Agreed. Cal has taken a beating behind the plate already, with more to come. Signing anything more than a one or possibly two year extension, if that, would be very dangerous. Even without Boras, Cal is going to want to be paid as the best catcher in baseball, not as a part time 1B/DH, which is what he's on the path to becoming.
Does your calculus change if the extension takes into account that he would likely be a serviceable DH or a potential position change to 1B to add some longevity to his career?
I think it's important to show loyalty to players as part of a culture thing; buying Cal out of his remaining arb years at a fair price and paying him until he is 33 makes sense to me. He can hit at T-Mobile and would probably make a good DH/1B as he starts to break down behind the dish
I understand the argument....but as part of the equation i would be fine with an older, veteran catcher giving my team a 1-2 WAR per season after age 31. The problem is that Mariner are too cheap/poor to be able to do something like that.
Interesting and unexpected Luke! - both your take & Raleigh's exit from Boras.
With Cal's stated desire to win and M's stated desire (money talks) to be mediocre, I figure Cal would be outta Seattle like a shot. Yanks WSeries catcher was low mediocre offense and defensive. I bet Yanks salivate over Cal, switch hitting at Yankee Stadium. Add to a tradition of good NY catchers.
I thought Cal was FA in '26. More important I didn't realize he's 30 in '27. That makes your analysis unfortunately compelling in a hard wear and tear position like catcher.
But still, who else are the M's gonna pay? Surely not Soto or any "in their prime" FA position player.
They paid the '24 Mitches + Polanco $40+mil and another $30mil in '25 to do (probably) nothing.
Can Jerry package Cal + pitcher to yield a Corey-Seager-level position player & 1.5WAR? replacement catcher?
If not might as well pay Cal. M's-bred, fans love him for his heart, bring-it-every-day ethic, slug, now he's getting MLB award buzz - Cal puts butts in seats. That's #1 goal of M's profit-first, everything else 2nd ownership.
When an NBA star signs an NBA max contract for a not-so-good team, it's called a "velvet coffin".
In other words, he gets paid well, but his team probably goes nowhere.
Give Cal his custom tailored M's velvet coffin, just like M's did with Felix. (who really put butts in seats)
Felix signed the big M's contract, pitched well for a team that did not hit for him - Felix's velvet coffin.
Felix faded at the end, but with no MLB hard salary cap, few if any outplay their guaranteed money.
Cal's fade will be less expensive than Soto's, a fan favorite to put butts in seats.
M's small-pockets ownership will forever send Jerry & Hollander dumpster diving.
Talk about low tread on tires! Can't wait to see this year's haul of has-beens.
I don't forgive Stanton/ownership cheapness, but when I hear of Ohtani's & Soto's expected $700mil guaranteed contracts, I get an ever so small flicker of empathy - I'll extinguish it by opening day!
I'm buying what you're selling, but I don't have to like it! 😭
Agreed. Cal has taken a beating behind the plate already, with more to come. Signing anything more than a one or possibly two year extension, if that, would be very dangerous. Even without Boras, Cal is going to want to be paid as the best catcher in baseball, not as a part time 1B/DH, which is what he's on the path to becoming.
Does your calculus change if the extension takes into account that he would likely be a serviceable DH or a potential position change to 1B to add some longevity to his career?
I only looked at catcher since that’s where a significant chunk of his value has been derived.
I think it's important to show loyalty to players as part of a culture thing; buying Cal out of his remaining arb years at a fair price and paying him until he is 33 makes sense to me. He can hit at T-Mobile and would probably make a good DH/1B as he starts to break down behind the dish
I understand the argument....but as part of the equation i would be fine with an older, veteran catcher giving my team a 1-2 WAR per season after age 31. The problem is that Mariner are too cheap/poor to be able to do something like that.
Jason Varitek!!!
Probably the hottest take with the most amount of data backing it that I've seen. Bravo
do then you have to pay him for his offense and leadership
he will be like Edgar and eventually manage
i disagree. he would make the perfect DH in his thirties.
on extensions in general — is it a bad sign that nothing has happened yet this offseason?
Not really. Felix signed his in February.
Interesting and unexpected Luke! - both your take & Raleigh's exit from Boras.
With Cal's stated desire to win and M's stated desire (money talks) to be mediocre, I figure Cal would be outta Seattle like a shot. Yanks WSeries catcher was low mediocre offense and defensive. I bet Yanks salivate over Cal, switch hitting at Yankee Stadium. Add to a tradition of good NY catchers.
I thought Cal was FA in '26. More important I didn't realize he's 30 in '27. That makes your analysis unfortunately compelling in a hard wear and tear position like catcher.
But still, who else are the M's gonna pay? Surely not Soto or any "in their prime" FA position player.
They paid the '24 Mitches + Polanco $40+mil and another $30mil in '25 to do (probably) nothing.
Can Jerry package Cal + pitcher to yield a Corey-Seager-level position player & 1.5WAR? replacement catcher?
If not might as well pay Cal. M's-bred, fans love him for his heart, bring-it-every-day ethic, slug, now he's getting MLB award buzz - Cal puts butts in seats. That's #1 goal of M's profit-first, everything else 2nd ownership.
When an NBA star signs an NBA max contract for a not-so-good team, it's called a "velvet coffin".
In other words, he gets paid well, but his team probably goes nowhere.
Give Cal his custom tailored M's velvet coffin, just like M's did with Felix. (who really put butts in seats)
Felix signed the big M's contract, pitched well for a team that did not hit for him - Felix's velvet coffin.
Felix faded at the end, but with no MLB hard salary cap, few if any outplay their guaranteed money.
Cal's fade will be less expensive than Soto's, a fan favorite to put butts in seats.
M's small-pockets ownership will forever send Jerry & Hollander dumpster diving.
Talk about low tread on tires! Can't wait to see this year's haul of has-beens.
I don't forgive Stanton/ownership cheapness, but when I hear of Ohtani's & Soto's expected $700mil guaranteed contracts, I get an ever so small flicker of empathy - I'll extinguish it by opening day!
Meanwhile, ready Cal's coffin!