Catcher Roberto Perez’s $7MM option for the 2022 season isn’t likely to be exercised by the Guardians, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes in his latest mailbag column. Set to turn 33 in December, Perez has long rated as one of the game’s premium defenders behind the dish and looked to have turned a corner at the plate in 2019, when he hit .239/.321/.452 with a career-high 24 home runs. However, he’s limped to a .155/.253/.277 slash with eight homers in 276 trips to the plate since. Perez has missed significant time over the past two seasons due to a pair of shoulder injuries and, earlier this year, a fractured ring finger. It’s certainly plausible that the shoulder and hand injuries contributed to his decline at the plate, but a budget-conscious Cleveland club doesn’t seem likely to bet $7MM on a rebound — particularly when the buyout is a relatively light $450K. Cleveland has a more affordable, similarly defensive-minded backstop already on the roster in arbitration-eligible Austin Hedges. He’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a $3.8MM salary next season.
Some more notes on various contract options around the league…
- The Red Sox hold a $7MM club option on catcher Christian Vazquez, but the price to retain their backstop was nearly a bit steeper. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo points out that Vazquez’s contract called for that option to rise to $8MM upon reaching 502 plate appearances, but he fell just four trips to the plate shy of that mark. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom spoke highly of Vazquez in his end-of-season press conference, telling reporters: “It’s a hard position to check all the boxes and you don’t take for granted when you have someone who has shown that he can do it.” The 31-year-old Vazquez hit .258/.308/.352 with plus defense behind the dish this season, and based on Bloom’s comments imply there’s a good chance he’ll be back in the fold next season as well.
- Andrew Chafin’s one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Cubs was structured to include a $2.25MM salary plus a $500K buyout on a $5.25MM mutual option. The contract, however, also allowed Chafin to pick up a $125K bonus for reaching 50, 55, 60 and 65 games in 2021. Chafin was heavily used both by the Cubs and then by the Athletics following a trade, and he ultimately reached all four of those milestones while wearing an A’s jersey. As such, he’s now sitting on a $5.75MM option for next season. Chafin will have first say of whether to exercise his half of the option and could very well decline in search of a multi-year deal, which would render it a moot point. (He’d get the $500K buyout even if he declines.) If not, the fact that the option is now $500K more expensive makes it even tougher for the cost-conscious A’s pick up their end in what could be an offseason filled with tough financial decisions. Oakland also holds a $4MM club option on fellow southpaw Jake Diekman, which is effectively a net $3.25MM decision for the A’s, given its $750K buyout.
If only Cleveland could combine Hedges and Perez into one player.
They’d have a 12ft tall 450lb backstop that still couldn’t hit his way out of wet paper bag, but he’d be amazing at blocking.
Do two lousy hitters rolled into one become at least a decent hitter?
Depends on how you roll them.
People who don’t watch Cleveland play daily underestimate the defensive contributions their catchers make that contribute to the success of the Cleveland pitchers. Cleveland’s philosophy is the defense of the catchers and their handling of the staff is more important than their hitting. Granted it’s easier to look at a catchers slash line and make a judgment of their success. It’s also simplistic.
People overestimate their defensive contributions and underestimate their lack of contribution on offense. It’s so simplistic how people discredit offense completely.
You didn’t argue that point Oscar, just like how I didn’t argue the point you are positing. My point about their hilariously bad offense doesn’t discredit their defense, just says how they still couldn’t hit and their monstrous body would be ideal for blocking.
Their offensive contributions are quantified by their slash numbers. It’s hard to underestimate something that is quantified. As for what’s more important, I’ll go with what Terry Francona thinks is more important which is defense.
The easily quantifiable offensive stats show they aren’t good? That makes sense. Probably why I made that joke. I never argued against their defense, but maybe you also noticed Perez wasn’t as good defensively as in the past. Hedges was also a bit lacking this year.
Also, Cleveland’s R/9 and team era were like a run higher than in recent years. The catchers have to take some of that blame. One can’t give them a pass for bad offense when their defense is great then not critique when the only thing they were good at slips and they lose their value.
Fair comment that Perez’s defense wasn’t as good as in the past. That could partially be attributed to his injury to his hand, but not all. Perez had passed balls that should not have been affected by his hand.
The R/9 though is apples to oranges because of Bieber, Civale and Plesac being injured. Any staff’s R/9 would be down with injuries like that.
The A’s should have one of the most interesting offseasons in the league. They have a lot of really good players but you get the feeling they might come close to tearing a lot of it down. If they were to actually increase payroll just a little and add some instead of subtracting they would have a really good shot at the playoffs next year. It seems more likely though that the fans are going to be more disappointed and watch them trade away several good players instead. Either way they should be getting some good players in return for the trades. It seems guys like Marte, Olson and Chapman are already on their way out the door. Either way they will have to make a bunch of big moves and no one really knows what to expect next seasons roster to look like. It should be fun to watch what all they do and who all they trade and acquire. I imagine there will be a lot of differing opinions on whether the A’s got too much or too little in exchange for trading several big name players. It’s kind of a shame for the A’s fans sake. I wish they could at least enjoy having a team that would afford keeping their players at least through arbitration. I understand letting good players go for free agency or even trading them one year before to get a nice return if the team doesn’t expect to contend. If you are a good team though and your solid players are still under contract for multiple years the organization should really keep them. The cost of arbitration doesn’t seem high enough to price players out of what the owners can pay them if the player is actually still good.
The A’s seem to be drawing up a blueprint for tanking attendance in advance of a relocation. It appears they’re purposely going to drive attendance even lower with a significant spike in ticket prices for 2022, while putting a worse product on the field. They gave away their manager, regarded as one of the best in the game, for nothing. Up next will likely be trades of Olson and Chapman for prospect-heavy packages that will pay dividends a season or three down the line. The A’s under Beane traditionally don’t do tank and rebuilds. They may take a quick pause, but they’re competitive again in short order. This time could be different as they want to increase pressure leading to a relocation, or to increase pressure on the Oakland council to approve their new park. Either way, 2022 looks like it’s shaping up to be a bleak season for A’s fans.
I love me a concise post.
I don’t. So boring and not analytical. I like posts that get me thinking about several different aspects I’ve never even considered before. I haven’t seen many concise posts that can accomplish that. To each their own, though. Just my personal preference. From my experience if someone has very little to say it usually means someone else has said basically the same thing already. No reason to read the same thing twice with just a different screen name next to it. The details and nuances are what set different ideas apart.
And in team games 158 and 159, Vazquez did not get any plate appearances, entering each game very late after someone else pinch hit for the starting catcher. Also, in game 155 he pinch ran for the catcher in the 9th, so in 3 of the team’s last 8 games he played but did not get a plate appearance.
Fuel for the Player’s Association?
Was wondering about that (I don’t watch all their games). Four plate appearances shy? Sounds like manipulation…
Interesting point; but the Sox will argue that towards the end of the season Eovaldi preferred Plawecki and point to how many starts Plawecki got in the post season as evidence on their side.
He is not worth $8 million
He may not be but it’s refreshing to hear someone say he wants to stay. Depends on the price and belief in others. Would like to see the AAV go down but extend him three more years (four in total).
I wouldn’t go three more, but I’d have an interest in extending him. Looking at the farm, I’m not sure we have anyone that would be a decent backup candidate.
Maybe Cubs can bring back the Sheriff on a one year deal for two or three million and flip him for a prospect again at trade deadline.
Vazquez has been great behind the plate. I’m sure he’ll be back or maybe extended.
I cannot see the A’s, no matter their financial situation, bringing back Diekman. I don’t see them picking up the Chafin option, either unless it’s to flip him at the deadline. Instead I think the A’s would try to sign Chafin to a multi year deal; 3 years $10 Million…and then flip him at the deadline.
Why is MLBTR talking about a roller derby team on this site?
Well looks like it’s official then, Cleveland is setting themselves up for a Jose Ramirez-Alejandro Kirk one for one trade.
I don’t know if there’s any truth to that but this would be an extremely dumb decision to make. Look at the other older (KC) Perez rebounding after injuries. The Indians will go nowhere with a rookie receiver.
Tribe really made out big by dumping Brantley, eh?
Also, it’s time for Hoynsie to retire.
They dumped him? Or they didn’t want to stretch a very tight budget on a guy known to be injury prone? Easy to live your life in hindsight to know he wouldn’t have been hurt; instead the Tribe luck is they stretch the funding to sign him and then are stuck with an albatross of a contract for somebody that can’t take the field like Hafner years ago.