So, what happened to the 11-year contract that outfielder Kyle Tucker was supposed to receive?
Chalk it up to the unpredictability of free agency.
MLBTradeRumors.com was among the sites projecting an astronomical payday for Tucker, using its formula to calculate $400 million over 11 seasons. Tucker instead agreed to a four-year $240 million contract with the Dodgers, which shattered annual average value (AAV) records. Don’t cry for him, Argentina.
The Mets pivoted from Tucker yesterday and reached agreement with infielder Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal. Trade Rumors had him getting $208 million over eight years.
Math is hard. Agents and players don’t make it any easier.
Outfielder Dante Bichette played 14 years in the majors and made around $42 million in career earnings. His son will average that much per season. So yes, he’s also going to be fine.
Bo’s contract includes opt outs after each of the first two seasons, allowing him to take another swing at free agency.
The decision on Bichette feels similar to the Orioles’ pursuit of Pete Alonso. The Mets didn’t need an infielder, but they whiffed on Tucker and wanted an impact hitter. The Orioles didn’t need a first baseman, but they failed to get Kyle Schwarber and wanted an impact hitter. Mike Elias wasn’t going to let the position dictate his negotiations.
Could the Mets’ agreement with Bichette impact the odds of the Orioles signing starter Framber Valdez? These are the two teams linked to him. And the Mets aren’t necessarily out on Cody Bellinger.
MLB Network’s Steve Phillips says the Valdez sweepstakes comes down to the Orioles and Mets. Both owners have deep pockets, but Steve Cohen is willing to go all the way to his shoulders.
The Orioles could sign Zac Gallen or attempt to make a trade - Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore and Joe Ryan are intriguing possibilities - but as long as Valdez is on the board, they’re going to stay in the running.
* One big perk of working an NFL beat is having teams reveal who they’re interviewing for coaching vacancies. The Ravens, for example, are posting every name on social media.
Going into the weekend, we knew about Brian Flores, Jim Schwartz, Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Nagy, Kevin Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, Davis Webb, Vance Joseph and Anthony Weaver. Other names were revealed among the list of scheduled interviews.
The Jets provided the identities and photos yesterday of their defensive coordinator interviews.
Meanwhile, baseball writers usually have to rely on sources or just wait for a hire to be announced.
I don’t recall the Orioles saying, “We completed an interview today with Craig Albernaz.” Would make our lives so much simpler.
The most transparency that I can recall happened during the 2004 search, with media invited into a conference room to interview some of the candidates before Lee Mazzilli was hired. That won’t happen again.
* What will happen is another dive into the mailbag.
Did Zach Eflin throw his scheduled bullpen session on Jan. 6? And if so, how did the ball look coming out of his hand?
Yes he did. “All good,” I’m told. That might apply more to his health.
You've seen both. Shane Baz or Grayson Rodriguez? Thanks.
I’ve seen a lot more of Rodriguez, but not since his spring training start in March. Trading him comes with a risk, of course. He has an ace ceiling. A stud ceiling. But the Orioles couldn’t count on him to make it through a season, and they might not be able to give him a heavy workload. He still has value based on potential and some past success. This was the time to move him. Baz possesses tremendous stuff and he made 31 starts last season. Advantage, Baz.
Best golfers on the team?
Gunnar Henderson says Zach Eflin, Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday rank among the best. “I’m not too sure who would come out on top in the tournament style,” he said, “but we have a lot of guys who can hold their own on the golf course.” They can, but it must be a lot harder to swing the club.
Will the Orioles win a playoff game before the Ravens?
Yes. The playoffs begin in October. They get a head start.
What happens first, the Ravens announce their new head coach or the Orioles acquire another starting pitcher?
This is a good one and really hard to answer. Negotiations to acquire a pitcher don’t come with a hard deadline. I don’t know anything about the Ravens’ timeline to make a hire. I’m going to say that the Orioles get a starting pitcher because of the increased movement in free agency and trade talks that by now should be advanced.
Do you see a fit for Eugenio Suárez here on a nice three-year, $70 million deal? He would make a three-head right-handed power monstrosity with Polar Bear and Taylor Ward. Suárez: 49 homers. Polar Bear: 38 homers. Ward: 36 homers. That’s 123 homers added to our lineup with Eugenio!
So I guess you’re trading Jordan Westburg or making him the utility infielder, which probably necessitates another trade. Mike Elias indicated a while ago that he’s focused more on pitching, and that he’s more inclined on the position side to check on role players. Pretty much everything is subject to change, but I’m still expecting any big-money purchases to go toward starting pitching.
Miami or Indiana?
Indiana is favored by 8 ½ points. I’d take Indiana.
Would the Orioles support a salary cap proposal?
The team or the players? I can tell you that the union is vehemently opposed to it, which is why another lockout is looming.
Do starting position players ever go to winter ball to work on specific aspects of their game?
Yes, it happens, though not as much as prospects or players rehabbing from injuries or trying to find jobs. Catcher Gary Sánchez is a free agent and he’s playing in the Dominican Republic. Some players just enjoy competing in front of their hometown fans.
Given the marriage of MLB and gambling, do you think teams will be required to make public players' injuries? Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson both played last season with significant injuries?
I wonder whether marriage is a good idea. Maybe live together and see how it goes. Anyway, this is an interesting question. Managers usually don’t want to reveal too much to the other team, like whether a player is available off the bench. And I don’t think MLB has reached a point where it wants to cater that much to the fine folks who wager.
With the Nats leaving MASN, will all of the O's games be on MASN (minus any on national networks), and what becomes of MASN2?
MASN2 goes the way of the Dodo bird. I don’t know what happens to FanDuel Racing and Fight Sports Martial Arts. Check your local listings.
Any thoughts on the Orioles' destination if realignment actually takes place, if MLB expands?
Still in Baltimore. You mean division? Still in the East.
Barring any late outfield changes, does our center field depth chart look like this: Cowser, Beavers, Jackson?
Let me reintroduce you to a fella named Leody Taveras. I’d go Cowser, Taveras and maybe Beavers. But hey, Jorge Mateo is still a free agent.
Do you still have the nail polish on your toes? Or is this a good place to stop?
Yes and yes. But first I must explain that I let my granddaughter give me a mani/pedi during a sleepover and I keep forgetting about the red toenail polish. I mean, how often do you look at your feet? I’m reminded of it when I get out of bed in the morning and when I step out of the shower. That’s pretty much it for the winter.
Mickey's a mouse. Donald's a duck. Pluto's a dog. What's goofy?
This question. And this is definitely a good place to stop.