=========

“LIFE OF A GENERAL MANAGER”
=========

Juan Soto…about to become ‘Mr. Moneybags’.

Life as an MLB-General Manager must be hard, especially at this time of the year.

If you are in the running for Yankees slugger Juan Soto, it might be exciting, it probably is excruciating.

It’s not just about signing the big time power hitter for your roster.
It’s about the dollars you expend, the length of the contract.
It’s about what it does to your luxury tax payments.
It’s about how it impacts the rest of your roster.
It’s about dealing with the super agent Scott Boras and his demands for dollars.

Here are the players involved with the star player and his mega agent:

DODGERS..Hard to imagine them pushing their payroll higher, with the pitching deals they are working on simultaneously.  Boras has already said he’s not taking an Ohtani type deferred contract.  Yes the Dodgers need a star outfielder, but at what immediate cost to an already high payroll?

YANKEES..The big question.  Soto was in New York for one season, and Boras wants over 42M a year.  Are you going to pay Soto more than Aaron Judge, who has 3-straight 50-plus home run seasons in row?  And by the way, the Yankees still need front line pitching, so maybe getting Pete Alonso of the Mets and using the rest of the money on pitching is a better idea.

METS..Owner Steve Cohen says money is no object.  He doesn’t have a really strong team.  He has over 110M in budget space so he can go get the Soto bat, keep Alonso, and still get a frontline pitcher. The hell with the luxury tax and tax bills.

RED SOX..They do have a history of paying big money.  They have traditions.  They play in hitter friendly Fenway Park.  They have already rebuilt with some pretty good young players.  And they have enough to not only get Soto but possibly Blake Snell.

PHILLIES…A track record of spending, a tremendous pitching staff, and big bats led by Bryce Harper.  Again a Yankee type question, are you giving Soto more than the franchise player-personality Harper?

TORONTO..This seems far fetched, a team with real pitching issues, and two remaining stars Guerrero-Bichette who need help in other parts of the lineup.  It’s Canada.  Just don’t understand how Toronto thinks they are a player in this.

Next up, you know Boras will take your offer and shop it around.  You don’t want him to drag this out to the point you lose other opportunities to sign other players and then don’t get Soto either.

Yeah, lots of anxiety around baseball’s executive offices right now, playing the Soto-Boras waiting ‘Moneybags’  game.

================

Please follow and like us: