Nationals @ Braves, Game 2

[tomwvr]

Jordan Zimmermann

(Image removed from quote.)

Thanks for being a class act JZ and for never making any excuses. Will be rooting for you the rest of your career.

Hope we offer him a respectable contract to try to keep him here

[imref]

Hope we offer him a respectable contract to try to keep him here

Figure he gets what 6/$150 million?  There's no way the Nats will give him that.

[varoadking]

Figure he gets what 6/$150 million?  There's no way the Nats will give him that.

I really can't see him getting that much money for 6 years...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I really can't see him getting that much money for 6 years...

VaRK - here are the top 20 pitcher contracts by Annual average value (AAV):

Starting pitchers
The highest-paid starting pitchers, by average annual value:
1. Clayton Kershaw, $30,714,286 (2014-20)
2. Max Scherzer, $30,000,000 (2015-21)
3. Jon Lester, $25,833,333 (2015-20)
4. Justin Verlander, $25,714,286 (2013-19)
5. Felix Hernandez, $25,000,000 (2013-19)
6. Zack Greinke, $24,500,000 (2013-18)
7. CC Sabathia, $24,400,000 (2012-16)
8. Cole Hamels, $24,000,000 (2013-18)
… Cliff Lee, $24,000,000 (2011-15)
9. CC Sabathia, $23,000,000 (2009-15)
11. Johan Santana, $22,916,667 (2008-13)
12. Masahiro Tanaka, $22,142,857 (2014-20)
13. Matt Cain, $21,250,000 (2012-17)
14. Rick Porcello, $20,625,000 (2016-19)
15. Tim Lincecum, $20,250,000 (2012-13)
16. Roy Halladay, $20,000,000 (2011-13)
17. Adam Wainwright, $19,500,000 (2014-18)
18. Carlos Zambrano, $18,300,000 (2008-12)
19. Barry Zito, $18,000,000 (2007-13)
20. Tim Lincecum, $17,500,000 (2014-15)

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/league-info/highest-paid-players/

Basically, in 2013, it took maybe the elite to make $24MM+ AAV (Verlander, Greinke, Hernandez, Hamels), and they all got 6 or 7 years. By 2014, you saw Tanaka getting that money, and and Kershaw blowing that away at $30MM+.  By 2015, you saw that money going to the Lester, and you saw the top tier getting Scherzer money.  Porcello was a year away from free agency and got over $20MM AAV for a 4 year extension. 

6 years, $150MM is $25MM a year for a 1A or a #2 is the low end of the market (Waino took a home town discount, which JZ will not do). With money sloshing around, I see JZ easily topping 5 years $124MM.  Very likely, he ends up with 6 years and $148MM ($24MM AAV) guaranteed, and some sort of option with a buy out that gets him over $150MM.

[tomwvr]

Figure he gets what 6/$150 million?  There's no way the Nats will give him that.

if they don't re sign him they better be sure that stras will re sign

[Elvir Ovcina]

VaRK - here are the top 20 pitcher contracts by Annual average value (AAV):
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/league-info/highest-paid-players/

Basically, in 2013, it took maybe the elite to make $24MM+ AAV (Verlander, Greinke, Hernandez, Hamels), and they all got 6 or 7 years. By 2014, you saw Tanaka getting that money, and and Kershaw blowing that away at $30MM+.  By 2015, you saw that money going to the Lester, and you saw the top tier getting Scherzer money.  Porcello was a year away from free agency and got over $20MM AAV for a 4 year extension. 

6 years, $150MM is $25MM a year for a 1A or a #2 is the low end of the market (Waino took a home town discount, which JZ will not do). With money sloshing around, I see JZ easily topping 5 years $124MM.  Very likely, he ends up with 6 years and $148MM ($24MM AAV) guaranteed, and some sort of option with a buy out that gets him over $150MM.

What's more striking about that list is how few of those pitchers were anything better than millstones by the end of their contracts.  The jury is still out on the more recent ones, of course, but there are a lot of lessons to be learned from some of those. 

[OldChelsea]

After a nice effort for the home supporters this past Monday, it's been sad listening to these last two nights, with the team just mailing it in and Harper losing his lead for both HR and batting titles (the latter to that punk Dee Gordon - ugh). And the team is still stuck on 80 wins...doesn't even 81 wins (avoiding a losing season) appeal any more?

[mitlen]

Powerful article.

Bring back Davey!

You hittin' any of the Mets' series?

[OldChelsea]

Attendance 13,860. (Braves' smallest home crowd this season was 12,595 for the Nats visit on Wednesday 29th April, a 13-4 Nats win. Doesn't that team have any STH or corporate block-bookers?)

[varoadking]

VaRK - here are the top 20 pitcher contracts by Annual average value (AAV):
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/league-info/highest-paid-players/

Basically, in 2013, it took maybe the elite to make $24MM+ AAV (Verlander, Greinke, Hernandez, Hamels), and they all got 6 or 7 years. By 2014, you saw Tanaka getting that money, and and Kershaw blowing that away at $30MM+.  By 2015, you saw that money going to the Lester, and you saw the top tier getting Scherzer money.  Porcello was a year away from free agency and got over $20MM AAV for a 4 year extension. 

6 years, $150MM is $25MM a year for a 1A or a #2 is the low end of the market (Waino took a home town discount, which JZ will not do). With money sloshing around, I see JZ easily topping 5 years $124MM.  Very likely, he ends up with 6 years and $148MM ($24MM AAV) guaranteed, and some sort of option with a buy out that gets him over $150MM.

Man...that's crazy money.  I'd even come out of retirement for that kind of scratch...