They Both Finally Signed!

Over 6 months ago, I posted my predictions for the 2018-19 MLB offseason, almost all of which ended up being incorrect. 

At the time, mid-November, I believed that I was posting these forecasts on the late side, for I fully expected the 8 or so superstars whom I discussed to sign contracts soon after I made these picks.

I never knew how incorrect I'd be. It's taken over half a year for all the players in my offseason predictions post to officially sign contracts. In the last couple of days, pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel made it official, agreeing to terms with the Braves and Cubs respectively. 

Both star pitchers will now earn less money in 2019 than the $17.9 million guaranteed dollars offered by the Red Sox and Astros following the 2018 season. 

In fact, Kimbrel and Keuchel's decision to decline those offers is what caused them not to get signed until early June; teams did not want to face a draft pick penalty by signing players who declined their qualifying offers.

That, combined with Kimbrel and, to a lesser degree, Keuchel's alleged outrageous asking price, has effectively caused these 2 All-Star pitchers to miss half a season. 

While I'm thrilled that Kimbrel will be playing for the Cubs, my 2nd favorite team, I'm equally glad that the rumors that surrounded these guys for months will finally die down.

I won't be going super in-depth, but I want to speak briefly about both of the free agent signings, starting with Keuchel's 1-year $13 million dollar deal with the Atlanta Braves.

For whatever reason, Dallas Keuchel decided to leave the 2017 World Series Champions, the Houston Astros, and take less money to join Atlanta. I'm not discrediting the successful franchise that the Braves have become, but I'm struggling to grasp exactly why Keuchel decided to leave Houston.

On paper, Houston is a much more well-rounded team than Atlanta; they have some of the games most talented hitters and one of the most feared rotations in Baseball. Keuchel was a part of that, winning the AL Cy Young award in 2015. 

I just don't understand why he'd throw all of that away and miss half of the 2019 season. Although I expect him to succeed in Atlanta, the decision is a tad baffling.

Keuchel's yet to have his press conference with his new team, but the 31-year old is expected to make a start in Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. I'm sure he, along with Kimbrel, need a few weeks to get the swing of things before they appear in an MLB game for the first time in 2019.

Because of that, I don't foresee either one of them playing for at least a week or 2. In fact, I believe that I heard Kimbrel won't appear in a game until around June 25th after signing with the Cubs a couple of days ago. 

Speaking of Craig Kimbrel, the 7-time All-Star missed out on a potential 8th selection by not agreeing to terms with a team until early June. However, after having his press conference with Chicago, all that's left to do is wait for him to make his Chicago Cubs debut as well as his return to the National League.

While his 2019 season is going to be a bit of a transition, Kimbrel's 3-year $43 million dollar contract with the Cubs ensures that he'll have a couple more seasons to regain his status as a top 2 closer in Baseball. 

He may not have earned the reported $100 million dollars that he desired, but he'll be earning reasonable money while playing for a perennial playoff contender.

I definitely expect the rest of the 2019 season to be an uphill battle for both pitchers, especially Kimbrel. Nevertheless, I have faith in Kimbrel's ability to come back strong for the Cubs in both 2020 and 2021. 

After months of uncertainty, I'm glad to finally know where Kimbrel will be playing for the next few seasons. Better yet, he'll take the field for my 2nd favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, in a number of weeks. 

Keuchel, on the other hand, basically signed a 1/2 year contract with the Braves. Pretty soon, he'll have to go through the same thing he experienced during the last offseason following the 2019 season. A return to Atlanta or Houston is probable, and I don't think anyone would be shocked to see him end up on the Yankees as well.

Extension Season

The last couple of weeks have entailed nothing short of pure madness, and I'm not talking about the College Basketball tournament. An unprecedented number of contract extensions have been signed throughout the MLB, totaling well over $1 billion dollars in guaranteed money.

Although the major spike in contract extensions began roughly a week ago, the first significant deal took place back in November when Clayton Kershaw signed an extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Since then, around a dozen notable players have signed contract extensions, including Kyle Hendricks and Jacob DeGrom who agreed to deals earlier today. This post isn't designed to address the pros and cons of extensions in general, but I still believe that signing a contract extension is typically a better option than signing with a brand new team.

Undoubtedly, the most surprising and notable contract extension of the offseason was Mike Trout's historic 12-year deal with the Angels, worth $426 million dollars. 

I'm not saying that he's destined to perform better than Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, but Trout's contract will set him up for success more so than the other two and their massive deals.

Today, I'll be doing a quick recap of the most striking contract extensions from this year's MLB offseason. Not only will I (briefly) mention the years and the dollars, but I'll also predict whether these deals will help or hinder both the team and the players who agreed to the following extensions.

Player; Eloy Jimenez

Contract; 6 years $43 million

Despite never having played a game in the major leagues, the White Sox extended top prospect Eloy Jimenez on a 6-year, $43 million dollar deal. This will keep the #3 prospect in Baseball in Chicago through the 2026 season when he'll be earning upwards of $18 million dollars in that year alone.

If I were the White Sox, I'd spend my money extending Jose Abreu instead, for he's going to be a free agent after this season. Since Jimenez hasn't played in the majors yet, there's no guarantee that he'll make it. If he doesn't pan out the way Chicago wants him to, the White Sox are going to be in big trouble.

Player; Kyle Hendricks

Contract; 4 years, $55.5 million

Since his debut back in 2014, Hendricks has established himself as a reliable starter as well as a Cy Young award candidate back in 2016. Now, at the age of 29, Hendricks gets to remain a Chicago Cub while getting the contract he deserves.

Hendricks will be earning roughly $14 million dollars per year which is reasonable considering that he's a consistent performer. His 3.07 ERA and just 2 walks per 9 innings prove that the Cubs made the right choice by extending a key member of their rotation on a low-risk contract with the possibility of a high reward. 

Player; Justin Verlander

Contract; 2 years $66 million

Verlander's 2-year $66 million dollar extension plays it safe when it comes to years, but it promises the 36-year old a record amount of money. At the same time, there's not much doubt in my mind that Verlander has earned every last penny.

The 2011 AL Cy Young and MVP award winner has reinvented himself since joining the Houston Astros in 2017. His 2.32 ERA since becoming a member of the Astros says it all; Verlander is pitching better than he has in years while being 7 years older than the average member of his team.

He may begin to regress a little bit over the next 2 seasons, but his possible decline shouldn't be anything too major that'll cause his extension to seem like a mistake. 

Player; Clayton Kershaw

Contract; 3 years $93 million

Clayton Kershaw is undeniably the greatest pitcher of this generation and has been for a number of years. That's part of the reason why it's practical for the 31-year old to continue playing in Los Angeles for another few seasons.

He's been susceptible to injuries over the course of his career, so Kershaw signing a deal for only 3 years is understandable. My only hope is that he stays healthy over the next few seasons and merits another contract extensions once this one expires. As a whole, however, this deal is wise for both sides involved.

Player; Blake Snell

Contract; 5 years $50 million

For the Rays, extending the reigning AL Cy Young award winner was a top priority going into the offseason. The fact that they'll be paying him just $10 million per year proves how badly Snell wanted to return to Tampa Bay, for he could've definitely gotten more once he hits free agency.

Yet, at the same time, the $50 million for 5 years is reasonable given that he's only had 1 phenomenal season. If Snell can continue his dominant ways for years to come, a larger extension may be in store for the 26-year old. 

Player; Alex Bregman

Contract; 6 years $100 million

Just like Blake Snell, Astros 3rd baseman Alex Bregman is coming off a breakout season in which he finished 5th in the AL MVP race, though he arguably should've been higher. Still, the 24-year old made a wise decision by cashing in and signing a $100 million dollar extension with the Astros.

Unlike some of the previous extensions, I can't say that I'm worried about Bregman's deal. He's incredibly young, yet he's proven to be a consistent hitter (.284 AVG in 2017, .286 in 2018). Not only that, but he's playing for one of the best teams in Baseball and has a ton of talented players around him that want to see him succeed. 

Player; Paul Goldschmidt

Contract; 5 years $130 million

I must admit; I'm more skeptical of this contract extension than any of the others. It's a sensible deal for the Cardinals who gave up a lot to acquire Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks in the first place. However, it's incredibly risky to commit to St. Louis for 5 years when Goldschmidt's never played a game for the Cardinals before.

He may have consistency going for him, but only time will tell if the 31-year old made the right decision in signing this extension with the Cardinals. Granted, he's cashing in on roughly $26 million dollars per year, but he can't know for certain if he'll like St. Louis until he officially starts playing for the Cardinals.

Player; Nolan Arenado

Contract; 8 years $260 million

One of the top 10 best players in all of Baseball, Rockies 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado has a lot going for him. He's only 27, his defense is superb, and he can hit for power and contact. Clearly, the Rockies saw his potential when they signed him to a massive extension from which he'll earn around $32 million dollars a year.

While 8 years is undoubtedly a long time, Arenado has proven his consistency over the last few seasons. Taking this extension into account, he's bound to take home an MVP award as he spends almost an entire additional decade in Colorado.

Player; Jacob DeGrom

Contract; 5 years $137 million

I certainly wasn't shocked earlier today when news broke that DeGrom had signed a 5-year $137 million dollar extension with the Mets. After putting up unfathomable stats in 2018, DeGrom should be the #1 priority for New York, and it's great to see them treating him as such.

Although the 30-year old has had minor struggles when it comes to injuries, DeGrom's career 2.67 ERA speaks for itself. Even if he only performs half as well as he did in 2018 over the 5 years, this extension will have been a success.

Player; Chris Sale

Contract; 5 years $145 million

Red Sox owner John Henry (finally) admitted that ownership dropped the ball when Jon Lester entered free agency in the prime of his career a few years ago. Thankfully, the Red Sox made certain that the same thing would not happen to superstar pitcher Chris Sale. 

Obviously, I'm ecstatic about the deal, and I've been anticipating the right time to talk about it. Chris Sale will turn 30 in just a few days and is primed for a Cy Young award at some point soon. He's put up stellar numbers since joining the Red Sox in 2017, and I don't see why this extension would change anything.

Player; Mike Trout

Contract; 12 years $430 million

Let me make this very clear; Mike Trout is worth every penny of his 12-year $430 million dollar extension, the largest contract in North American sports history. In addition to being extraordinarily humble, he's on pace to be one of the greatest hitters this game has ever seen. It would've been foolish for the Angels to let him go.

So what, he probably won't win a ring in Los Angeles. Do you think a 2-time AL MVP award winner and a 4-time runner-up cares? He's only 27 years old, yet he's already established himself as a future Hall of Famer. The consistent stat lines along with power, speed, defense, and sheer hitting have helped to establish Trout as Baseball's best player for many years now.

Thankfully, he was able to receive his well-deserved extension.

Frankenset Page #43

At this point in the MLB offseason, I've usually begun the process of making predictions ahead of opening day, a date that is just over 3 weeks away. However, for the 2nd year in a row, players and teams are refusing to budge on contract negotiations, leaving dozens of starting lineup caliber players still unsigned.

The major 2 available free agents, as of the time I'm writing this post, are Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel, and they're far from the only guys left unsigned. Adam Jones, who hit a respectable .281 last year, could be a much-needed veteran presence for a young team, and he wouldn't even cost too much money.

Only 32-years old, it's perplexing to me that Adam Jones remains a free agent with roughly 3 weeks to go until opening day. Then again, when I look at who else remains unsigned as well, it all makes sense; the free agent market is not kind to players over 30.

I even posted my offseason predictions for this years' exciting free agency, and I'm 0-7 thus far with the 3 players I mentioned above still up in the air. I understand that stars like Craig Kimbrel want and deserve their money, but the contract he originally desired is totally irrational. 

No team wants to take the risk and give Kimbrel, a 30-year old closer, a 6-year contract worth around $100 million. However, if Kimbrel or any current free agents want a job come March 28th, there will need to be compromises made on both sides.

So, while we continue to await the signing of multiple big-name free agents, I'll postpone my predictions until further notice. Instead, I have the 43rd page of my frankenset ready to go, showcasing cards #379-387.

#379 1998 Bowman Julio Ramirez

For the sake of the game of Baseball, I pray that the Orioles and Marlins don't finish with as poor of records as they did in 2018. Combining to lose over 200 games, there were some pretty awful teams in 2018, including the White Sox and the Royals. Now, both Chicago and Kansas City made an effort to improve their record in 2019. The Marlins and Orioles? Not so much.

#380 2016 Topps Heritage Phil Hughes

Page #43 of my frankenset shows a lot of love to the Topps Heritage brand with 5 different cards from the product being featured. It's pretty fitting that this page includes so many cards from Heritage given the fact that I've been celebrating the release of the 2019 Topps Heritage set for nearly a week now, honoring the 1970 Topps design.

#381 2007 Topps Heritage J.J. Putz

An untraditional style of cards, the 1958 Topps design boldly features no "real" backgrounds on their cards. Instead, the cards feature a specific color in the background instead, effectively featuring no ballparks or other backgrounds that we've grown accustomed to seeing on a Topps Flagship Baseball card. 

I'm still firm in my belief that 1959 Topps is an enhanced version of '58 because of the backgrounds, but it was a bold effort by Topps, nevertheless.

#382 2018 Topp Big League Adeiny Hechavarria

Topps wasted very little time in announcing the renewal of the Big League product for another year in 2019, but they also decided to bring back Opening Day once again as well. Both Big League and Topps Bunt have been generally well-received as inexpensive, fun products geared towards kids, just like Opening Day. 

I simply don't understand why Topps won't just replace the boring product that is Topps Opening Day with a more interesting release, both in terms of design and checklist, like Big League.

#383 1983 Topps Ozzie Virgil

I probably separated the 2 1983 Topps cards on this page before I added the remaining cards from that set to my want list, but it's too late to remove them now anyway. Besides, I'm not missing a ton of cards from that set, and I'm hoping I can rely on trips to the Baseball card show and trades to finish it up completely.

#384 2016 Topps Heritage David Robertson

Thankfully, Topps finally removed the "ad panels" box toppers from Topps Heritage this year after being around for over a decade. Personally, I couldn't stand the ad panel cards simply because they made zero sense to me. 3 random cards were grouped into 1 single panel, and they weren't even consecutive cards in the product. 

I'd much rather have stamped original buybacks than some confusing ad panel as a box topper, especially with what hobby boxes cost collectors nowadays.

#385 1983 Topps Mike Easler

Almost every Pittsburgh Pirates cards in the 1983 Topps set shows a player in this exact uniform, and I couldn't be happier about that. Considering that the Pirates have some of the greatest and most iconic jerseys of all-time, it's pretty awesome to see 20-30 of these uniforms make an appearance in the '83 Topps Flagship set.

#386 2018 Topps Heritage Wil Myers

I'm genuinely interested to see how the San Diego Padres will perform this season with Manny Machado and Wil Myers leading a group of young players in a fairly tough division. San Diego has one of the best farm systems in all of Baseball, but they've consistently been a somewhat mediocre team for roughly a decade now.

#387 2007 Topps Heritage Aaron Rowand

The 43rd frankenset page will end with the 5th and final card from Topps Heritage, this once also from the 2007 set. Featuring a black background, Aaron Rowand's 2007 Topps Heritage card perfectly captures the potential of having 1-color backgrounds without ballparks being featured. With that being said, I don't know if I'd feel the same way if I were to collect the entire 500-card product.

Frankenset Page #41

Before I tackle this week's frankenset page, I wanted to share my thoughts on an issue that has become more prevalent over the last few seasons. That is, the time it's taken for big-name free agents to sign with their new teams.

Both MLB writers, as well as players, have spoken out against how long it has taken for marquee free agents, in particular, to sign a contract over the offseason. Their case has been strengthened thanks to the 2018-19 offseason where dozens of players remain unsigned as of February 15th. 

Pitchers and catchers have already reported to Spring Training, yet nearly 100 players remain, free agents, including Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. 

Last year, J.D. Martinez didn't agree to his deal with Boston until February 26th. Alex Cobb and the Orioles didn't come to a decision until March 21st, 1 week until the regular season began.

It's clearly an issue, but one question remains; what's causing this to happen.

Personally, I highly doubt there's any collusion going on, preventing players from signing contracts. There's no reason for MLB executives to intentionally refuse talented players. Rather, the free agent market is simply evolving. 

Signings like Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Pablo Sandoval, Josh Hamilton, Carl Crawford, and countless others have proven that long-term deals and massive paychecks don't always guarantee success. 

In fact, it's quite the opposite, for if a team signs a big-name free agent for, say, 10 years and $300 million dollars, it's unlikely that the club will receive an equal return on investment. MLB free agents certainly deserve to cash in with a respectable paycheck, but the refusal to compromise, on both sides, is continuously perpetuating this issue.

I could go on for much longer about this concern, so I'll move on, for now, to the 41st page of my frankenset. On this page, cards #361-369 are featured.

#361 1992 Fleer Ultra Dan Gladden

I'd prefer not to begin this frankenset page with a card that I'm not overly fond of, but such is the case for card #361, Dan Gladden from '92 Fleer Ultra. The set design is ridiculously boring, and the photo is rather pedestrian, nothing too extraordinary. I tried to find a new card #361 before scanning and cropping the cards from this page, but I was unsuccessful.

#362 1984 Topps David Green

Thankfully, card #362 from 1984 Topps is a major improvement. Aside from the fact that I'm a huge fan of the '84 set, the image is very representative of the 1980s while also remaining rather simple. For an 80s Topps Flagship card, this is pretty much as good as it gets without any colorful uniforms being featured as well.

#363 1991 Fleer Jerry Browne

Fantastic photo choices and the 1991 Fleer set go hand-in-hand, and this specific card is no exception.  While the set's yellow borders have made it a rather controversial product, the color isn't the end of the world for me. With that being said, it wouldn't be my first choice when designing a set of Baseball cards.

#364 2017 Topps Heritage Miguel Cabrera

Compared to the 2017 product, 2018 Topps Heritage was somewhat of a let-down, though it was still one of my favorite products of the year. The 1969 Topps set, while boring, is not necessarily what bothered me. 

Topps' choice to change the high number SPs from superstars to semi-stars rubbed me the wrong way, even if it made it easier to accumulate cards of guys I collect. Their coalition was also bad, for I ended up with the same 8 short-prints in the 2 hobby boxes that I opened.

#365 2018 Topps Mallex Smith

Almost in spite of themselves, the Rays managed to win 90 games last year. Even though they designated Corey Dickerson for assignment, traded Alex Colome, and sent Chris Archer to the Pirates, Kevin Cash managed to lead his team to 3rd place in quite possibly the most difficult division in Baseball.

Even if they're technically a "rival" of the Red Sox, I wish no ill feelings on the Rays, though I do wish they'd move to Montreal one of these days.

#366 2016 Topps Heritage Diamondbacks team card

I wonder what's to become of these so-called "team cards" once 2019 Topps Heritage is released in just under a couple of weeks. In Series 1, they were replaced with ballpark shots, and in an effort to not be too repetitive, I expect and hope that Topps will return to the classic-style team cards that were used for decades beforehand.

#367 2005 Topps Bobby Crosby

In the original Topps sets from the 60s and 70s, the card company partnered with the Sporting News for the MLB All-Stars' cards and apparently, this partnership continued through at least 2005. However, present-day Topps Heritage sets say the "Topps News" on them, leaving me curious as to when this partnership ended.

#368 1990 Donruss Kirk Gibson

Even though Kirk Gibson was well past his prime by the time 1990 came along, his home run in the 1988 World Series had cemented him as a hero for the LA Dodgers, combined with his 1988 NL MVP award as well. 

It's pretty difficult to elevate the 1990 Donruss set, but this card is definitely more of a stand out than I'm used to from the Junk Wax era.

#369 1974 Topps Paul Lindblad

I'm pleased whenever I'm able to include at least one vintage card on each page of my frankenset, especially when it features a colorful uniform from the 60s or 70s. Paul Lindblad's yellow and gold Oakland Athletics uniform is truly a classic, and it certainly ends page #41 of the frankenset at a much higher level than how it began.