It can’t be a surprise in an offseason where guys like Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu can’t find work, but in case you were wondering about the price tag on potential Cubs reserve infielder Rich Aurilia, it’s really low.
Sabean said the Giants made Rich Aurilia an offer for a non-guaranteed contract similar to what the gave Juan Uribe ($1 million if he majes the team, plus incentives).
Aurilia is taking the weekend to mull it over, Sabean said. The Phillies are known to be competing for Aurilia, but Sabean wasn’t sure if they were offering a big league deal. Aurilia dies (sic) want to return to the Giants, though. Extra Baggs.
I’ll assume that sic is “does,” not “dies.” Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if signing with the Giants could cause death.
If Aurilia is mulling a $1 mill non-guaranteed deal (non-guaranteed…what is this, the NFL?), then certainly he’d sign with the Cubs for a guaranteed $1 million. Possibly less. Less still if he takes the Giants up on their offer and then doesn’t make the team. Of course, by then the Cubs will probably have filled the 25th spot.
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I can’t believe we have not been hearing the collusion rumblings from the players association/the agents. With all of the players that were not offered arbitration and the amount that free agent contract pool has shrunk this offseason. A poor economy is one thing, but we are a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting with a lot of tremendous baseball players still on the market.
What I find so interesting about baseball economics right now is the fact most of the paying public(read FANS!) are worried about their jobs and homes, not if some marginal player will get much more than the Major League Minimum. I expect a few hockey teams to go broke and other teams in major sports to be nervous.
It’s not just a weak economy, though, savant. It’s an historically, ridiculously weak economy – especially for “luxuries” like professional sports.
A non-guaranteed deal is any minor league contract, Ace. The Cubs signed Chad Fox to a minor league deal that pays X amount of money ONLY if he makes the team.
I know what the term means. My comment was to the use of it – we don’t typically refer to contracts in MLB as “non-guaranteed.” As you correctly note, we call them “minor league deals.”
Oops. I wasn’t reading carefully enough. Sorry about that.
I agree that we rarely hear them referred to as non-guaranteed, but something I’ve noticed this offseason is seeing that term much more often than I had in the past. Odd.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the amount of them going to guys that would – in a normal economic climate – be getting ML deals. It sounds less put-down-y to say Andruw Jones signed a “non-guaranteed” deal than a “minor league” deal.
I’m guessing the same thing, Ace. I’m not sure it has to do with put down as I think most of the journalists enjoy putting these guys down. I’m guessing it has to do with them realizing that minor league deals are not guaranteed. I could be wrong.