Pirates Make Offers To Freddy And Jack

by Androgen Jar Jimmy on Jul 18, 2009 4:58 AM EDT

Pirates ask Wilson, Sanchez to take sizable cuts

Sanchez's offer also seeks forfeiture of 2010 option worth $8 million

The Pirates yesterday made their initial financial offers toward keeping shortstop Jack Wilson and second baseman Freddy Sanchez, and they drew decidedly mixed reactions.

The offer to Wilson, according to two sources, covers two years plus a club option. No money terms were divulged, but it was seen as competitive even though it represented a significant cut from his current $7.4 million salary. Wilson would prefer three guaranteed years.

But the initial offer to Sanchez, also made yesterday, was for two years and a total believed to be in the range of $10 million. That would represent a cut from his current salary of $6.25 million and, more striking, the total is $2 million more than the $8 million Sanchez is set to make in 2010 alone under the vesting option in his current contract, one that would be annulled under the Pirates' proposal.

Now that's more like it. There was some hand-wringing and conspiracy theorizing yesterday about rumors that the Pirates were trying to sign Jack and Freddy to some crazy long-term contracts with no-trade clauses, but this new story makes a lot more sense.

Their skills will be declining in the next few years, so their salaries should too. If the Pirates can keep them for cheap, then that's great. And if they leave then the Pirates can find replacements and that's fine too. And it's not as if the Pirates have to find two new middle-infielders in a hurry. They're going to lose next year whether they have a great double-play duo or not.

Concerns that the Pirates will overpay for aging middle-infielders while the team is supposed to be rebuilding are now allayed. Neal's head is apparently screwed on properly after all.

Freddy says:

"Me and Jack are pretty genuine people, and we've made our feelings known about how much we want to stay. We have to see how genuine everybody is about this."

Genuine Fred and Genuine Jack have shared their genuine feelings with us about keeping their genuine friendship together. Well, now they can do it. I have a hunch which option they'll pick. I predict that Freddy and Jack will be selling their services to the highest bidder starting this September.

Unless of course, they really are in love, in which case I'm genuinely happy for them, and they'll be in Pirates uniforms together forever.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Looked to me

like the Pirates lowballed them.

by bucdaddy on Jul 18, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

NH's first Littlefield-esqe move

I agree this is clearly a low ball offer consistent with the idea that would communicate to the public “hey we tried to sign these guys, but have to trade them away before they leave us”. What was the point of these shenanigans if DK is going to report the value of your lowball offer? The flaw with this strategy is that, after the lowball offer leaks, NH now has severely weakened his hand with both the fans and other GMs. The fans now know that he wasn’t serious about signing these fan favorites. Now the fans look at you as cheap and other GMs look you at you with a big smile one their collective faces because they think they can now get Freddy and Jack without giving up talent in return, because “this is now a salary dump”.

Well done, NH. Way to weaken you hand and potential return for Freddy in a trade. Engaging in shenanigans that only weaken your strategic position? Very Littlefield-esqe. Otherwise, I think NH has done a solid job, but he deserves criticism for this.

by Chad Bahamas on Jul 18, 2009 11:10 AM EDT reply actions

The pressure

is all on Wilson, isn’t it, if he really wants to keep the bromance going? Because Freddy doesn’t have to do anything, except keep healthy enough to pile up the at-bats so his 2010 clause kicks in. (And if I’m him I sure turn down the insulting extension, which basically asks him to play 2011 for free.) Unless he gets traded he’ll still be here in a year.

It’s Jack who stands to walk the plank at the end of 2009. If he really wants to stay with the Pirates and Freddy, he has to swallow the pay cut and sign, and the Pirates come out ahead.

Maybe that’s NH’s intention all along, to leverage the two against each other to slice a couple million off the potential payroll.

by bucdaddy on Jul 18, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s a legit possibility, especially if NH is comfortable paying that $8M Freddy is slotted for in 2010. DK did say that a common theme of everyone he’s talked to seems to be the Bucs are targeting Jack. I still think this hurts Freddy’s trade value, but if they are going to keep him and use this to leverage a better deal from Jack, I say good move in the end.

by Chad Bahamas on Jul 18, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

I think that Neal is too smart to try to use the bromance as leverage. I can’t think of a single player in major league history who took less money so that he could be on the same team with his friends.

by Androgen Jar Jimmy on Jul 18, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

In my opinion, the Littlefield-esqe thing to do would be to offer them each a five year contract with $7 million per year.

He’s offering them what they’re worth. If they want it, fine. But if not, also fine.

by Androgen Jar Jimmy on Jul 18, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed about the Littlefield thing. I’d make a subtle change to the last line: he’s offering them what they’re worth to the Pirates. If they think they’re worth more to another team, fine.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jul 18, 2009 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure

If the Giants think that Sanchez is the final piece of the puzzle, then maybe they’re willing to pay more. But Jack and Freddy are not the final piece of the puzzle for the Pirates. They’re not even the first piece. They’re not in the puzzle at all.

by Androgen Jar Jimmy on Jul 18, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not sure he lowballed them

because as NH alluded to I’m not sure Freddy or Jack would get much more on the open market. Freddy maybe but Jack surely not. 32 year old middle infielders and one has significant injury history. . . .

I still don’t like this move at all and I’m not sure why the Pirates are doing it.

I made most of my life decisions at a Foghat concert... I stand by them.

by Chester J Lampwick on Jul 18, 2009 11:21 AM EDT reply actions

my comment in the other thread

I’d almost think that it could be them feeling out Jack and Freddy, trying to evaluate the value of keeping them verses the value of trading them.

They’re not valuable to the team if we sign them for 4 years at $8M per. If they’re willing to stay at affordable prices and we’re not getting anything that’s going to help us win in 2012 offered in return for Freddy, then signing them makes a reasonable amount of sense. If Freddy isn’t interested, then they can think more seriously about trading him for spare parts like Jonathan Sanchez.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jul 18, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions