Ray’s Ramblings: Price a Gazillionaire

Ray’s Ramblings: Price a Gazillionaire
Ray Flowers
MLB DFS

Published: Dec 03, 2015

PRICE CRAZY RICH

David Price signed the largest contract in baseball history for a hurler at 7-years, $217 million (Price also has a three year opt-out clause, a great move for him). That means he will be paid $31 million a season tying Miguel Cabrera for the highest mark in major league history. Here's top-10 paid pitchers on annual basis in MLB history according to Greg Johns of MLB.com.

Will Zack Greinke be able to better that single season cashola total even if he doesn’t get as long a deal as Price? Sounds like it’s possible.

Price went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA down the stretch for the Blue Jays and he heads to Boston where he has a 1.95 ERA, the best mark he has at any ballpark where he’s made at least 10 starts (it’s also the lowest ERA at Fenway of any hurler who began their career in 2008). Price has won at least 15 games in 3-of-4 years and in 5-of-6 seasons he’s thrown at least 200-innings. More Price goodness. Price has 225 strikeouts the last two seasons and 200 in 4-of-5 campaigns. He’s also a strong option in ERA for an AL hurler, 3.09 for his career, but he really shines in two further categories. Price has at least a 4.79 K/9 mark the last three seasons thanks to less than 1.95 walks per nine each season, and his WHIP is stellar. Here is his WHIP the last four seasons: 1.10, 1.10, 1.08 and 1.08. It’s a terrible deal when you consider how much he will be paid years from now, he won’t be an elite hurler at the end of this deal, but he should continue to star in the fantasy game in the short-term.

 

TRUMBO AN ORIOLE

Orioles Receive: 1B/OF Mark Trumbo
Mariners Receive: C/1B Steve Clevenger, LHP C.J. Riefenhauser

The Mariners didn’t want to pay Trumbo, who made $6.9 million last year and is set to see a salary increase in his final year of arbitration, but this seems like an odd deal to me. "Mark can play the outfield, he can also play first base, he's not unfamiliar with playing DH," Executive VP Dan Duquette said. "Just looking at his defensive capability it looks to me like his best position is first base, but he can play both of them." What that means is that the Orioles still might bring back Chris Davis, so don’t give up Orioles’ fans. As for Trumbo…

Trumbo will be 30 years old in January. People seem to forget that his first three big league seasons that he hit at least 29 homers with 87 RBIs (2011-13). He was basically on the same pace in 2014 when he hit 14 homers with 61 RBIs over 328 at-bats. Last season he was well off, 22 homers and 64 RBIs in 508 at-bats, but there is no disputing that Trumbo still has 30 homer power. In each of the last five seasons his HR/F ratio has been 14.3 or better, and he hits the ball awfully damn hard as well with the 11th hardest batted ball speed amongst batters with 190 at-bats. It also went completely ignored that as bad as you think Trumbo was last season that his 2015 slash line (.262/.310/.449) was a dead on match for his career marks (.250/.300/.458). Two last points. (1) The move to Camden Yards is a plus for a power hitter. (2) No one noticed that Trumbo had a 24.2 percent K-rate last season, a four year low.

Clevenger is a 29 year old who is out of minor league options. He’s had a total of 446 big league plate appearances over five seasons with a .228/.280/.327 slash line. He will catch alongside the also recently added Iannetta who has to be the favorite of the duo in the fantasy game. Clevenger is a second catcher in AL-only leagues. Riefenhauser isn’t even rosterable in that same setup. He has a 6.30 ERA over his last 24 relief appearances.
 

ATHLETICS DEAL FOR FIRST BASEMAN

Athletics Receive: 1B Yonder Alonso, LHP Marc Rzepczynski
Padres Receive: LHP Drew Pomeranz, LHP Jose Torres

At one point Alonso was thought of as a borderline elite prospect, a guy who was at least going to be the next Mark Grace. The power never developed, and he certainly didn’t even become Mark Grace. Still, the A’s apparently liked what they see in Alonso. There is nothing to see in the fantasy game. All you need to know is that, for the first time in four seasons he had an OPS of .742. That’s not good. He can get on-base, he had a 4-year best .361 last season, but he’s hit a total of 32 homers in 508 big league games and owns a .273 career batting average. AL-only at best is Alonso who figures to see a lot of work at first base in a platoon with Mark Canha. Still have to figure out playing time too, though in a corresponding move, the Athletics let go Ike Davis who will look to catch on with another club (he was non-tendered). He picked up 214 at-bats last season batting .229 with a .652 OPS.

The only other player worth a look is Pomeranz… maybe. It’s unclear what his role will be with the Padres. He could work out of the pen, but there’s also a chance the Padres intend on slotting him in the rotation because he’s left-handed. Of course, that is assuming he’s healthy as he had clavicle resection surgery in October. He should be ready for Opening Day as the owner of a 4.60 ERA over 49 career starts. He was good out of the pen in 2015: 3.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.5 K/9.

 

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Finally, here is a list of the players that have been non-tendered and are now available to sign with other teams (list from MLBTradeRumors).

 

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