Friday, a 20-year-old Cuban lefty named Cionel Perez signed with Houston for $2 million. The Yankees could have nabbed him, but for one eency-weency little problem: Two MILLION dollars! Hey, money doesn't grow on trees, folks. We're talking about two MILLION big ones - that's right, smackers, simolians, slibbahs, slipgams, sleotazees, green simberry scoodlebots...
Nevertheless, ingrate millionaire Perez is complaining about the deal in an open letter to MLB and the Union of Concerned But Spineless Negotiators, also known as the players association.
“I am happy to begin my professional career but I feel abused by this system,” Perez wrote, though he then bent backwards to kiss his Astro masters' asses - (he is, after all, getting paid two million green simberry scoodlebots.)
So why is this terrible, ungrateful man showing the gall to whine? What's wrong with him? He should be the Happy Latino Camper. After all, he gets to leap the Great Wall of Trump and live in the land of flavored hummus and affordable jeans... plus, he's got two million gumpworsleys.
Well, he's getting screwed - that's why. In October, Perez signed with Houston for $5.15 mill, but a physical turned up a potential elbow issue, so the Astros pulled out and low-balled him. From there, everything gets complicated - lawyers humping lawyers - but the nut of it is that Perez ended up with little choice but to re-sign with Houston for $2 million, even though he claims the Orioles would have paid him $10 million, if not for MLB caps on international spending.
But that's not what really pisses him off. Perez notes that the Astros will spend $4 million to sign him... of which he will receive $2 million - (not counting what his agent will skim.)
The reason: Houston was over the international spending cap, so it must pay a $2 million luxury tax fee on Perez.
So if you're scoring at home... here's a guy who is theoretically worth $10 million on a true open market, he ends up signing for $2 million - minus agent fees - and all that other money? Well, it will line the pockets of filthy rich owners, executives and lawyers. Basically, the MLB apparatus just banked $2 million without lifting a paper clip. What a scam. Bernie Madoff would be jealous.
Folks, this is the system that eventually will turn the New York Yankees into the San Diego Padres. This is how the greatest tradition in professional sports is going to wither and die.
Oh, in a few years, we'll field a good team. But then, we'll watch our star players sign elsewhere, because the richest sports franchise on the planet went over the luxury tax limit and, thus, can't afford to keep them. Nor will the Yankees be able to use their fiscal might to sign international free agents; we cannot exceed the official spending caps that will be screwed into place.
Cionel Perez may or may not turn out to be a star, but he's already generated big money for owners in Tampa, Milwaukee, Kansas City, etc - wherever chintz is king. All they have to do is sit on their hands, bank the checks and draft high. Eventually, they'll become powerhouses.
“I hope that you understand how these rules in my case are extremely unjust and that you make every effort for the necessary adjustments and considerations to be made,” Perez wrote. “Today should be the happiest day of my life, and I cannot help but feel like I’ve just been robbed.”
It's just a letter. And I'm sure it's already reached the circular file. But who knows, maybe next time, it'll be a lawsuit.
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8 comments:
Thank God the sanctity of the game has been protected from greedy young players like this one. Left unchecked, they would surely bankrupt the team owners and besmirch the fair and balanced nature of the leagues.
two million sounds like a lot but after all fees, taxes, and new expenses (transportation, clothing, shelter, helping family back home, fancy women, etc.) this kid will be lucky to put $200K in the bank. I wonder if MLB provides financial consulting services for kids like this?
I hope he makes it and doesn't end up a destitute 30 year old with no marketable skills.
F HIM...... HE COMES FROM A POOR COUNTRY AND WILL BANK $200,000 OR MORE, FOR THROWING A BASEBALL.....IF HE WORKS HARD, AND IS ANY GOOD, HE WILL MAKE 100 TIMES THAT FOR 1 SEASON! ....... F HIM!!!
Yeah, but Anon, they get cable down there. He sees the big money lifestyle and what others have received. Can't help feeling screwed by the turn of events.
The system has and is changing. Salary caps in professional sports are not uncommon , nor frankly unreasonable. Major League Baseball is putting their own twist on it. Betweeen the luxury tax, loss of draft picks , international player signing allotments , rereduced international signing allotments for exceeeding salary restrictions, it is a new day. Despite the wish of Yankee fans ( myself included ) you can't just go out and buy the best players and remain consistently competitive. While an occasional key free agent signing is still a good tactic , it is not the horn of plenty it once was.
While the big market teams still have an advantage, money alone won't do it. The good news is that even in a league that is seeking parity you can still be an elite team . Look at the Patriots in the NFL and the Spurs in the NBA. Let's see how it shakes out in MLB.
Look at the Patriots in the NFL
That's an interesting point.
Belichick, like him or hate him, has one very strong point that the Yankees/Cashman would do well to emulate: Belichick consistently trades players 1-2 years before their Sell By dates. This sometimes occurs at the height of a player's popularity, and Belichick catches grief for it from the fans and the Boston press. However, time after time after time, 1-2 years down the road, the team that took on the player is the team that suffers through his decline ... after giving up one or more draft picks to get him. The most recent example of this would be defensive stalwart Bruce Wilfork.
Wouldn't we have been happier if Cashman had done the same with a few of our stars, rather than riding with them to the end of their contracts? I'd rather have a few draft picks or prospects than what we got from the last two years of Teixeira's contract, wouldn't you? If Belichick were our GM, he would have had Tex on the block in December, 2014.
TGOYP is right: We need to adapt.
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