General MLB Discussion, Winter 2023-24

zambonir 2024-02-14 14:23:44 UTC #344

There's already "extended fall" for playoffs teams no? The taxi squad and whoever is still around playing sim games?

Yeah they aren't paid for the dead period. Complex/rookie league players are guaranteed a minimum of 19,800 (up from $4,800!) annually. You only get $250 a week if you train at home vs. $625 a week if you train at the complex (and $675 in-season) so any chance to spend more time there both before ST and after the season would be a plus. You definitely don't get a regular check that is your annual salary divided by 52, it's still very piecemeal. And there's also still housing and per diem of course. Clearly some teams will make it easy for players to exceed the minimum and some won't (and some players will get more chances to do so than others).

But I reckon a 2024 draftee is now guaranteed nothing unless they go to the Threshers or are invited to train in Clearwater in August and September. But you'd think they will have a post-draft camp.

fish 2024-02-15 00:58:10 UTC #345

BA says “ MLB plans to close that loophole by requiring players who sign after July 25 to be assigned initially to a full-season club and not allowing them to be assigned to a team whose season is over.”

I don’t know how that works if Clearwater has roster limits.

julio 2024-02-15 01:13:46 UTC #346

Good question. I suppose it could be managed by moving players from the Clearwater roster to the FCL roster, to make room for the draftees; essentially, most of the guys previously on the Low-A roster would get the month of August off.

Keeping in mind that, with a 165 player in-season domestic roster limit, the organization will likely have to purge some guys to make room for the draftees anyway; some of the guys at Clearwater could be moved up, instead of out, at the end of July.

Speaking of which, the domestic roster limit is currently at 175 (the off-season limit). This limit drops to 165 on Opening Day; between this 10-spot reduction and the fact that 14 guys on the 40-man will be optioned by Opening Day... even with injuries, there's going to be some real pressure on the roster limit at the end of March.

zambonir 2024-02-15 04:10:37 UTC #347

I guess it didn't occur to me that they'd have to be on a roster to get paid for working out/training. But sure, the organizational limit would apply. Would think this means UDFAs and the cheapest picks really don't get paid in August and September though.

andyb 2024-02-15 04:45:28 UTC #348

The real question is do they have to be assigned anywhere. In the past if the player signed but remained unassigned to a roster (like Klassen for instance) they did not count on the in-season domestic roster limit. I could see teams waiting to assign most draftees until the offseason extra 10 players gets added to the roster limit. They'll still have to release players or assign them to the 60-day IL, but not as many as in the past.

This really feels like something to put off roster limit decisions in the middle of the season that seemed a little artificial.

bkox 2024-02-16 04:10:57 UTC #349

andyb 2024-02-16 19:48:46 UTC #350

Padres switching Kim and Bogaerts defensively. With the Phillies Turner and Stott are much closer but I do wonder what is the better alignment long term.

zambonir 2024-02-16 19:51:08 UTC #351

Surely this won't be Castillo's last team before April

Lucky_Beagle 2024-02-16 20:08:08 UTC #352

The Yankees claimed right-hander McKinley Moore off waivers from the Phillies, per announcements from both clubs.

zambonir 2024-02-17 16:29:16 UTC #353

Really feels like the Phillies might have misread the remaining OF market (or are just overvaluing Merrifield's versatility when they don't really need it). Not saying this was the guy, he struggled last year once he left the Rockies, but overall a solid RHB and OF who could still hit from both sides and is younger. He's only getting $1.5 milllion (the other $500K is a buyout, or he'll get $6 million next year).

andyb 2024-02-17 23:06:33 UTC #354

Kind of the point I was making about just getting an outfielder that can hit a bit and not worrying about the details.

Clearly the Phillies don't care much about the $8 million to Merrifield. They were never going to approach the luxury tax before the season and remember anyone they add at the trade deadline only needs to be paid for that period of time. Managers love and overspend for versatility. Of course they could have had that with a Brad Miller type (and handing Sosa a bunch of extra gloves in Spring Training).

zambonir 2024-02-18 00:09:12 UTC #355

I don't think Miller is versatile anymore himself (whether his bat is bigger than Merrifield also in question). But I'm with you.

I thought Merrifield + Bohm's arbitration actually does take the Phillies into the next CBT tier.

andyb 2024-02-18 07:39:39 UTC #356

There is a tier before the draft penalty tier,

bkox 2024-02-18 23:18:14 UTC #358

great call

Baltimore designated utility player Diego Castillo for assignment to clear a spot for Krook on its 40-man roster.

andyb 2024-02-18 23:25:38 UTC #359

Not the draft penalty tier. Until then it is only a cash penalty.

zambonir 2024-02-18 23:33:23 UTC #360

Yes but it's still the next (second) tier, that they weren't yet in for the coming season, even if it's the same tier as last year. I realize the money part (including the higher tax/repeater penalty) is largely irrelevant. As it should be, if going over the first tier should only be for a star or significant improvement going over the second is really just to fill holes.

I wonder if Middleton ever wakes up in the middle of the night and wonders why he didn't just do it in 2020 (if not 2019). Probably not as often as he wakes up in the middle of the night wondering why he hired Girardi.

bkox 2024-02-19 18:05:38 UTC #361

Liam Hendriks deal with the Red Sox, after the physical: 2 years, $10 million guaranteed, with additional performance bonuses.
— Buster Olney ( @Buster_ESPN ) February 19, 2024

zambonir 2024-02-19 18:10:25 UTC #362

I'd forgotten he was still out there. That's less than Gregory Soto is going to to make over that same time period (unless he's non-tendered after this year).

bkox 2024-02-20 00:30:44 UTC #363

andyb 2024-02-20 06:43:47 UTC #364

It is a Tommy John recovery deal. He is not expected to pitch until late July at the earliest. So really 1.3 years for the $10 million plus incentives if he does well.