Zack Scott explaining the Mookie trade and a lot more (article from Over the Monster)

[moonslav59]

46 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

moon, this started with you saying:

One ring with all that spending, unless you count 2020

Time to drop this, but I just want to say that if I didn't respect your baseball knowledge and IQ so much I would just ignore things like this instead of arguing them.  

 

Okay, that statement did caste doubt about the legitimacy of the 2020 ring. You are right. But to me, this all started with a claim made that the Dodgers are "two steps ahead." I still think they are not. Maybe one step ahead, if you set the time frame at exactly 1 year or 5 years (2020-2024.)

It is tainted, IMO, but still  legit.

The Dodgers are the only team that  has 2 rings in 5 years, 6 years or 7 years. One could argue that puts them one step ahead. On spending, maybe 2 or 3 steps ahead of almost every other team.

If you go to 8 years, it's 2 for LAD & HOU although one could "taint" the 2017 Astros ring, too.

You have to go back to 2013 to add the next 2 ring team. That is a 12 year period: LAD, HOU & BOS. Go to 13 years and add SFG. Go to 15 years and SFG has 3, BOS, HOU & LAD with 2.

Go to 18 years: 3 BOS & SFG, 2 HOU & LAD.

Go to 21 years: 4 BOS, 3 SFG, 2 STL, HOU, LAD

You need to go back 27 years (1998) to get a team to match 4 rings (NYY). 29 years to get a 5 win team (NYY.) Nobody can argue the Yanks or Sox are 2 steps ahead, or even 1. Time frame matters, of course.

The Dodger have been way ahead in top money signings over the past few years, and they are one step ahead in rings over the last 1-7 years. I grant them that.

They made two of the highest paid contract signings, ever, last winter, while also having the third highest contract (Betts) already on the books. (Freeman was a top 50 signing back in 2022.) They just signed Snell, giving them 2 of the top 4 $/yr and 4+ year deals in MLB history and 4 in the top 20- plus the Yamo signing.

Highest value/year all time (more than 3 years)

1. Ohtani $46M LAD

2. Judge $40M

3. deGrom $37M

4. Snell $36.4M LAD

5. Cole $36M

6. Trout $35.5M

7. Strasburg $35M

8. Rendon $35M

9. Lindor $34.1M

10, Correa $33,3M 

11. Greinke $32,5M

12. Arenado & Seager $32.5M

14. Machado $31.8M

15. Devers $31.5M

16. Miggy & Price $31M

18. Kershaw $30.7M LAD

19. Betts $30.4M LAD

20. Scherzer, Machado $30M

[Bellhorn04]

More from Zack Scott on Mookie.

"Mookie Betts’ contract with the Dodgers offers another compelling example. He signed a $365MM deal with $115MM deferred. While the headline figure was impressive (second largest contract behind Trout!), the present value was $307MM, placing it below a few additional contracts (Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gerrit Cole). This structure allowed the Dodgers to acquire a star player while satisfying Mookie and his agent’s desire to be seen as a top-two player. In Boston, we had tried to re-sign Betts, but our self-imposed $300MM limit wasn’t enough to meet this desire. A similar deferral structure to the Dodgers’ deal might have changed the outcome."

Too bad they didn't think of that. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

18 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

More from Zack Scott on Mookie.

"Mookie Betts’ contract with the Dodgers offers another compelling example. He signed a $365MM deal with $115MM deferred. While the headline figure was impressive (second largest contract behind Trout!), the present value was $307MM, placing it below a few additional contracts (Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gerrit Cole). This structure allowed the Dodgers to acquire a star player while satisfying Mookie and his agent’s desire to be seen as a top-two player. In Boston, we had tried to re-sign Betts, but our self-imposed $300MM limit wasn’t enough to meet this desire. A similar deferral structure to the Dodgers’ deal might have changed the outcome."

Too bad they didn't think of that. 

He should have been grateful Boston offered him so much money, and thankful for the opportunity to wear a Red Sox jersey his whole career. Anyway, he was too short to pay more to longterm.

[mvp 78]

Or just pay him more without the deferrals. 

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Or just pay him more without the deferrals. 

Zack confirmed that $300 mill was their ceiling.  And when these guys set ceilings, they don't unset them. 

 

[jad]

Besides, he did not have the commitment we expect of RS players; I mean BOWLING??  Come on!  Couldn't he have used all the time he wasted on that sport to hone his baseball skills a bit?

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Zack confirmed that $300 mill was their ceiling.  And when these guys set ceilings, they don't unset them. 

 

Because they is dum dums. 

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, jad said:

Besides, he did not have the commitment we expect of RS players; I mean BOWLING??  Come on!  Couldn't he have used all the time he wasted on that sport to hone his baseball skills a bit?

If it wasn't for the annual Nomar bowling event, he would have been a lifer too! 

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Because they is dum dums. 

In a way it's a relief to have someone finally tell us exactly what happened.  Scott was very emphatic that Mookie Betts was more than willing to be a Red Sox for life, if he got a market value offer.  

[Bellhorn04]

Mookie still watches Red Sox games when he can.  First reason he gives is Cora.  He really thinks highly of Cora. 

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2025/01/why-mookie-betts-still-enjoys-watching-red-sox-games.html

[Duran Is The Man]

27 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Zack confirmed that $300 mill was their ceiling.  And when these guys set ceilings, they don't unset them. 

 

Henry reminds me of my buddy's grandpa who told him in the 60s "there ain't no land on this planet worth $100 acre" when he bought 300 acres of "worthless ground". told him he was a fool for paying that much. and yeah....he ultimately sold it for millions.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Zack confirmed that $300 mill was their ceiling.  And when these guys set ceilings, they don't unset them. 

 

We could have given him more, but with deferrals that would bring the actual cost to the team to $300M, but Betts the satisfaction that the contract says $330M or the like.

Another botched event in Sox history.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The real reason John Henry refused to pay market value for Betts happened during the 2018 World Series, when Mookie disguised himself and brought leftovers from a team party to the homeless people.

The owner was apoplectic. "He gave them food for FREE..." rasped Mr. Potter from Pottersville. "We're not giving him another cent -- Mookie owes US money!!!!"