Since arbitration figures were mostly settled yesterday, we know what the Sox are committed to in 2017, aside from Pomeranz, Abad, Rutledge, and the "minimum" salary guys.
I place that in quotation marks, because last year Bogaerts was paid $650k -- well over the minimum for 2+ years MLB AST -- after his 2015 Silver-Slugger season. Additionally, Holt was paid $606k -- again well over the minimum prevailing rate -- after being selected as the All-Star representative for the 2015 Boston Bad News Bears. I suspect the Sox will likewise pay a solid premium to similarly reward Betts and Wright for their outstanding performances last season.
Estimates are in red.
$M AAV - Pos - Player
31.000 - LHP - Price
22.000 - DH - Ramirez
20.625 - RHP - Porcello
19.000 - 3B - Sandoval
13.750 - 2B - Pedroia
10.500 - RHP - Kimbrel
6.500 - OF - Young
6.500 - LHP - Sale
5.500 - 1B - Moreland
4.500 - SS - Bogaerts
4.450 - LHP - Pomeranz
3.600 - CF - Bradley
2.800 - RHP - Kelly
2.050 - RHP - Thornburg
2.000 - LHP - Abad
1.950 - UT - Holt
1.820 - LHP - Ross
1.300 - C - Leon
0.725 - IF - Rutledge
0.700 - RF - Betts
0.635 - RHP - Workman (DL)
0.620 - RHP - Wright
0.550 - RHP - Smith (DL)
0.545 - RHP - Barnes
0.545 - RHP - Hembree
0.545 - C - Vazquez
0.540 - LF - Benintendi
-------------------------------------
1.200 - milb players on 40-man roster
13.000 - benefits and pension
=====================
179.45 - estimated 2017 payroll
The 2017 LT Threshold is $195MM, so the Sox are sitting pretty at $15M under the cap.
That wiggle room allows for in-season trades and call-ups, of course, but it also allows the Sox to negotiate extensions with both Xander and Mookie during ST, with the understanding that such an extension could be signed before April, without perhaps the Sox risking the pending re-set of their tax penalty.
Or they could, perhaps, just be planning to entice someone out of his retirement. Oh my goodness gracious!
[edit 1/26: Pomeranz]
[Edit 2/1: Abad]
I place that in quotation marks, because last year Bogaerts was paid $650k -- well over the minimum for 2+ years MLB AST -- after his 2015 Silver-Slugger season. Additionally, Holt was paid $606k -- again well over the minimum prevailing rate -- after being selected as the All-Star representative for the 2015 Boston Bad News Bears. I suspect the Sox will likewise pay a solid premium to similarly reward Betts and Wright for their outstanding performances last season.
Estimates are in red.
$M AAV - Pos - Player
31.000 - LHP - Price
22.000 - DH - Ramirez
20.625 - RHP - Porcello
19.000 - 3B - Sandoval
13.750 - 2B - Pedroia
10.500 - RHP - Kimbrel
6.500 - OF - Young
6.500 - LHP - Sale
5.500 - 1B - Moreland
4.500 - SS - Bogaerts
4.450 - LHP - Pomeranz
3.600 - CF - Bradley
2.800 - RHP - Kelly
2.050 - RHP - Thornburg
2.000 - LHP - Abad
1.950 - UT - Holt
1.820 - LHP - Ross
1.300 - C - Leon
0.725 - IF - Rutledge
0.700 - RF - Betts
0.635 - RHP - Workman (DL)
0.620 - RHP - Wright
0.550 - RHP - Smith (DL)
0.545 - RHP - Barnes
0.545 - RHP - Hembree
0.545 - C - Vazquez
0.540 - LF - Benintendi
-------------------------------------
1.200 - milb players on 40-man roster
13.000 - benefits and pension
=====================
179.45 - estimated 2017 payroll
The 2017 LT Threshold is $195MM, so the Sox are sitting pretty at $15M under the cap.
That wiggle room allows for in-season trades and call-ups, of course, but it also allows the Sox to negotiate extensions with both Xander and Mookie during ST, with the understanding that such an extension could be signed before April, without perhaps the Sox risking the pending re-set of their tax penalty.
Or they could, perhaps, just be planning to entice someone out of his retirement. Oh my goodness gracious!
[edit 1/26: Pomeranz]
[Edit 2/1: Abad]
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