Rockies sign Justin Morneau: 2 yrs./$13 mil

[jjkoestler]

Per MLB Trade Rumors

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/rockies-to-sign-justin-morneau.html

[brewcrewdue80]

Okay. That is a lower cost deal than I expected. I think it gives a ballpark range for Hart. And it is definitely lower than anticipated by me. I was thinking 10mil/1yr. 2/15. Now, my guess would be 1/7. Or 2/12.

 

Good deal by the Rockies because Morneau has slowly been improving from his lowest point. At Coors? He may get around .300BA again. with 20HRs.

[Warning Track Power]

If Hart is being honest when he says he owes something to the Brewers and would take a pay cut to stay in Milwaukee, I think he should offer to sign an identical contract to this immediately. 2 years and $13 million is $6.5m per, down from $10m, and right around the pay cut that feels right. I am guessing though that in Corey's mind 2 years $16 million is the extent of the pay cut.

[pogokat]

Hart for this kind of deal is fair and worth doing---

[fondybrewfan]

Heck I would love signing Morneau for that price. Hart IMO should be a little lower because Morneau atleast played last year.

[monty57]

Probably a fair deal for Morneau, and probably a fair deal for Hart. The questions are, "Do the Brewers have $6MM in their 2014 budget for Hart?," and "Do the Brewers want to sign Hart for two years?"

 

My guess is that if / when Hart gets a clean bill of health, someone will come in and outbid the Brewers for Hart's services. The second year may be the kicker, as I doubt the Brewers want to add it, but someone will.

[TooLiveBrew]

Probably a fair deal for Morneau, and probably a fair deal for Hart. The questions are, "Do the Brewers have $6MM in their 2014 budget for Hart?," and "Do the Brewers want to sign Hart for two years?"

 

My guess is that if / when Hart gets a clean bill of health, someone will come in and outbid the Brewers for Hart's services. The second year may be the kicker, as I doubt the Brewers want to add it, but someone will.

I guess I'd roll the dice on Hart at this point if he'd accept 2 yrs./$13M. My (quite possibly faulty) reasoning would be that if he were fully healthy, he could be getting $13M AAV.

[paul253]

I don't want to give Hart a guaranteed two years. I'd only include that second year if it were an at-bat based incentive. On top of not knowing how his surgically repaired knee is going to hold up there's always a chance that Hunter Morris will have a good year. The last thing this club needs is for Morris to hit close to .300 with 20 home runs only to have him blocked by a under-performing veteran.

[KCBrewerfan34]

What about a vesting option based on games played this year, if he wrecks a knee again I would say it would be time to cut bait.

[brewcrewdue80]

What about a vesting option based on games played this year, if he wrecks a knee again I would say it would be time to cut bait.

 

That sounds good on the Brewers side. For Hart though it doesn't because he knows his knees and is likely going for guaranteed money.

I still believe a team not the Brewers will give Corey a 2year deal with guaranteed money. The idea and upside of acquiring a 30HR RH bat to play 1b will be too enticing to not outbid Milwaukee with a guaranteed 2nd year.

 

Edit add: Also that 2nd year would be a whole lot less stressful on a club in the AL with using Corey as DH should his knees early on break down on him. If he can jog around the basepaths and still crank a few HRs paying him 6-9mil a year they are still getting value from him.

[Mass Haas]

I could see Jack Z. swooping in pretty quickly here -- Arizona-based spring training, DH possibilitiy, and when Corey hits them out, they'd normally be out anywhere, including Safeco. Heck, I could even see an easily-vested 3rd year option given.

 

Seattle simply has to overpay for bats, and they're in desperation mode.

[fondybrewfan]

Didn't Seattle move in the fences or am I imagining that? Or was the Petco? In any case if they haven't done it yet I wonder what is stopping them. It really is killing there chances of fielding a competitive team.

[JohnBriggs12]

Probably a fair deal for Morneau, and probably a fair deal for Hart. The questions are, "Do the Brewers have $6MM in their 2014 budget for Hart?," and "Do the Brewers want to sign Hart for two years?"

 

My guess is that if / when Hart gets a clean bill of health, someone will come in and outbid the Brewers for Hart's services. The second year may be the kicker, as I doubt the Brewers want to add it, but someone will.

 

They definitely have $6 million in their budget for 2014. Teams are getting an extra $26 million per year with the tv contract and they get out from under both Weeks and Ramirez next year so they could back load it just a bit too. I'm thinking though Hart will be pricier than Morneau. More like 2/$16 million. Personally, I would have grabbed Morneau. He would have done fine in Miller Park and they could use the lefty bat more.

[Roderick]

I don't want to give Hart a guaranteed two years. I'd only include that second year if it were an at-bat based incentive.

 

I wouldn't even like it based on incentives. You know RR is going to play him every day even if he is batting .200 with no power all season.

 

I would rather struggle with Halton/Francisco/Morriss/Green at 1B this season rather than sign Hart if it is going to cost two years. I don't feel that Hart is necessarily going to be close to the player he was. Obviously he won't move as well, but we don't know how his swing will be effected by his legs either.

[pitchleague]

Didn't Seattle move in the fences or am I imagining that? Or was the Petco? In any case if they haven't done it yet I wonder what is stopping them. It really is killing there chances of fielding a competitive team.

 

 

They both moved their fences in. For Seattle, it significantly improved their home run output at home. I don't have the numbers but it was a fairly dramatic improvement.