I like the strategy - just afraid that won't get it done. Both are going to get 7 years from someone, and both are going to get at least $200 million. I just don't personally see any way around it.
However, the fact that both guys grew up as Braves fans COULD work in our favor in a BIG way - if Hart & Company paid close attention to how Rizzo structured the Scherzer deal and Liberty will give them the latitude to structure one (at least one) that way as well. Not exactly like Scherzer's of course, but something like that that defers the big money years to much later in the contract when the dollars won't be nearly what they are today. Agreements like that will certainly be much easier to sell a corporate leadership - rarely have I heard of any corporation that isn't in favor of deferring costs. I'd even try to negotiate something simpler - making an annual $5 million payment to Price or Greinke for 7 years after the deal would reduce the commitment to $25 million per while they were active (if they got the same deal Scherzer got), and Liberty's investment geniuses would easily be able to put that $5 million per to work right now to more than pay for those payments.
