The Italian feast, complete with cannolis, was as good as I’d hoped it would be. I ate so much last night.
- The Padres settled their arbitration case with Michael King, and in doing so, confirmed for everyone that their financial situation is definitely dire:
The unique deal pays King $1 million with a $3 million signing bonus and a $15 million mutual option with a large buyout, per @sdutKevinAcee, giving the Padres payroll flexibility in 2025 to avoid trading him. He’s eligible for free agency after the season. https://t.co/4JRR135AgV— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 31, 2025
- Let me re-state what that deal is, contrary to the framing in that post: it’s a one-year deal worth $7.75 million (he’s a free agent after this season anyway) where the Padres will pay as little of that as possible. If they trade him now, obviously they pay none of it. If they trade him at mid-season, they pay only about $2 million. And, if they keep him, worst case is that they pay $4 million this year and can punt $3.75 million to next year’s budget. When you have to get THAT creative on a deal of this size – by the way, they did the same kind of thing with Elias Diaz’s recently-signed $3.5 million deal, more than half(!) of which comes in the buyout after the season – it means you have zero dollars. No money. Broke.
- The point here is that all the talk about the Padres possibly trading King or Dylan Cease feels WAAAAY more urgent and believable now. They were already on the radar for a possible trade to the Cubs, but I’d say you can mentally tick up the plausibility just a bit. Ditto any other move that cuts salary, or allows them to add big league pieces without taking on much salary.
- Relatedly: if you’re the Cubs and have limited dollars left available to commit for 2025, maybe you try to hold off a guy like David Robertson as long as possible just to make sure you don’t actually have a chance to acquire Cease or King, or a chance to sign Alex Bregman. Just to be clear, I would be perfectly happy if David Robertson were the final move the Cubs make this offseason. I think that is a very meaningful, valuable, realistic addition. So if that happens, and if it closes other doors (not sure it would financially close out King, for what that’s worth), I’m good. But in the meantime, I’m just saying I wonder.
- The Brewers and William Contreras settled their difference before the star catcher would go to an arbitration hearing. He’ll get $6.1 million in 2025, and it comes with a $12 million team option for 2026, a season for which he’d be under control via arbitration anyway, but it gives the Brewers a little protection in case he explodes even further this season. Contreras, 27, is under control through 2027, and has been worth a whopping 11.1 WAR the last two seasons. Never forget that the Brewers got him for essentially nothing thanks to the Braves and A’s.
- Jordan Wicks, a guy I already think isn’t getting enough love, has just risen in my player rankings:
🍨 ICE CREAM RANKINGS 🍨
from Jordan Wicks, #Cubs pitcher/former Dairy Queen Manager:#PlayersWeek | @Jordan_Wicks99 | @Cubs@DaniWex | @JimDuquetteGM
🔗 https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/YfmtJqk7WR— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 31, 2025
- The math says Caleb Thielbar is going to be throwing 113 mph by the time he’s 78:
Happy 38th birthday to Caleb Thielbar, here’s to another PR year in velocity gains. 🎉🔥
10 years ago, Caleb Thielbar was 28, averaging 87.8 mph, and out of the league—taking a job as the pitching coach at Augustana University.
10 years later, he’s made it through arbitration… pic.twitter.com/42Lf60q3sG— Chris Langin (@LanginTots13) January 31, 2025
- I don’t know to what extent there is a challenge to getting fans in Florida to really support pro baseball teams, or to what extent it’s just a unique issue in Miami and Tampa/St. Petersburg, specifically, but this seems like it won’t go anywhere:
- Beautiful:
- Hey, Spring Training starts THIS MONTH.
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