Elvis Andrus has been Oakland’s regular shortstop this season but has seen his playing time limited lately, with he and youngster Nick Allen starting alternate games over the past week. Andrus discussed the situation with Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle and didn’t seem to make an effort to hide his frustration.
“Everybody knows I’m an everyday player. So doing this, it’s not fun for me,” Andrus said. “Of course I’m upset, I’m pissed about it. But like I said, the best I can do is stay positive and wait for my turn and be ready whatever happens.”
Though his frustration is certainly understandable, this situation has sadly seemed inevitable for quite some time due to his contract. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at the situation in December, back when Oakland’s payroll-slashing moves were still just the stuff of rumor. 2022 is the final guaranteed year of the contract Andrus originally signed with the Rangers, though there is a $15MM club option for 2023. However, the club option would become a player option if two conditions are met. The first condition is if Andrus is traded during the life of the contract, which he already was, as the Rangers flipped him to the A’s in 2021. The second condition is Andrus accruing 550 plate appearances here in 2022.
Just a few days ago, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at some vesting options around the league, including the Andrus situation, noting that the shortstop was on pace to get to 556 PAs and meet the threshold. Given that the A’s made great efforts to shamelessly shed as much payroll as possible recently, they obviously don’t want to pay $15MM to Andrus next year if they don’t have to.
Andrus is having arguably his best season since 2017, but he’s still hitting at a below-average rate. His .237/.298/.365 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 94, or 6% below league average. That’s a nice improvement, given that he hasn’t had a wRC+ above 76 in the previous four seasons. But it’s still not the production of someone who would get $15MM in free agency, especially considering he’s about to turn 34 years old.
For the cost-cutting Oakland organization, deliberately sabotaging Andrus’ playing time in order to avoid vesting the option would give him grounds for a grievance. However, they will likely stick to their story that it’s not about him and more about giving playing time for youngsters down the stretch, so that they can be evaluated for their future role as part of the rebuild. “Elvis and I spoke about how we proceed forward with getting Nick as many opportunities as possible, getting these younger players a chance to show what they can do for our future, for their future,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told Kawahara. “I don’t expect Elvis to be happy about it. But he’s a pro.”
As noted by Kawahara, the spotty playing time of late means that Andrus has already fallen off the pace of vesting his option. Coming into tonight’s game, he has 372 PAs, putting him on pace for 533, just 17 short of meeting the threshold. With his average-ish batting line and solid defense, he’s been worth 1.4 wins above replacement on the year, per FanGraphs. That puts him second among position players on the team, trailing only Sean Murphy, giving him a nice platform season to take into free agency.
Andrus needs to get in contact with Tonya Harding’s thugs. Take a few whacks at the rookies legs with a crowbar. No way the cheap A’s are going to let him get 15 million.
If Andrus could contract someone else to do his hitting he wouldn’t be in this situation. Jeff Gillooly made a lot more solid contact.
Gillooly made his way back …. Maybe Tatis can too
I doubt any team would want to pay Andrus $15 million next year, cheap or not.
Release him A’s! Let Elvis have his freedom!
Elvis can then leave the building
Let’s say the A’s release Andrus after he’s cleared waivers. Then he gets picked up by another team and they give him enough plate appearances to reach 550 for the season. Would that mean that the A’s would be on the hook for a $15M salary for 2023, less the league minimum paid by the new team?
No, it’s a new contract.
If the A’s release Andrus then that means they are releasing him from his CURRENT contract. If he signs another deal with another team it doesn’t matter how many at bats he gets. The contract with the player option would have already been void.
No way any team with a clue will pay this scrub 15 mil.
It’s now or never
Maybe he could get Pham to do the deed?
While he may be pissed about the situation at least his head is in the right spot? Wanting to make the best of his turn is all he can do. If it’s hard to get playing time with the A’s, your better days are most likely behind you as a player
You’re the devil in disguise
The way he hits, he’d have to hire someone.
Sorry, Elvis.
Thank you, very much!
A+ Captain
Is he surprised though? Obviously the A’s don’t want him to get that option
What team would?
Why did Oakland wait so long to sit him? This year should’ve been about playing youngsters.
Manfred needs to expand rosters to more than 28. I thought 40 was too much but the games were more fun with September roster expansion.
Allen has been up and down three times. They’re working on his bat but with his defense he’s as good an option as Elvis right now.
The sad part is that Oakland doesn’t have a SS that can put up better numbers than him, as poor as his numbers are. If they did, there would be no argument over playing time manipulation, or talk of filing a grievance.
I get your point but it shouldn’t be about who puts up better numbers in Oakland. It should be about trying out the kids at the major league level.
The A’s should be playing every youngster with a pulse and seeing who is good enough to play in the majors. Andrus fills the role of vet that shows the kids how to behave. Pissing Andrus off almost negates that
“Everybody knows I’m an everyday player” lmaaaooooo
Pretty cocky for a lifetime automatic out
I bet the Braves would take that Tex trade back if they could.
Braves got destroyed on the Teixeira trade. Mainly do the player Elvis Andrus was for a decade for Texas plus they got several nice years of Neftali Feliz before he became a hot mess. No doubt the Rangers won that trade. The Wainwright trade also was terrible for Atlanta. Those 2 trades cost them dearly.
The Braves got their lifetime revenge against the Cards by trading Heyward for Miller, then trading Miller for Swanson. Otherwise yes, who knows how different the 2000s would have been for the Braves and Cards if that trade never happened.
Huh? Heyward was pretty good for us. That trade didn’t really reshape anything that I can see.
The one year of Heyward was worth giving up Miller from the Cardinals’ perspective, especially since Miller ultimately didn’t amount to much long-term.
Braves were at a win now mode back then on the wainwright deal. The of they got hit well. Jd drew.
Tex did not. Gave up too much, weren’t agressive in getting much back when Tex didn’t want to resign with Atlanta.
Hindsight is 20 20 with prospects.
What made that trade even worse was they only got Casey Kotchman in return for Tex in a trade with the Angels. Just a complete mess.
Don’t be cruel.
He’s not even the real Elvis.
Yeah, everybody knows the real one is doing weddings in Vegas… or did i get jipped?
Did you know, I heard awhile back that Elvis impersonators aren’t allowed to marry folks in Vegas any longer.
Did you know there are an estimated 45,000 Elvis impersonators worldwide? It’s been 45 years since his death.
All shook up.
Don’t be cruel.
Rumors say the Padres may need a SS. I forget why!
I think because there’s got ringworm or something.
Never seen, but in nursing school, we learned Griseofulvin was a good med for that. Maybe the Padres and/or their players should consider that if it ever becomes a problem
Cholesterol-free?
that would have to be one heck of an infection to use super expensive prescription griseofulvin instead of any otc antifungal like miconazole
Funny and timely, but I think 30 teams would take Kim over Andrus.
Angels next year
Why not just DFA? Isn’t it coming?
Because cutting a guy on pace or nearly on pace for a fairly expensive vesting option is a guaranteed grievance?
I have a hard time believing Andrus would win any grievance. His bat has been pretty bad the last few years and the A’s are better off letting AAA players get Major league reps.
I think the A’s are just cheap and that’s why they haven’t cut him.
I kind of understood keeping all these lotto tickets like Andrus, Piscotty, Pinder, Kemp, Vogt and Lowrie, maybe one of them might have turned into Matt Carpenter and played themselves into trade value, but now? Except Lowrie who’s already gone, why are they all still seeing well, ANY time right now? None of them and have done anything to show they deserve to be starters and this team is supposed to be rebuilding – play the kids you idiots.
DFA all those guys and play this lineup as often as possible until the end of the year and see what happens, I bet good things:
1B E Thames (imagine playing Vogt in MLB at 1B over Thames)
2B N Mondou
SS N Allen
3B D MacKinnon
C/DH S Langeliers
LF M Schuemann
CF V Fernandez
RF R Laureano
DH/C S Murphy (basically a 50/50 split with Langeliers here)
Veteran leadership plus he’s been the third or fourth best position player on the the team this year
He’s still good enough to be worth his roster spot. As long as his option doesn’t vest, there’s no monetary difference either way, so they might as well keep around a decent player like him and give him semi-regular playing time.
A’s should just cut him TBH.
Yup. And Piscotty…and Vogt.
and Machin absolutely stinks too, please bring up any 3B.
A’s so dumb they should have tried out Langeliers at 3B, like the Donaldson path. Now they have like 50 catchers in their system, lol why? Just put Soderstrom at 1B now so he can get to MLB faster, such a dumb team.
…speaking of dumb.
He has been paid $134 million and in addition to that has received very regular playing time and has averaged 0.5 WAR per year for the last 3 years. Just mad that he won’t get another $15 million. Agree with the A’s completely. Teams should be able to use their players as much or as little as they want- as long as it’s not causing overuse injuries (like for pitchers) without giving any explanation for it at all. There shouldn’t be a grievance process unless it’s because playing time caused an injury (again, basically only applies to pitchers).
I disagree with you completely that there shouldn’t be a grievance process. They may sign a contract, but they’re still human beings. I don’t even know where to start to respond to this because your take is one of the single worst takes I’ve ever heard.
Hahaha fine, whatever. And work on your reading skills, I said if there’s an injury from overuse there should be a greivance process. That covers “but they’re still human beings”. Other than that, they’re being paid $700,000 minimum to work 7-8 months per year, with luxury working conditions and great benefits.
@appalachian- Agree the greviance process should stay, but players should win only in very rare cases. In this instance, Andrus isn’t good enough to have a legitimate case. If you’re not an above average player, I’m not sure how you can whine about how a team operates.
Lmfao. Holding teams to the contracts they sign or trade for is basically the foundation of a fair market
He would win. Get over it. The As know this even if you think you’re smarter than everyone. You fools think his OPS allows them to use horrible, borderline illegal business practices. Wow. Says as much about you as anything…
Andrus hasn’t earned playing time. He doesn’t make them a better team. And as a Mariners fan, I hope Andrus DOES reach the threshold. But he won’t and he doesn’t deserve to, as he hasn’t lived up to the guaranteed part of his contract.
There’s nothing in the contract that says the team has to play him, you idiot.
“He would win.” Ok, by that logic, there should be a grievance filed by him this off-season- assuming he doesn’t reach the minimum number of PA- and he will win. Unless you also think he’s going to decide to just give up the $15 million despite the certainty of victory.
I’m gonna disagree with you on Andrus and his contract and earnings. He’s been an all star a couple of times. From 2009 to 2019 his numbers were very good. He hit a lot of doubles stole a good amount of bases and scored a good amount of runs. He’s been about as durable as anyone in the game can be for his entire career playing on average over 130 games per season for what is his 14th season. I’d say by today’s standards his services are pretty cheap even if they pay him $15M next year that’s a bargain for a guy who just plays and keeps his head down. He’s a pro and I think $15M isn’t a bad price for Oakland to pay to at least have some kind of leadership in a locker room full of rookies.. I guess Oakland is shooting for under $30M next year lol.
So happy you don’t make meaningful decisions for the Oakland A’s. Andrus might get a 1-year contract for 3M next season… tops. He’s been terrible since 2017. Bye.
@mysteryteam
Its nice to see someone give Andrus credit for the player he was, rather than just looking at what he’s able to do now. For those that always talk about how the back end of long term contracts are expected to be underwater, you have no right to complain, as this is what you say teams should do. Unfortunately, Texas did the signing, and Oakland never saw him in his prime. Even Miguel Cabrera, a sure HOF player, will see his option declined. Yes, there are risks for teams when signing these long term contracts. But Elvis put himself in this position, when he made the option year vested on playing time. He had to know that if he was not worth $15mm, regardless of whether he was the best of a bad lot on his team, his playing time would be cut. He and his agent agreed to this. Time to accept your responsibility for your situation.
This is outrageous!
Just because:
1. The A’s average attendance is 30th in MLB, 18.65% lower than 29th place Miami
2. The A’s have the worst winning percentage in MLB
3,. No team in MLB wanted any part of Andrus and his $7m salary in 2022 along with his $15m option for 2023 at the trade deadline when the A’s traded off what established players they had left
4. The team is obviously is in a rebuild and is giving playing time to young, controlled players at almost all positions
It’s obvious that life is not fair.
Contracts are only to be enforced if they’re beneficial to the player in MLB.
Hey, spend more than $19.99 on your payroll and people might actually show up to watch. I have zero sympathy for the A’s on those first two points because those were self-inflicted wounds.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that 4th one, but I can certainly see why Andrus would be upset about it.
Appalachian_Outlaw;
They spent money in 2021, competed for a playoff spot, and the fans were last in MLB in attendance.
To this issue: if they pay Andrus $15m in 2023 and have him play full-time, do you think:
1) Oakland fans will show up to see the team;
2) The team will compete for a playoff spot?
letting marcus semien walk to toronto without even offering him a QO isn’t “spending money”
LOL bkwalker510;
One sided arguments.
They got Elvis in trade to play SS for them in 2021.
They also gave Trevor Rosenthal a $11m contract for 2021. That contract was deferred – they paid him $3m in 2021, are paying him $3m this year, and owe him $5m in 2023. He never pitched an inning for them. Is that fair? Have you seen any sob stories about this?
One has to look at the entire picture and not just cherry pick……which is standard here……and I’m getting tired of pointing these things out.
Rest well gentle warrior.
Never own a business, Samuel
if you can’t understand the basic ethics of contracts… jfc
Elvis could have negotiated 300 PA or 400 PA but he didn’t. The “basic ethics” of contracts is you get what you bargained for, no more and no less.
Has any player ever won a grievance on this issue?
I don’t think so, PA are to hard to calculate based on other factors to build a compelling argument, unless you literally stop playing him completely at 540 PA or something
His OPS+ has been above 100 twice in 13 years
How bad were shortstops in 2010 that he made the all-star team?
He made it in 2012 also. Crazy…of course bckup to Jeter
It’s wild how much Elvis has slowed down on the basepaths. He’s in the 16th percentile of sprint speed, which puts him with the likes of Josh Donaldson, Pete Alonso, and Anthony Rizzo. He was so fast at the beginning of his career.
@mlb. I was following Elvis’s minor league development and was excited the Braves had a speed guy coming up just to see him traded away. I miss the speed guys they had in the 90’s (Otis Nixon, Marquis Grissom, even Kenny Lofton for a year). Lofton should be in the HOF already btw.
Furcal in the early-mid 2000s was one of my favorites. Fast, good defense, and he could put the bat on the ball.
@kelenic. My bad. I can’t believe I left out Furcal. I also really enjoyed Marcus Giles during that time. Of course Chipper was my favorite player during that era followed by the big 3 of Maddux/Smoltz/Glavine…
If they DFA’d him and he went somewhere else and reached 550 PAs would the A’s be on the hook or would the claiming team have to pay?
I assume because it’s still an option and not a vested year the new team would pay…
That’s a sticky wicket but I would be inclined to believe the team that DFAs him would be responsible. Great question!
He isn’t getting 550 PAs anywhere. With those numbers he won’t be any everyday player anywhere
If Oakland would remain on the hook, you could claim him and play him to eff over Oakland.
I think Oakland has a good case vis a vis a grievance…..
Tonight, elvis got caught in a rundown and flopped hard trying to draw a phantom interference call. Argued with umps. Later refused to accept that his foul tip was caught for a K. Argued again. Wouldn’t be sad to no longer have this guy in the division.
Mehmehmeh;
I saw the flop, and even the Astros players were laughing.
Ah-HA!
Time is running short.
Don’t suck?
He doesn’t sound like “a pro”. As should release him so he can see that no other team in the league wants him playing everyday either.
15 Mil for Oakland. No Way
He’s started 97 of the 114 and is bitching about playing time?
He has been below league average for a long time. He accepted the $ to play at a certain level he didn’t honor that. He can be “pissed” but only at himself. Show uo and show out.. there’s no room in baseball for snowflakes
He’s NOT an everyday player, he’s a bench guy at this point in his career. What an ego. Nick Allen 100x better defensively and Elvis proves it with every botched or low IQ bonehead play his veteran butt shouldn’t be making at this point in his career. The audacity.
Oh, boo hoo.
I didn’t want to say it, but I’m going to. Play better for more playing time. If you aren’t, stop being a whiny little kid and take the bench role, and get a nice contract in FA
Future HOF. Hope he finds playing time somewhere. He’ll end his career with higher WAR than Harold Baines.
Who is playing 2b these teams are a joke
Tony Kemp. Kemp’s numbers are actually very similar to Andrus’ without the expensive option attached
Seems Elvis is caught in a trap and can’t walk out.
Sorry Elvis but Stevie Wonder could see this coming from a mile away
Well, Stevie had Innervisions.
Elvis just needs to leave the building
“Everybody knows I’m at everyday player”.
No, no they don’t.
Theres No rule that says you have to play players Every day. Especially if you’re a rebuilding team looking towards the future and that player is not in your plans. He just needs to accept the writing on the wall.
Why would you play anyone with numbers like his. They should just dfa him and make a statement. He is shot
Why would you play anyone with numbers like his. They should just dfa him and make a statement. He is done
Andrus frustrated he’s still on a mlb roster for some reason. He wants more playing time go to AAA or Indy ball
Crybaby. What did he think was going to happen? It’s like knowing it’s gonna rain then cry about it when it rains. Oakland is never gonna pay him a 15 million player option. They have no chance of competing and ñeed to give at bats to the future, not some over the hill shortstop playing below league average ball. Andrus should know this was going to happen and accept it, he has made his money over the length of this contract for for playing at league average, he got more then he should have in the 1st place. If you feel that way fine, but don’t go public with it that’s lame
Not sure I ever got that. If they don’t want to pay you and sit you isn’t that their choice to stop the option from vesting? It has to work both ways. That’s the agreement. If you get the plate appearance and team decides if he does.besides he is not very good.
He should be frustrated with himself. He’s one of the worst hitters in the league and he’s weak defensively.
I remember in 2016 the very same thing was happening in OAK with Coco Crisp. Melvin limited his ABs to prevent an option from vesting. Eventually CLE traded for him, and he finished out the season there.
Typical Boras client.
Elvis is a really smart player and plays hard all the time. His skills have declined with time which is to be expected. I could see him having a ongoing career in baseball after he retired as a player.
He makes a low IQ bonehead play seemingly every game, what Elvis Andrus are you watching?
Your position is simply not true. Can he still make the plays he made when he was younger, no, but he knows what to do.
So glad you posted again. You should be aware the Soderstrom is playing first base both at Lansing and continued after move Midland. I would have thought you would have known that?
Just wait. Andrus will hit them with a grievance for not letting hit the vesting line and Allen will hit them with a service time manipulation grievance lmao!!
He’s 33 years old and hitting 230.. he needs to get over it and face reality
They did the same exact thing to Coco Crisp too. They were making sure he wasn’t getting at bats in 2016, then last second traded him to Cleveland.