Rickie Signed!

[batman]

You can also visit the new Brewerfan.net Store for a wide variety of BF shwag.

 

Enjoy,

~Bill

[colbyjack]

Hey Crew Believer, if you (or anyone else for that matter) are interested in one of the original Brewerfan.net t-shirt's, feel free to email me at:

 

pebert@brewerfan.net

 

I'm all out of XLs, but I believe I have a few XXLs & Ls, along with a stray M & possibly a S. S-L are $15 (which includes shipping), and the XXLs are $17. I'll make a deal if you're interested in more than one.

 

If you're interested in some of the new shirts, be sure to click on the word "store" towards the top of this page in the maroon navigational bar.

[MassBrew]

Jim Callis of Baseball America with an interesting take on the major league contract:

 

When I discussed major league contracts for draftees in the last Ask BA, I left out a significant benefit to the player. Here's what someone who works for a sports-management firm (we'll keep him anonymous) wrote me:

 

One more thing to point out as an advantage for the player if he can get to the majors on pace with his contract: future compensation after his first contract expires.

 

Both Josh Beckett's and Eric Munson's contracts out of the 1999 draft expired at the end of the 2002 season. Going into 2003 season, Beckett had one year and 30 days of major league service time, while Munson had 0+52. Normally, with that service time, Beckett would be paid about $325,000 while Munson would get about $310,000. (Tampa Bay paid every player who wasn't eligible for arbitration $300,000, so it all depends on the team.) Beckett and Munson, however, are different.

 

Beckett in 2002 made the equivalent of $2,156,250 ($1.25 million base salary plus his $3.625 million signing bonus prorated over four years, which is $906,250). Major league teams only are allowed to give a maximum pay cut of 20 percent, so as a 1+30 in 2003, Beckett is making $1.725 million. Munson earned the equivalent of $2.125 million in 2002 ($1.25 million base plus his $3.5 million prorated signing bonus, which equaled $875,000). Munson is earning $1.7 million in 2003 as a 0+52. Even if the Tigers cut him the max 20 percent every year before arbitration, he still will earn $5.398 million in base salaries during his four years before arbitration. The normal player probably makes just above $1 million.

 

Those contracts are golden as long as the player can produce at the major league level. One thing that will be affected will be the salaries he'll get in arbitration. One of the points in arbitration is how well the player has been paid in the past. Obviously, Beckett and Munson won't be able to relate themselves to the usual comparables because of all of the money they already will have earned. It will be interesting to see how each side handles arbitration if it gets that far.