Gerrit Cole is not happy over his salary negotiations:
As the team set his salary for 2016, however, Cole feels he was treated like a second-class player.
On Saturday, Cole grudgingly signed a deal for $541,000 in base salary. That’s the same amount he made last year — $531,000 in base pay play a $10,000 bonus for making the All-Star team.
According to Cole, the team’s initial offer last week was for $538,000 – which was less than his total pay last year. The team refused to go higher than $541,000.
“They even threatened a salary reduction to the league minimum if I did not agree,” Cole said.
No doubt the Pirates felt they already paid for his performance:
The Pirates gave Cole an $8 million signing bonus after they made him the first overall pick in 2011. At the time, it was the largest bonus ever given an amateur player.
“I would think Bob would want to reward a guy for a special performance,” Boras said. “Other teams have that system. If Gerrit was with the Mets, he’d get well over $650,000. If he was with the Marlins, he’d get more (than the Pirates will pay).”
I understand both sides here. I suspect if Cole were a low bonus player and pitched like he did in 2015, then the Pirates would have paid more. The Pirates took a risk with the $8 million bonus, and they are reaping that reward. Cole is hardly Ralph Kiner:
The 1952 Pirates lost 112 games, the worst record of any major league team since 1935. Home attendance dropped by about one-third, and Kiner’s batting average fell to .244. Despite his league-leading home-run performance, Rickey cut his salary to $75,000. When Kiner objected, Rickey told him, “We can finish last without you.”
And Branch Rickey was a saint!
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1THKepL
No comments:
Post a Comment