Signing(s): Cubs sign Ben Zobrist (4 years/56 M)

[Fish on The Sand]

Edwin will be 34 when his next deal kicks in, Joey 36. Zobrist will be 35 this season, whereas Cespedes is 30 with low mileage. Not hard to see the comparables.

Bautista and Encarnacion aren't the same types of player as Zobrist. Look at the money Cespedes and Davis get, those will be the comparables. If Shapiro or Atkins try to compare power a power hitting outfielder/DH to a light hitting middle infielder in a contract negotiation then they will be laughed out of the room.

You compare players based on their skillset and what similar players of that skillset got. The comparables will be the Pujols contract in 2012, Cabrera's in 2014, and whatever Davis and Cespedes sign for this year.

The Jays will most likely want to try to use last year's Nelson Cruz contract as a comparable but will probably find that it won't work. Bautista/Encarnacion are likely looking at close to 20 million /year.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Bautista and Encarnacion aren't the same types of player as Zobrist. Look at the money Cespedes and Davis get, those will be the comparables. If Shapiro or Atkins try to compare power a power hitting outfielder/DH to a light hitting middle infielder in a contract negotiation then they will be laughed out of the room.

You compare players based on their skillset and what similar players of that skillset got. The comparables will be the Pujols contract in 2012, Cabrera's in 2014, and whatever Davis and Cespedes sign for this year.

The Jays will most likely want to try to use last year's Nelson Cruz contract as a comparable but will probably find that it won't work. Bautista/Encarnacion are likely looking at close to 20 million /year.

I wasn't all that serious with my post I know that it will cost a lot more to lock up elite power bats then a player like Zobrist but I also don't think that Cespedes will be a comparable either he is quite a bit younger then Bautista or EE. Honestly Bautista is probably going to want a V-Mart kind of deal and so will EE. I really don't know if either will be back, at this point I kind of expect Bautista to be back though and Edwin to be leaving.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I wasn't all that serious with my post I know that it will cost a lot more to lock up elite power bats then a player like Zobrist but I also don't think that Cespedes will be a comparable either he is quite a bit younger then Bautista or EE. Honestly Bautista is probably going to want a V-Mart kind of deal and so will EE. I really don't know if either will be back, at this point I kind of expect Bautista to be back though and Edwin to be leaving.

Age would be a factor, but that is going to factor more on contract length than value. If Davis lands something similar to the 7/150 he was rumored to be offered then EE/Bautista will look for similar AAV, although wouldn't have a prayer at the length. You might see something like 3/60 or 4/75 get thrown around instead.