The amounts of money paid out to leading athletes these days is getting a bit out of hand. The going rate seems to be around $20,000,000 per year for a top shelf player. That’s $384,615 a week, whether he plays that week or not. $54,945 a day!
The deal that Carl Crawford got for seven years at $142,000,000 set the benchmark for baseball players, for non pitchers anyway. Rumor has it that Clayton Kershaw recently turned down an offer from the Dodgers for $300 Million! I won’t even bother to break that down.
Scott Boras, the agent representing Jacoby Ellsbury & Shin-Soo Choo has put that $142 Million that Crawford on the table as an asking price for his clients as well. Actually, Crawford’s deal was made three years ago and MLB is now making more money than ever. Jayson Werth of the Washington Nationals has a deal for 7 years and $126 Million.
So there will be a market for Ellsbury and other top stars even at that astronomically high price. The Nationals, the Yankees and the Mariners as well as the Red Sox have already expressed interest.
Free Agent starting ace Ervin Santana has put out feelers asking for something like $112 Million for a five year deal. His agents have taken the time to put together a little book demonstrating the very special attributes of Santana including his durability and consistency, factors that do not always reveal themselves in statistics alone.
Zack Greinke signed a six year deal for $147 Million with the Dodgers which included a three-year opt out. Even though the Los Angeles team is putting out a large amount for a single player, rumor has it that they are actually thrilled with the deal. Greinke is one of the truly elite pitchers working today. Greinke and Kershaw on the same team… magic!
Hal Steinbrenner and his Yankees are looking hard at the available free agents in hopes of bolstering their lineup into the MLB Playoffs next season. Steinbrenner has already met with Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Stephen Drew and Brian McCann as well as several others.
Last season marked only the second time in 19 years that the Yanks have not made the playoffs. Of course they still have to come to terms with their own Robinson Cano and word has it that they are in pursuit of Japanese Ace Masahiro Tanaka, neither of whom will come cheap!
