Remember, Remember the 2nd of December (Part 2)
I honestly didn't think I was going to have to do a sequel post to the one I did last off season, since Evan was such a hot stove topic last winter. You'd think that everything would be pretty much set with the White Bear's future, right?
But alas....HERE WE ARE AGAIN!
Recent media reports have labeled El Oso Blanco as being a non-tender candidate for the Houston Astros. Simply put, for anyone that may not know what that means, the organization could decide to not give him his arbitration raise that he deserves (early estimates project him to be worth roughly $4 million/yr through the next 3 that he is in arbitration, which is completely fair IMHO) and essentially cut the chord with him. This would leave Evan to have to find yet another new team, which would be his third in only his 4th major league season. No one realizes the added pressure that puts on a player like Evan, that already puts a lot on himself to do well in the first place.
Even if he wanted to stay in Houston, like he has told reporters in that city a few times, a non-tender would still only give him the league minimum in his 4th season, which is complete and utter bull. Money isn't everything, but in this particular case, Evan Gattis has earned every last penny owed to him. I wrote a fairly lengthy and passionate post about it yesterday on SB Nation's "Crawfish Boxes" Astros fan blog that you can read here.
Let me make this clear: If Jeff Lunhow and Jim Crane do the unthinkable and this rumor mill has any truth to it about him not being tendered at the deadline of such (on Dec 2nd), then here is what these men, and by extension the front office, are giving up;
(AHEM! - clearing the throat for this one!)
1. The club leader in home runs (27)
2. The club leader in RBI (88)
3. The club leader in triples (11, ironically the number on the back of his jersey!) - Yeah, no one expected this one. Which just proves how unorthodox, however excitingly spontaneous, Evan Gattis really is!
4. Player that was 2nd overall in total hits (139 - only behind Altuve's 201)
5. Player that was 2nd overall in total extra base hits (58, only one behind Altuve's 59)
6. Player that was 3rd overall in total runs scored. (66, only behind Rasmus with 69 and Altuve with 88)
Considering what other arb-eligible players like Carter and Valbuena are going to command (estimates are roughly 6 million apiece), I would get rid of those others first long before I get rid of Gattis. Crane himself even added that he was extending the payroll, so $4 million a year for a player with the cumulative stats that Evan has will most certainly not break the bank as far as the team payroll is concerned.
But that could all just be me. I get a lot of crap from so many people about my loyalty to Evan and always working hard to be in his corner. But I don't care, I'm gonna stick by Evan when there are so many others in the media and fan base alike that want to write him of as an expendable "flash in the pan" as it were. It's times like these, I wish the fans actually did have some kind of a vote or say in matters such as this "hot stove" off season. Truth is, however, we really don't. We have to deal with whatever decisions do end up being made.
So I'm making yet another plea to Lunhow, and a new one for the first time to Jim Crane. Please gentlemen, do not get rid of your cumulative stat club leader. Please do not let a thing like Saber-metrics fool you or your front office into thinking that Evan has no place on your team. Please do not throw away a player that you bet so much of the farm over to the Atlanta Braves to get in the first place. He deserves to be shown the money, and again, is WORTH EVERY PENNY! And more importantly....
Please give Evan Gattis a stable baseball home in H-Town!!!!
But alas....HERE WE ARE AGAIN!
Recent media reports have labeled El Oso Blanco as being a non-tender candidate for the Houston Astros. Simply put, for anyone that may not know what that means, the organization could decide to not give him his arbitration raise that he deserves (early estimates project him to be worth roughly $4 million/yr through the next 3 that he is in arbitration, which is completely fair IMHO) and essentially cut the chord with him. This would leave Evan to have to find yet another new team, which would be his third in only his 4th major league season. No one realizes the added pressure that puts on a player like Evan, that already puts a lot on himself to do well in the first place.
Even if he wanted to stay in Houston, like he has told reporters in that city a few times, a non-tender would still only give him the league minimum in his 4th season, which is complete and utter bull. Money isn't everything, but in this particular case, Evan Gattis has earned every last penny owed to him. I wrote a fairly lengthy and passionate post about it yesterday on SB Nation's "Crawfish Boxes" Astros fan blog that you can read here.
Let me make this clear: If Jeff Lunhow and Jim Crane do the unthinkable and this rumor mill has any truth to it about him not being tendered at the deadline of such (on Dec 2nd), then here is what these men, and by extension the front office, are giving up;
(AHEM! - clearing the throat for this one!)
1. The club leader in home runs (27)
2. The club leader in RBI (88)
3. The club leader in triples (11, ironically the number on the back of his jersey!) - Yeah, no one expected this one. Which just proves how unorthodox, however excitingly spontaneous, Evan Gattis really is!
4. Player that was 2nd overall in total hits (139 - only behind Altuve's 201)
5. Player that was 2nd overall in total extra base hits (58, only one behind Altuve's 59)
6. Player that was 3rd overall in total runs scored. (66, only behind Rasmus with 69 and Altuve with 88)
Considering what other arb-eligible players like Carter and Valbuena are going to command (estimates are roughly 6 million apiece), I would get rid of those others first long before I get rid of Gattis. Crane himself even added that he was extending the payroll, so $4 million a year for a player with the cumulative stats that Evan has will most certainly not break the bank as far as the team payroll is concerned.
But that could all just be me. I get a lot of crap from so many people about my loyalty to Evan and always working hard to be in his corner. But I don't care, I'm gonna stick by Evan when there are so many others in the media and fan base alike that want to write him of as an expendable "flash in the pan" as it were. It's times like these, I wish the fans actually did have some kind of a vote or say in matters such as this "hot stove" off season. Truth is, however, we really don't. We have to deal with whatever decisions do end up being made.
So I'm making yet another plea to Lunhow, and a new one for the first time to Jim Crane. Please gentlemen, do not get rid of your cumulative stat club leader. Please do not let a thing like Saber-metrics fool you or your front office into thinking that Evan has no place on your team. Please do not throw away a player that you bet so much of the farm over to the Atlanta Braves to get in the first place. He deserves to be shown the money, and again, is WORTH EVERY PENNY! And more importantly....
Please give Evan Gattis a stable baseball home in H-Town!!!!
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