Reminders for Keeper Selection

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Hey guys,

Just a couple things for everyone to keep in mind as you are doing your research, setting your rosters, and making decisions on who to keep:

1) You do not have to keep everyone. Once you keep the player, the contract is on your books. If you don't like the contract, don't hang on to the guy. Everyone will have to be under the $170M cap number, so tough decisions will have to be made. Nick Swisher, for example, will not be a part of the Cleveland Braves.

2) Anyone who is under our rookie eligibility limits can be kept as a minor leaguer, rather than a big leaguer. This may open you up to keep someone else. Christian Bethancourt for my team squeaks under the 130 AB limit, so I will keep him as a minor leaguer rather than one of my 15 Braves.

3) In a similar vein, make sure that you check the eligibility of your guys you are keeping as prospects. If they are coming off of 2015 prospect lists, they are likely to be ok, but it is worth keeping an eye on.

4) You cannot trade anyone who you do not select as one of your 15 keepers. 

5) Scott mentioned this in another thread, but you are going to have to sign at least 7 people during free agency (15+15=30, minimum 37 on roster) at a minimum of $500K per player. Therefore, you need at least $3,500 under your cap heading into free agency. 

[Commish Emeritus (Scott)]

Let me add, if you have a player who's currently in his 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th year at league minimum $500,000, you MAY keep that type of player for an additional 3 years (Arb1, Arb2, and Arb3) at $1M, $2M and $3M.

[Baltimore Pirates (Jason)]

So for example, Gregory Polanco (unless he is a super 2) would be 15-16: $0.5M, 17: $1M, 18: $2M, 19:, $3M?

[Commish Emeritus (Scott)]

Unless I'm mistaken, because Polanco was promoted last year (would have been $0 had we been playing then) and surpassed 130 AB, 2015 should be his first season at $500K.

I'm thinking his contract would look like: 15-18:$0.5M, 19:$1M, 20:$2M, 21:$3M

4 years at league minimum before arbitration, right guys?

I believe Polanco would fall into the Pre-Arbitration (below $1M) category listed below...


Minor league players: These are players who have not passed the 130 AB/50 IP/20 APP threshold. An owner may keep up to 25 from one of their major league teams initially. When one of these players crosses the above threshold, an owner must call them up to the 40 man roster before the next season begins. At that point, their 4 year league minimum contract begins. At the conclusion of the four years, the owner can apply the prospect tag, if available, allowing the player to be kept for two more years at $3 million and $5 million

Pre-Arbitration players (below one million): These players have fewer than 3 years of service time. They will receive their current salary each year until they reach eligibility for arbitration according to Cot's. At that point, they will receive $1 million, $2 million, and $3 million for three years. At the conclusion of the third year, they are eligible for free agency.

Pre-Arbitration players (Strasburg, Ackley, etc): These players also have fewer than 3 years of service time but are currently earning over $1 million dollars. These players will receive their current salary each year until they reach eligibility for arbitration according to Cot's. The difference is, however, that for each year of arbitration they will be given a one million dollar raise from their current salary (meaning they will be making more than the 1-2-3 million that most pre-arbitration players will earn.

Arbitration players: These players have more than 3 but less than 6 years of service. An owner will use whichever figure comes out of real life arbitration or any settlement for the current year. Each additional year of arbitration they are eligible for, they can be kept at a one million dollar raise.

Post-arbitration players: These players have more than six years of service and will become free agents when their contracts expire.

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Here is a resource I found that may work well for determining how many years guys have at 500K before moving to the 1/2/3M arb years. We will still use Cots as the official determination for salaries, but this can help with the current dilemma.

Just pick the team and click on "salaries by year"


www.spotrac.com/mlb/

[Deleted]

So im a little confused.........Strasburg was paid $3.975 in 2014. What is his salary 2015, 2016....etc?

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

His projection for 2015 is 8.1, so that will be his salary, and then add 1M for 2016 to make it 9.1 (which will be quite the bargain compared to what he will actually get).

www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2015.html

[Deleted]

thx Drew....that's what I thought it would be.

[Deleted]

So what is Dellin betances salary?

this is from cots for 2014
Dellin Betances rhp
1 year/$0.5021M (2014)

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Looks like Betances has 15 and 16 at 500K before starting his 1/2/3M arb years in 17-19

[Deleted]

thx Drew

[Deleted]

going off Washington/Yankees question about Betances, whats the max years he can sign him and I assume his years would be 15:500k, 16:500K, 17:1.5M, 18:2.5M, 19:3.5M

still learning this format, so am I correct at thinking he could sign him for 5 yrs (2015-2019) at the rates I listed? Thx

[Commish Emeritus (Scott)]

Guys like this still on league minimum salary of $500K, his arb years would be 17:$1M, 18:$2M and 19:$3M. We don't use $1.5M, etc.

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Each guy will have a certain number of years at $500K and then arb years at 1/2/3M, unless they are currently arbitration eligible. In that case, we go off the mlbtraderumors projections and add 1M for each year after this year's projections. To figure out how many years a guy has left at 500K, go to www.spotrac.com/mlb/ and click on "Salaries by year." Any that are blank before the ones listed as "ARB" will be 500K for our purposes.

[Commish Emeritus (Scott)]

Even www.Baseball-Reference.com shows some decent info for players. For example it shows Aaron Hicks MIN as Arbitration eligible in 2017. So that would lead me to believe that he's $500K for 2015-2016, and then I'd be able to contract him at 17:$1M, 18:$2M, 19:$3M.

Sometimes...I'm not sure why, certain players have 4 years of arbitration. I have Seth Maness who shows Arb Eligible from 2016-2019, eligible for Free Agency in 2020. So for him I'd actually get a 4th year at $4M. Make sense?

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Yea, a small percentage of guys every year are Super Two eligible, which gives them 4 years of arb. Yea, you would get Maness at 4M for the 4th year.

[Deleted]

what about "Club Option" years......someone like Brian McCann has 2015 thru 2018 at $17m then in 2019 its a Club Option for $15m. do I control him thru 2019 or only thru 2018?

[Commish Emeritus (Scott)]

For a guy like McCann, you control the Option. You can accept the 2019 option for $15M, or you can decline it and he'd become a free agent.

Sent from my SM-G900V using proboards

[Deleted]

in 2019 I make that decision?

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Correct.

[Deleted]

I own the Cubs, so I have many youngsters. Please help on how I should list player contracts:
Soler. 89 ABs
Baez: 213 ABs
Bryant: O ABs

[Deleted]

CUBS....IF IM CORRECT YOU WOULD HAVE;

SOLER & Bryant IN YOUR MINORS

bAEZ WOULD BE 1ST YR SO .$5M IN 2015/2016/2017 THEN HE HITS ARB AT 2018:$1M 19:$2m 20:$3m

[Cleveland Braves (Drew)]

Rich is correct on all.

[Deleted]

And Jefferson Mejia would be a Diamondback

[Deleted]

Soler's contract is below. What would be the difference with the strong assumption that he starts season in Chicago 

Jorge Soler CHC 15:$2.7M, 16:$3.7M, 17:$3.7M, 18:$4.7M, 19:$4.7M, 20:$4.7M