Assume you're a Free agent...

bakahump

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Maine
The Mike Trout Money had a few coworkers and I discussing Free Agency.

Assume you are offered 300 Million over 15 Years. Your 25, so young, but will be late 40 at the end of your contract. Your Married with 1 young (4yo) Child so they will grow up were ever you choose. You were born on a military base in Germany and your wife is a (hot) Gypsy, so you have no home your tied to.

Every team in MLB has offered you the same Contract. No Team is willing to offer more or give any additional perk.
Finally assume that a drastic yet to be determined rule change makes a championship just as likely for any team you choose.

In short it comes down to location. Weather, culture, life.
What are the 5 Teams on your desirable list?
What are the 5 Teams you refuse to go to?

************** Early Returns Post 16
Update
Favs
SF Giants 4
SD Padres 4
Boston 4
Dodgers 3
Mariners 3
NYY 2
Angels 1
FL Marlins 1
TB Rays 1
Mil. Brewers 1
Minne Twins 1

Hate
Hous Astros 3
Mil Brewers 3
Det Tigers 3
Fla Marlins 2
TB Rays 2
Tex Rangers 2
KC Royals 2
Minne Twins 2
Atl Braves 1
CWh 1
Pitt Pirates 1
NYY 1
NYM 1
LA Dodgers 1
 
Last edited:

GoJeff!

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May 30, 2007
2,011
Los Angeles
you're


Top 5
Giants
Dodgers
Angels
Padres
Mariners

Bottom 5
Marlins
Rays
Braves
Astros
Rangers

did not factor in history/fan base, which would change things
 

Plantiers Wart

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Oct 16, 2002
4,092
west hartford
So ignore tradition, ballpark, fanbase?

If only looking at the location, weather, life, culture, etc, then it's really pick five large cities you'd like to live in.

But figuring the franchises in......

Top
San Francisco
Boston
Dodgers
Yankees
Seattle

Bottom
Tampa
Kansas City
Milwaukee
Houston
White Sox
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
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Apr 25, 2002
90,014
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Top 5
Red Sox
Brewers
Mariners
Padres
Twins

Bottom 5
Yankees
Mets
Dodgers
Marlins
Tigers
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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Jul 15, 2005
14,461
Gallows Hill
Top 5:

Arizona
Florida
Tampa
Houston
Texas

Bottom 5:

Toronto
New York
LA
SF
Oakland

Basically I would make sure that I was playing my home games in a state with no state income tax. I would want to avoid high state tax teams.
 

j44thor

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Aug 1, 2006
10,961
Top 5
Padres
LAD
SF
SEA
LAA

Bottom 5
DET
MIL
MN
HOU
STL

In reality I'd immediately rule out the AL and NL Central divisions.
 

tonyandpals

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Top 5:


Basically I would make sure that I was playing my home games in a state with no state income tax. I would want to avoid high state tax teams.

You're already making Scrooge McDuck money. Wouldn't you factor quality of life higher over the taxes on money you'll probably have trouble spending?
 

OnWisc

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Apr 16, 2006
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Chicago, IL
I'm ruling out the Red Sox because I don't want to consider the pressures of playing in Fenway. It's just way too complicated to think through. I'm also eliminating Toronto because while I love urban ballparks and big cities, I don't want to think through the implications of living in another country.

I found my top 5 much easier than my bottom 5. My top 5 have relatively urban ballparks in great towns. My bottom 5 I found myself weighing the downside of a suburban ballpark in an okay city vs an urban ballpark in a city where I don't really care to live.

Top 5:
San Francisco
San Diego
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Sox
??? (LAN, NYA, COL)

Bottom 5:
Minnesota (I'm just flat out not living in Minneapolis)
Atlanta (Haven't been but I understand it's basically just Hambone in a giant suburb, and a ballpark by an interstate exchange)
Kansas City (Suburban stadium, meh city)
Texas (Too suburban)
??? (Let's just say I'd have to spend a few days in each of Cincinnati and Cleveland before making a choice here)
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

family crest has godzilla
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Jul 26, 2007
3,721
The Short Bus
Top 5
Padres
Dodgers
Angels
Marlins
Seattle

Bottom 5
Kansas City (by far my last choice)
Minnesota
Detroit
Milwaukee
Chicago

I've spent my entire life in the 617, without exception. I think the cold is finally getting to me, that my first thought was "somewhere warm."
 

wiffleballhero

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Mar 28, 2009
4,528
In the simulacrum
Am I pitching or hitting?

I think it matters. Also, am I left handed or right handed? Insofar as it is not just about the money (although that contract at 40 might be fun to get) I think I might want to make some decisions not only on the basis of the history of the franchise and the 'tradition' I am about to become a part of, but also based on the way the home park is going to influence my production.

If I am pitching and I don't care too much about baseball history, etc. I will probably go:

Toronto
Boston
Seattle
Oakland
SF

And I would avoid

Texas
Houston
TB
Miami
KC

But this is almost all about where I want to live and where I want to avoid.
 

TheRooster

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Aug 3, 2001
2,483
Top 5
Boston
SD [amazed how common this one is]
Colorado
Wash or Bal [need more time to choose btwn these 2]
LAD

Bottom 5
NYY
NYM
Philly
Marlins
Atlanta
 

Trotski

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Jul 15, 2005
251
Chicago, IL
Top 5
Boston
San Diego
Seattle
Colorado
Minneapolis


Bottom 5
Milwaukee
Chicago (Cubs and Sox)
Kansas City
New York (Mets or MFY)
Detroit
 

Average Reds

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Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
I didn't see anything about excluding factors like the tradition, fan base and ballpark. So those are part of the equation for me. I'm also factoring in the notion that I have enough money to live wherever I want in the offseason, so I don't really care how cold it gets.

Top 5:

San Francisco
Chicago (Cubs)
Boston
Minnesota
Seattle

Bottom 5:

Cleveland
Tampa Bay
Texas
Detroit
Kansas City
 

singaporesoxfan

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I started by assuming that in the post-season I get to live wherever I like and spring training is in the current respective locations. Even then, I'd want a great city with an urban ballpark. Another consideration is how much travel I'd have to do. And since I'm some shot of hot shot free agent and get my pick of places, I'd prefer not to play in places with embarrassing symbols like Cleveland. And then as a tiebreaker I'd want warm weather locations where possible, because I want to be playing October baseball in nice conditions, but that's not as important as it would be if I were an NFL player. So top 5 for me:
  1. Dodgers (great baseball tradition, great weather, fun city)
  2. Washington (I love living in DC, that's why I live here now...)
  3. Boston (great baseball tradition, summer weather is awesome)
  4. San Diego (weather is awesome, fun city)
  5. Philly/Pittsburgh (can't decide which one yet... both have interesting baseball traditions. Philly is the more fun city but that fan base is intense in a way that I'm not sure I could deal with)
Bottom 5:
  1. Atlanta (ballpark too suburban, have to listen to stupid Tomahawk chants for 15 years)
  2. Texas (ballpark too suburban)
  3. Kansas City (ballpark too suburban)
  4. Seattle (just the most time spent traveling... nearest ballpark is Oakland, two states away; two in-division rivals are the Astros and Rangers, two time zones away)
  5. Cleveland (don't want to have to be faced with Chief Wahoo iconography for 15 years)
 

Adrian's Dome

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Boston, then demand a trade to Miami after I hit 35.

Screw California and everything about it - there's more to life than nice weather.
 

TheoShmeo

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Jul 19, 2005
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Boston, NY
Top 5

Red Sox
Padres
Dodgers
Cubs*
Giants

Bottom 5

Yankees
Marlins
Rangers
Orioles
Mets

* But only when that pretentious dickhead Joe Maddon is gone. Until then, substitute the Angels.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Apr 1, 2013
6,913
Salem, NH
Top:
Red Sox
Rockies
Nationals
Mariners
Padres

Bottom:

Yankees
Mets
Marlins
Rays
Orioles
Blue Jays

Included six on my bottom teams, because I couldn’t decide what’s worse, Baltimore, or moving to Canada.

In reality, I’d engage heavily in discussions with the Yankees, reach a verbal agreement with them, let all kinds of news leak about how it’s a done deal, tell Cashman I’m flying out, or let him fly out to me, and then sign with the Red Sox as he’s sitting at a table somewhere, expecting me to show up.
 

ngruz25

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Sep 20, 2005
18,971
Pittsburgh, PA
And since I'm some shot of hot shot free agent and get my pick of places, I'd prefer not to play in places with embarrassing symbols like Cleveland.

...
  1. Cleveland (don't want to have to be faced with Chief Wahoo iconography for 15 years)
Start looking at real estate listings in Shaker Heights because Chief Wahoo's gone, starting this year!

Texas and Houston would be 1 and 2, and then also 3, 4, and 5, on the Bad List for me. I have no interest in spending half my life in oppressive Texas heat.
 

BigJimEd

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Jan 4, 2002
4,432
Considering the child, I'd prefer some place my family and I would enjoy spending majority of time year round.

Top:
Nats
Red Sox
Rockies
Padres
Orioles

Bottom:
Giants
Detroit
Miami
Reds
Indians (sorry Ohio)
 

Plympton91

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Oct 19, 2008
12,408
Top: Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Tampa, Atlanta

Bottom, NYY/NYM, CHI/CHI, LA/LA, SF/OAK, Miami

Basically want smallish city on east coast. Do not want a large city anywhere.
 

singaporesoxfan

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I know the OP didn't put travel in the factors to consider, but I'm honestly surprised by how many put Seattle in their top 5. Yeah, it's a great city but the sheer amount of traveling the Mariners do far exceeds the next team; Buster Olney mentioned on his podcast that FAs are sometimes wary of Seattle precisely for that reason.