The frenzy began immediately. Labor peace came Thursday evening. MLB stated “go,” and calls, texts and emails, staff to staff and between groups and brokers, immediately went from zero to Usain Bolt.
One veteran agent used the phrase “chaos” to explain the depth of motion after a three-month lockout, one other stated, “loopy.”
Regardless of the time period, the scramble to seek out jobs and full rosters as camps concurrently opened was entrance and middle as soon as a brand new collective bargaining settlement was ratified. However a query did linger on this baseball info superhighway, and business people stayed as curious now as in the course of the interval of inaction:
Simply how a lot is Steve Cohen going to spend on the Mets’ payroll?
When you don’t acknowledge this obsession throughout the recreation, you had been most likely (well) ignoring baseball’s labor negotiations. Cohen’s fellow homeowners created a fourth luxury-tax tremendous stage motivated by a need to attempt to erect some form of cease signal — or at the very least a yield — on the $15 Billion Man. Will that work?
Within the quick time period, Cohen has indicated he’ll use his largesse — emphasis on massive — to attempt to purchase rivalry, respectability and time till he can wipe away the Wilpon of all of it from the Mets’ world and have the franchise functioning to his specs. That would foster the first-ever $300 million MLB payroll. If not, it’s going to be shut.
The document for luxury-tax functions was the Dodgers’ $297.9 million payroll in 2015, adopted by their $285.6 million from final season. The one staff presently inside hailing distance of these totals are the Mets. And the place does that Cohen-inspired super-tax threshold this yr start? It’s $290 million. It’s most likely only a coincidence.
How a lot Cohen will make investments is just not the one query that looms over the sport as spring coaching begins. Listed below are 5 extra that intrigue me:
Are the Blue Jays about to change into a monster?
If the brand new playoff format, with six groups from every league, had been in place final season, the 91-win Blue Jays would have joined the 92-win Crimson Sox and Yankees as wild playing cards. To attempt to qualify this yr, Toronto re-signed Jose Berrios and signed Kevin Gausman. The Jays lost Marcus Semien, however their rivals don’t suppose Toronto is finished with its vital spending.
The Jays have all the time needed to take care of taking in Canadian {dollars} whereas paying gamers in American money. Plus there all the time is a powerful desire by a not insignificant group of gamers to not play in Canada. However the staff’s mum or dad firm, Rogers Communication, did financially nicely in the course of the pandemic and, phrase is, accredited a significant payroll bump. And because the lone staff in Canada, the Blue Jays have vast nationwide attraction. They’ve robust homegrown expertise, similar to Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alek Manoah. There are components in place for a major run.
What’s subsequent for the Rangers?
Texas spent a half a billion {dollars} on a brand new center infield — Semien and Corey Seager — and nonetheless could also be a fourth-place staff. That might be a praise within the AL East, with the Blue Jays, Rays, Crimson Sox and Yankees, however it isn’t within the AL West. Even with the addition of Jon Grey, Texas wants extra pitching. And even with Semien and Seager, the Rangers additionally want extra hitting. The Phillies have spent huge lately on Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler, but nonetheless not made the playoffs. Are the Rangers on an analogous course?
As regards to not making the playoffs, what’s up with the Mariners?
They completed one recreation behind the Blue Jays final yr with 90 wins. That stored them out of the playoffs for a twentieth straight season. That’s the longest energetic drought within the 4 main North American staff sports activities. These 90 wins, however, would counsel good days on the horizon, proper? Besides Seattle has had six profitable data since 2003, and within the subsequent seasons, they gained 63, 61, 61, 76, 78 and 68 video games.
Will this time be totally different? The Mariners do have a well-regarded group of kids, together with outfielder Julio Rodriguez, who maybe is able to break by. However the Mariners even have cash to spend and an aching want for 2 extra bats. Is {that a} Kris Bryant kind? There have been indications Seattle is comfy and assured with J.P. Crawford at shortstop. However may the Mariners play for Carlos Correa?
Can Shohei Ohtani do it once more?
Possibly I simply have a factor for the AL West, with the Angels becoming a member of this query procession after the Rangers and Mariners. However Ohtani stays arguably essentially the most compelling participant within the recreation. For the primary time in his 4 Los Angeles seasons, he stayed wholesome and sensible in each of his disciplines in 2021. He pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 23 begins. He hit 46 homers. And simply to show he can just about do something, Ohtani additionally stole 26 bases and tied for the MLB lead with eight triples.
That every one earned him an MVP award. However the Angels completed under .500 for the sixth straight yr. They’ve solely made the playoffs as soon as in Mike Trout’s 11-year profession. Trout was harm final yr. So was Anthony Rendon. In the event that they, and new addition Noah Syndergaard, stay wholesome, the Angels have a shot. However it’s exhausting to see how the staff, as configured now, can excel until Ohtani does it once more. As a pitcher. And as a hitter.
What’s up with Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich?
In 2019, they completed 1-2 within the NL MVP race. They had been of their prime. The lefty hitters appeared poised to thrive for years.
The next spring, the Brewers gave Yelich a nine-year, $215 million extension. Since then, he has hit .234 with a .752 OPS whereas Bellinger has been at .195/.642. Yelich is getting into his age-30 season. There are nonetheless seven years left on his contract. Milwaukee has navigated nicely round Yelich’s plummet. However that may change into exhausting to maintain if Yelich doesn’t earn his cash.
Bellinger, who will play at 26 in 2022, shall be a free agent after subsequent season. However there was some ponder whether the Dodgers would even tender him after he was among the many majors’ worst hitters final season. In the end, he was too proficient to surrender on for a mega-market staff. His profession, although, has reached a fork within the highway.
