Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tendering is nigh

The Giants have a deadline today. Here's the relevant bit from the website:
The Giants must announce by 9 p.m. PT Thursday whether any of these players will not be tendered a contract. Non-tendered players will become free agents, though their former club remains able to sign them.
The list is a long one and it starts with Andres Torres, Cody Ross, and Jonathan Sanchez. It ends with Javier Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Chris Ray, and Mike Fontenot. Sabean gave his usual non-answer answer:

"I can't tell you that we'll tender all of them or arbitrate with all of them," Sabean said.
Regardless, the Giants will see a big increase in the payroll. This past season's $96,277,833 was the highest in the history of the club. Of course, the Giants won the World Series. If spending $100 M is the way to win the World Series, then I'm all for it. Of course, it ain't my money. At some point, though, you have to figure the bean-counters will be counting beans. How far is the ownership group ready to go? The Phillies spent $109 M on their 2009 crown and spent $138 M vainly attempting to defend it. The current SF roster is already over $92 M (with $32 M going to two players). Will Nuke & Co. open the wallets? Or will some staff CPA whip out a few Excel graphs and show the Big Boys some worrisome trend lines? We'll have to wait and see. Certainly the payroll will top $100 M for the first time.

The Giants have a special core of young talent that can legitimately think about winning the whole thing again within the next few years. The suits might have to spread some green around--let's hope they are up to it.

--M.C.

4 comments:

giantsrainman said...

My guess is that the salary budget limit is $120M. You are correct that the Giants already have $92M committed to 10 players under contract. Even if they non-tender a couple of the 8 arbitration eligible players the 6 they keep are still likely to cost close to $20M and if they keep all eight the cost will likely be north of $20M. They will have at least 7 pre arbitration players to pay for and that is another $3M. Bottom line as things stand now without adding any additional players the Giants are going to spend $115M+ in 2011.

This tells me the Giants are done making any major moves. What I expect from here on out is that they may non-tendor Fontenot and use the savings to re-sign Renteria and they may trade Rowand back to the Phillies if they can save enough to pay for re-signing Burrell. As I see it this is about the best we can hope for with regards to any additional moves.

M.C. O'Connor said...

Have the Phillies shown interest in Rowand? Has anyone? My question: why???? What can he bring to a club (for $13+ M/yr !!!) that a scrap heap non-tender guy can't? If he goes anywhere wouldn't the Giants have to pay most of his salary anyway? They wouldn't save much.

Why not just view the $27+ M owed to him as a sunk cost? He's a good glove in CF and a useful role player. He's a free agent in 2013.

I think the Giants are going to pursue another infielder. Henry Schulman talks about it in today's Splash.

Zo said...

The old media today reported Burrell signed for one year, no dollar amount given. They need to tenderize Torres, Ross, Sanchez, Ramirez, Lopez and Casilla. Pronto.

giantsrainman said...

M.C.,

Much to my suprise it has turned out that re-signing "Pat The Bat" has only cost $1M plus incentives. I am guessing the incentives would allow him to earn up to another $2-3M if he got his PAs above 500 (in essence became the starting LFer).

As to where I got the idea the Phillies might be interested it is from Jon Heyman as follows.

http://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman/status/29530644491

I think the Phillies could value Rowand at $3-4M/yr over the next two years with the Giants having to pay the rest. It is this potential $3-4M savings that I referred to in my first post.