The Indians face three contract options after the season:
- Since he's still on the disabled list, there's no chance Kerry Wood gets the 55 games finished needed to make his $11MM 2011 option vest. It'll stay a club option, and the Indians (or any other team) will very likely decline.
- Third baseman Jhonny Peralta, also a trade candidate, faces a $7MM club option with a $250K buyout. This will be declined barring a surprising season.
- Russell Branyan has a $5MM mutual option, and I'm not expecting both sides to exercise.
The Indians are paying Wood, Peralta, and Branyan $17.1MM this year. They'll free up another $14.1MM with other departing free agents, led by Jake Westbrook's $11MM.
Players under contract will receive a total of $4.6MM in raises, led by Grady Sizemore with a $1.9MM bump. The Indians also have multiple first-time arbitration players, led by Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera. Rafael Perez will go for a second time. With over $30MM coming off the books, the Indians could lower payroll even further and still cover their raises easily. Aside from Travis Hafner's contract, the Indians are looking lean for 2011.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
This is good if they’re looking lean for next year. Hopefully, they can use some of that extra money to lock up Choo. We definitely need to keep him.
Now if they can just find some schmohawk to take on Hafner’s contract! Time to call up Minaya!!
Right…because the Mets have a hole at DH.
Does that even matter? It’d be a dumb suggestion even if every team had a DH. Hafner is probably one of the most difficult-to-move assets in the game.
Relax. I have to think he was joking. Most people (I hope) are smart enough to know that owing $40 million through 2012 to a non-productive DH means that you’re simply rolling him out there while healthy and hoping for the best.
His best asset is his nickname. I mean, c’mon…PRONK!
Roids or not, the wisdom of giving a full time, aging DH a fat, long term contract were questionable to begin with. Still, with the impending exit of Peralta, Wood and Westbrook (who may yet have some trade value) Hafner represents the Tribe’s only bad contract (Carmona looks like he may have turned things around). Better than you can say for most teams. The future of the Indians now rests with the kids.
Another $27 million coming off the books this year puts them down around $34 million in payroll to start next season.
Hopefully they use this money to get Cabrera and Choo locked up long term, and do what they can to lock up Sizemore long term. Then you have 3 of the top 4 guys in your batting order, along with two key defensive positions set for the forseable future.
If you figure in ~$32-35 million in annual contract for the three of them, you’re looking at a base payroll in the low $60 million range for 2011, with loads of young position players and pitchers finding their places on the roster, and the end of the Hafner contract finally in sight.
Would that be more than Dolan would be willing to spend?
I think he would be willing to spend that much. The payroll right now is roughly around $60M. I’m just afraid that the revenue may not be there, since attendance is at its lowest right now.
Another $27 million coming off the books this year puts them down around $34 million in payroll to start next season.
Hopefully they use this money to get Cabrera and Choo locked up long term, and do what they can to lock up Sizemore long term. Then you have 3 of the top 4 guys in your batting order, along with two key defensive positions set for the forseable future.
If you figure in ~$32-35 million in annual contract for the three of them, you’re looking at a base payroll in the low $60 million range for 2011, with loads of young position players and pitchers finding their places on the roster, and the end of the Hafner contract finally in sight.
Would that be more than Dolan would be willing to spend?