Quote Originally Posted by clvclv View Post
If you try to read between the lines of the Hart quote that we "probably still won't play at the top of the market", you kinda wonder if that actually is a bit of a smokescreen and whether Donaldson is a much more realistic target for a big expenditure than Machado. If you use Giancarlo Stanton's deal as a model for Machado, you're probably looking at something like 12 years and $350 million minimum. Of course there's a lot left to be decided before they ever reach the market (if they do), but at that point Machado will be 26+ years old. Assuming both remain healthy, wouldn't it be much more our M. O. to pay a 33 year old Donaldson through age 38 rather than Manny?

Offer the same AAV ($29,166,667) to Josh as you do Machado at that point - through the same late point in their careers - and Donaldson winds up costing you ~$146 million rather than $350 million.


You then make Riley a LF and Maitan a RF and start bludgeoning teams to death and don't have to worry so much about ALL the pitching shaking out.
Not sure I want to pay Donaldson 30 million per for his rapid decline years.