We know this about Brian Fuentes contract for next year - the team at least HAD an option.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about this, and when TwinsCentric checked with the Twins, someone within the organization told us the Twins did not have a $9 million club option on next year. But this is from the Angels press release about his contract.
"The Angels Wednesday agreed to terms on a two-year contract with free agent left-handed pitcher Brian Fuentes. The contract includes a club option for the 2011 season."
Again, this isn't reported - it's the press release from the Angels. You can still see it online here.
Now, maybe that doesn't still exist. Maybe it was written into the contract that it went away if he was traded. Maybe they needed to exercise it a year early for it to be valid, ala Cuddyer's. Or maybe it was dropped out for some other reason. But it is very strange for a player to have a vesting option and not have it already be a team option.
I'm also pretty sure it doesn't matter. Even if it existed, the Twins wouldn't exercise a $9 million option on Fuentes given their tight payroll constraints. I certainly wouldn't. But I would rather do that than get stuck paying an arbitration award of $7.5M+ for Matt Capps.
Friday, October 22, 2010
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3 comments:
"But I would rather do that than get stuck paying an arbitration award of $7.5M+ for Matt Capps."
Could not agree more.
Cot's Baseball, http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/minnesota-twins_17.html, reports Fuentes option as vesting-only. Its really not that unusual.
Capps is 27 years old, the same age as Liriano and Duensing. Offering Capps arbitration is a no-brainer. His potential makes him worth the arbitration salary. He is two years younger than Joe Nathan was when the Twins acquired him.
Fuentes is 35, only a year younger than Joe Nathan now. He isn't likely to get any better and has a good chance to be worse.
Annual payroll is only one factor in determining salary outlays. Capps is very likely to be a type A free agent after next season if the Twins don't lock him up with a multi-year contract. They may well do that, since their obligation to Nathan ends after next season.
You have a difficult time being wrong, don't you?
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