Kuzul

It’s time to put your general manager hat on and make a very important decision. Your team is in position to add one impact player prior to the 2014 season. You can either trade for Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price or sign free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Which would be the better choice?

Before you make your pick, here’s a closer look at each player, what it would take to acquire them and the potential impact they’d have on your ballclub. 

Shin Soo-Choo

The 31-year-old Choo, who posted an .885 OPS with 21 homers and 20 stolen bases for the Cincinnati Reds last season, is reportedly seeking a seven-year, $140 million contract, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports tweeted that the general belief is that whichever team goes to eight years will ultimately land him.

One of the best all-around players in the game—he is considered to be a plus-defender in a corner outfield spot and one of the best in the game at getting on base, to go along with a strong combination of speed and power—the left-handed hitting Choo is capable of hitting anywhere in the lineup and playing anywhere in the outfield. He led off and played center field for the Reds in 2013, although he might fit best in right field while hitting second or third in the lineup. 

It’s not out of the question for a player to remain healthy and productive through his ages 37-38 seasons, but the likelihood isn’t very strong. In giving Choo seven or eight years and somewhere between $140-$160 million, a team should be satisfied with three to five great seasons, a couple of so-so seasons and at least one bad one. 

That might sound like a terrible value, but that’s what it’ll cost to sign a player of Choo‘s caliber for the last few years of his prime.  

David Price

With a projected 2014 salary of $13.1 million through arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and a 2015 salary that will most likely be in the $16-$18 million range in his final year under club control, the financial cost of acquiring David Price is quite affordable for most big league teams.

The necessary package of players it will take to trade for him, however, is not. 

Teams without an elite prospect in their organization need not inquire on the 28-year-old left-hander. For those that do have at least one, realize that a willingness to include that elite prospect in the deal is imperative for the trade talks to go any further than the initial inquiring stage. 

For two years of one of the best starting pitchers in the game—Price has a career record of 71-39 with a 3.19 ERA, 2.6 BB/9, 8.1 K/9 and a 67 percent quality start rate in 973 innings—the Rays are setting their sights high in terms of what they’ll need to receive in order to trade the former Cy Young award winner. 

In last offseason’s deal that sent pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to the Kansas City Royals, the Rays received one elite prospect (outfielder Wil Myers), a good pitching prospect with a middle-of-the-rotation profile (Jake Odorizzi) and two other minor leaguers with some upside but not a great chance of becoming big league regulars. 

You’ll have to do much better than that to acquire Price. 

What Would You Do? 

Let’s assume that your team has a decent-sized payroll and signing Choo won’t completely handcuff you in your pursuit of other players in the future. But if Choo isn’t productive over the first 2-3 years of the deal, you’ll probably lose your job. 

Now, let’s say that your farm system is deep enough to where you could give up three of your top five prospects, including two that are considered among the top 50 in the game, and still not completely deplete it. But if Price doesn’t help lead your team deep into the playoffs and he walks as a free agent following the 2015 season, while at least one of the players you traded for him is putting up big numbers with his new team, you’ll probably lose your job. 

Now make your pick. What’s the better acquisition? 

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This coming Monday ought to be a day for rejoicing around Major League Baseball, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the revised posting system for international players will be ratified.

Great! That means Masahiro Tanaka, the 25-year-old who’s been compiling video-game numbers for Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, will finally make the leap to the majors, right?

Although Rakuten‘s decision-makers were noncommittal at MLB‘s winter meetings, ESPN the Magazine‘s Buster Olney passes along a new development that might motivate them to post him after all: 

Source: Other teams in Japan considering kicking in $ for Rakuten to make up for diminished posting fee on Tanaka, to move toward agreement.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 13, 2013

The subtext here is that the other Nippon Professional Baseball teams are suffering so much from Tanaka‘s right arm that they’d literally pay the Golden Eagles to get rid of him. With filthy splitters that make even Cuban stars look silly, you can understand why he’s been so successful.

Under the previous rules, professional teams overseas were allowed to collect blind bids from MLB suitors.

For example, Japanese stars Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish were posted for $51.1 million and $51.7 million, respectively, and all of that money went directly to their former employers. Then there was a 30-day window during which the player could negotiate his major league contract.

Entering this offseason, the expectation was that the dearth of front-line starting pitching available in free agency and spike in revenue from television contracts would compel contending teams to bid even more on Tanaka.

The problem is they’re not allowed to anymore.

The maximum allowable posting fee will be only $20 million. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, Rakuten assistant general manager Aki Sasaki has hinted that he doesn’t see that as much of an incentive—especially with Tanaka under team control through 2015 and bound to generate profit off the field.

President Yozo Tachibana has also issued comments on the subject. As Baseball America‘s Ben Badler translates, “If Tanaka wants to go to MLB, they would like to let him leave.”

It’s essentially the same message, but with a different tone. Tanaka has already established that his “dream” is to pitch against the world’s toughest competition in the U.S. and Tachibana wants to grant his wish…if it makes business sense.

The resolution to this drama will partially hinge on how much money the other 11 NPB teams offer.

Tanaka‘s undefeated season—which earned him the equivalent of a Cy Young Award—led the Golden Eagles to the 2013 Japan Series title. Without their ace, the odds of repeating would obviously be reduced dramatically, thus opening the door a bit wider for everybody else. 

How much are those competitors willing to spend to increase their championship odds?

Aside from upsetting the numerous MLB clubs eager to bid for his services, the pitcher himself might also react poorly to the news that he’s being withheld from advancing his career.

What if Tanaka spends 2014 pouting? And if he fails to replicate those brilliant results, would he still generate much buzz among Rakuten‘s fanbase?

There’s also the risk of his insane workload—30 complete games since 2011 and about eight innings per start—resulting in a serious injury that deters any team from posting $20 million the following offseason.

After weighing all of those factors, the Golden Eagles will likely allow Tanaka to depart, wiping their tears of sorrow with wads of cash.

Ely is a national MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a sportscaster for 90.5 WVUM in Miami. He wants to make sweet, social love with all of you on Twitter.

Follow @MrElyminator

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For a team looking to reduce payroll commitments in 2014, the New York Yankees are not spending the offseason in the bargain-hunting section of the free-agent market. 

At this rate, it’s hard to imagine the 2014 Yankees taking the field with a total payroll of less than $200 million. 

With the formal introduction of Jacoby Ellsbury at Yankee Stadium on Friday morning, the team, entering the offseason with a self-imposed mandate to fall under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold, has committed more than $300 million to free agents in the span of one month.

The five newest Yankees (Brian McCann, Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Hiroki Kuroda and Kelly Johnson) will account for a major portion of the 2014 payroll. If they help the team qualify for the postseason, the expenditures will be justified. If not, the team will be questioned about a strategy that had been taking shape for years.

During recent winters, the Yankees made a point to save dollars for the 2014 payroll.

Nick Swisher, a versatile performer on excellent Yankee offense, was allowed to depart for Cleveland. Russell Martin, one of the most valuable catchers in baseball, was lost when the Pittsburgh Pirates outbid New York for his services. Vernon Wells, acquired in a deal last spring, was brought aboard only when Los Angeles agreed to pay every dollar of his 2014 salary.

These moves, although head-scratching and a major reason why the team missed the postseason in 2013, were justified through the prism of resetting the luxury tax after 2014. The benefits of one year under $189 million would reverberate throughout the sport for years. By lowering their tax bracket, the Yankees can spend freely—without hesitation of paying dollar-for-dollar taxes—on the best players on the open market. That strategy, despite allowing Robinson Cano to flee to Seattle for $240 million, is dissipating by the week.

A change in direction is fine, but don’t expect the Yankees to come out and say it now. By keeping their short- and long-term payroll cap to themselves, the team can use it as leverage in contract negotiations with free agents. 

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that could have been part of the strategy with Cano. By floating the necessity of $189 million as a team cap, New York could have hoped to keep Cano’s asking price in a reasonable range. When that failed, costing the team their best and most durable player, the strategy may have changed.

With the offseason progressing, it’s important to note the change in Yankee owner Hal Steinbrenner‘s tune when asked about the $189 million mandate last month, per CBS New York. Instead of harping on the importance, Steinbrenner talked about championship baseball superseding the payroll limit.

“That is the goal, but in no way, shape or form will we sacrifice our commitment to field a championship-caliber team,” Steinbrenner told Sherman. “That’s not going to happen.”

For Yankees fans, that’s good. For the free agents who can fill New York’s remaining needs, it’s great. Despite loading up on a star-studded group of contributors, the Yankees still need to fill major holes in order to compete for a championship in 2014.  

The Yankees are probably better now than they were in 2013, but the net gain isn’t what you might imagine. 

By signing Ellsbury, McCann and Beltran, New York added a total of 10.4 WAR, per Baseball-Reference, to their team. Allowing Cano to walk, though, will cost the Yankees a player that averaged 7.5 WAR per year over the last four seasons. 

According to Brian Costa of The Wall Street Journal, the total offseason layout in New York could come close to $400 million if holes are properly filled at second base, third base, starting rotation and in the bullpen.

Omar Infante, the most accomplished second baseman left on the open market, has a three-year, $24 million deal on the table from the Yankees, per CBS Sports. If—or when—Japanese pitching star Masahiro Tanaka is posted, expect the Yankees to make a major effort to sign him to a lucrative, long-term contract.  

As shown above, the Yankees payroll currently sits at slightly more than $172 million. That number, however, comes with a major caveat: Alex Rodriguez‘s $27.5 million salary for 2014. 

Until arbitrator Fred Horowitz rules on Rodriguez’s 211-game suspension appeal, his salary remains on the books. Over the next few weeks, the final ruling on A-Rod will become the tipping point for the 2014 Yankees’ payroll.

Considering all the money spent so far and on the work that still has to be done in order to field a 90-plus win team and the roughly $16 million each team allocates toward insurance, pension and in-season minor league call-ups, it’s hard to imagine the Yankees coming in at less than $189 million even if Rodriguez’s 2014 is wiped from the books.

If it’s not, Rodriguez won’t just be the Yankees’ opening-day third baseman; he’ll also be one member of a payroll receiving more than $200 million. 

For a franchise with the revenue and resources of the New York Yankees, the specter of a payroll less than $189 million seemed bizarre from the start. In a perfect world, any business would love to succeed while cutting costs. Unfortunately for the Yankees, the cost of winning on a yearly basis is very, very expensive. 

Do you believe the Yankees will stay at less than a $189 million payroll?

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball. 

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The market for relief pitching took an interesting, pricey turn for teams still trying to fill out their bullpens. Following a long line of questionable deals for specialists, the Colorado Rockies have signed Boone Logan to a three-year contract, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

What makes this deal stand out, aside from the fact that it’s yet again a three-year deal for a matchup lefty, is that the Rockies had been doing a solid job rebuilding their pitching staff without overpaying in trades and free agency.

I was a huge fan of their winter meetings’ trade with Oakland that brought Brett Anderson. LaTroy Hawkins, even though he’s 40, isn’t a bad investment for one year and $2.5 million dollars.

Logan’s deal, while not necessarily wiping all that goodwill away, does change a lot of things that happened this offseason.

It’s already been a strange winter for relievers. Take a look at some of these notable deals already signed.

Joe Nathan’s contract, while pricey, isn’t exactly a surprise because he comes with that “proven closer” label, and the Tigers had huge holes in the back of the ‘pen that needed to be filled. 

Edward Mujica was on the same boat that carried Shelby Miller away from the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2013 postseason, but he has been an effective reliever for the last five years. 

I would poke fun at the Dodgers for giving Brian Wilson and his beard $10 million for pitching just 13.2 innings during the 2013 regular season, but that team is operating on a different financial planet than any others right now. 

The three contracts for relievers that will dictate everything else that happens the rest of the offseason are for Logan, Javier Lopez and Joe Smith. 

Smith has evolved in the last three years from a right-handed specialist to someone capable of getting hitters from both sides out, though he still has a decent-sized split against lefties (.717 OPS, compared to .605 against righties in 2013). 

Lopez and Logan are one-dimensional pitchers who are getting paid more than $4 million and $5 million per season, respectively, for the next three years to do that one thing. 

Both players have cracked the 50-inning barrier once since 2010, but if you want to defend their track records, you can say they have been about as durable as any relievers out there. Lopez has three consecutive seasons with at least 69 appearances, while Logan has appeared in at least 50 games during the last four years. 

Using the limited innings for Lopez and Logan as the barometer, free agents such as Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney would seem to benefit greatly from those signings. 

Logan, just 29 years old, does have the advantage of youth that Lopez, Balfour, Benoit and Rodney don’t; however, given the volatile nature of relief pitching, age doesn’t help Logan as much as you might think. 

Benoit, Balfour and Rodney also have the advantage of holding the “proven closer” label for which teams will pay.

Balfour and Benoit reportedly have contract offers on the table, though these deals were put out there before Logan signed his deal with the Rockies on Thursday night. 

Baltimore, in need of a reliever after trading Jim Johnson to Oakland, is one of three teams with a two-year contract offer for Balfour, according to Eduardo Encina and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.

The Orioles have competition in the quest to sign Grant Balfour. They are one of three teams who have made the 35-year-old free-agent closer a two-year offer, according to an industry source.

Among the three offers Balfour is considering, one includes a vesting option for a third year. That option is not from the Orioles, according to a source.

Benoit, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, has two offers on the table for $14 million over the next two years from San Diego and Cleveland. 

You get the sense that if any team goes to three guaranteed years, Benoit and/or Balfour will have a new home, but it’s easy to see teams in these particular markets not wanting or willing to do that because they understand relievers rarely age gracefully. 

Unfortunately for teams such as San Diego, Baltimore and Cleveland—the latter two having playoff aspirations next year—Logan’s deal will likely hinder their efforts to bring in the pitchers they want. 

Agents are smart enough to know which way the market winds blow.

Scott Boras will demand seven years for Shin-Soo Choo because Jacoby Ellsbury (also a Boras client), a superior defensive player but inferior hitter, got seven years from the New York Yankees. 

Choo is 14 months older, which hurts his negotiating power, but he has been more durable over the last five years—playing at least 144 games four times—than Ellsbury.

Logan has value as someone who can destroy left-handed hitters. When agents see a player like him getting three guaranteed years, they’d think that benefits pitchers who can get out any hitter and have track records of pitching in the ninth inning. 

Therein lies a problem trying to figure out the relief market, though.

The idea of a “proven closer” is, to me, ridiculous. Paying a player because he happens to pitch in the ninth inning when there could be more at stake in the seventh or eighth inning is a waste of money. 

Teams have caught on to this trend in recent years, at least to a certain extent. There was a time when a player like Chris Perez, who saved 123 games the last four years, would net something on the trade market. 

Instead, the Indians decided to release Perez after the 2013 season because he was so terrible in the second half (5.60 ERA, 33 hits, seven homers in 27.1 innings). His salary would have spiked in arbitration this winter after earning $7 million last year, since it is nearly impossible for a player—no matter how bad—to lose money in arbitration. 

Sometimes a team ignores the warning signs with relievers, as the Rockies did with Logan and San Francisco did with Lopez, because they are desperate to help themselves. This changes the market—usually in a bad way— for teams in need of relief pitching. 

Don’t be surprised to see teams such as Cleveland and Baltimore explore different options now based on the (likely) reactions of Benoit and Balfour. Those clubs can’t afford to allocate three years and, say, $20 million to $25 million for a bullpen arm. 

It also hurts the likelihood that Benoit, Balfour and Rodney, as well as other relievers on the market, find new homes before the new year. If superior players are seeing these deals being handed out, it’s their prerogative to ask for more years and/or money. 

Logan’s deal, while it may help Colorado in the short term, will slow down the market for relief pitching. 

If you want to talk baseball, feel free to hit me up on Twitter.

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The MLB winter meetings were lacking in major transactions, but all 30 teams returned home with a better understanding of their roster needs and which players are capable of addressing them.

Rest assured, front office staffs intend to continue exploring free agency and the trade market in preparation for the 2014 season.

There’s still enough time remaining in the offseason to think ambitiously. Multiple teams still have their sights set on Shin-Soo Choo, Masahiro Tanaka, David Price and others with franchise-changing talent.

With two months to go until spring training gets underway, here’s a look at who’s being targeted by each club.

*Stats provided by Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise specified.

Begin Slideshow

Undervalued assets, in dollars or production, are the key to fielding a successful team.

Thus far, the offseason has been highlighted by contracts in excess of $150 million to Jacoby Ellsbury and $240 million to Robinson Cano, but it’s the smaller, less talked about moves that could pay major dividends in 2014. 

With revenue rising around the sport, free-agent players are receiving eye-opening offers and signing them without hesitation. Due to the cost of those free agents, general managers are holding onto their prospects, hoping for cheap labor to impact the club within a few seasons.

As the sport takes center stage in Disney World, we await the next major signing or trade, but often, it’s the smaller pacts or less publicized trades that go without the coverage they deserve.

Here are the six biggest steals of the offseason thus far. From one-year contracts to trades, the six players changing addresses all can provide more value than their most recent transaction suggests.

*All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.

Begin Slideshow

The Seattle Mariners are back. That’s the main message that one can take away from their signing of Robinson Cano. The deal was first reported by ESPN Deportes‘ Enrique Rojas. 

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the deal is for $240 million over 10 years. While the years and the numbers are stunning, they are almost besides the point. The Mariners are telling MLB that they are back to being a relevant franchise again.

The Mariners vastly overpaid for Cano, but they know that. It was the only way that Cano was going to leave the New York Yankees. This is about setting a new tone for a franchise, one that has drifted toward mediocrity and irrelevance over the years outside of Felix Hernandez.

Seattle has the money to make this type of deal without crippling the franchise long term based on a new $2 billion television deal that Forbes’ Mike Ozanian breaks down here. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, have spent heavily since signing their new television deal last season. 

Having prospects and a highly ranked farm systems is great, but no one was watching or talking about the Mariners last season. On Friday, everyone was talking about Seattle, talking about the deal, talking about other moves that the Mariners might be able to pull off this winter.

I would compare this deal to when the Boston Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez after the 2000 season. The Red Sox signed Ramirez to an eight-year deal worth roughly $160 million. It was a deal that no other team was offering. When the deal was announced, it immediately put a buzz back into the city of Boston and started the Red Sox back toward being a contender. Boston eventually won a World Series in 2004.

The Mariners remain an untapped gem of a franchise in a great market that hasn’t been able to reap the benefits of not having to compete with an NBA or NHL franchise for consumer dollars. The fact that attendance was dwindling shows that the product on the field wasn’t very exciting or interesting.

Last year, attendance was 1.76 million people, the third season in a row that attendance has been below 2 million. It’s a far cry from 2002 when the Mariners led the American League in attendance at 3.5 million, more than twice as much as they drew last season. 

Signing Cano is just as much about what he can provide off of the field than what his numbers might look like at the end of this deal. As great as Hernandez has been for Seattle, it is really tough to have a pitcher be the face of the franchise.

Other free agents will now take Seattle more seriously when the offer a deal. Corporate and business partners might be far more likely to invest now that the team has a daily face of the franchise.

Cano’s success in New York is something that can be sold as promise for the Mariners. Cano’s brand comes with him winning a World Series in New York, receiving MVP votes during six different seasons, five-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and a two-time Gold Glove winner. 

I am normally against teams signing players to this type of contract—there is normally just too much downside. In this case, I understand the reasoning behind it. Seattle wanted back in to the AL West, back to being in the playoff conversation, back to its fanbase having hope in spring training again. 

If Cano’s contract results in the Mariners becoming relevant again, then it will be well worth it.  

Information used from Enrique Rojas/ESPN Deportes, Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Baseball Reference, Mike Ozanian/Forbes and Baseball America.

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The most common thought of the week—I know because I’ve said it, wrote it, texted it and tweeted it myself—is how there won’t be much left for teams to do at next week’s winter meetings because everything has already happened.

That, of course, isn’t true. It just seems that way after 25 free agents signed major league contracts this week while eight trades were made involving 23 players, according to MLBDepthCharts.com’s Transaction Tracker. 

In reality, there is still plenty that could occur and several teams haven’t even made their first move yet. Others that have been busy aren’t anywhere near finished making over their roster. And in a setting where general managers can meet face-to-face with fellow general managers, free-agent players and their agents, things tend to happen at a much more rapid pace.  

That setting is Orlando, Florida, home of this year’s winter meetings. Beginning on Monday, December 9, all 30 organizations will be represented heavily by front-office personnel and anyone else involved in making key decisions. By Thursday, most will head out of town and several players will have changed teams. 

Here are five teams to keep an eye on, either because they’re likely to be one of the most active in pursuing impact talent and/or because they have impact talent to trade. 

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (Buyer)

General manager Kevin Towers has yet to add any talent to his big league roster this offseason, but he did clear up some space in a crowded bullpen and freed up $5 million from his payroll when he traded Heath Bell to the Rays. And he could be gearing up to make a splash next week in Orlando.

With reports that Towers is shopping for a power bat—Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that they were in discussions with the A’s on a potential deal that would’ve landed them Yoenis Cespedes; Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic wrote that they made a strong push for Carlos Beltran before he signed with the Yankees—and/or an ace starter, as was reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, it would be a surprise if the D’backs went home empty-handed. 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (Buyer/Seller)

The Dodgers have been quiet, making just two notable roster moves thus far. Bringing back veteran reliever Brian Wilson to set up for closer Kenley Jansen and Dan Haren to fill out the back of the rotation has cost the Dodgers a total of $20 million (each is guaranteed $10 million for 2014).

They’re capable of much more, although general manager Ned Colletti could be more focused on trading one of his outfielders. 

Next week could be his best chance to gauge interest in his trio of outfielders that he’s willing to trade—Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp (pictured). Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported last month that the Dodgers were willing to listen to offers on all three.

Kemp would be the biggest catch and his agent, former big league pitcher Dave Stewart, told Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston that he has a “strong feeling something could happen” involving his client in Orlando next week. Nick Cafardo wrote last month that the Red Sox had inquired on Kemp as a possible replacement for Jacoby Ellsbury, who signed with the Yankees.

With Carlos Beltran, Ellsbury and Curtis Granderson all coming off of the free-agent board in recent days, teams could be more focused on adding outfield help through trades. If Shin-Soo Choo signs over the weekend or early next week, Colletti might be the most popular man around the hotel lobby for the remainder of the meetings.

3. New York Yankees (Buyer)

Carlos Beltran. Jacoby Ellsbury. Hiroki Kuroda. Brian McCann. What an amazing start to the offseason for the Yankees! But they’re not done. At least they better not be. They still have an infield spot to fill, as well as a starting pitcher and at least one late-inning reliever to add before we can declare them playoff contenders once again. 

Free agency is still the likely route for general manager Brian Cashman, although the addition of Beltran and Ellsbury could make Brett Gardner expendable. 

They could also wait for Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka to be posted, although there is no guarantee that his team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, will make him available this year, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Instead, they could focus their attention on one of the top three free-agent starters, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana, all who are still available. 

4. Seattle Mariners (Buyer)

The Mariners made a huge statement when they agreed to sign star second baseman Robinson Cano to a ten-year, $240 million deal early Friday—the news was first reported by Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. But they weren’t one superstar player away from being legitimate contenders in the AL West. 

And general manager Jack Zduriencik knows that, which is why the M’s are still expected to make news this offseason in free agency, the trade market or both. Acquiring ace starter David Price would be another step in the right direction and the M’s think they have the package of players to make a deal happen, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. 

Even if they don’t land Price, the fact that he’s on their radar shows that the M’s aren’t close to being finished in their quest to build a contender for 2014. 

5. Tampa Bay Rays (Buyer/Seller)

The Rays would very likely trade ace David Price (pictured) in the right deal and 17-of-21 front-office personnel surveyed by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick last month think that he’ll be traded. Whether it happens or not, expect this to be the No. 1 topic next week in Orlando.

The Rays are also shopping for a first baseman and they’re interested in re-signing James Loney, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. They could also acquire their next first baseman in a deal for Price or in a smaller deal involving one of a handful of players around the league that could be available, including Ike Davis, Mitch Moreland or Logan Morrison, who the Marlins are willing to listen to offers on, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 

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Nobody is offering the New York Yankees a shoulder to cry on following Friday’s free-agent departures of Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson.

That’s because the club opened up its wallet this week for Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury, a pair of All-Stars with comparable offensive potential. Including the newly introduced Brian McCann, the Yanks have committed $283 million to three lineup fixtures, while the competition spent $300 million even to lure Cano and Granderson away:

Now, let’s consider how much production is coming and going from the Bronx: 

So that’s pretty fascinating—the overall value that these newcomers have provided over the past four years has been eerily similar to what New York was getting from Cano and Granderson. They—mostly Ellsbury—offset the lack of sheer power with superior efficiency on the basepaths.

And Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch is at least partially responsible for the discrepancy in those aforementioned home run numbers. MetsBlog’s Maggie Wiggin used ESPN Home Run Tracker data to show that the “Grandy Man,” in particular, would generate substantially fewer round-trippers at another ballpark.

The Yankees’ high-profile signees should similarly reap the benefits of the stadium’s friendly dimensions. Ellsbury and McCann both swing from the left side of the plate, while the switch-hitting Beltran does for the majority of his plate appearances.

One concern for the 2014 offense, however, is how it will fare against southpaws.

The three prominent additions all posted dramatic platoon splits this past summer:

• Beltran in 2013: .871 OPS vs. RHP, .729 vs. LHP; Beltran in MLB career: .847 OPS vs. RHP, .878 OPS vs. LHP.

• Ellsbury in 2013: .863 OPS vs. RHP, .641 OPS vs. LHP; Ellsbury in MLB career: .813 OPS vs RHP, .733 OPS vs LHP.

• McCann in 2013: .869 OPS vs. RHP, .616 OPS vs. LHP; McCann in MLB career: .857 OPS vs. RHP, .744 OPS vs. LHP. 

The 2013 team won 58.2 percent of the time when lefties started against them, per MLB.com, compared to only 52.5 percent of their games overall.

Could the advantage they had suddenly morph into an Achilles’ heel?

It probably won’t, thankfully. As you can see, the struggles were uncharacteristic in each of case. If these players’ future performances bear more resemblance to their lifetime norms, then yes, they’re capable of offsetting the Yankees’ losses of Cano and Granderson.

Fans of the pinstripes can eagerly await plenty more “See ya!” moments. They’ll just have to get used to attributing them to new faces.

Ely is a national MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a sportscaster for 90.5 WVUM in Miami. He wants to make sweet, social love with all of you on Twitter.

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Robinson Cano‘s ten-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners, which was first reported by Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (spanish link) earlier in the day, ties him with Albert Pujols for the third-highest contract ever handed out to a major league player—Alex Rodriguez holds the record for the first two spots. 

While there are plenty of examples of players putting up elite numbers into their late-30’s, it’s still a significant risk for the M’s because of the likelihood that they’ll be paying Cano top dollar for at least a few seasons when he’ll no longer be in his prime.

For every David Ortiz, who had a .959 OPS with 30 homers at the age of 37, there are several formerly great players who were out of the game by their early-to-mid 30’s because their skills had diminished to a point where they could no longer produce league average numbers. 

Contracts of this magnitude, years and dollars-wise, are still relatively new with the contract of Derek Jeter the only one amongst the top ten highest of all time that has expired. Therefore, it’s hard to point at any and declare Cano’s deal as a huge mistake by the Mariners.

But for what the players on this “10 Richest Contracts In MLB History” list have done on the field thus far and where they appear headed over the course of their deals, it’s not too early to pass judgment and place a grade on their impact. 

Each of the 10 slides contains contract details, average WAR per season over the course of the deal, a summary on the player’s impact and/or potential impact in the future and a letter grade.

The player’s contract, according to Baseball Prospectus, is listed. The player’s average WAR (wins above replacement) per season, according to Baseball-Reference, is also listed. 

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