JD Davis Cut

[Jocko87]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/giants-release-j-d-davis.html

Very interesting, not as a player for the Twins, but as another wrinkle of the CBA that wasn't common knowledge.

I'm looking at taking Farmer and everyone else through arbitration completely differently now. Had some monster deal come through, paying a million to cut Farmer isn't that big a deal.

Reminder that these front offices know this book inside and out, it's their job. I don't have the energy to read the whole thing.

[nicksaviking]

How are the Giants going to justify this part though:

By cutting him now, the Giants could potentially only owe him 30 days of termination pay — about $1.11MM. The CBA, however, explicitly states that this applies to players who have “failed to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability.” That hardly seems to apply to Davis, who hit .248/.325/.413 with 18 home runs during the 2023 regular season and is 6-for-15 with a pair of homers this spring (.400/.471/.800).

I hope they get taken to the woodshed on this; that's a big pile of crap.

[Jocko87]

Defensively he's not competitive at 3rd with Chapman. Devils advocate here of course. Plenty can come out at a hearing. I'm sure the Giants are aware of the statement.

It will be interesting to see what any penalty might be. Also scary for any arbitration players getting hurt in spring training.

[Parfigliano]

I remember when he was highly touted with the Mets.  Had a season where he put up around 130 OPS+ in 2019 or 20.  Seems like he was often injured.

[ashbury]

4 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

I'm looking at taking Farmer and everyone else through arbitration completely differently now. Had some monster deal come through, paying a million to cut Farmer isn't that big a deal.

I'm not sure this applies to Farmer.  From the article: "The new set of rules fully guarantees the deals of players who agree to terms absent a hearing."  Wasn't Nick Gordon the only eligible Twins player to actually go to arbitration?

[Jocko87]

19 minutes ago, ashbury said:

I'm not sure this applies to Farmer.  From the article: "The new set of rules fully guarantees the deals of players who agree to terms absent a hearing."  Wasn't Nick Gordon the only eligible Twins player to actually go to arbitration?

You are correct, I read it backwards.  Does not apply to Farmer.

I did go to the CBA for some light reading and the phrase "failure to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability" is exactly the same in-season, off-season, spring training etc.  I read it as they can cut someone for the same reasons as any other time.  Contract terms then apply and the Giants are probably good here. 

From what I read, the teams just got a lot of power in the arbitration process.  There is no reason for the team to settle pre-hearing unless they get their terms.  What value is it to the player to go to a hearing knowing whatever they come up with will probably be 30 days severance pay absent a crazy spring or injuries?  The team retains the ability to cut someone without a guaranteed contract. 

Farmer, agreeing to something outside arbitration, is in a different category.  I was thinking he went to arb for some reason.

[DocBauer]

I have a dream. NOT the dream where Kate Beckinsale loves my eyes and my smile, but a dream where MLB wakes up and adopts various principles of the NFL and the NBA. 

MLB suddenly adopts a FLOOR AND a CAP for equitably profit sharing like the NFL does, WHILE each franchise can STILL collect $M of dollars on their own from merchandising and the such. STUD players get what they deserve, but lower level teams can't keep pocketing MLB welfare money. 

And if MLB wants to adopt some NBA ideas, they could allow things such as the mid exception cap to allow teams to add a player every year that might put them over the top.

The STARS get paid. There's even room for some of the mid guys to get paid. And while the payroll and profit platform isn't perfect, it's at least more equitable than it is now. 

I remain STUNNED that MLB owners are utterly deaf to seeing what the NFL IS, and what the NBA is KINDA, while they twiddle their thumbs and say "oh my". 

They're NOT going to have a choice other than WAKE UP over the next few years.

Wouldn't it be nice if the Pohlad's, reportedly well respected, took a lead?

[Riverbrian]

Correct me if I'm wrong.

But, Doesn't the MLBPA run the risk of picking off their own players when free agents negotiations are allowed to go past the arbitration hearings. 

Feb 8 - J.D Davis wins 6.55M in Arbitration

Mar 3 - Matt Chapman signs with Giants for 3 years/54M 

Mar 11 - J.D. Davis released after clearing waivers with no takers at his 6.55m.

CBA rules are negotiated by big boys. Each side is strictly bound by the terms of this negotiated agreement.

Why are we pissed at the Giants? Did we not want them to sign Chapman? 

There is only so much space on a 26 man roster. When Chapman signed... somebody was making room. It was J.D. Davis. Would we rather it be Nick Ahmed or some kid scrapping for a dream? 

 

 

 

[Jocko87]

I mentioned in another thread the trend is towards a stars and "paid-like-scrubs" league. JD Davis and other post arb players are going to be having tough offseasons as the rules seem to be squeezing that group with the new prospect incentives.

[Riverbrian]

42 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

I mentioned in another thread the trend is towards a stars and "paid-like-scrubs" league. JD Davis and other post arb players are going to be having tough offseasons as the rules seem to be squeezing that group with the new prospect incentives.

Players making the minimum are performing on par or better than the mid level free agent. Why would anyone pay 5 million instead of $720K if the production is similar or better.

Especially when the player making the minimum have built in escape hatches because of minor league options while the mid level free agent does not. 

 

[Mike Sixel]

And some fans whine that players have guaranteed contracts and don't show loyalty to teams. This is just example a billion of why labor should never do that.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

This may be a dumb comment, but I always thought that MLB could never replicate the NFL salary structure for example because it is a regional sport where the NFL attracts fans nationally.  E.g. I'll watch a SNF or MNF game even if it is not the Vikings, but I'd rarely watch a MLB game that was not the Twins and I doubt that most non-hardcore baseball fans, but nonetheless Twins fans, would either.  For that reason alone, I do not think that MLB could go full salary cap and make all the teams equal.

Could they go NBA-like, possibly but not NFL IMO.

Chicken and egg, though.  Would an NFL-like arrangement, going back 50 years ago, have kept baseball as the national sport it once was?  And if so, can any form of catch-up help now?  I'm inclined to think so, in both cases.  Weighing against is that people who bought top-end franchises aren't so inclined to share with those who bought in at far lower prices (such as our Pohlads) and who now have their hands out for an equal share of the revenue pie.  I don't know how to equalize that.