Ichiro one ups Jr...

[jojo]

Details about Ichiro's contract are trickling out...

It's basically around $90M but he's allowed the Ms to defer approximately $25M of it to be paid out over 20 years after he retires. Basically that means the Ms are only on the hook for about $12M a season over Ichiro's next five years. Basically he's having an MVP type season so far and was willing to accept a paultry raise of $1M next season. Importantly, the deferred moola doesn't count against the payroll tax. Scott Boras would be having a heart attack right now.

People inclined to believe Ichiro is difficult or not a leader/team player really should consider what a gift he gave the Ms considering the likely market for him if he would've become a free agent.

[traderumor]

It is really hard for me to see the gift in someone getting $90M guaranteed, whether they deferred or not. Greed is greed at that $ level.

[vaticanplum]

Originally Posted by traderumor

It is really hard for me to see the gift in someone getting $90M guaranteed, whether they deferred or not. Greed is greed at that $ level.

Is it really when it's market level? How many people on earth try to talk their work contracts down from what their peers are making?

[SteelSD]

The most overrated MLB player of our generation has a .800+ OPS halfway into his age 33 season and he gets 90M bucks. If he finishes at an OPS above .800, it'll be the first time in three years and only the second time in his last five.

35% of Suzuki's career walks have been of the Intentional variety. Because other teams are worried about him hitting singles. At this point in his career, the guy is basically Juan Pierre with better bat control and a better arm.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by SteelSD

The most overrated MLB player of our generation has a .800+ OPS halfway into his age 33 season and he gets 90M bucks. If he finishes at an OPS above .800, it'll be the first time in three years and only the second time in his last five.

35% of Suzuki's career walks have been of the Intentional variety. Because other teams are worried about him hitting singles. At this point in his career, the guy is basically Juan Pierre with better bat control and a better arm.

Ichiro's bat has roughly averaged 5 wins a year over replacement during the three seasons you reference (cumulative VORP=149.2; RC: 380) while he's been a plus defender (winning a GG each season he's been in the majors for what that's worth). Over that span, his bat alone has been worth 3 to 6 wins more than Dunn's (VORP=121; RC: 318) depending upon whether you want to consider VORP or RC while the gap in their worth grows significantly wider when their defensive abilities are included in the overall comparison.

This season Ichiro is once again a plus defender in centerfield and has the sixth highest VORP in the majors (VORP: 44; RC:79) while currently playing for a $11M. He's a steal. Dunn BTW is having something of a resurgence year offensively with the 54th highest VORP in the majors (while being paid $10M) but once again is a bottom tier defender for his position (VORP: 24; RC: 56).

It's pretty surprising for you of all people to suggest Ichiro and Pierre are similar players. They're not even close to being in the same class of player.

While jokingly suggesting he wants to play more like Ichiro, there is very good reason for Dunn to wish that in reality. Ichiro is both a better offensive and defensive player-Dunn isn't even in Ichiro's class.

[kheidg-]

Originally Posted by SteelSD

The most overrated MLB player of our generation has a .800+ OPS halfway into his age 33 season and he gets 90M bucks. If he finishes at an OPS above .800, it'll be the first time in three years and only the second time in his last five.

35% of Suzuki's career walks have been of the Intentional variety. Because other teams are worried about him hitting singles. At this point in his career, the guy is basically Juan Pierre with better bat control and a better arm.

I beg to differ. Year after year Ichiro provides gold glove quality defense, he rarely is injured, and is hands down the best leadoff hitter in the game (when he bats leadoff...). He can run and rarely strikes out. Also, very rarely gets caught stealing. He is playing really well again this year, last 2 seasons were sub-par for Ichiro and he still hit over .300. Granted I love the OPS stat as much as anyone -- but this isn't baseball simulator where you plug in people with great OPS and they all perform.

2007
avg = .354 (2nd AL)
runs = 64 (8th AL)
hits = 135 (1st AL)
sb = 25 (3rd AL) = only 2 CS
obp = .406 (9th AL)

2006
avg = .322 (6th)
runs = 110 (3rd AL)
hits = 224 (1st AL)
sb = 45 (3rd AL) = only 2 CS
obp = .370 (16th)

And you compare him to of all people Juan Pierre? How many times has Juan hit .300 or, better yet, how many times has Ichiro not hit .300?

Pierre has never OPS'd over .800 -- even when he played in Colorado.

Ichiro has several times and his career line is .331/.376/.438/.814

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by jojo

Ichiro's bat has roughly averaged 5 wins a year over replacement during the three seasons you reference (cumulative VORP=149.2; RC: 380) while he's been a plus defender (winning a GG each season he's been in the majors for what that's worth). Over that span, his bat alone has been worth 3 to 6 wins more than Dunn's (VORP=121; RC: 318) depending upon whether you want to consider VORP or RC while the gap in their worth grows significantly wider when their defensive abilities are included in the overall comparison.

This season Ichiro is once again a plus defender in centerfield and has the sixth highest VORP in the majors (VORP: 44; RC:79) while currently playing for a $11M. He's a steal. Dunn BTW is having something of resurgence year offensively with the 54th highest VORP in the majors (while being paid $10M) but once again is a bottom tier defender for his position (VORP: 24; RC: 56).

It's pretty surprising for you of all people to suggest Ichiro and Pierre are similar players. They're not even close to being in the same class of player.

While jokingly suggesting he wants to play more like Ichiro, there is very good reason for Dunn to wish that in reality. Ichiro is both a better offensive and defensive player-Dunn isn't even in Ichiro's class.

Dunn not in Ichiro's class? What a joke. While obviously Ichiro is still much better than Pierre, Dunn is every bit the offensive player Ichiro is, and then some. To suggest otherwise is pure daftness--or homerism. I'm not sure which.

Factor in age, and it's Dunn who's the tremendous bargain.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

Dunn not in Ichiro's class? What a joke. While obviously Ichiro is still much better than Pierre, Dunn is every bit the offensive player Ichiro is, and then some. To suggest otherwise is pure daftness--or homerism. I'm not sure which.

I laid out a pretty compelling argument that doesn't deserve to be dismissed as either daft or homerism IMHO.

I guess Ichiro's OPS could be superficially used as an argument against him if you ignore the effect of environment (which you can't). As it happens, the Mariner's play 70% of their games in pitcher-friendly, low run scoring environments such as Seattle, Anaheim, Oakland, San Diego, Cleveland, Detroit etc. It's one of the most pitcher friendly schedules in the majors.

Context is important.

[Eric_Davis]

This is common practice and has been a regular part of contract signings in the NBA and MLB for over 40 years. My ex-brother-in-law was a CPA for Arthur Andersen and one of his accounts was the TrailBlazers during the mid-70's. He's now CFO for UPS in Atlanta. Sidney Wicks, for example, had the same exact contract done, but was for much less money.

You just never read about it because it's personal, between a CPA, the client, and the team. Deferred money, often 10-20 years out has usually been put into many a contract, but the contract "numbers" are different for what the "public" sees.

Once a contract has been signed under the terms that fit the "sports" requirements, it's rewritten to benefit the team and the player by stretching it out over years. It benefits the team because they can invest money into some other area that pays an grows with interest, and as that money builds, use it to pay the player down the road. The player gets more money as he's taxed less because he's receiving a smaller amount each year than one lump sum.

This is standard practice for sports contracts. It's just none of our business and you never read about it because it isn't any of our business.

[redsfan4445]

Griffey deffered money.. he did it so Lindner could go out and get pitching to improve the team,, he DIDNT do it!!.. So dont make it seem Ichirio is the only player to do this...JR did it before Ichirio.. and JR could have got 17 million a year if he had approved a trade to Atlanta back in 2000... so he took less to sign here..

[jojo]

Originally Posted by redsfan4445

Griffey deffered money.. he did it so Lindner could go out and get pitching to improve the team,, he DIDNT do it!!.. So dont make it seem Ichirio is the only player to do this...JR did it before Ichirio.. and JR could have got 17 million a year if he had approved a trade to Atlanta back in 2000... so he took less to sign here..

That was the tie in with Jr. They both structured their contracts in a way that benefitted ownership with an eye to making it easier for their FO to compete. I wasn't suggesting Ichiro is the only player to do this. I was suggesting that it demonstrates a desire to win that reflects favorably on him.

[redsrule2500]

Ya, what a sweetheart

[jojo]

Originally Posted by redsrule2500

Ya, what a sweetheart

I don't get the apparent bashing. As free agent contracts go, this one is pretty fair.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by jojo

I laid out a pretty compelling argument that doesn't deserve to be dismissed as either daft or homerism IMHO.

You compared apples to oranges with Dunn and Ichiro. Ichiro is a BA-driven run scoring machine, and Dunn is a power-driven run production machine. That's not a compelling argument, it's a fallacious comparison. And I've got nothing against Ichiro, who's probably the finest leadoff hitter in the game today. But he and Dunn are completely different players, and all teams need some combination of the two to be successful.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by jojo

I don't get the apparent bashing. As free agent contracts go, this one is pretty fair.

Yeah, but it's not a "gift".