Bringing the Wood to the OF - James Wood

[Senatorswin]

I know he's a Boras man but how about offering him $250 for 10 years. That's $2 million AAV less than Harper gets but Soto on his last year before he's a free agent is making $31 million.

He has 6 more years before he's a free agent so that would lock him up through 4 free agent years.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I know he's a Boras man but how about offering him $250 for 10 years. That's $2 million AAV less than Harper gets but Soto on his last year before he's a free agent is making $31 million.

He has 6 more years before he's a free agent so that would lock him up through 4 free agent years.

3 of those 6 years he’s basically making the minimum and, what, about 2.5 million total?  Let’s say he makes what Soto made in his arbitration years excluding the extra Super 2 4th year of arbitration.  Soto made 48.6 million those 3 arbitration years.  So Wood would make maybe 50 million or so the next 6 years.  That means paying him 250 over 10 is giving him about 200 million for 4 years of free agency.  So about 50 million a year. 

[Senatorswin]

3 of those 6 years he’s basically making the minimum and, what, about 2.5 million total?  Let’s say he makes what Soto made in his arbitration years excluding the extra Super 2 4th year of arbitration.  Soto made 48.6 million those 3 arbitration years.  So Wood would make maybe 50 million or so the next 6 years.  That means paying him 250 over 10 is giving him about 200 million for 4 years of free agency.  So about 50 million a year.

That's what I was thinking.

[IanRubbish]

The market’s risen since Harper’s deal and there’s zero percent chance Boras will let a guy who could reset the market take an early extension.  Boras turns 72 in November, so who knows how long he wants to do this, but as long as he is, Wood will be a free agent in 2031.

[Senatorswin]

The market’s risen since Harper’s deal and there’s zero percent chance Boras will let a guy who could reset the market take an early extension.  Boras turns 72 in November, so who knows how long he wants to do this, but as long as he is, Wood will be a free agent in 2031.

Since he is a Boras client I agree there's little chance he'd advise Wood to make this deal but it makes sense for both sides. Wood would make more money during his pre-free agent years and make a substantial salary the first four years of being a free agent. He would have the security in case something happened. Without the deal as stated he'd probably make around $50 million prior to being a free agent. How much above $50 per year would he make the first 4 years of free agency? Probably not enough, if any, to offset the security he would have if he did do the deal. Then when he's a free agent he'd be able to negotiate a deal that would be for the rest of his career at whatever the market is at that time.

It's probably less advantageous to the Nats but the talent is obviously there and they would have him locked up until he's 32 years old.

The deal would also make sense for Boras. As you say he's no spring chicken. He'll be 78 by the time Wood is a free agent. He'd get his money now and could retire with the Wood money before 78 years old. Tomorrow is promised to no old geaser.

I'm thinking I should go into the baseball agent business.

[Smithian]

If you want to sign Wood early, this is the offseason. You're buying out multiple years of basically minimum pay. A year from now, you replace one of those minimum year for an a FA year in his prime.

I want to be wrong, but unless there is an extension this offseason then I'll probably assume he is headed to FA in six year. I'll learn from my Rendon/Harper/Soto mistakes and simply not think about it.

[imref]

Tom Verducci going for Wood:
https://x.com/MLBNow/status/1825610433673285666

[IanRubbish]

Tom Verducci going for Wood:
https://x.com/MLBNow/status/1825610433673285666

He's going to be an elite hitter.  Verducci will have a lot of company next season.

[Slateman]

If you want to sign Wood early, this is the offseason. You're buying out multiple years of basically minimum pay. A year from now, you replace one of those minimum year for an a FA year in his prime.

I want to be wrong, but unless there is an extension this offseason then I'll probably assume he is headed to FA in six year. I'll learn from my Rendon/Harper/Soto mistakes and simply not think about it.

I think that is a pretty fair assessment. Does Wood want to be here long term? Then he will tell Boras to get an extension done.

[IanRubbish]

I think that is a pretty fair assessment. Does Wood want to be here long term? Then he will tell Boras to get an extension done.

Which Boras will never do.  Wood would have to do what Keibert did to get an extension, and that's fire Boras.  That's highly unlikely.

[imref]

Ties Danny Espinosa as fastest Nat rookie to 30 RBIs.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If it weren't for Garcia being hot, then I would give him a shot at leading the team in rbi at the end of the year

[Senatorswin]

A lot of guys run to first when they hit a ground ball they know is going to be an out but being at Friday's and Saturday's games this weekend I noticed when Wood hits a ground ball like that he runs all out as if he thinks he might beat it. Nice hustle.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

This kid is the real deal.  The hype was real.  Soto is an all-timer, but Wood alone made that a good trade.

[Senatorswin]

This series was deservedly the Dylan Crews show but I saw Wood had the second highest exit velocity of any Nat last night at 104 and highest tonight at 110. If he ever gets the launch angle consistently he might lead the league in home runs.

[imref]

Wood seems all but forgotten this week. That won't last.

[IanRubbish]

Wood seems all but forgotten this week. That won't last.

Not now.  I expect he'll be top 5 in OBP next year and a very likely all-star. 

[imref]

first of hopefully many 2HR games

[Senatorswin]

Right now the Padres GM Preller is saying .... what did I do.

[IanRubbish]

Right now the Padres GM Preller is saying .... what did I do.

Doubt it.  He's 20 games over .500 pulling in 40k a night.  We're just hoping Wood gets us 10 games over with 30k a night. 

[Senatorswin]

Doubt it.  He's 20 games over .500 pulling in 40k a night.  We're just hoping Wood gets us 10 games over with 30k a night.

 I don't doubt Preller regrets that trade big time. He gave away a lot of young talent which still might not be fully realized when you see what Susana might become. Wood looks like he's going to be really special.

[IanRubbish]

 I don't doubt Preller regrets that trade big time. He gave away a lot of young talent which still might not be fully realized when you see what Susana might become. Wood looks like he's going to be really special.

I agree, Wood is going to be really special, but Preller is also setup to be aggressive and have trades fall through.   The Padres have a lot of stadium revenue and have been a top offensive team in spite of mediocre numbers from Tatis, Machado, and Bogaerts.  Rizzo, on the other hand, has to have trades work out because the drafting and development hasn't been great here, the Nats have scored nearly 100 fewer runs this year than the Padres, have seen their team OPS drop from last year, and aren't likely to go crazy in the FA market like the Padres did.

[Senatorswin]

I agree, Wood is going to be really special, but Preller is also setup to be aggressive and have trades fall through.   The Padres have a lot of stadium revenue and have been a top offensive team in spite of mediocre numbers from Tatis, Machado, and Bogaerts.  Rizzo, on the other hand, has to have trades work out because the drafting and development hasn't been great here, the Nats have scored nearly 100 fewer runs this year than the Padres, have seen their team OPS drop from last year, and aren't likely to go crazy in the FA market like the Padres did.

I wonder how much the health of the Padres owner had to do with the free agent spending Preller was allowed to do. The owner was only 63 when he died but he had type 1 diabetes and survived two bouts with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It's easier to give the green light to spend when you're Ted Lerner and 90 or Peter Seidler who had serious health problems and can't afford to be patient.

[welch]

Has Preller forgotten that he traded Joe Ross and Trea Turner to the Nats?

[Elvir Ovcina]

Has Preller forgotten that he traded Joe Ross and Trea Turner to the Nats?

I think that's why he spent a couple years throwing money at every top-tier shortstop-ish player who hit free agency.