Boxberger to the Cubs

[Hopper]

1 year, 2.8 million, with a mutual option for 2024

 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

With what the Brewers paid him on his buyout, he's making more than he would have had the Brewers picked up his option. Good for him. Box isn't a world-beater, but he's been pretty consistently good as a Brewer, and if I were making the call, he would have been back. Right now there is some potential, but a lot of unknowns in that pen. 

[hawing]

https://youtu.be/yD67ClenBEY

I thought of this clip just about every time Brad pitched. 

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

With what the Brewers paid him on his buyout, he's making more than he would have had the Brewers picked up his option. Good for him. Box isn't a world-beater, but he's been pretty consistently good as a Brewer, and if I were making the call, he would have been back. Right now there is some potential, but a lot of unknowns in that pen. 

The money is insane right now; why would any quality player consider signing an extension or exercising a player option in this climate?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

1 minute ago, Jopal78 said:

The money is insane right now; why would any quality player consider signing an extension or exercising a player option in this climate. 

Brewers had a $3 million team option on Boxberger for 2023. They declined it.

[Jopal78]

13 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Brewers had a $3 million team option on Boxberger for 2023. They declined it.

Yes, I am aware. 

The point being, the Brewers declined his club option because they didn't feel a $3 million salary in '23 for Boxberger was a bargain.

Yet, if you add his buyout from Milwaukee (750K) his salary with the Cubs (2 million) and the buyout on his mutual option for '24 (800K) he is set to make 3.55 million for '23... a raise from what the Brewers didn't think was a good bargain. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Just now, Jopal78 said:

Yes, I am aware. 

The point being, the Brewers declined his club option because they didn't feel a $3 million salary in '23 for Boxberger was a bargain.

Yet, if you add his buyout from Milwaukee (750K) his salary with the Cubs (2 million) and the buyout on his mutual option for '24 (800K) he is set to make 3.55 million for '23... a raise from what the Brewers didn't think was a good bargain. 

Yes. That is literally what I said in my initial post. Which is also why I said if it were my decision, he would have been back. 

[Jopal78]

8 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Yes. That is literally what I said in my initial post. Which is also why I said if it were my decision, he would have been back. 

Yes I can read. Perhaps you're not understanding me:  my comment is when a guy like Boxberger is let go (and not for unreasonable reasons-- rough 2nd half in '22 and closing in on 35 years old) he goes and gets himself a raise in pay by a half million dollars. 

If that is in fact the new normal, then there really is not  a reason for any other quality player to sign an extension, or exercise their half of a club option. 

 

[monty57]

2 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

With what the Brewers paid him on his buyout, he's making more than he would have had the Brewers picked up his option. Good for him. Box isn't a world-beater, but he's been pretty consistently good as a Brewer, and if I were making the call, he would have been back. Right now there is some potential, but a lot of unknowns in that pen. 

I agree, but I've been wrong on most of my "pre-offseason" thoughts. I figured Boxberger was a lock to be back at $3M, Wong's option wouldn't be exercised, Renfroe would be a Brewer in '23, and they would shop one of the "big three." 

The front office seems to have had a plan in place for the other moves, so maybe they saw something they didn't like in Boxberger. His numbers seem to have suggested that he should've been worth the $3M risk. The back of the bullpen seems to be the #1 area they still need to address.

[Hopper]

I just hate that he went to the Cubs.  He'll probably dominate us in 2023 as a Cub.

[edfunderburk]

25 minutes ago, Hopper said:

I just hate that he went to the Cubs.  He'll probably dominate us in 2023 as a Cub.

He’s due to decline … at least one can hope since he’s no longer a Brewer & joined the enemy Cubbies

[rickh150]

4 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Yes I can read. Perhaps you're not understanding me:  my comment is when a guy like Boxberger is let go (and not for unreasonable reasons-- rough 2nd half in '22 and closing in on 35 years old) he goes and gets himself a raise in pay by a half million dollars. 

If that is in fact the new normal, then there really is not  a reason for any other quality player to sign an extension, or exercise their half of a club option. 

 

Future injury is the reason for the extension with some players. If Woodruff could get $130- $150 million for 6 years now from Brewers now instead of risking injury and getiing more in two years, I would not blame him at all. It is Guaranteed money in baseball. I don’t blame Peralta or Ashby either for a smaller amount. Life changing money.

[brewmann04]

They will have to add arms to the pen for sure just waiting to see how this gets done.

[michael1960]

He doesn't have great stuff so he can't make mistakes. He makes too many in key moments. 

[CheezWizHed]

On 12/15/2022 at 3:41 PM, edfunderburk said:

He’s due to decline … at least one can hope since he’s no longer a Brewer & joined the enemy Cubbies

It looked like he was starting to decline a bit from his 2021 season. At 35, it wouldn't be entirely surprising.  if he regressed...hopefully at the Cub's expense (literally and metaphorically).

[sveumrules]

27 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

It looked like he was starting to decline a bit from his 2021 season. At 35, it wouldn't be entirely surprising.  if he regressed...hopefully at the Cub's expense (literally and metaphorically).

Stole this chart from the FG article about his signing, but definitely some troubling indicators under the hood from 2021 to 2022 for Box even though the surface level stats weren’t all that far off…

Boxberger’s Percentile Rankings in 2021 & 2022

Stat	2021	2022
Fastball Velocity	55th	37th
K%	90th	67th
Avg. Exit Velocity	60th	90th
HardHit%	76th	81st