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J.P. Crawford Contract Extension
I need to find out if Crawford can be signed. He is only 27 and one of the few five-star players in the league. I run the risk that he turns in a MVP season that could make him completely unaffordable when he reaches free agency in two years.
His agent opened the negotiations with a shocking demand for five years and $132M (average of $26M/year). I drew a line in the sand a long time ago at Oscar Taveras (6 years, $117M). At this point, I had two choices. The first option was to wait until a more favorable time (such as during a mid-season slump) and ask again. Or, I could force the issue now by offering the contract that I want to sign, effectively calling his bluff. The worst case is a counter-offer that I ignore and we revert back to option 1.
I chose door #2 and offered the contract that I had scribbled onto a sheet of paper after studying comparable players over the winter: six years, $92M ($15.33M/year). (FYI… Crawford’s loyalty and greed are both rated normal, so this was a fairly safe play.)
Lo and behold, Crawford was indeed bluffing. He said that my offer met his needs and he would let me know his answer in a few days. The rumor got out quickly and the fans were excited over the possibility of keeping Crawford away from free agency.
This contract will keep Crawford in a Cardinals uniform through age 33. Now, I need to keep him healthy. I want to give him regular rest (at least one day per week) during the season in the hope that it will improve his durability. Thus, a good backup shortstop is a priority position on the final 25-man roster.
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