The recent singing of Aroldis Chapman for $30.25 million has got me thinking. The number one pick in this year’s draft, Stephen Strasburg, is almost universally regarding as a better pitching prospect yet he signed for “only” $15.1 million. I say “only” because this was a record amount of guaranteed money for a draft pick. […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a fantastic signing in first baseman Adam LaRoche while the Detroit Tigers took a step forward with the inking of closer Jose Valverde. LaRoche reportedly rejected a two-year, $17.5 million offer from the San Francisco Giants in December, badly misreading the market. As a result, he tucks his tail in between […]

On this day in 1952, NBC’s “Today Show” premiered. For some reason, I think there was less controversy about that programming change than there is this time around. In other news… J.C. Bradbury writes up his aging study at Baseball Prospectus. I look forward to the impending Colin Wyers takedown… What’s that? Oh, well that’s […]

Brendan Ryan covers some serious territory. The stirrup-wearing, mustachioed shortstop quietly posted 3.2 Wins Above Replacement for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, dazzling with his range and athleticism. While Ryan won’t blow anyone away at the plate, he’s an asset to the Cardinals as a premium defender at an up-the-middle position. During his major […]

On Tuesday, news broke that the Major League Baseball Player’s Association chided the Marlins for not spending enough on major league payroll, invoking an heretofore ignored aspect of the Collective Bargaining Agreement struck between the players union and baseball owners in 2006. In a quid pro quo for instituting the luxury tax that has essentially […]

…Then check out the three Most Similar Batters charts for this guy. I’m sure several others have similar lists of similar players, but they seem to be congregating around Mr. Magglio.

So far this year, the Astros have committed $24.6 million to the likes of Brandon Lyon, Pedro Feliz and now Brett Myers. In other words, the Astros are more than content spending for mediocrity. Lyon is a middle reliever, while Feliz is a no-hit band-aid at third base. At least Myers has some upside. The […]

I just received a press release from the Ballplayer’s Union that touches on a financial angle I’ve often thought about: revenue sharing and the obligation of teams receiving a share of payroll tax to spend it on ballplayer salaries. This obligation was part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that put revenue sharing in place, and […]

Some consider the San Francisco Giants’ signing of first baseman Aubrey Huff (CBS5, via MLB Trade Rumors) to a one-year, $3 million deal uninspiring. While Huff should provide a return on investment, it is hard to disagree. The Giants are able to boast a payroll of $80-$90 million, but with Tim Lincecum hitting arbitration as […]

21-year old Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a six-year deal worth $30.25 million with the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman is a highly regarding left-handed pitching prospect with a fastball that reached triple digits during the World Baseball Classic. He threw 6.1 innings in the WBC striking out eight while walking four and allowing six […]