Player, agent and GM are playing it coy, so something is obviously in the works.

Arbitration eligible next year.

2015 would be his first year of free agency.

This deal is pretty comparable to the deal Milwaukee did for Gallardo. His was 5 years, $30M, but it included his last cheap season, so in reality it was 4 years $29.5M.

What difference does it make how much the option years cost?  If they aren't a good value, you don't exercise them.

Here are a few comparable deals

Zack Grienke- 4 years, $38M (signed with KC after 2008 season).  Grienke was headed to his 2nd year of arbitration

2009 (Arb 2)- $3.75M
2010 (Arb 3)- $7.25M
2011 (FA 1)- $13.5M
2012 (FA 2)- $13.5M

Yovanni Gallardo- 5 years, $30.1M (signed after 2009 season).  Gallardo was a year away from arbitration

2010- (Yr 3)- $0.50M (plus $1.25M signing bonus)
2011- (Arb 1)- $3.25M
2012- (Arb 2)- $5.5M
2013- (Arb 3)- $7.75M
2014- (FA 1)- $11.25M
2015- (Opt. 1)- $13M ($600K buyout)

Adam Wainwright- 4 years, $15M (signed after 2007 season).  Wainwright was a year away from arbitration

2008- (Yr. 3)- $0.50M ($0.75M signing bonus)
2009- (Arb 1)- $2.6M
2010- (Arb 2)- $4.65M
2011- (Arb 3)- $6.5M
2012- (Opt 1)- $9M
2013- (Opt 2)- $12M


Gallardo's deal could be the example they're using.  From Arb 1 through FA 1, Gallardo's deal pays him $28.35M (including the buyout).  The Garcia deal (if true) would be very much in line with those figures.

APRTW wrote:

My question is does the team have clear advantage by offering an extesion rather then just taking their chances with arbirtation.  I dont think there is any way to know.  Wainwrights contract was clearly a steal.  Likely the team would have paid much more then 15 million over the four years.  With Garcia that total is doubled.

You're right, there's isn't anyway to know for sure.  Both sides take a risk with a deal like this.  If Garcia turns into a superstar, then he probably leaves money on the table, not just in his arbitration years but by giving up one, and maybe as many as three years of arbitration.  If Garcia flops or gets hurt, the Cardinals spend more money than they should have.

I do think it sends a positive message that the team is willing to make a committment to Garcia long term and views him as part of its core group of players.  Assuming they can get a deal done with Pujols, and eventually Wainwright, a team could do worse than a nucleus of Pujols, Holliday, Wainwright and Garcia.  Then you have to hope for positive developments from players like Miller, Martinez, Cox and Wong.

"The Cards have made plain that they will not pay Pujols for past performance.  The Cards have made plain that they will not pay Pujols for past performance.  So players like Garcia need to consider that when looking at a deal like this one."

Garcia isn't going to give two shits about the Pujols deal. 

The Rays signed Scott Kazmir to an almost identical extension (4 years, $28.5M) after his third season.  Kazmir is being paid $12M this season for having pitched 1.2 innings.  He's owed another $2.5M to buy out his option for next season.  He's presently unemployed.  Teams like the Cardinals need to consider that when looking at a deal like this one.

Teams pay for expected future performance, not past performance.  The exception of course is the Yankees who are now doing that with Jeter and already wishing they hadn't.

"Teams pay for expected future performance, not past performance.  The exception of course is the Yankees who are now doing that with Jeter and already wishing they hadn't."

Can you imagine all the howling YankeeFan would have done this weekend if Jeter had been going for his 3,000th hit in another uniform?
I've always thought the difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox to a lesser extent was they can absorb a bad contract. Carl Pavano is a bust? That's OK. They still have the resources to sign CC Sabathia.
There's been a great clamor over the Red Sox signing Lackey to a lousy contract in 2009, but that didn't stop them from going out and getting Carl Crawford and throwing a ton of dough at Adrian Gonzalez a year later.

Garcia deal is completed

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_bd70c29c-ad65-11e0-b754-0019bb30f31a.html

4 years locked up with 2 option years.  They have control over Garcia for 6 year.  That I like.

Max wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

I like it, Fors. With his makeup and ability, it's not hard to imagine him winning 20 during the course of that contract.

That's just over 3 wins per season.  So if he stays healthy I'd say winning 20 is a safe bet.

Wiseass.

forsberg_us wrote:

"That's just over 3 wins per season.  So if he stays healthy I'd say winning 20 is a safe bet."

If he doesn't have 20 wins by the end of season 4, I doubt they pick up the options.

Now see, that's why I am not a GM.

"I am reminded of Al Pacino in And Justice For All"

It's that the one where he has angry eyes and shouts a lot?
Wait. That's every Al Pacino movie.

Max wrote:

Are you suggesting one of our cinematic greats is a one dimensional actor?

Not at all. He's just been cast in some very similar roles.