Quote:
Originally Posted by RchW
I think that's a strategy coming from the use of advanced stats that make it obvious that if you are going to overpay (and you will overpay) for talent better to do it in the player's 20's vs his 30's.
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Well, generally speaking I don't think most teams overpay to buy out a player's arbitration years. The Buster Posey deal might be an exception... as he'll need to maintain elite performance at a demanding position until his mid-30s... Although I'd imagine he starts playing some 1B before then. But even so, Posey got less than Mauer did in 2010.
But most contracts like that, especially those for pitching, pay under open market value but the player has the money in hand and doesn't have to worry about a career changing injury during his arb years. The Rays offered Evan Longoria well before he was out from team control... and he will likely be considered underpaid well into his 30s if he keeps up roughly his current production. Verlander just got a big extension which ripped up some of his previous deal, but that previous deal he took well under market value for his first two seasons of what would have been free agency to pocket the guaranteed money. While injuries could always derail a career, these moves generally make sense for both sides.