Moving on Up

I have finally taken the steps necessary to get my own domain and will no longer be The Baseball Authority on wordpress.

I am now Baseball Mastermind.

Come along, friends.

Rockies Extend Tulowitzki: 6-Years $30 Million

The Colorado Rockies have reportedly agreed to a contract extension with SS-R Troy Tulowitzki on a record six-year $30 million contract with a club option for 2014. This deal represents the largest contract for a player with only one-year of service time, eclipsing the six-year $23.45 million contract signed by CF-L Grady Sizemore in 2006.

Big ups to General Manager Dan O’Dowd and the Colorado Rockies front office for getting this deal done. They have managed to give themselves cost certainty through Tulowitzki’s arbitration years and have cut into his first two seasons of free agency provided they pick up their club option. As a result, Tulo won’t become a free agent until he turns 30.

Still, for the kid who was drafted 7th overall out of Long Beach State in 2005, Tulowitzki must be happy and he sure earned his new contract. Tulowitzki is coming off a stellar rookie season where he hit .291/.359/.479 with 24 home runs and 99 RBI in 609 at-bats. Tulowitzki also made a name for himself as a wizard with the glove and rated as the second best shortstop in baseball according to defensive zone rating and finished the season 24 fielding runs above average (FRAA). He finished in second place in rookie of the year voting behind 3B-R Ryan Braun of Milwaukee.

Regardless of what happens with LF-R Matt Holliday, whether he departs as a free agent following the 2009 season, Tulowitzki is exactly the type of player an organization wants to lock up longterm and build around as his defense at a middle of the diamond position will keep his value high. The only concern is his road performance as his he hit only .256/.327/.393 with 9 home runs, compared to .326/.392/.568 with 15 home runs at home. This disparity is troubling, but isn’t too much cause for concern as it was his rookie season.

All in all, this is a great deal for the Rockies and their fans.

———————————–

The St. Louis Cardinals have given C-R Yadier Molina a four-year extension with a club option for 2012. Like the Tulowitzki deal, this will keep the catcher with the Cardinals through one or two of his free agent seasons. Molina, living up to the family reputation, has consistently been one of the best defensive catchers in baseball although he has never hit too well.

The financial terms have not yet been disclosed but Molina likely is earning less than $20 million over the life of the deal and again, cost and position certainty are important for teams, particularly at a position like catcher where a working relation with a pitching staff is key.

———————————–

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms with RHP Octavio Dotel to a two-year $11 million deal. Dotel has battled arm injuries and was limited to 30.2 IP in 2007 and missed most of 2005-06 as well. This is another long-shot attempt by the White Sox at contending in 2008 through taking risk and giving a player who probably won’t pitch over the life of the contract in the hopes of getting something out of him in 2008.

I’m not buying it.

Big Brother Says: There Were Always Pictures on The Baseball Authority.

Merry Christmas

I just want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy holliday season.  Spend time with loved ones and enjoy the time you have together.

Regular posting will be put on hold for about a week as I will be going on a skii vacation in Mammoth. 

I will see you all in the year 2008!

Jake Peavy, Padres Talking Extension: 3-Years $52 million

It is being reported Jake Peavy, 2007 pitching triple crown winner (19-6, 2.54 ERA, 240 K in 223.1 IP), is in discussions with the Padres for a contract extension worth $70 million that could keep the ace in San Diego until 2013. With Peavy set to make $6.5 million in 2008 and a team option for 2009 worth $11 million, and set to hit the free agent market following 2009, this is good news for the organization and its fans, trying to compete against the AZ Diamondbacks, the LA Dodgers and the COL Rockies in the NL West.

With the current deal, Peavy will still earn his 2008-09 pay, with the extension not beginning until 2010, where Peavy will make $15, 16 and 17 million from 2010-2012. There is a team option for $22 million, which they’d be foolish not to pick-up barring something unforeseen.

I understand that many players, like Trevor Hoffman and Brian Giles have also taken the San Diego discount to stay in San Diego and this is definitely the case with Peavy. With talks being worked out for a deal between the Minnesota Twins and Johan Santana, extensions are being mentioned in the $150 million range. Peavy really needs to fire his agent because given the market, he has seriously sold himself short.

Peavy is arguably one of the top two or three pitchers in the game and could make a decent run at Johan’s contract in 2009 with inflation in the free agent market going the way it is. Not to mention, on the open market, teams such as the Red Sox, the Yankees and possibly the Angels, Dodgers and Tigers could potentially get involved.

I commend a player for being loyal to his team and his fans but with the Padres struggling to stay competitive and all the prospect of playing for a better team, I think Peavy could have at least waited out 2009 before signing himself away, especially for a pitcher with an injury in his past and now as good as he will ever consistently be.

Still, the Padres have been running a pretty shrewd business since they compiled the front office team of CEO Sandy Alderson, VP/GM Kevin Towers, VP Scouting and Player Development Grady Fuson and former stat-savvy GM Paul Depodesta as a Special Assistant–they are a team to watch. They just lost Milton Bradley to the Texas Rangers over about $1 million dollars, so the Padres could use the good news. Still, signing SP Randy Wolf to a one-year $4.75 million deal plus incentives and getting C Michael Barrett back and remaining in the hunt for Kosuke Fukudome, they will try to be a contender again in 2008 as a marginal NL team.