Front Page: PASSAN: Twins, Sano in Agreement on 3-Year Contract Extension

[MMMordabito]

Solid contract extension for the big man.  I look forward to four more seasons of moonshots.

 

With the second hardest exit velocity in baseball, Sano does provide the "impact" hitting.

[SwainZag]

What excited me most about this extension is there is a good chance we haven't even seen Sano reach his peak yet.  Gives him some peace of mind to focus on his game and not have that uncertainty of future earnings on his mind.  

 

I am really hoping they can come to an agreement  with Berrios now. 

[strumdatjaguar]

If Sano balloons to 300 lbs, he will hear it from the fans.  I like the tesam option in the fourth year, giving him some incentive to stay in shape.

[MMMordabito]

 

What excited me most about this extension is there is a good chance we haven't even seen Sano reach his peak yet.  Gives him some piece of mind to focus on his game and not have that uncertainty of future earnings on his mind.  

 

I am really hoping they can come to an agreement  with Berrios now. 

 

Same on Berrios.  I was actually a bit surprised that his arb ask was as low as it was.  I thought his camp would ask for over 5 mill.  I know it's a game with the arb numbers, but two All-Stars and rock durability would seem to give him a little more push.

 

Hopefully, the club can give him something that doubles his would-be year one arb figure in exchange for a market level option at the end of the deal.

[Mike Sixel]

I admit to being pleasantly surprised at this news. Cool.

[gil4]

 

Right? Might as well say "unless he gets hit by a bus or comes down with West Nile Virus". Seriously.

Except pitchers injure their arms all the time.

 

I have yet to see the "hit by a bus," and the closest I have seen to West Nile Virus is Kyle Gibson last year (and his e coli and ulcerative colitis, or whatever he had, didn't affect his contract as much a poorly timed shoulder impingement would have.)  

 

Berrios might be looking at Wheeler money in - what is it, 3 years? - if he stays healthy.  That's a long time in a pitcher's life - if he can get some guaranteed money now in exchange for a discount off current value later, he might want to consider it.

[Thegrin]

GREAT NEWS !!! My Sano jersey will be good for 2 more years. 

[HawksNest]

Good news, no brainer extension!

[IndianaTwin]

 

Yeah, I doubt they get more than one FA year of Berrios but I’d take that, especially if he allows the team to front load the extension and only pay $12-15m in that final year.

 

Do you have a sense of what that would look like?

 

Looking at the MLBTR arbitration projections and trying to find comparibles, I wondered about a $5MM-$10MM-$15MM progression in his three arb years, for a total of $30MM. Is that on target? And if so, would a fourth year of $20MM to continuing that procession make sense? If so, that’s $50MM/4. It’s not completely frontloaded, but does $10MM-$12MM-$13MM-$15MM fit the bill? That would only buy out one year of free agency, but it would keep in the rotation for four years. And on his side, it still gets him to free agency at age 30, with time for a much larger contract.

 

Is that close?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Do you have a sense of what that would look like?

 

Looking at the MLBTR arbitration projections and trying to find comparibles, I wondered about a $5MM-$10MM-$15MM progression in his three arb years, for a total of $30MM. Is that on target? And if so, would a fourth year of $20MM to continuing that procession make sense? If so, that’s $50MM/4. It’s not completely frontloaded, but does $10MM-$12MM-$13MM-$15MM fit the bill? That would only buy out one year of free agency, but it would keep in the rotation for four years. And on his side, it still gets him to free agency at age 30, with time for a much larger contract.

 

Is that close?

That looks pretty close to me, though it may be a couple million low on year three of arb.

[IndianaTwin]

 

That looks pretty close to me, though it may be a couple million low on year three of arb.

 

With Syndergaard and someone else I’m not remembering at the time, it felt like there were some decent comparables for year 2, but there weren’t good ones for year 3. And if you’re right, then the free agency year number I gave is probably a little light. But, with the numbers exchanged, there’s a small savings in year one. 

 

Of course, the best way to answer the question is for them to agree to a deal and let us know what the numbers are! 

[jkcarew]

 

While there isn't enough money involved to be a problem, I am not a fan of this extension. They already had him under control for 2 more seasons at a discounted and non-guaranteed rate. Did we really need 30 year old DH Sano? Sano is essentially a 2-3 WAR player moving forward (assuming they move him to 1B or DH and/or his defense doesn't improve at 3B). Those players are available every off season for cheap like Thames who signed for 2 years $6 million and can provide similar production. 

 

This contract certainly isn't terrible and is by no means crippling, but I don't really see the advantage of it either. Unless Sano considerably improves some part of his game 3 years and $30MM isn't really a bargain, so why lock yourself in?

I'm sure Sano could play first base beyond 30 years of age. But, more importantly, I don't care how old my first baseman or DH are if they can hit. The Twins paid $14M to a 38 year-old to play DH last year. It was worth it...because even at first-base/DH, there's a huge difference between good-hitting and great-hitting. Sano's not a 'great hitter' at this point, but he's trending well...and his power is anything but 'available every off-season'.

 

With regard to "lock yourself in". The Twins committed only one additional year.

[jkcarew]

Good deal. No-brainer for the Twins. More team-friendly than I imagined would be the case for Sano at this particular point in time. But who knows what motivates each guy.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Pseudo, have you been drinking?

 

Because I sure have been.

 

Also, like 95% sure that's "past" because it can be a preposition "moving beyond".

 

 

I've had a few too!  Good signing, but I'd just as soon let Sano go. You know why.

Pffft. Drinking in the evening. Anyone can do that.

[Brock Beauchamp]

With Syndergaard and someone else I’m not remembering at the time, it felt like there were some decent comparables for year 2, but there weren’t good ones for year 3. And if you’re right, then the free agency year number I gave is probably a little light. But, with the numbers exchanged, there’s a small savings in year one.

 

Of course, the best way to answer the question is for them to agree to a deal and let us know what the numbers are!

We all know Jose is betting on himself. I wonder if the team could offer a front-load, pay him maybe $16m in his FA year, and then try to get a player-friendly option tacked on, like $24m with a $5m buyout.

 

That seems like a deal that would work for everyone.

[HrbieFan]

I'm shocked he took $14m in a walk year. Guess Sano didn't really want to trust himself and his health.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm shocked he took $14m in a walk year. Guess Sano didn't really want to trust himself and his health.

Really? You would turn down a guaranteed $14m in hopes you’d make $22m in a single year?

 

Fan takes baffle me.

[Ben Derflott]

This is going to end up being the best third baseman signing of the winter, and not by just a little bit. Nice sign, math boys!

[nokomismod]

Very nice to hear this news. Here's to Sano building on his nice 2019 season and the front office signing Buxton to an extensoin next.

[cmoss84]

Over/under homeruns next 3 years: 100. I'll take the over.

[amjgt]

 

Over/under homeruns next 3 years: 100. I'll take the over.

 

I'm going to set the number at 10 and then take the over.

 

This gambling thing is easy!

[Nine of twelve]

 

Over/under homeruns next 3 years: 100. I'll take the over.

Concur. I would even consider taking the over on 100 for the next two years.

[amjgt]

 

Concur. I would even consider taking the over on 100 for the next two years.

 

If odds were offered for such a thing I have to think it would pay like 25-1

[nicksaviking]

 

Really? You would turn down a guaranteed $14m in hopes you’d make $22m in a single year?

Fan takes baffle me.

 

Yeah in 2020 $14M for a 1B/DH type isn't going to be terribly far from a ceiling. If he played SS that'd be another thing.