MLB Report: Shin-Soo Choo Signs With Texas Rangers

[MistaNova]

7 Years. Aprox. $130 million.

[Halu Sination]

This signing would've looked a hell of a lot worse if this contract was signed at the beginning of this offseason. After some of the signings the Yankees and Mariners made, all of a sudden this doesn't look so bad.

Dude can't hit lefties but he knows how to draw a walk better than just about anyone else in the MLB and I imagine this skill isn't going to deteriorate too much throughout his career. Good for Texas.

[MistaNova]

With this signing Texas managed to fill the leadoff void left by Kinsler, get some OF depth and managed to gain some bonus revenue from the Korean market (with Darvish and Choo they've got the a significant portion of the Asian market on lock).

This also means that Texas is probably out of the Tanaka race and that Nelson Cruz will not be coming back (they lose a pick by signing Choo, they gain one by having Cruz sign somewhere else).

[Halu Sination]

Yeah Choo is a huge upgrade over Kinsler for a lead-off man. I wouldn't say Texas is out of the Tanaka race if Tanaka gets posted though, but Nelson Cruz is definitely a goner. I wonder who would sign Cruz at this point.

I was actually hoping Mariners would get Choo. For a team that just put themselves in win-now mode with the Cano contract, Mariners are doing a horrendous job actually building their team.

[MistaNova]

I actually see the Mariners picking Cruz up. Primarily because I've only heard 2 teams attached to Cruz so far (well 3 but the Rangers are out), the Mariners and the Orioles. And while playing in Camden Yards as a hitter is better than playing in Safeco as a hitter, the Orioles need pitching a lot more than Cruz. If they were going to give up a draft pick (remember that Cruz comes with a draft pick compensasion fee around his neck) they'd be better off giving it up while getting a pitcher like Santana or Ubaldo. Although if they get Garza (who will command a HUGE price due to how he never received a qualifying offer and doesn't have draft pick compensasion looming over him) then Cruz might become a possibility.

But yeah, as of right now I only see Cruz going to the Mariners who desparately need offense. And although there've been rumors about the M's reaching their spending limit I'm sure they can pony up some more money to meet (or come the closest to) Cruz's demands. And if Cruz doesn't act fast, he'll probably have to wait until ST like Lohse and Bourn last year or take a massive pay-cut.

[Chamillitary Click]

This signing would've looked a hell of a lot worse if this contract was signed at the beginning of this offseason.

Yeah, the market is so inflated it's absurd. I looked at the numbers fast just now & felt they added up. Then I thought about a few years ago when the Nationals announced the Jayson Werth deal & how I spit my drink out at the TV thinking about how absurd that was & this is fairly similar.

Every above mid-level player in baseball has to be praying for their contracts to expire right now.

[Halu Sination]

I actually see the Mariners picking Cruz up. Primarily because I've only heard 2 teams attached to Cruz so far (well 3 but the Rangers are out), the Mariners and the Orioles. And while playing in Camden Yards as a hitter is better than playing in Safeco as a hitter, the Orioles need pitching a lot more than Cruz. If they were going to give up a draft pick (remember that Cruz comes with a draft pick compensasion fee around his neck) they'd be better off giving it up while getting a pitcher like Santana or Ubaldo. Although if they get Garza (who will command a HUGE price due to how he never received a qualifying offer and doesn't have draft pick compensasion looming over him) then Cruz might become a possibility.

But yeah, as of right now I only see Cruz going to the Mariners who desparately need offense. And although there've been rumors about the M's reaching their spending limit I'm sure they can pony up some more money to meet (or come the closest to) Cruz's demands. And if Cruz doesn't act fast, he'll probably have to wait until ST like Lohse and Bourn last year or take a massive pay-cut.

Is there even a point in the M's worrying about the draft pick compensation though? They've spent a decade trying to rebuild with draft picks and it clearly didn't work.

If the M's are already at their spending limit then this offseason was an abysmal failure for them.

[Halu Sination]

This signing would've looked a hell of a lot worse if this contract was signed at the beginning of this offseason.

Yeah, the market is so inflated it's absurd. I looked at the numbers fast just now & felt they added up. Then I thought about a few years ago when the Nationals announced the Jayson Werth deal & how I spit my drink out at the TV thinking about how absurd that was & this is fairly similar.

Every above mid-level player in baseball has to be praying for their contracts to expire right now.

Yeah the Jayson Werth deal at the time it was announced was WAY crazier than this. The market's been inflated like crazy in just a few years.

And you're dead on about every mid-level player wishing they could be a free agent right now. Dodgers were loaded with bad contracts, and yet now all of a sudden our entire squad of "All-Stars getting paid like they're future Hall of Famers" don't seem so overpaid anymore lol.

Of course I might've jinxed myself because we haven't extended Hanley or Kershaw yet. Fuck.

[MistaNova]

Is there even a point in the M's worrying about the draft pick compensation though? They've spent a decade trying to rebuild with draft picks and it clearly didn't work.If the M's are already at their spending limit then this offseason was an abysmal failure for them.

No there isn't, which is why I think they're a prime candidate for where Cruz might land. With the Cano signing they've reached the point of no return. They HAVE to compete and when you're competing prospects and draft picks are irrelevant (unless you're the Cardinals, Rays or Red Sox).

As for the M's spending limit, as of now it's just a rumor (I think). Judging from how they're still linked to Cruz and Tanaka, they must have some money left to spend.

[Remedy360]

I actually see the Mariners picking Cruz up. Primarily because I've only heard 2 teams attached to Cruz so far (well 3 but the Rangers are out), the Mariners and the Orioles. And while playing in Camden Yards as a hitter is better than playing in Safeco as a hitter, the Orioles need pitching a lot more than Cruz. If they were going to give up a draft pick (remember that Cruz comes with a draft pick compensasion fee around his neck) they'd be better off giving it up while getting a pitcher like Santana or Ubaldo. Although if they get Garza (who will command a HUGE price due to how he never received a qualifying offer and doesn't have draft pick compensasion looming over him) then Cruz might become a possibility.

But yeah, as of right now I only see Cruz going to the Mariners who desparately need offense. And although there've been rumors about the M's reaching their spending limit I'm sure they can pony up some more money to meet (or come the closest to) Cruz's demands. And if Cruz doesn't act fast, he'll probably have to wait until ST like Lohse and Bourn las year or take a massive pay-cut.

Is there even a point in the M's worrying about the draft pick compensation though? They've spent a decade trying to rebuild with draft picks and it clearly didn't work.

We've only started "rebuilding" in 2009 when Jack Z came. Throughout all the 2000's they had a pretty big payroll, the problem was that they spent money on the wrong players like Beltre, Sexson, and handed out other horrible big contracts. Bevasi (old gm) did the opposite of rebuild, he traded away guys like Adam Jones, Asdrubel Cabrerra, and Sin Soo Choo to try to make the team a contender, the problem was that he was an idiot and got horrible returns for all those guys. Once he got canned, Jack Z was brought in and told to start building around young players, and that the payroll would open back up in a few years. So yeah, the team has been in the crapper for a while, but the idea that we've been building around young players this entire time is completely false.

[Chamillitary Click]

Holy shit. Nigga said Richie Sexson. I forgot all about him.

[Remedy360]

Holy shit. Nigga said Richie Sexson. I forgot all about him.

Lol. Gave him five years, he was good for two and released in the middle of the third.