I've ever watched and could hit that baseball-sized box in the lower left of the RHH strike zone consistently. Add to that he was an absolutely fearless competitor and you've got something.

[Tapate50]

He also stretched that low and away zone as much as anyone by games end.

A great Change Up is an unbelievable weapon.