Quote from MrPadre19 on February 9, 2019, 5:39 am

So there isn't in your opinion even a few million dollars that would make the difference in getting him or letting him go to a Division rival?

If Harper "wants" to play in S.D. and S.F offers him $1 mil more per year and he comes back to AJ and says "match it and I'm yours" you don't think he would?

I guess I'm just curious if in a case like this AJ cares even 1% that the "other" team is in our division or if the amount is the "only" factor?

I understand it almost never is....but this is a game changing player....not Freddy Galvis.

 

 

Quote from Henry Silvestre on February 9, 2019, 6:57 am

I don't think SF is a serious contender for Harper.. I think they are trying to appear busy...but that team is not buikt to last past 2019 ... I think its between PADS (geographically #1)..Phils ( probably will offer most $$)..Nationals (theyve added a lot so $$ wise they are probably closer to us.. But they are his original team so familiarity wise #1)....

Quote from dusty on February 9, 2019, 7:19 am

If the latest report is true about manny being offered 7-8 years at 220-240 mil from the Yankees and that not being the highest offer, then what is the holdup for signing? I really don’t get it to be honest. Manny has been on record saying that he wants to be in New York. If other deals are close wouldn’t he just pick New York? It there is a deal(s) that is significantly more, why wouldn’t he have signed by now. This just seems really bizarre now and I think that the agents/players (2 in particular) should be taking some flack into the pace of the market.

It makes you wonder how much the Padres have offered these guys. This offseason is just getting very old and very fast. Can’t these guys just sign somewhere already and domino the rest of the field?

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 9, 2019, 8:14 am

I think it's actually a game of Chicken between the two.

Each knows that the last to sign will have an advantage of being the last one left...and may make more in doing so.

I think it's also all about the Phillies.

They came right out and said they were going to spend "stupid money" and that they are interested in both of them.

I can't see them actually signing both....so I hope Machado would go ahead and sign "somewhere" so we can get on with this.

 

Quote from fenn68 on February 9, 2019, 9:28 am

Agree that most of the logjam is due to the Phillies with the combo of the "stupid money to spend" comment, the clearly low payroll even after their winter signings, and their apparent "low" offers seeing little viable big money competition.

I will add some other culprits ... basically setting the expectations of both agent and player:

1. Miami Marlins' and their contract deal with Stanton set both length and dollar thresholds that I am sure both Machado and Harper's camps think they SHOULD achieve given their quality.

2. The media and ex-players ... have been hyping both for years as young generational players ... super stars ... resulting both the players and agents buying in lifting there resolve to be "justly" compensated.

3. Again the media "projecting" well over $300MM for years (yes, years) for these two ... actually MLBTradeRumors had them signing for over $400MM/14 years as I recall ... again sets expectations for both the player and the agent.

4. The known money flowing to teams is large ... so most of the teams COULD pay at that level but are not making the offers at the level.

5. Machado and Harper don't care about the rest of the FA or the flow of the offseason. They know the season does not start until the end of March ... they know they will get signed at the best offer out there ... so wait the teams out (worked for Boras in the past).

A lot in the past has arguably "inflated" the perceived value of these two and under the new ownership / GM focus on future value (based on more modern metics) that perception is no longer valid. Not really sure any front office really cares if the don't sign Harper or Machado, so stick to their view of a fair price. Basically a different world and the player / agents have not full grasped it.

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 9, 2019, 9:30 am

You know it's pretty disheartening that a team that lost 96 games last season and obviously has money to spend at this point has only added a 36 year old secondbaseman at the end of his career.

Not much time left to add some excitement before Spring Training starts.

Quote from fenn68 on February 9, 2019, 9:33 am

Quote from David Nevin on February 9, 2019, 9:30 am

You know it's pretty disheartening that a team that lost 96 games last season and obviously has money to spend at this point has only added a 36 year old secondbaseman at the end of his career.

Not much time left to add some excitement before Spring Training starts.

Had the same thought but don't forget the "invested" $15MM in Richards to be on the DL for all of 2019 and probably either be again on the DL or just ineffective early in his return in 2020 ... maybe all 2020.

Quote from fenn68 on February 9, 2019, 9:36 am

I am not sure that even if they signed ANY of the remaining FA that I would become "excited" about 2019 ... and that includes Harper or Machado. This winter's inertia has just drained me.

Maybe some excitement comes AFTER they start winning but not BEFORE.

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 9, 2019, 10:33 am

I’ll be excited just for baseball to return.

I’ll be excited to watch our top 30+ prospects this year.

I just wish some of that excitement was for the actual major league team getting better......and they may,but it won’t be because of any additions we’ve made thus far.