Good morning! The World Series is now tied at a game apiece, after the Cubs defeated the Indians 5-1 on Wednesday night. Also, The Process was a big hit in South Philadelphia.
Speaking of processes:
- Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets is reportedly going to opt out of his contract with the Mets. There are two years and $47.5 million left on it. This allows Cespedes to test free agency, in which he’s likely to be a top prize.
Cespedes was already one of the highest-paid players in baseball, so this is more about long-term security than more money. Though I’m sure he’ll be seeking that, too. Is a five-year, $150 million contract possible? Not sure, but Cespedes is one of the better all-around hitters in baseball. The Mets will extend Cespedes a qualifying offer if he does opt out, so whatever team signs him will be spending a lot, slotting him in for a while, and giving up an early draft pick. Can’t see … and hope not to see … the Phillies be that team.
- Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors tweeted the Super Two cutoff has been confirmed at 2.131 of service time. That means players with at least two years and 131 days of service time, and under three years of service time, are eligible for a fourth year of arbitration.
Cesar Hernandez (2.154) is the only Super Two player on the Phillies’ payroll. He would probably make between $2 million and $3 million in 2017. This presents an interesting thought: Should the Phillies offer Hernandez a multi-year contract to buy out some arbitration years? Is – let’s say – a three-year, $15 million pact worth it? Things to consider: his trade value now, his trade value later (will he regress?), J.P. Crawford’s timeline, Freddy Galvis’ value (probably as high as it’s going to be right now), the future of 2B prospect Scott Kingery (likely starting in Reading in 2017). Something to think about.
- We went over all the possibilities for a bullpen addition in our offseason preview yesterday. Today, we look at the rotation.
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