How fulfilling is winning it all when you go to such extreme lengths to do it? What's everyone's take on this? Is it the same to win with a team that has been built and developed over time as it is with a team that you just went out and bought? You can say the Dodgers have a bit of both here, but just seems like a bunch of businessmen taking fans along for a cheap (well, not cheap) thrill ride.
I think it’s just like NIL with CFB. If you don’t go in heavy, you’ll have to be extremely lucky (and good) for a chance to even sniff a championship.
Yeah, I don’t like it. I watched the Dodgers roll out the same lineup every year when I was in grade school. Listening to Scully on on those summer nights on local AM radio was something I’ll never forget…. Shit changes, and just like music, you cant tell me it’s better now.
Kike is pretty much a true blue Dodger. That other guy they had to take as a result of getting Glasnow. They'd been shopping him all winter. Once Kike couldn't get the deal he wanted, they got value for him. Unloaded some or most of his contract. And signed Kike cheap. Hernandez can play any position and is a clubhouse and fan favorite.
So Kike is going to sign with Dodgers for 1yr-4 mil. Pissed away some cash with Margot as LAD also sends the Twins 12 mil cash to unload Margot (10 mil in ‘24 and 2 mil in ‘25). I guess 12 mil is like pocket change these days, or at least it is for the LAD.
I think you’re right. I read the espn article. It was poorly written. After reading it again, looks like Dodgers sent over an undisclosed amount of cash to cover the 12 mil owed to Margot. The numbers didn’t make sense to me initially. Should’ve read closer.
Margot is in year 2 of a two year deal and has an option for a 3rd. This year he will make $10 million
To get out of the final year the rays or whoever will have to pay $2 million to avoid the $12 million year 3
The rays said they’ll send the dodgers that $2 million if La doesn’t exercise the option in 2025. In addition the Rays sent La $2 million to cover part of the $10 million for this year. So he’s costing La $8 million this year and the rays paid La to buy him out next year. They didn’t want him. The rays dumped his salary on La as a price to get Glasnow
Ok so now La trades him to minnehaha. I won’t get into who they got and all that. They seem to have traded prospects and La prospect they sent looks really good. I sure hope the one they got back is as well.
When La traded him La gave the $2 million buyout promise to the twins. They also gave the $2 million the rays had given them for his salary this year to the twins. And they also threw in $2 million of their own money.
So. Margot is costing the twins $6 million this year and they can cut him loose after this year with no cost to them.
He is costing the rays $4 million and possibly $2million. I doubt Minnesota extends him. All these teams aren’t doing all this because they intend to keep him.
He is costing LA $2 million. Which is pretty Much the price they are paying to do the glasnow deal.
Assuming he and Kike have similar production and value, he would have cost la $8 million this year. $10 million minus the money the rays sent. And the rays promised they’d pay the buyout. Now Minnesota gets that promise.
With this deal kike will cost la $6 million. His $4 and the $2 million cost
Of sending him out. So la saves $2 million this year. And probably would rather have Hernandez than him because kike can play infield too.
But wait. There’s more. If la had kept him. We know that la is over the cap. And as a repeater might be subject to the 50% rule. So that $2 million savings? Would have actually cost them $3 million total. They are saving that penalty.
But wait again. One more. Remember the buyout. If la buys him out in 2025 that buyout counts against the salary cap. Now it does not. And again. If they’re repeaters then it would cost them $3 million to buy him out and it counts against the cap. Yes the rays pay $2 of that but for one there’s a penalty and for 2 it all counts against the cap.
So now you’ve got la saving $ 1 milllion in penalties each year.
La probably just saved $4 million over two years and made sure they will ease their cap burden for 2025. Leasened it by $3 million
Total cash savings. $4 million
Total cap savings in 2024. 3 million. Total cap savings in 2025. 3 milllion. Total cap savings overall. $6 million.
I’m not the GM but I’m positive they have been in touch with Kike all winter. And kike was going to try to get a multi year deal. Try to get 8-10 mil. La knew it wasn’t going to happen and so did Hernandez.
Once spring training began a marginal player like Hernandez knew he needed to sign or be forgotten. $4 million is good money for an end of career player. La had this deal in their pocket the minute they got Margot from the rays. Twins have cap room and he will only cost them $6 million for a high quality defensive cf who has ok bat and low power. Just the bargain Minnesota needs. For La he doesn’t even start.
So as the market moved along and spring training started la likely told kike hey. If we are gonna do this then let’s do it. Otherwise we are going forward w our team. $4 million is fair. And you’re gonna win. And you have no other great offers. Take it now or we are going forward and you’ll end up as a pirate or red or a tiger or something. Or nothing at all.
So this whole thing was waiting for kike all winter.
What I don’t know is whether the Dodgers were committed to moving this guy and if Hernandez did not come through if they had another one they would’ve gone for or whether they just would’ve taken the salary, cap bite and the extra money out of pocket. I have a feeling they’d have moved him anyway and Hernandez just was best option
Oh here’s an idea. Maybe Hernandez was option 3-4. Maybe they’ve been trying to move this guy since they got him and no one else would totally take him off their hands or give prospects for him. And instead now they have to pay $2 million to move him and give up their 12th best prospect to do it.
How fulfilling is winning it all when you go to such extreme lengths to do it? What's everyone's take on this? Is it the same to win with a team that has been built and developed over time as it is with a team that you just went out and bought? You can say the Dodgers have a bit of both here, but just seems like a bunch of businessmen taking fans along for a cheap (well, not cheap) thrill ride.
So Kike is going to sign with Dodgers for 1yr-4 mil. Pissed away some cash with Margot as LAD also sends the Twins 12 mil cash to unload Margot (10 mil in ‘24 and 2 mil in ‘25). I guess 12 mil is like pocket change these days, or at least it is for the LAD.