Extensions on Prospects with Standard Contracts

[Canada8999]

IMO, I think it is best served for us to find a halfway point in these discussions and vote on my following proposal.

If at the end (after last season is over) of a contract a player is eligible for a prospect contract then their contract may be converted into a prospect contract with a signing bonus equal to 50% (Previous Annual Salary - $500k) rounded to the nearest $500k.

I would vote against.

The reason for signing a prospect eligible player to a regular contract is to avoid paying a signing bonus upfront - there should be a cost associated to that, in that you cannot have the player on the automatically renewing prospect contract.  You might argue that the cost is a guaranteed contract, the bonus is also guaranteed.

The only reason we have not come to this conclusion yet is because there was some confusion about the rule before the season.  If we need to come up with something fair to correct that then I'm willing to discuss grandfather type solutions, but we should not propagate a mistake into our rules.

[Canada8999]

As far as the grandfathering goes, we could potentially offer a 1-time chance to re-structure the prospect's contract such that all remaining salary - 500k is paid as a bonus in 2010, and they are switched to a prospect contract.

[lp815]

As far as the grandfathering goes, we could potentially offer a 1-time chance to re-structure the prospect's contract such that all remaining salary - 500k is paid as a bonus in 2010, and they are switched to a prospect contract.

I agree.

[rcankosy]

Brewers and Jake,

What teams have the money in their 2010 caps to do what you're suggesting as a compromise at this stage of the season, especially with the draft and its associated signing bonuses coming up?  Grandfathering means allowing what was understood at the time by some to remain in place.  Your compromise would not be possible by many owners including myself without massive trading because of the guaranteed money given to other free agents.

[Canada8999]

Brewers and Jake,

What teams have the money in their 2010 caps to do what you're suggesting as a compromise at this stage of the season, especially with the draft and its associated signing bonuses coming up?  Grandfathering means allowing what was understood at the time by some to remain in place.  Your compromise would not be possible by many owners including myself without massive trading because of the guaranteed money given to other free agents.

And what about the owners that did not get information via PM and bid on prospects given the current understanding, which does not include an exception to re-sign a player onto a prospect contract, and ultimately lost out on bids to teams who spread the bonus out?  Should we throw those prospects back into FA and let them adjust their bids accordingly?

There was never a rule that said such re-signs would be allowed, any grandfather clause is an olive branch.

[lp815]

Brewers and Jake,

What teams have the money in their 2010 caps to do what you're suggesting as a compromise at this stage of the season, especially with the draft and its associated signing bonuses coming up?  Grandfathering means allowing what was understood at the time by some to remain in place.  Your compromise would not be possible by many owners including myself without massive trading because of the guaranteed money given to other free agents.

I'd like to hear from other teams who thought this way also.  If 20% of this league thought of it this way, then I might reconsider...5%, probably not.

[rcankosy]

By my own estimate, there are probably at least 7-10 teams that have signed prospects to standard contracts.  Some of them don't have the priviledge (or sometimes cruel punishment ) of being on the RC and letting their voices be heard.

[Canada8999]

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the discussion, but they just cannot vote.

[Colby]

Anything?  I feel that this is a fairly dead issue.  There aren't too many regular contracts given to prospects out there.  Any such contract that is handed out at $500k-$1m/year can be extended at $500k for 2 years if the player didn't rank with a market value too, so that's another point to consider for extension.

[lp815]

Anything?  I feel that this is a fairly dead issue.  There aren't too many regular contracts given to prospects out there.  Any such contract that is handed out at $500k-$1m/year can be extended at $500k for 2 years if the player didn't rank with a market value too, so that's another point to consider for extension.

A good point, Colb.  I am still pretty firm that an MLB contract cannot be reverted to a prospect contract at any time.  Ben did offer an alternative a couple posts prior that I did agree with, to attempt to compromise on the idea.