NOLA Says Kevin Gausman Returning to LSU

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Give him slot money or wish him well in his junior year. Use the money elsewhere to fill needs or save the bucks for next year when we likely will have two top ten picks

If he doesn't sign, they can't use the money elsewhere because they lose the ability to spend it.

[birdwatcher55]

Money is money. Money you don't spend is money saved. if you're not dishing out $3.5 mil for one player, you might be more inclined to go overslot on some of these other guys you've been talking about

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Money is money. Money you don't spend is money saved. if you're not dishing out $3.5 mil for one player, you might be more inclined to go overslot on some of these other guys you've been talking about

Under the new rules you are not allowed to do that very easily is what I'm trying to explain.

[birdwatcher55]

Now Jordan, you're a smart guy, do you really think teams won't be doing what I have suggested??? I don't suggest they're going to spread out $3-4 mil on their later picks but here or there they are going to toss a few carrots at those quality, hard to sign guys ie Delmonico of a year ago.

[ofahn]

Derick Velazquez is requiring at least 500k

Based upon my understanding of our slotting budget we can give him that AND still sign Gausman for slot money.

All picks after the 10th Round have a max of 100K. Add the 120K they saved from the first ten picks and you have 220K. We can spend about 315K BEYOND our slotting allotment without losing a draft pick. It will just cost us a 75% fine of the overage, which would be less than 250K.

By my calculations (sorry for the math so early in the morning) that gives us about 535K to play with. Maybe we should offer that to Velazquez and, if we sign him, go back to Gausman and explain that all we have left is 3.9 M and then negotiate up to slot (4.2M). I think that being told the team ONLY has 3.9 M left a couple of hours before the deadline would be very sobering. It would certainly put his options in context. If he wants to place his future at risk over a lousy 100K or so and some pride, then so be it.

We can't (and shouldn't) offer ML contracts anymore, but there is nothing that stops us from telling Gausman that if he can show he can handle professional hitters in the few starts he will have this year that the team WILL have him come to ST next year and remind him how much playing time DYLAN Bundy got this Spring even though everyone KNEW he wasn't going North with the team. Gausman won't either, but 25 or so solid innings there would put him on the fast track for Baltimore in 2013.

That can mean a LOT of money for him. The career earnings for even a league average pitcher increase by at least 5M if they become "free" agent eligible one year earlier. Even if The Orioles sign Velazquez and take a hard line at 3.9M on Gausman, he would be CRAZY to give up the opportunity to be "free" agent eligible one year sooner.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Now Jordan, you're a smart guy, do you really think teams won't be doing what I have suggested??? I don't suggest they're going to spread out $3-4 mil on their later picks but here or there they are going to toss a few carrots at those quality, hard to sign guys ie Delmonico of a year ago.

They could, of course. But they can't do that without penalty under the new rules.

[Rising O's]

If the Gausman deal goes down for 4.1. They lose 275k on the 5th round pick, I do not know the exact amount. That would leave them around 600k to sign one more player without incurring penalties. Derick Velazquez, come on down.