Okay, Professor, let's play a game of chess.
Assuming current $233M CB Payroll is acceptable, or let's get right up to the second tier threashhold of $237M. Say $39M over luxury tax limit.
Hanley's $22M will take care of arbitration raises.
True, and if you go by MLBTR's numbers, which are usually very accurate our arb raises will come to about what HRam got paid...
+8.5 Betts
+4.9 Bogey
+2.5 Erod
+1.8 JBJ
+1.2 Holt
+3M others (Wright, Barnes, Hembree, Leon, Thornburg, Smith, Swihart)
BUT, we also have to count...
Vaz's extension kicks in at $3.1M more than 2018.
Plus Sale gets $2.5M more for his option and bonus, and Nunez gets $1M more, so +$3.5M here.
Here's how 2019 looks with MLBTR's arb estimates included:
In Luxury Tax Dollars
31.1 David Price
22.0 JD Martinez
20.1 Rick Porcello
18.7 Mookie Betts
13.8 Dustin Pedroia
13.5M Chris Sale
11.9 Xander Bogaerts
7.9 Jackie Bradley Jr.
6.5 Mitch Moreland
5.0 Eduardo Nunez (with PA bonus reached)
4.8 Eduardo Rodriguez
4.5 Christian Vazquez
3.4 Brock Holt
2.3 Tyler Thornburg
2.3 Sandy Leon
1.5 Matt Barnes
1.4 Brandon Workman
1.4 Steven Wright
1.2 Heath Hembree
1.1 Carson Smith
1.1 Blake Swihart
$172M Total (21 players)
$2.2M Min for 4 MLB roster players (assuming minimum wage)
$2.2M 15 players in minor leagues on 40 man roster
$14.5M Player Benefits
$18.5M Sandoval
$209M Total
That's exactly the CB Threshold next year, so if we want to reset, we'll have to trade equal salary to what we add. My guess is, it depends on winning a ring or not this year, but after 2020, we will try to reset one way or another.
If we try to stay below the $40M line, what can we get for $39M?
,,,Basically, we have $30M to reload. How about signing Machado and moving Devers to 1B? Machado signing would hedge against losing out on Xander the following year. I'll take a chance on Brasier or whoever is closing with additional bat of Machado.
So, move Bogey to 3B or convince Macho to go back to 3B?
I'd pass on Machado.
I also would not count on Brasier to be our closer.
After 2019 season, Porcello, Xander, and Sale will become FA. Incremental cost to sign these guys will be less than their final contracts.
Porcello is already making $20.6M. How much more can he garner in open market? I'd say he'd be lucky to match his current salary when he becomes FA.
Sale will be up to $13M or so for 2019. Say we give him $30M, the delta is only $17M. If we don't re-sign Porcello, over half of Sale's $30M contract comes out of Porcello's.
I'm fine with this idea, but replacing Porcello will not be easy with no money to spend.
I doubt anyone will give Xander more than $25M. So his delta is perhaps $10-15M, easily covered by Pablo's contract going forward.
Bogey will certainly get over 420M a year and probably $25M x 6 or 7 years, especially if he hitslike2018 for another year.
Moreland's contract will also expire so there's additional money there.
If we sign Macado and move Devers to 1B, I'd trade Moreland.
We may have to trade away JBJ's money in order to cover the additional cost of signing Betts.
JBJ's arb cost is below what I feel his real value is. I would not trade JBJ.
In summary,
Let Kimbrel walk. Sign Eovaldi as hedge against both Porcello and Sale leaving year later. Fill the pen with Barnes, Brasier, etc. Take a chance on internal candidates in 2019 and then sign a closer at trade deadline if needed.
Let Porcello walk when his contract expires, re-sign Sale.
Re-Sign Xander.
Trade Bradley and re-sign Betts.
No Porcello, Kimbrel and JBJ. Sounds like a steep valley or cliff, to me.
$33M Betts
$32M Sale
$31M Price
$24M Bogey
$120M for 4 guys at a time when Beni, Devers and others hit their arb years.
It's hard to justify half of our payroll budget going to just 4 players, with most of their years falling on the wrong side of 31.