Swisher to Indians - 4 years $56 million

[reillymcshane]

Includes 5th year option.

 

Good comp for Hart's value.

[RockCoCougars]

What is the deal here? These teams are spending money like the guys at a fantasy auction who have $47 left to spend for two roster spots and just want to leave. Why trade Choo and then do this?

[jjgott]

Includes 5th year option.

 

Good comp for Hart's value.

 

I agree this is a good comp for Hart's value. Not sure how I feel about that.

[jerichoholicninja]

What is the deal here? These teams are spending money like the guys at a fantasy auction who have $47 left to spend for two roster spots and just want to leave. Why trade Choo and then do this?

 

Choo was in his last year so they traded him for some very good players and then basically resigned him.

[Glennron]

I don't really get this at all for Cleveland. Are they expecting to contend in the next couple years? He'll probably be 35 by the time they have a chance to compete.

[monty57]

Includes 5th year option.

 

Good comp for Hart's value.

 

I agree this is a good comp for Hart's value. Not sure how I feel about that.

 

I feel the same way I've always felt. I like Corey and he's been a good Brewers. However, even at a slightly reduced "team friendly" deal, he will be too expensive for the Brewers to extend considering all of the other contractual obligations of the team. If that is indeed the case, then I think that given the present state of the Brewers franchise, what Hart would bring in trade is of greater value to the Brewers than having him play one more season for the Brewers and then leave in free agency.

[JohnBriggs12]

Includes 5th year option.

 

Good comp for Hart's value.

 

I agree this is a good comp for Hart's value. Not sure how I feel about that.

 

I feel the same way I've always felt. I like Corey and he's been a good Brewers. However, even at a slightly reduced "team friendly" deal, he will be too expensive for the Brewers to extend considering all of the other contractual obligations of the team. If that is indeed the case, then I think that given the present state of the Brewers franchise, what Hart would bring in trade is of greater value to the Brewers than having him play one more season for the Brewers and then leave in free agency.

 

Ramirez comes off the books after next year and Weeks and Gallardo the year after that. Braun's big money doesn't kick in until 2016. I would think they could afford to extend Hart if he gives them a discount in years, say 3 instead of 4.

[monty57]

Ramirez comes off the books after next year and Weeks and Gallardo the year after that. Braun's big money doesn't kick in until 2016. I would think they could afford to extend Hart if he gives them a discount in years, say 3 instead of 4.

 

I think he'd have to sign a Ramirez-type deal where he takes a "paltry" salary in the first year, with larger salaries after 2014. This would allow for us to sign him, but would hamper future decisions, as he would eat up a large part of our payroll. We'd move from being financially hamstrung by Ramirez's contract to being financially hamstrung by Hart's contract. It's not a good idea to continually commit yourself to guaranteed long-term liabilities that eat up most of your projected future revenues.

 

I'm fine with Braun making big money playing for the Brewers. By the end of his career, he will have surpassed Robin & Molitor as the greatest Brewer ever. Hart is not Braun, and the Brewers cannot afford to pay eight figure salaries to too many guys. I have questions as to how much marginal value Hart will even have over Gamel/Morris over the next four or five seasons, so I don't see a big reason to pay him an average of $14-15MM/year when we could pay someone $400-500k/year for similar production over the length of the contract.

[logan82]

Gamel's salary could shoot up pretty quickly in the next few years. He should be eligible for arbitration after 2013.

[fondybrewfan]

Probably the only reason they are keeping Gamel around now is because he is cheap; I have my doubts that they would keep Gamel, all else remaining equal, if they actually had to pay him (I.E. if he had been arby eligible this year he might have gotten non tendered)

 

I also don't see how Gamel is going to get any sort of significant raise in arby next year anyways; his career has been mediocre at best, poor at worst.

 

I have always been kind of indifferent towards Swisher and would have no interest in paying him $14 Million a year. I suppose many other teams probably think the same about Hart; he has never been a star but puts up pretty consistent numbers.

[brewcrewdue80]

I have always been kind of indifferent towards Swisher and would have no interest in paying him $14 Million a year. I suppose many other teams probably think the same about Hart; he has never been a star but puts up pretty consistent numbers.

 

Well, when you look at it, Swisher for his career is a practical LOCK to get OB 200+ times in his near Lock of 600+PA.

 

I will say that has to be something of value detering from any kind of batting slump that Swisher will still get OB via BBs. He avgs. better than 13%BBs for every PA. Add the 148+games/season he's played in since after his rookie year and for what it's worth you know what you're getting from him sans injury risk. If you're going to pay someone 14mil a year may as well do it on someone who will play better than 90% of the games.

[BeerBrewer79]

What is the deal here? These teams are spending money like the guys at a fantasy auction who have $47 left to spend for two roster spots and just want to leave. Why trade Choo and then do this?

 

The Indians had been trying to sign Choo long term for at least 12 months, he refused to come to the table so the Indians saw the writing on the wall.