POLL: UPDATED: Bryce's team in 2019 will be.....

[Terps and Nats]

I still think a couple of mutual option years on the end is how he saves face and sets the record

Admittedly, I'm just joe fan, but I don't even get the whole record contract setting thing anyways.  Is it really that important?  I mean Trout is gonna blow it away in two years anyway.  What's the point?  So when he is 90 years old he can say he was the highest played player for two years?  I mean more money is great, I'd probably sign up for it too, but just to have some coveted bragging right for a short period of time.   

[nfotiu]

Why on earth would you be sure about this? By all accounts, he really liked it here and we offered him $300 million. If it wasn't about finances, he could have literally picked anywhere he wanted to go on a short-term deal this offseason.

Getting his guaranteed 350 million is about finances.  A 3 year option sounds like he wants to know if he can stand playing on the Phillies and live in Philadelphia for 10 years.  I think he wants to be on a perennial contender, live somewhere he wants to live, and get his guaranteed 350 million.   He's realized he's not going to get all 3, so he is trying to figure out which of those 2 he can settle for.   I don't think he's convinced that Philly can give him 2 of those 3, thus the reason for the 3 year opt out.  Bryce and Boras definitely care about the money, but Bryce doesn't strike me as a guy who wants to go to a team that isn't going to win.

The more this plays out, the more I am not convinced that Bryce and the Nationals loved each other.  Somewhere between tolerated and liked seems more likely.

[Slateman]

If he gets 350 I'll eat my bonnet.

Don't you already owe everyone an Alpine?

[NJ Ave]

He wanted a deal with at least one opt out.

Ummmm, that's about finance?

This is all about finance.

[NJ Ave]

Getting his guaranteed 350 million is about finances.  A 3 year option sounds like he wants to know if he can stand playing on the Phillies and live in Philadelphia for 10 years. 

Huh? The 3-year opt out is exactly what every other opt out is about - getting even more money over the course of your career. If he went to the Phillies, and opted out, and the Phillies offered him the most money again, he'd be back in Philly again.

A-Rod didn't want to leave the Yankees, he wanted more Yankee money.

[Squab]

The year 3 opt out also coincides with the new CBA.

[NJ Ave]

I can't think of a single instance where a player has opted out to take less money in a "better situation".

[vicki4471]

I'm pretty sure Bryce's wife has a big part in his decision and she should. If they are in their mid 20's and he signs somewhere for 10 years then if they plan to have a family if will be starting in the city he signs his contract. Would Bryce want to have/ raise kids in Philly? I'm just secretly hoping for him to pass on their deal so I can watch the philly fans boo him everytime he plays in Philly. It would be epic. It would be so much worse than what Jayson Werth got. Some small part of me still wants the Lerners to swoop in at the last second but I know it wont happen...

[Natsinpwc]

Ummmm, that's about finance?

This is all about finance.

Correct. Didn’t say it wasn’t.

[UMDNats]

Why are people talking about Philly like it's a cesspool of humanity? It's one of the biggest cities in the country with loads of history, culture, etc. and just about as far from Vegas as DC is already. All the talk of him not wanting to play there is a lot more than "I think the city is dirty" or whatever (i.e., has more to do with, I think, him not wanting to be boo'ed forever - I doubt he ever envisioned himself playing there).

I'm sure his wife would be fine with it especially if they get over 300 million dollars to find their suburban oasis. The difference between the rich suburbs in the top cities is negligible.

[Natsinpwc]

I can't think of a single instance where a player has opted out to take less money in a "better situation".

Cliff Lee. Guess where he signed. I believe Greg Maddux also took less money from the Braves than the Yankees offered back in the 90s.

https://www.theatlantic.com/article/343032/

[nfotiu]

Why are people talking about Philly like it's a cesspool of humanity? It's one of the biggest cities in the country with loads of history, culture, etc. and just about as far from Vegas as DC is already. All the talk of him not wanting to play there is a lot more than "I think the city is dirty" or whatever (i.e., has more to do with, I think, him not wanting to be boo'ed forever - I doubt he ever envisioned himself playing there).

I'm sure his wife would be fine with it especially if they get over 300 million dollars to find their suburban oasis. The difference between the rich suburbs in the top cities is negligible.

I would guess his concern is more about how competitive the team is going to be and would guess that is 90% of the reason for requesting an opt out.   If they finish 3rd 3 years in a row and he's playing well, he wants the option to leave.   

[UMDNats]

I would guess his concern is more about how competitive the team is going to be and would guess that is 90% of the reason for requesting an opt out.   If they finish 3rd 3 years in a row and he's playing well, he wants the option to leave.   

only way he opts out IMO is if he has his 3 best seasons of his career and thinks he can get one last mega deal. rest of the variables are less important

[Natsinpwc]

I would guess his concern is more about how competitive the team is going to be and would guess that is 90% of the reason for requesting an opt out.   If they finish 3rd 3 years in a row and he's playing well, he wants the option to leave.

I just can’t see any team offering a ten year contract with an opt out after three years. If the player wants an option to leave that soon why offer so long? Makes no economic sense. 

[NJ Ave]

Cliff Lee. Guess where he signed. I believe Greg Maddux also took less money from the Braves than the Yankees offered back in the 90s.

https://www.theatlantic.com/article/343032/

Not opt-outs though. I'm sure there are guys in free agency who do it sometimes. But the opt-out is specifically designed to maximize income, not allow for freedom of movement from personal choice. You could take care of that by asking for/demanding a trade.

[NJ Ave]

If they finish 3rd 3 years in a row and he's playing well, he wants the option to leave.   

His leaving will correlate 100% with whether he can earn more money elsewhere, so the winning is not really important.

[Natsinpwc]

Not opt-outs though. I'm sure there are guys in free agency who do it sometimes. But the opt-out is specifically designed to maximize income, not allow for freedom of movement from personal choice. You could take care of that by asking for/demanding a trade.

The opt outs are a recent development so not much history.

Didn’t Boras threaten to end negotiations with the Sawx last year for Martinez. And then realized he didn’t have another offer?

[nfotiu]

His leaving will correlate 100% with whether he can earn more money elsewhere, so the winning is not really important.

I think you're completely wrong on this.  The guy who cheers for the Yankees, Cowboys and Buckeyes and dedicated his whole life to being a major league baseball star wants to play in World Series.   It's not unique to him.  Players in all the pro sports take less money or shorter terms to go to win.  He wouldn't be asking for a 3 year opt out from the Dodgers or Yankees.

[NJ Ave]

I think you're completely wrong on this.  The guy who cheers for the Yankees, Cowboys and Buckeyes and dedicated his whole life to being a major league baseball star wants to play in World Series.   It's not unique to him.  Players in all the pro sports take less money or shorter terms to go to win.  He wouldn't be asking for a 3 year opt out from the Dodgers or Yankees.

I mean, you realize that Bryce could literally go to either of those teams right now and sign with them for a certain price, right? Bryce could pick a contender and go sign there today, if he wanted.

Why doesn't he? Because the money matters.

[nfotiu]

I mean, you realize that Bryce could literally go to either of those teams right now and sign with them for a certain price, right? Bryce could pick a contender and go sign there today, if he wanted.

Why doesn't he? Because the money matters.

I'm not saying the money doesn't matter.  Just saying it is not the only thing.

Leaving 250 million on the table to go the Yankees or the Dodgers is probably too tough to swallow.   Not going to the Phillies unless they give him an option that could turn 350 million into 400 million if everything goes right is not about the money.

[NJ Ave]

The opt outs are a recent development so not much history.

They're almost 20 years old at this point. We had players who have opted out to sign with their same teams for more money (A-Rod, CC), players who have opted out to sign with other teams for more money (Greinke), players who have stayed with losing teams because they were not going to get as much money elsewhere (Andrus, Vernon Wells).

I can't think of a single instance where someone opted out to take less money. I don't think it'll be Bryce

[NJ Ave]

Not going to the Phillies unless they give him an option that could turn 350 million into 400 million if everything goes right is not about the money.

I don't even know what this means, but I'm not going to argue with your hypotheticals. Have fun with what Bryce might or might not do if teams who haven't offered him long-term contracts offered him long-term contracts.

[bluestreak]

If I were a baseball player I would want an opt out after the 2021 season. The new CBA could change the market considerably.

[NJ Ave]

If I were a baseball player I would want an opt out after the 2021 season. The new CBA could change the market considerably.

If you were a baseball player, wouldn't you want an opt-out after every season?

[nfotiu]

I don't even know what this means, but I'm not going to argue with your hypotheticals. Have fun with what Bryce might or might not do if teams who haven't offered him long-term contracts offered him long-term contracts.

If they are offering 350/10, and he wants 350/10 with a 3 year opt out.  The potential value of that 3 year opt out can't be more than an extra 50 million, and that would only be if he was mvp for 3 years and baseball economics improve for the players.   

I can't see him turning down 350 million with no option for financial reasons.

I also think he is seriously considering a short term deal with the Dodgers, and would be my bet of what ends up happening.