I think I'm done wading through the pile of e-mail's I received since my last post about the Royals interest in Michael Young. Obviously, this is a hot topic and one worth going into more depth over. Here are some scenarios that the Royals will sift through should they decide to add another hefty contract.
Many of you have expressed a lot of concern as to how the Royals would fit Young into their already tight, self-imposed, salary cap of $70 million for 2009. Well, to answer your questions it wouldn't be easy to fit that contract in, but it certainly can be done.
As you may already know Young recently signed a five year extension worth $80 million with the Rangers that is set to kick in this season. What you probably didn't know is that the Rangers have prematurely ponied up some $20 million of that through his signing bonus - leaving Young realistically being owed approximately $60 million over the next five years.
While that is an expensive number to you and I, it is a pretty fair price for a player of Young's caliber out on the open market. That shakes down to him earning about $12 million per year. Still quite a bit of money, but the Royals could make it happen with one trade. I'm sure you know what's coming next.
Yep, Jose Guillen.
According to several Major League sources, the Royals have been looking for suitors interested in acquiring the temperamental Guillen and his lofty contract. It appears there has been some interest around the league, but K.C. hasn't been bowled over for any deal involving him and therefore hasn't traded him, yet.
If a situation should present itself that would allow the team to acquire a player like Michael Young the Royals may consider trading Guillen for a bag of peanut butter M&M's to free up the cap space. Also, remember team owner David Glass has, according to Moore, given his permission to spend whatever needs to be spent to put a winning team on the field in 2009. Moore has self-imposed a $70 million cap for '09 - unless "the right situation presents itself in which we can improve the club." The Rangers could also eat some of Young's salary, but they haven't shown any interest in doing so at this time.
Perhaps this situation is the reason Mark Teahen hasn't been traded yet. Then again, all of this could blow up in our faces and never come to fruition. We just don't know right now. Dayton certainly isn't going to talk about it, which leaves us writers left to speculate on the whispers we hear from around the league.
If the Royals get rid of Guillen or a few other lofty contracts they could fit Young into the cap. At this point I don't think Glass would mind if the team exceeded $70 million so long as it drastically helped the organization. Michael Young would certainly do just that.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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14 comments:
Oh I get it! This is a fantasy site! Sorry for being critical. I thought for a while you were actually serious about what you were writing, but this article clearly shows you're joking. Very funny!
I must say, and let me preface this by saying I'm not trying to be offensive here, this has to be one of the most speculative, uninformed, irresponsible pieces of journalism I've ever encountered. There is absolutely no fact anywhere within the article. No sources credited, no facts listed, absolutely nothing that adds any credibility to the story whatsoever. You are presenting the report as if it has some foundation, when in reality, all it is is you saying, I wish we could trade Guillen, so we could afford a trade for a frontline player. There isn't a Royals fan alive that doesn't wish the same thing, but to waste everyones time with a worthless story like this is just plain ignorant. Based upon this story, if I didn't know better, I would think you are 12 years old. Sorry if you find this offensive, but this story is just garbage.
Hey that's no problem! I welcome inept critics on this site as well. No problem. As you can tell from all the things that I wrote about before they actually happened (like the Royals trying to re-sign John Bale after they cut him and Joey Gathright heading to the Cubs) and all the other stories I posted like that (Rafael Furcal NOT coming to Kansas City) that I actually have the ability to guess with 99% accuracy on all of these subjects with no inside track on what is going on. Wow! It's like I'm Miss Cleo or something!
Allow me to defend myself. This post was a follow up to the previous post about the Royals showing interest in a trade with the Rangers for Michael Young. A previous commentor had asked how in the world the team could afford his lofty contract and wanted me to explain. I obliged and told him I would re-post with ways the club could fit him in. In no way was this column meant to be a newspaper quality column. It was meant to explain the different scenario's in which the team could fit a hefty contract into their payroll. I hope this helps you understand my stance a little better.
Tug,
What made this post irresponsible and essentially a waste of time is the fact that when you first published the story that linked the Royals to Michael Young, it simply speculated that the Royals would possibly trade two pitching prospects to Texas in return for Young. Nowhere in that post did it say, oh and by the way, even if the Rangers would accept a proposed trade for Young, the Royals would have to trade Guillen before it could be possible. Just too many what ifs to post a story that leads readers to believe we may have a chance to land Young, when in reality, we essentially have ABSOLUTELY ZERO chance to land him because there have been, are not currently, and will at no time prior to the season be any takers for Jose Guillen. If there were, we would have unloaded him a while ago, outbid the Dodgers for Furcal. (Not that it would have assured the Royals of landing him.) It's just not a good story when there's no realistic scenario in which the entire premise of the story becomes reality..
Alright. Then tell me this. How do you think they were going to sign Rafael Furcal? In reality they were going to spend up to $38 million on him WITHOUT a Jose Guillen trade. You are focusing your entire arguement on the fact I mentioned Jose Guillen's name in A SEPARATE post regarding solutions the team could use to free up space. In my opinion, I think this team is BETTER with Young AND Guillen in the same lineup. You are putting words into my mouth by assuming I meant the ONLY way the Royals could afford Young is by trading Guillen. Had you paid attention to the entire column I actually mentioned that Dayton Moore is the one who self imposed the cap at $70 million and has said numerous times that Glass has authorized him to spend whatever he needs to make this team a contender. Moore is being responsible with the money. He could spend more if he wants to. That is what I said.
Also, there has been some interest in Guillen around the league (notably Seattle) but it would make no sense for the Royals to trade him just for the sake of getting rid of him at this point. They are trying to improve what has been an abysmal offense, and trading away a guy who adds 20 homers and 99 RBI would be an insane way to approach this season without another heavy hitter to replace him. They shied away from Furcal because they knew he wanted to go back to the Dodgers and there are some legitimate concerns with his back. He even shunned the Braves by giving a discount to the Dodgers. There was NO CHANCE he was coming to Kansas City. The Royals were only leverage to get what he wanted. Contrary to reports, money wasn't an issue.
That's why I said Furcal may not have come here anyway. If you believe the Royals are going to add a major salary to the payroll at this point without shedding it somewhere else, then I have some ocean front property I'll give you a great deal on along the Arizona coastline! If you think they have a chance to unload Guillen between now and opening day, then I'll give you twice as much land, and only triple the asking price! NO WAY they take on any major salary increase at this point. If you want to add a frontline player, then you will have to trade away a big chunk of money, and the only player they are paying big money to that they would be willing to part with. Nobody wants him, and therefore nothing will happen. That's the bottom line.
Well, I certainly agree there's a good likelihood this may never happen. I never said I thought this would happen either, but I know for certain the Royals have looked into the matter. That alone makes it worth discussing. I'm sure readers would rather not get hit upside the head with a transaction they had no idea was being discussed. I sure wouldn't. Again, another reader simply asked how it could work and I explained that certainly is a route the team could take. I'd have a hard time believing there isn't a team out there who wouldn't take Jose Guillen under the right deal. There have been teams who have shown interest. Atlanta, both New York teams, just to name a few. Remember, it's not like he's Barry Bonds with a court case hanging over his head. Seattle loved him and still does. He'd be welcome back up there. But to trade him the team would have to either eat salary or give him away for very little talent. If the Royals was desperate enough for it to happen it could. He's a jerk, but he's not hated around MLB like you have been made to believe.
Valid points. I would love to trade him, but I think it will be very tough. It really frustrates me that we gave Guillen 12M a year last year and Burrell signed for 8M this year. Would have much rather had Burrell. I'm not of the belief that you should just trade Guillen to trade him, but if you could do it then you could sign another big time guy right away, or free up room to trade for a guy like Young. I'd love to have Young, but unfortunately I just don't think there's any way we can unload Guillen. Will be thrilled if we do, but not because I just want him gone, but rather because I want him gone and want to sign a comparable player that doesn't have a crappy attitude. Afraid we're all dreaming if we think it will happen between now and opening day.
Agreed. I almost threw up in my mouth with Burrell sitting out there at a much better price. There are still other options for teams right now with Dunn..etc on the market, which is why I think it makes it even harder to trade Guillen right now. I enjoyed our debate today. I won, by the way. By default. Sorry, it's just designed to be that way.
Probably better change that design then. By the way, the first comment wasn't mine. All the other brilliant statements were! :)
Haha. Yeah, I figured. Most people post anonymously, but I still was pretty sure the first comment wasn't from the same person. I have a lunatic who keeps posting crazy comments to try to tick me off. I work in journalism...I get picked apart every day!!! Haha. With that said, my first line of crossfire wasn't directed towards your first comment. I believe we posted at darn near the same time. The rest of the insightful garbage I tossed out was! God I love talking with people who are as passionate about this team as I am. Haha. I get to disguise it when I'm working. It's nice bickering with someone like you who actually has a brain! Have a great one. Hope you come back often. -Tug-
I stop by once a day at least.. Have a good one...
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