You Got Tagged!

You got tagged!
An exploratory divulgence into one of sports least discussed topics.

See what I did there? I made a common Facebook update/notification into something that has nothing to do with Facebook (other than this part). In doing so I may have succeeded in luring you to read it because I may have just declared 20 random things, or picked the first line of 25 random songs on my iPod, or maybe even answered 100 questioned. Well I didn't!

Eventually I am going to go start a Sports Blog, but until then I'm going to let you know my opinions here. Maybe not so much opinions as ideas. For example, I've always wanted to own a minor-league sports franchise. That is not an opinion but an idea. An opinion would be something to the extent of... The Indians may have made the playoffs in 2008 if they had been able to put a Franchise Tag on C.C. Sabathia.

While that is an opinion, a Franchise Tag in baseball is an idea, an idea that will never happen, nor would the players union allow it, but that does not stop my poor comma usage and me from writing about it anyway. BTW, the previous sentence as written means that comma usage is able to write op ed and/or idea ed.

To set the scene a bit let me dim the lights, open up a bottle of this stuff (yes I typed high-end champagnes into Google for that, I'm not quite Dennis Miller yet) and explain that in the NFL there are two types of franchise tags "exclusive" and "non-exclusive" The basic difference is that an "exclusive" tag means the player "must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater," (they also may not negotiate with other teams). In the "non-exclusive" version the "player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position in the previous year, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if he signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation."

So now that you've been educated, onto the stuff I didn't plagiarize from Wikipedia. I'm going to tell you that for sake of argument and math we are going to only use the non-exclusive tag and get rid of the 120% rule. Basically in 2008 there were only about 20 total guys that would actually lose money if they were franchised tagged and did not use the 120% rules, and 9 of them played for a team in New York (Giambi, Beltran, Posada, Pudge, Delgado, Jeter, A-Rod, Santana, Pettite) So I don't care.

Also for sake of argument... OF is one position, not to be broken down into center, left, right and Delucci/Michaels. RP is one position, not to be broken down into closers, 7th inning specialists and long-relievers. My apologies to all of the Joe Inglett and Alex Cora fans, but if you are considered a utility player, no team is going to give you a franchise tag, so don't worry about them. DH's do not count in this column.

The fact that there is no salary cap in baseball makes the franchise tag thing kind of tough. Certain position averages are way out of whack due to players with contracts significantly higher than anyone else at the same position.

Also, some might argue that arbitration is, in a way, a direct opposite of a franchise tag. That's a different story, that someone else can comment on as I know everyone will be reading this.

Just like in football certain positions cost more money than others. In 2009 it will cost the Patriots $14.65 million to franchise the sexiest back-up quarterback in the league, Matt Cassell, however it will cost the Chargers $6.62 to franchise running-back, Darren Sproles, luckily they don't have to do this every time LT hurts his toe. The average 2008 salary of the 5 highest paid catchers in the Major Leagues (Posada, Rodriguez, Varitek, Hernandez and Johjima) was about $10 million.The average 2008 salary of the 5 highest paid third basemen in the Major Leagues (A-Rod, Aramis Ramirez, Beltre, Lowell and Glaus) was about $16.6 million, $1.6 million higher than any player at that position not named A-Rod. In other words, thanks to the Yankees nobody is ever going to franchise tag a player at the hot corner.

In many areas the franchise tag could work in baseball. It could keep teams from trading players mid-season. It might also just postpone these trades til the next season, but say the Indians could have put a franchise tag on CC Sabathia last year. I know what your thinking, finally he gets to the point he made in the first paragraph. CC went 11-2 with the Brewers but probably didn't get to ride this very much. The Indians knew they were not going to be able to re-sign him in the offseason, so they traded him. The Tribe only finished 7.5 games back in the AL Central. If a system like this were in place based on last year's salaries, the Indians could have placed a franchise tag on CC and paid him about $16 million to stay an extra year, that is $7 million a year less than his current contract and only $5 million more than he was already making. I don't know that CC's 11-2 would have gotten them in, but it's possible. Not to mention they would begin 2009 with him.

Without getting into the argument that on Opening Day there are 5 times as many guys who will be starting pitchers as there are starting NFL QBs. CC fairly justifies my idea. The Indians might have said, "we really like LaPorta and don't want to pay 16 million next year," and still traded him, but it gives the small market teams a chance to keep players.

Of course the player's union would go berserk over this. Say the Braves franchise tagged Mark Teixiera, who made $12.5 million in 2008, they would have paid him $15.29 million the next year. He pulls a hammy in spring training the next season and doesn't return to form, in 2010 he turns 30 and signs a 5 year deal worth $70 million. He misses out on the contract he just signed with New York and essentially loses $100 million and is a free agent at 35 instead of 37.

Here is where the NFL idea of a player being able to negotiate comes in (though still not sure the MLBPA would go for it). So the Braves put their franchise tag on Teixiera and he wants to hold out for a lucrative contract. The Yankees offer him a 7 year $160 million dollar deal. Atlanta can match the offer or they can let New York have him. Unlike in the NFL where a 1st round draft pick immediately can help a team, it takes years for draft picks to pan out in baseball, so what is the benefit for Atlanta? It kind of works like a trade, though I can't honestly say I know what the equivalent of the 33rd pick in the NFL Draft is compared to baseball. Atlanta would get to pick one of the 13 players on New York's 40 man roster but not the 27 man roster, or something to that extent. Maybe New York can designate 10 guys no lower than Triple A from whom Atlanta can select.

Thank you for 10 great years ... You’ve touched our lives with your kindness, love and generosity. We are forever grateful! It’s been a privilege and an honor! I don't know about you but to me those are the words of a man who would have been happy to see a $5 million increase for one year and stay in the town that he had been with his entire career.