What makes us so awesome here at Off The Bench is our dynamic. Max and I work well off of each other and are very similar in our outlook for the site. We agree, we disagree and we let each other know about it. Without any more bromance, our favorite blog from 2011 has to be a joint blog, one in which we both contributed…. hope you enjoy our Favorite Blog from 2011: Baseball’s Amnesty Clause!
The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement included an amnesty clause in which a club can terminate a single contract just because. What would happen if the new MLB Bargaining agreement included a similar clause. We’ll call it the Baseball Amnesty Clause. Quick side note: Amnesty means “a general pardon for offenses.” Apparently these contracts are downright offensive.
Angels: Vernon Wells. The Angels acquired Wells in a deal with Toronto last winter mostly just to prove to their fans they had and were willing to spend money. Well, they proved it but it certainly didn’t work. Wells hit a robust .218 and had a WAR of -.3. He was one of the worst players in baseball, especially for the money (more than $26 mil last season), he’s owed $21 mil a year over the next 3 seasons. Amnesty!
Astros: This one’s plain and simple… The Astro’s have only four players with guaranteed money. They realistically would amnesty Carlos Lee and his $19 MM owed for 2012. The guy can’t run anymore and $19 million seems like entirely too much for someone who has averaged 0.8 WAR over the last three years.
Braves: The Atlanta Braves would have amnestied the $15 million they were due to owe Derek Lowe in 2012 but they traded him and now owe $10 million. The $42.8 Million owed Dan Uggla over the next four years represents a bunch of money but, that seems market value for the second baseman. I say you amnesty the $10 million you’re paying Lowe to play for another team which is just a silly amount.
Brewers: Ryan Braun represents an $80.5 million commitment going forward but the guy just won the MVP. Yovani Gallardo is the only one whose contract I didn’t care for. He’s owed $25.5 over the next three years but even that isn’t so bad. I say we go ahead and amnesty the bad contract they give out to replace Prince Fielder once he goes to Miami or Chicago. My guess: Jimmy Rollins at 4 years $50 million.
A’s: This is a tough one because the most they owe anyone next season is $5mil. Since I don’t agree with Sean that you should be able to trade amnesties, the A’s should just hold on to it for a rainy day.
Cardinals: If the Cards aren’t able to bring Pujols back, they have one guy to blame. It’s Matt Holliday. Tell me: Would you rather have Pujols for $28 million over the next five years or Matt Holliday for $17 million? It’s a no brainer for me. Pujols is the best player in the world and Matt Holliday is just a big strong white guy who can hit the ball really far in batting practice. I’ve never been a fan of Holliday and I think we’ll see his numbers drop dramatically as he gets older, his hands slow and he’s unable to extend on the ball. The Cards could rework Holliday’s deal, but they need to make Pujols the priority.
Cubs: The Cubbies payed $1.88 Million last year per win. By contrast, the Rays paid about $.46 Million. So we know they have some bloated contracts. At this point, with the bad contracts of Aramis Ramirez, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano either off the books or almost expired, its only about Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano. Soriano is owed $57 million over the next three years while Zambrano is owed $19 million next year despite the fact that the Cubs have said he won’t play for them in 2012. Here’s what I do. Zambrano, who posted 12 quality starts out of the 24 games he started, gets a shot out of Spring Training. In the Spring, he pitches well and goes 4-1 in April. TRADE HIM! Eat $12 million of his salary and send him somewhere that could use a number 3 starter. The remaining $7 million of his contract makes sense for a guy with this much talent left in his pitching arm. I cut Alfonso Soriano’s contract and give him a $3 MM deal to play left for me this year. This way I’m not locked into his mediocrity for another 3 years when hopefully, I, acting as Cubs GM, am assuming my team is ready to play.
Diamondbacks: Gotta be honest, D’backs have done a nice job with their contracts. Aaron Hill at $11 million over the next two years is not high but not terrible. So… They trade their amnesty either to the Cubs (for $12 million) or the Yankees (for $40 MM and a bat signed by Babe Ruth with a strange piece of mint gum). Max’s idea is for them to sign Pujols to a $300 MM backloaded contract and amnesty him as soon as his performance declines. Dan Lozano would do this type of deal. Face it, he is a Grade A+ sleezebag as he buys hookers for his high school prospects, claimed to pass the BAR, supposedly played baseball at USC, claimed to be a devout Catholic, was arrested for scalping tickets outside an Orioles’ game that he was attending because one of his players was there (Don’t believe me? Here’s the story). Lozano advises Pujols to take the deal and goes on his merry way.
Dodgers: How about the $16.66 MM they still owe Manny Ramirez to not play for the Rays. How about the $9.6 MM they still owe Andruw Jones?
Giants: Barry Zito is still owed $46 MM. It’s gotta be nice to know Barry’s getting paid more over the next three years than Buerhle is in the next 4. Also, Aaron Rowand is owed $13.6 MM this year. The amnesty goes to: Barry Zito and his terrible no-good curveball.
Marlins: Jose Reyes. Yeah, yeah they just signed him but 6 years and $106 is just too much for such a fragile player. Additionally, the Hanley Ramirez fallout from the signing could blow Jeff Loria’s whole plan out of the water. I would argue for Hanley but, he has trade value out the wazooo. Jose Reyes already proved that the most money he got was to go to Miami. Also, say they amnesty Reyes, then they could actually get Pujols, the world’s best player.
Mets: This one’s fun. Do they go Jason Bay who is absolutely a terrible left fielder? Or, as I would do, amnesty Johan Santana? Santana is due $55 million if you include the 2014 buyout. If you consider the Mets picking up the option for 2014, thats $74 MM over the next three years for a guy who I’m not sure is ready to pitch. He didn’t pitch in 2011 and could never be the same. Get out of the $74 MM and cut your loses.
Nationals: Jayson Werth. Werth will be paid over $20 MM in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. No he won’t. Amnesty please.
Padres: MARK KOTSAY! He’s only owed $1.25 MM next year but, the biggest insult to intelligence worldwide is that he has a contract next year. He’s had a negative WAR is 7 of the last 8 years. Save yourself, new GM Josh Byrnes and cut Kotsay’s contract.
Phillies: Roy Halladay is owed $40 MM over the next two years. Just saying. Ryan Howard could be owed $138 MM over the next 6 years. It’s a terrible contract and the Phillies overpayed for the RBI when they didn’t have to. It’s quite sad. Amnesty goes to Ryan Howard
Pirates: The Pirates somehow back-amnesty the $7.45 MM they paid Jack Wilson in 2009 to post a .304 OBP.
Reds: Bronson Arroyo is owed $23.5 MM over the next two years. Last year he lead the league in ER allowed and HR allowed and posted a 5.06 ERA. He’s bad and ugly.
Rockies: What’re the odds the Rockies trade their amnesty for someone who can pitch? They are really bad at pitching. Do you think they have noticed or do they have this thing where they think bad pitching is good pitching? Has Rockies management figured out that to win, you need to score more runs than your opponent?
Blue Jays: The Jays have also been responsible with their contracts. The most they owe anyone is $14 mil in each of the next 4 seasons to Jose Bautista. After that it’s Ricky Romero at a bargain $5mil and Mark Teahen. Since they just got Teahen recently, I think they should sit on their amnesty too. Boring.
Indians: Derek Lowe. I know the Braves already amnestied him but he’s getting double amnestied, boom! The Indians need him but not at $5 mil. Amnesty him and then get him back at a lower price.
Mariners: Chone Figgins. He’s owed $9.5 mil next year and then $8mil the year after that. He’s been awful since he signed the 4 year- $36 million deal. He hit .259 in the first year of the deal and .188 last year! Amnestied.
Orioles: JJ Hardy. I know they just signed him but $22.5 million is way way way too much and just the type of mediocre player with a mediocre deal that will keep the O’s mediocre. Amnestied.
Rangers: Michael Young. Real good player, 200 hits again last year. There was a reason that the Rangers tried to move him before last year. He wants a position and is good enough to deserve one. Plus, he’s still owed $32 mil from his 5 year – $80 million contract. Amnestied.
Rays: Possibly the smartest team in baseball. They have potentially the greatest team-friendly contract ever with that 6 year-$17.5 million deal with Evan Longoria. James Shields is their highest paid player but he’s tradable and they can get a lot for him. I think they sit on the amnesty for now.
Red Sox: John Lackey. Yes, Carl Crawford is making over $20 million for each of the next 6 years and is entirely over-paid, but he’s still one of the best players in the game (despite a down year, and that’s all it was, a bad season). Lackey is a clubhouse cancer who was just as bad on the mound. He’s still owed almost $48 mil and the team and their fans were happy when they found out that he will miss next season after Tommy John surgery. Amnestied
Royals: Joakim Soria. With Jon Broxton on the team for only $4 mil, Soria is expendable. If you can’t trade him, amnesty. Amnestied, sort of.
Tigers: Brandon Inge. The $5 mil they owe him is $5 mil of minor league offense. Amnestied.
Twins. Joe Mauer. Yup, this is the big one. He’s the face of the franchise but after his 
ridiculously terrible injury plagued season he’s not owed anything close the $160ish mil the Twinkies still have to pay him. They’d never admit it but I think if given the chance, they’d walk away from this deal in a heartbeat. Amnestied.
White Sox. Adam Dunn. Something about a .159 batting average and 11 HRs doesn’t justify $14 million this year and $15 in each of the next 2. Amnestied.
Yankees: AJ Burnett. I’ll admit, they have a ton of options. Good cases could be made for amnestying Derek Jeter, Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher, Pedro Feliciano and especially Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is owed $30 mil next year and more than $20 a year until 2017. It is one of the worst contracts ever. The only person alive that I would pick to amnesty over A-Rod is Burnett. AJ is terrible. I want him gone. Now. Amnestied. With emphasis. (Really, it should be A-Rod, he’s dragging down the whole franchise. $30 million?!?!?!)
A special shout out to http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/ for making this post possible. Gives a real good idea of the money commitment many of these teams have to some random guys. Good site fellers.
-Sean Morash AND Max Frankel
Boom.
