Kurt Suzuki Signed To 4 Year Extension
by Nico on Jul 23, 2010 4:23 PM PDT
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PrintSusan Slusser reports that Kurt Suzuki has agreed to a four-year, $16.25 million contract, with a vesting option in 2014. The exact figures are outlined in Slusser's article.
What I want to say about it is that rumblings were that Suzuki was not eager to sign an extension and wasn't necessary happy -- some of this comes second-hand and from inside sources -- and so while we don't know if the A's upped the dollar amounts from previous discussion, on the face of it the signing indicates to me that Suzuki likes what he sees more than he did a few months ago.
Perhaps the rebuilding plan is starting to take better shape right now, with the emergences of Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez, with Michael Taylor and Chris Carter reknocking on the door a bit more lately, with the team playing better and feeling like it's closer to 1-2 players away than to 5-6. And so on.
Anyway, Suzuki has established himself around the league as one of the AL's best defensive catchers, a leader with the young pitching staff, and a league average hitter with some pop. That's a great player to have under contract, pretty affordably, for the next 4-5 years.
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super cheap.
srsly.
The funny thing about baseball is that people will believe what they want to believe. -Joe Posnanski 8/29/09
Even with the Tommy John surgery?
You know, the one I fully expect him to need due to a freak injury that will occur within 72 hours.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Freak injury? Nah, he's been hiding it.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I'm actually kind of surprised Kurt is satisfied with it
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
seriously, he and his wife are all but taken care of for life
And if he remains healthy and productive, this definitely won’t be his last contract.
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
by cuppingmaster on Jul 23, 2010 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions
In this economy, he can probably just go ahead and buy Hawaii.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
As long as he doesn't take Molokai
I’ve had my eye on that place
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
by cuppingmaster on Jul 23, 2010 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Mahalo A's!!!!!!
AN: We is all growed up now.
by OptimistPrime on Jul 23, 2010 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I liked the part of Hawaii that isn't Honolulu.
I didn’t expect to, but I did.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
And if he doesn't stay healthy, it's a guaranteed contract
You give up money, but you get both stability (not moving around) and security.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Being a catcher he's always going to be dinged up
hopefully the A’s will start protecting their investment by not playing him all the time.
NAH
The funny thing about baseball is that people will believe what they want to believe. -Joe Posnanski 8/29/09
I honestly thought the A's had no intention of signing Suzuki to a long term contract.
They’ve run him out there almost every day – I assumed they were bumping up his value and trading him before the injuries caught up with him.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
if you look at it that way
a cheap 5M per year contract that avoids arbitration and only lasts until he’s 30 will probably raise his value.
Pam liked my old sig better.
I was about to say this until I saw that you said it better
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
Well, to be fair, after taxes, union dues, and agent fees
It’s a lot closer to $8 million.
I wish I had the “half my salary doesn’t come to me and it doesn’t negatively affect my life at all” problem.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 23, 2010 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure
But given his positional value, I would expect him to want more than that. We don’t need to spark the “athletes are getting millions, millions to play a game!” roundtable; I just think the A’s got a pretty favorable deal, even in the always-too-possible-with-this-medical-staff event that injuries pop up.*
*Note to injuries: Do not pop up or I will hunt you down and beat you with a sack of frozen doorknobs.
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
Pffffffft, I got this
…
…
Anyone know someone reliable who could smuggle me into China? I don’t think the debt police will ever find me there…
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
Awesome!
That is such a bargain deal. An all star caliber catcher for about 4 million a year. Great job Beane.
The first three years are for about $5.3 million each and then the fourth year option is about $10 million.
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Boston can afford it.
;-)
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
3 X 5.3=15.9 + 10= 25.9
It says contract is 16.25. Where are you getting this numbers. Unless Im missing something.
WTF GEREN?!?!?!
Just read Slusser's article and you'll be fine
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jul 23, 2010 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I did
so its really a 3 year 16 mil with a 10 mil vesting option right?
What is a “Vesting” option?
WTF GEREN?!?!?!
Suzuki has to play 118 games in 2013.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Basically, there are three kinds of options for contracts.
Suzuki’s contract goes through 2013, with an option for 2014. In other words, it’s written into the contract that 2014 is an optional year. A club option means that the team gets to decide whether that portion of the contract gets used. A player option means that the player gets to decide whether to do the option year or not. A vesting option is an option that is decided based on a separate factor, in this case, whether or not he plays 118 games in 2013. If he plays 118 games that year, the 2014 portion of the contract will be activated, and he’ll make $9.25 million that year. If not, the team will pay him $650K and the contract will be over.
She lives by the wall, and waits by the door.
She walks in the sun, to me.
I lied. I think it’s $14.85 million for the first three years or we get to $16.25 million after the bonuses. The vesting option for 2014 is worth $9.25 million.
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Good job Beane
Suzuki is under rated catcher and should be helping the young staff for a long time.
Suzuki will play out three years of the contract and then will be traded to make room for Stassi
by dashman33 on Jul 23, 2010 4:39 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Don’t look at me. I’m just the Twitter guy.
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions
I have my squirt gun ready (and I really mean a squirt gun people...and I always did)
I bought it for like 20 bucks at Walmart.
Good thing it's a one time contract
That thing will never fulfill it’s VAR (volume above replacement)
Should have signed a super soaker. You could trade with Walmart.
100% Athletics, 100% Baseball. 2009 Athletics, 40% Baseball.
YAY
The funny thing about baseball is that people will believe what they want to believe. -Joe Posnanski 8/29/09
Hey, Kurt!
Can I have $10?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
okay, please explain the references to purpledrank
I don’t get it
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
by cuppingmaster on Jul 23, 2010 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I swear I've seen this on other blogs
Has the phrase approached cult status?
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
by cuppingmaster on Jul 23, 2010 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions
It's not really a "cult status" sorta thing
That’s really what the drug (or the mixture) is called.
It’s kinda like a mix of heroin and cocaine being called a “Speedball.” Just kind of the accepted name for the thing.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 23, 2010 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions
It's pretty common
How Pimp C died as well…
by Billy Frijoles on Jul 23, 2010 6:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Agreed.
He’s the next target, although I’d wait until the middle of next year for that one. Also, possibly Bailey.
She lives by the wall, and waits by the door.
She walks in the sun, to me.
wait until next year just for money's sake
Or so you can give him the same length of contract but taking him further into FA/arby years?
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Athletics Nation - WE'RE ALL GONNA MRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!
by cuppingmaster on Jul 23, 2010 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Nah, I was thinking to wait a year to reduce team risk.
He’s four months away from a horrible year, remember. It’s possible (though likely not probable) that this first half was all a fluke, and he never pitches this well again. If the team truly believes that he’ll be an ace-quality pitcher, then they should do it now. I’d like to wait a year just to make sure he’s as good as he appears.
She lives by the wall, and waits by the door.
She walks in the sun, to me.
Yea Bailey could be up soon too
A’s have never put a high priority on signing closers but Bailey could be in line for some high arbitration awards as they might put a lot of emphasis on save numbers. It could make a lot of sense to lock his salary in before he goes to arbitration.
Shin-Soo Choo?
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Darn our bad luck!!!!!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Tell him to watch out for the Dear Leader...that guy is the best
he had 7 holes in one the first time he played golf.
Perfect deal
Team friendly and not long. I would not have liked a 6 or 7 year deal considering the miles we have put on his knees so far. Win Win.
WTF GEREN?!?!?!
Excited to hear this
First brett now kurt, the fact that our players are staying with us has me pleasantly surprised..hopefully kurt doesn’t get injured now tho, whatever happened to powell?
by VicTizzle209 on Jul 23, 2010 5:06 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
He can’t play for them until 2011 and now they can’t even trade him. That’s just too bad.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Moore is an awful GM
But moving Callaspo was a good move for them.
Now they need to move Farnsworth, Guillen, and any other over-30 player who teams will take.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 23, 2010 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Rotoworld_BB
J. Guillen -RF-KC : Several teams have interest in Jose Guillen http://tinyurl.com/cvahul
27 minutes ago via API
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:09 PM PDT up reply actions
As long as the A's aren't one of them...
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 23, 2010 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Dayton Moore is a doofus
I have several friends who are Royals fans and I feel sorry for them. Of course many of them are also Chiefs fans and on that front I laugh at the fact they haven’t won the Super Bowl in 40 years.
He has made a number of seriously questionable moves
but the Royals were a long-term rebuild project and you have to give him a little bit of credit for developing a very nice farm system.
DM's a great scout
Problem is, great scouts don’t necessarily know how to make trades, or evaluate player talent at the MLB level. He should have a job in MLB as a lead scouting director somewhere, but he shouldn’t have any say over trades.
"Swingles is Day to Day: IE: He’s being turned into a zombie, but they don’t want the world to know for another 5 days (retroactive)" ~Zonis
A little pessimism
I’m not as high on Kurt as a lot are here. He’s league average as a hitter which is great as a catcher but also isn’t that great for the offense. Any attempt to quantify catcher defense merely finds him average. His biggest strength is durability. And given how much the A’s are using him, I think Kurt has a lot of downside. I hope it works out for the best but I still think trading Suzuki may eventually be the best move if someone covets him like the White Sox coveted Swish.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
Well he's not a world beater on offense but not many catchers are
He is a good player and he’s on a team friendly contract. That’s enough to have a little celebration.
by OkayJay81 on Jul 23, 2010 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Downside? Srsly?
He handles the pitching staff very well, he is well liked and never is in the middle of controversy, he has pop and hits well, can run the bases. Bah! He is above average. Ask any Red Sox fan you happen to see, what’s the best tuna, Suzuki of the Sea!
AN: We is all growed up now.
by OptimistPrime on Jul 23, 2010 5:21 PM PDT up reply actions
omg he can't be THAT good or he would have called Dallas' perfect game!!1!ONE!!
Pam liked my old sig better.
I don't think anyone questions that Powell is the better catcher, do they?
If he was healthy he’d be the starter I think.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I doubt it.
I really don’t think he’s a better offensive player, and I’m not sure he’s that much better defensively.
I think if the A’s thought so, he’d play more than once every 10 days (which he should even if he’s not actually more talented).
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Jul 23, 2010 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions
His arm is much better.
I’d argue he’s a similar player on offence too – if not slightly better.
But he can’t stay healthy so it’s a moot point. Oh and he only plays once in a blue moon because we have Bob Geren in charge.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Only when he goes the other way. When he's determined to pull every pitch into the left field seats I dislike him.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
this
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Jul 23, 2010 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I see wisdom in this
But it’s only 3 years guaranteed, mitigating some of that risk. He might start to break down at 30 but if so the A’s will be positioned to move on.
The monster at the end of this blog.
its hard to find too many better though and he's inexpensive
I could see if he were a CF, 3B or something but he’s a catcher.
The A's are a fairly quiet team, and then there's Ben Sheets. Sheets, as a kid, must have been thrown out of every library in Baton Rouge. ~ Scott Ostler
I thought the whole point...
… of being “good for a catcher” is that it is great for the offense. Aren’t the odds of getting someone better offensively than Suzuki while maintaining his level of defense close to nil? Oldham makes the argument that Powell is just that, but I think it’s fair to doubt his overall offensive superiority at this juncture; and whatever the case, Powell has had fairly significant health issues. Outside of finding someone in-house, you’ll have a difficult time upgrading via trade or free agency—offensive catchers with at least average defense are going to come at a hefty price tag.
So in my mind this works out pretty well. You already have an above-average piece at one position. Now, hopefully you focus on finding the same nearly everywhere else.
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
At his current rate of play, Suzuki looks like a below-average player for a playoff team
You need to average about 3 WAR from your major lineup spots (starters and position players) to make the postseason. Suzuki looks more like 2.5, and that’s if he doesn’t decline as a result of playing tons of games.
Just not very exciting to lock yourself into that unnecessarily.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
You've got to average 3 WAR across the lineup and starters?
We’re boned.
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
ChronLiveCSN
Flip Video Friday is on right now.. andrew bailey with the camera http://www.csnbayarea.com/pages/chroniclelive
less than a minute ago via web
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 5:20 PM PDT reply actions
townsendradio
Chi Sox and the A’s tonight!!! Dugout Show at 6pm on 860am. CSN California and NY Mets scout Shooty Babitt will be our guest.
1 minute ago via web
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 5:37 PM PDT reply actions
F- I'm split, I want Texas to beat slegnA but then I want the A's to gain on Texas....
Can’t they draw and Oakland makes the quarter-finals?
JeffFletcherAOL
#athletics still weighing Sheets, Braden or Anderson for Sunday start. My guess is Sheets, and 1 more rehab for Anderson.
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck
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by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:03 PM PDT reply actions
Right decision
No rushing King Brett plz.
"Swingles is Day to Day: IE: He’s being turned into a zombie, but they don’t want the world to know for another 5 days (retroactive)" ~Zonis
I hear Kurt wants to buy the naming rights for the A's new park.
The A's are a fairly quiet team, and then there's Ben Sheets. Sheets, as a kid, must have been thrown out of every library in Baton Rouge. ~ Scott Ostler
He’s on the pregame show next so maybe we’ll find out.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions
now?
I’m getting lame commercials.
The funny thing about baseball is that people will believe what they want to believe. -Joe Posnanski 8/29/09
It’s over now. It was a taped interview from earlier today. They also talked to Beane and Geren.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:46 PM PDT up reply actions
The lineup is different. Cust is the DH, Rosales is in left field and Carson is in right. Davis was scratched.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:40 PM PDT reply actions
Bummer about Rajai,
but that’s a better lineup.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
As is normally the case with pre-arb deals,
this has nothing whatsoever to do with Kurt’s opinion of playing for the franchise the Oakland A’s (which he’d have to do anyway) and everything to do with his opinion of whether he should risk arbitration or not.
This contract is, as these things go, remarkably non-exploitative (frankly, it’s about what a player of his caliber SHOULD be getting in arbitration, historically speaking— and there’s no year-to-year risk involved), so signing it is essentially a no-brainer.
Conversely, I’m not much of a fan of the deal for the team…
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
I'm intrigued
In what respect is this bad for the team? Because Kurt will now be blocking a potentially better replacement or because the money doesn’t reflect a bargain for the team? Or something else?
My immediate reaction is that it’s a bit of a bargain if he remains healthy (and maintains his offensive/defensive value; it looks even better if he improves through his peak years). The salary isn’t all that high, so I would surmise it’s a movable contract. And even if he doesn’t remain healthy and can’t be traded, how much does $5 mil. per year really drag on the payroll?
Honestly wondering, awaiting evisceration.
"I've made a huge little mistake." - G.O.B.
I think Paul is saying that
the team already controlled Suzuki through arbitration for the next three years anyway, and the fourth year with the vesting option is a year where we’re not as likely to want him. The price we agreed to pay for those three years is not significantly better for the team than what would have come out of arbitration and possibly slightly worse.
Therefore the team probably gave up a little salary and, more important, locked themselves into keeping Suzuki for the next three years even if he gets hurt or becomes bad, and in exchange got very little.
Assuming that’s true, my tentative counterargument would be that what the team gave up financially is still relatively small and this signing is more about goodwill to Suzuki (and incidentally to the fans). If Kurt was unhappy here and the sense of insecurity and lack of commitment from the front office was part of that feeling, it may well have been worth it to lock down something that approximates the arbitration just to keep him happy.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I mean, whatever
Yes, it’s not going to kill the team payroll by itself. Eric Chavez’s contract didn’t kill the team payroll by itself, either. It’s not a very big move in the grand scheme of things.
You skipped over the part where “making him happy” was worth spending a bunch of extra money (or potential extra money, anyway), though. Every team could make its players happier by paying them more.
I think it’s much more likely that it just reflects an overvaluation of what Kurt Suzuki is actually bringing to the team.
Arthur Dent: You know, it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space, that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.
Ford Prefect: Why, what did she tell you?
Arthur Dent: I don't know, I didn't listen!
The open thread is up.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jul 23, 2010 6:47 PM PDT reply actions
Where were these rumors of Kurt being unhappy?
Keep in mind, of course, that "the best defense of Derek Jeter's life" ranks somewhere in between "the best fiscal responsibility of Mike Tyson's life" and "the best not-getting-assassinated-ness of James Garfield's life." -FJM
Not enough data to gauge "caring points"
He hasn’t been on other ML rosters.
100% Athletics, 100% Baseball. 2009 Athletics, 40% Baseball.
Kurt was signed for way under his value
The typical contract for someone with an average 2.15 WAR/year is $6.75 million per year.
Citations:
Median value of players with 1 WAR or greater is 3.14 +/- 0.11 per year.
http://www.baseballprojection.com/articles/warsalary2009.htm
Suzuki averages 2.15 WAR/year
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukku01.shtml
Suzuki is under-hyped.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tim_marchman/07/22/underhyped.players/index.html?eref=sihp
Perhaps, but arguably the more relevant comparison is
not what he is worth in WAR, but rather what he likely would have gotten in arbitration.
Kurt Suzuki is not a free agent. He would have been under team control for the next three years anyway.
Players are always underpaid before they become free agents. Is he less underpaid under this contract than he would have been had he gone to arbitration?
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Arbitration figures are normally 40/60/80 percent of free agent value
If you apply these figures to Kurts payments, he is paid 8-8.5 mill free agent money which is about 2 WAR. His last 2 seasons he had about 2.7 WAR but this year because of the injury he seems likely to get to 2.3 WAR. So he is not paid that much less than he should get in Arbitration.
Bad to know
The A’s unnecessarily guaranteed money to a player without taking a discount in return. If Suzuki suffers a major injury, the A’s will have to pay his salary. If the A’s went the arbitration route, they can choose to cut a injured player.
Insurance?
Don’t the A’s take out insurance policies on most contracts for injures anyway? I’m curious, did their insurance policy paid for any of Chavez’ missed time?
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