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Friday, October 14, 2011
Proper compensation for Epstein?
This one should be easy to figure out, no?
John Buck, Placido Polanco, Joaquin Benoit, Juan Uribe all recently signed a 3-yr 18MM$ contract (more or less), as free agents. Epstein is signing an 18MM$ deal, but the Redsox still own one more year of rights to him.
So, here’s the question: if any of those players were being paid at their fair value with their original team, but had one year to go, how much would a team give up for them? That is, Uribe is with the Whitesox, he’s due to earn 7MM$ in his last year, he’s expected to perform as if he’s worth 7MM$, and then the Giants want to trade for him with that one year to go (and then offer him a contract extension). What do the Whitesox get for him (setting aside the free agent compensation rules)?
In the case of Esptein, he’s a 3.6MM$/yr asset. We have to therefore think of a lower-priced asset, like, Matt Guerrier (who signed a 3yr/12MM$ deal). What would the Twins have asked for him if he was already getting 4MM$?
It seems to me the market for that kind of player, one already paid his full value (*), with one year of exclusive control, must be pretty weak. I’m thinking some mop-up reliever should be fair compensation, and fit in with the precedents of other baseball assets similarly traded.
(*) I’m presuming the Redsox are paying him his full value, and the Cubs are paying more because they are giving him more responsibilities.