Update: HOLLIDAY A CARD 7yr/120 million, p178

[Eephus Speed]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/b ... index.html

According to SI via Jon Heyman, the Mets are expected to meet with Scott Boras to discuss Matt Holliday...

I guess this lends more credibility to the ESPN 5 year contract...I wonder what the Cards offered him 5yr/$75 million?

Surely not. Mo confirmed that the contract offered to Mark was the largest contract offered by the Cardinals...meaning bigger than Pujols' current contract. I think the Mets would be stupid to not kick the tires on Holliday at least.

If Mo really did confirm that (I don't know what to believe), then it must be longer than 5 years. Either that or we're offering more than $20M per season, which I think is unlikely.

[Michael]

It's possible Mo is including non guaranteed money like vesting options to the total contract value.

[Eephus Speed]

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Was there an actual quote from Mo confirming that it was the largest offer ever made by the franchise?

[Swingingbunt]

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Was there an actual quote from Mo confirming that it was the largest offer ever made by the franchise?

Let me go ahead and retract the "Mo confirmed" statement I made. I can't find the article where I thought it was located. I don't wanna be "that guy" that provides crappy info.

It's possible Mo is including non guaranteed money like vesting options to the total contract value.

Don't the Cardinals always plan for the player to make the most possible from their contract when budgeting? Like with Penny, he's a $9MM investment on the payroll at this point, correct?

[Michael]

Bernie (I know, I know) writes about the contract confusion in his latest article.

It looks like each side is saying something differently.

[Fat Strat]

Typically, yes that's true. I don't know that Holliday's contract would have many incentives, though. I would anticipate, rather, that it has deferred money, which in my mind better explains why the annual value is possibly around $15-$16 per year. A million deferred per year for 10 years would cut the annual value down from $18 million to $16 million over a 5 year offer.

[phins]

Bernie (I know, I know) writes about the length confusion in his latest article.

[Michael]

damn, you got me before my edit!

[Michael]

I should have added - Olney, who reported 5 years, linked Bernie's article and had this to say:

Here's the big thing to look for whenever a final deal is announced for Holliday: How much money is actually guaranteed? There will probably be bells and whistles and option years and possible incentive clauses, as there are with NFL contracts, but the Holliday deal must be judged on how much money is guaranteed.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/in ... ney_buster


I doubt the Cardinals offered 8 guaranteed years however Boras is selling as 8 years to drive up the price.

[Swingingbunt]

I should have added - Olney, who reported 5 years, linked Bernie's article and had this to say:

Here's the big thing to look for whenever a final deal is announced for Holliday: How much money is actually guaranteed? There will probably be bells and whistles and option years and possible incentive clauses, as there are with NFL contracts, but the Holliday deal must be judged on how much money is guaranteed.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/in ... ney_buster


I doubt the Cardinals offered 8 guaranteed years however Boras is selling as 8 years to drive up the price.

I've kind of thought that would be the case all along. I think bells and whistles and smoke screens are the only way the Cardinals are going to make a competitive offer for Holliday.