Quote:
Originally Posted by JayBruce32
But then you risk losing them during the best years of their career and into their prime. Or, if you want to keep them, you will have to pay $18 million when they command it as free agents when they'd had settled for between $8-10 to do the deal years earlier.
If your theory is true, then why did Cleveland and Tampa Bay go this route with Longoria and Sizemore?
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I couldn't agree more, and in today's baseball I think small market teams *have* to do this with their young players. Ryan Braun was also signed to a similar contract. If you're confident enough in that player's ability - I say go for it. And Jay Bruce is THAT talented.
Even in a worst-case scenario (injury, epic slump, etc), that type of contract is "team friendly" enough, and Bruce is talented enough that you can always get rid of him.