news: Aaron Judge leads MLB again in slugging and OPS.
View: Aaron Judge is not just the best hitter in baseball, but arguably the best all-around position player, that rare superstar: a $360 million bargain.
In the free-agent frenzy that has unfolded in the winter of 2022-2023, it doesn’t look like all spending is wise right now. Yes, we’re only a third of the way through the first season of these huge contracts, which last until the players are 40 or, in some cases, over 40, but so far the judges are the most Standing majestically in a big contract and alone. big deal. (Probably not a quick judgment, but here we are.)
trea turnerA shortstop with a rare combination of speed and power, he signed a $300 million contract but has an 84 OPS Plus, which means he’s hitting below average. Those around the Phillies say he’s chasing pitches like never before, so perhaps it’s just a matter of trying to justify his monster contract.
xander bogaertsA consistent offensive force with “best hitting and ball skills” among free agent shortstops (via one rival general manager) signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the highly determined Padres. Then it shocked the world. They reportedly offered Turner $342 million and discussed a $415 million deal with the judges. Bogaerts has been a great defense for the surprisingly mediocre Padres, but his recent slump has seen his batting average drop to .254.
(If Bogaerts doesn’t have the best contract in baseball, it might be Manny Machado. He received a $350 million loan from the Padres to avoid opting out of his original $300 million contract. Signed a 10-year deal.The first deal went well, but Machado played badly by his standards before going to IL.)
Carlos Correa After doubling contracts with the Giants ($350 million, 13 years) and the Mets ($315 million, 12 years) were terminated after problems were found in his right leg and lower leg, he eventually returned to his old club, the Twins. He signed a six-year deal worth $200 million. . He now has problems with his left foot (plantar fasciitis and a strained muscle) and his 93 OPS Plus is just above Turner’s mark.
That’s not to say they aren’t great players or that those contracts won’t work out in the end, but the top MLB judges with .630 slugging percentage and 1.032 OPS are in an entirely different category. His free agency deal was the highest paid (at least until he signed with Shohei Ohtani this winter), but it was clearly underpaid. Beyond the marketing advantage Judge brings, his play should have placed him in a very different category than other players with 62 home run records — 10 million more than Machado and the first Correa contract. Not a lot of dollars, but at least $100 million more. Probably much more than that.
“I have to thank him every day for being with him. Home runs, bases running, defense, how he prepares every day, who wants to be in the lineup for the 11:30 game.” [a.m.] I have a game and I don’t want to rest. It’s all about the total package,” said Anthony Rizzo. “We have front row seats, so we try not to take that for granted.”
I’m glad I didn’t. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner decided to add a ninth year and raise it from $320 million to $360 million, but I don’t remember much disagreement over that decision. said on the Post’s podcast “The Show.” Probably not, but people around the team say there was at least some serious discussion. Anyway, credit Steinbrenner for making the right decision in the end.
There’s little doubt Judge could have gotten more money from the Padres or the Giants, who had already offered the Yankees a comparable $360 million. It felt like the Giants were just getting started (and could go higher), but Judges clearly wanted to stay Yankee. There are clear advantages to keeping the pinstripes, both historically and from a marketing perspective.
And the judge is a loyal person. He stuck to mid-level agents, even though big players would be happy to play him. The judges were only looking for a fair deal, which is admirable (and certainly different), but the Yankees got what looked like a relatively bargain.
Vientos need more AB
news: Daniel Vogelbach and Tommy Pham will continue to play while Mark Vientos stays with the Mets.
View: Vogelbach is popular, not a bad hitter, and has a guaranteed contract. But Vientos could be a star and should play.
Vientos defeated Triple-A Syracuse with a 1.104 OPS. He’s a real prospect (whether or not he’s confident enough in that) and he should play every day because he has the chance to be great.
He hasn’t done as well with the Mets as Syracuse (2-for-14), but he plays sporadically, usually against left-handed pitchers.
He should DH against lefties and righties every day. “[The Mets] I let him down by not playing with him and not with another team,” said one NL scout. “He needs to play every day to be effective.”
Buck Showalter hinted on Friday that he will face Vientos in the next three games, but Vogelbach is in a tough spot as he has performed as expected (OPS 99) and does not deserve relegation. .
His greatest talent, however, is walking and jamming bases.
It’s time to see if Vientos can be great, but being at bat with a lefty once in a while doesn’t cut it.
Boone’s fake antics
news: Aaron Boone was sent off for the third time in 10 games.
View: Boone, who was suspended for Friday night’s game against the Padres following a recent ejection, can sometimes look like a maniac. this is not him I’ve watched him for 35 years (admittedly 35 years ago, only a few times when I covered the Angels team led by his father, Bob Boone, in the late 1980s), but outside of the game I never saw him angry. My guess is that this is all a show with strategy in mind.
He was a television man before he came to the Yankees as manager. On television, sometimes you have to show off a show. And Boone, even if no one called him a “barbarian,” he’s acting great.
His rants tend to be barbaric, but I suspect it’s all acting for the referee who might be affected, not for the fans. All his performances led to changes in the judge’s strike zone. Judges once made the most wrong strike calls in baseball, most of them below the zone. He still gets wrong strike calls sometimes, but not as often as he used to. Perhaps Boone deserves an assist in that regard. Or an Academy Award.
