Friday, March 29, 2013

News and Notes: Giants Sign Buster Posey To A Long Term Contract

The Giants have reportedly signed Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III to a whopping 8 year $159 M contract with an additional option year.  As a difference-maker, Posey is definitely worth the $20 M per season and more.  The only question is with the length of the contract, but that's the market in baseball right now.  It is highly unlikely that Buster will remain as a catcher throughout the length of the contract.  He is a good enough offensive player, that he should maintain value if he has to move to 1B in the future.  Still, it's a risky move in the longterm, but one the Giants almost had to make.

Now, I do not ever want to hear one word of complaint about the Giants cheaping out on anything ever again!

7 comments:

  1. YES!!! After almost 50 years (since '64) of watching franchise players being traded, flat out owner cheapness and just plain general stupidity. It's over.

    The two WS wins cleared out that old, bad karma for everyone.

    A new day has arrived. This contract turns the corner on the franchise and establishes the foundation for a dynasty - well at least a hell of a 10-year run.

    I'm all on board for this ride.

    Great move Giants.

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  2. Franchise players getting traded? Who are you talking about?

    Cepeda? Where would you have played him?

    Clark? He left via free agency, and NEVER played at a franchise player level after he left San Fran.

    Kent? There were CLEARLY other factors at play with his leaving.

    Williams? I think we won that trade.

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  3. proctor has been traded to o's for caishe

    posey deal is a solid one. im just wondering how much more is left in the kitty

    bacci

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    1. Well, it seems solid by today's standards, but I'm starting to think there may be a huge baseball/TV bubble that is going to burst someday. If the crash of 2008 taught us anything, it's that just because everybody is doing it, doesn't make it smart or right.

      Don't get me wrong. I love Buster Posey and what he brings to the Giants, but that is a whole lotta money for a long, long time.

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    2. You've got that right, Doc. It's all based on the value of live sports on television and commercial value. And there is some kind of exponential yearly elevator that is being counted on. The housing bubble seems dead on as an analogy.

      It's funny how people stated that Trout should have been insulted at being signed for $510,000 instead of $1,000,000 for '13. Grinding it out at league minimum is not so bad if working for a nine-figure payday.

      Great for Buster! Seems rich, but I think we all have to agree that we'd put our Giant overpays into Cain and Buster.

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  4. I like the Posey signing! Sabean rightfully referred to Posey as a player who comes along once in a baseball life. I'm wondering if the Giants being almost done paying the debt service for AT&T helped get the deal done. I thought I read somewhere that the debt service ends in 2017 I think. I'm wondering how this will affect bringing Timmy, Pence, and Zito back for 2014.

    LG

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    1. That is a good point, about the debt service ending soon. Another is that revenues and profits from MLBAM continues to grow a lot, plus the new deal with ESPN during the off-season basically pays for Buster's contract for the most part going forward, so his salary is already covered.

      Sabean was talking about signing both Cabrera and Pence when the trade was done, how ownership signed off on that, and I have to think that he was already taking into account the need to sign Posey long-term, so I would think that there is at least enough money to sign Pence and bring back Zito by picking up his option (only $11M for average pitcher, that's market price). Lincecum is another question, but I assume ownership will step up if the contract is reasonable, but if Lincecum is looking for $25M per season long-term, all we have to think about is Johan Santana, and just have to move on. If Lincecum can "settle" for something close to Posey's deal, then I think that is doable, 5 years at $21.4M, but if he wants $25M per, then LA or NY are his only stops, really.

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