The Giants and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski have averted arbitration, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on X. He’ll make $9.25MM in his remaining season earlier than he’s slated to change into a free agent. That’s narrowly beneath the $9.5MM wage projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Yastrzemski, 34, was a borderline non-tender candidate. That’s not a lot a mirrored image of poor play on his half, merely that his wage had climbed to roughly match his worth. The Giants may have thought of transferring on, utilizing the financial savings to pursue marquee gamers, with the flexibility to signal somebody roughly round Yastrzemski’s stage later within the winter in the event that they missed on the large guys.
However as a substitute, they may follow the proverbial fowl within the hand, preserving Yas for yet another go. Over the previous six years, he has confirmed to be a reasonably persistently above-average participant, even when he’s one thing beneath a real star. In 694 contests, he has slashed .239/.322/.457 for a wRC+ of 112. In every full season, his wRC+ completed someplace between 99 and 120. His dwelling run whole has all the time been between 15 and 25 in these full campaigns.
On prime of that, his protection has been fairly steadily higher than par. When mixed together with his stable work on the plate, he has been value between 1.5 and a couple of.5 wins above alternative in every season of his profession, per the calculations of FanGraphs.
A stable two-WAR participant for $9.25MM is neither a cut price nor an egregious overpay. The Giants are evidently content material with that equal worth proposition, so Yastrzemski will stick round for yet another yr, barring a commerce. The Giants are reportedly open to a swap, although the return received’t be huge together with his wage roughly matching his anticipated manufacturing.
The membership has Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos more likely to be within the different two outfield slots subsequent yr, with Grant McCray, Jerar Encarnación, Marco Luciano, Blake Sabol, Wade Meckler and Luis Matos additionally within the combine. Maybe they may pursue different gamers within the offseason who may make a Yastrzemski appear extra attainable, or maybe the membership will wish to make room a few of these incumbent gamers.
