Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Hot Stove Update: Matt Holliday Signs

So Matt Holliday signs with the Cardinals for 7 years, $120 M, with $2M/yr deferred to be paid out until 2029. 2029! Now, Matt Holliday is a good player, probably the best available in this year's FA class, but 7 years, $120 M? Were the Cardinals bidding against anyone but themselves? Jason Bay signed with the Mets for what, $66 M? Holliday is better than Jason Bay, but $54 M better? Man, I don't know!

This deal has all kinds of downstream implications:

1. You don't sign Matt Holliday to this kind of contract, and then turn around and let Albert Pujols walk. You just don't!

2. If Matt Holliday is worth 7 years, $120 M, Pujols is worth at least 8 years, $200 M, right? That's at least $40 M/year tied up in just two players.....for a long, long time!

3. Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter will be looking to get paid soon too.

That means the Cards are counting on a major rebound in the economy, or they are planning on making do with a whole lot of very cheap players surrounding a very expensive core.


I must say though, that $40 M/year for Holliday and Pujols looks like a whole lot better deal for the Cards than $30 M/yr for Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand!

Fantasy Impact: Minimal. The Cards play in a fairly neutral park. Holliday should remain a solid second or third round draft choice for the next several years.

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