This is exactly the whole point. These are all professional sportspeople making the best decisions that meet whatever it is that they want to prioritize. The Astros didn’t feel the need to make the investment in Correa, so they didn’t. The Giants did, so they did. Correa decided to do what he wanted to do. I don’t know why anyone has to impute ill motive or bad feelings or moral shortcomings onto any of the people involved here.
Value is defined by more than money. I tend to believe the Astros are better evaluators of worth than the Giants and recent history would support that. That value that is a key part of worth will be determined over time. Only then can anyone really determine if Correa was worth that ridiculous contract.
I can’t fault a player for valuing whatever he values, whether it’s the most money possible irrespective of anything else or if the considerations are more nuanced.
Anyway, this article tries to explain the financial logic behind these extremely long term deals:
If that doesn’t make sense to you, think of it as Correa issuing the Giants a loan as part of his contract. If they paid him based on his contributions each year, he’d get the lion’s share of his money upfront. He’s taking less than his contributions in the early years of the deal, and getting that money back with some interest in the later years. If the rate implied in Correa’s contract works out to a 4% loan, but they’d have to pay 7% on the open market, everyone can be a winner. He gets a better rate than he would by investing in 10-year treasuries, and they get a better rate than they would have by issuing debt. That only works if the deal is long-term; there’s not much benefit to be had in a five-year loan relative to a 13-year one.
I suspect CC could have taken care of his family and moving them out of PR several years ago. I’m not sure he didn’t. He hasn’t been working for peanuts. And, yes, good for him securing the best offer he could get if that’s his motivation. I hope Jeremy Pena is the AL All-Star SS for the next ten years wearing the orange and blue.
Given that the Astros are the ones who would be paying, their opinion is the only one that matters. And again…by definition, the team that wins the bid war only does so by paying more than anyone else is willing to.
Also again…it’s not about the Astros not having the money to sign him. Crane is not pinching pennies. It’s about acquiring the players he thinks he needs to win, a goal which has apparently made you sad.
Someone can be grateful for the present and nostalgic for the past at the same time. It seems clear to me that this is where he is. A lot of feelings are chords.
It’s also about the money on the Astros side of the bargain. Yes, the Astros can afford to pay Correa what the Giants are paying him, but chose not to and are prioritizing using that money elsewhere or saving it for additional profit. If Correa told the Astros he’d play for the league minimum I guarantee they’d find room for him.
I get that. I just don’t get the negativity directed at Crane for not signing Correa a year ago. What do people want? Just seems like complaining about the owner because that’s what they’re conditioned to do.
Correa did not want to be the “lifetime Astro” Jim wanted him to be; he wanted to be the highest paid player at his position. Seems to me it was a matter of priorities, and Correa’s was not to be an Astro for his entire career.
Crane must consider more than one player and the economic health of the organization. Since it is his money, I will not criticize his decisions on offers, and I agree with his refusal to participate in a bidding war for Correa, JV, or the other stars who left chasing money. Anyone who wants to be a lifetime Astro can achieve that and be paid more money than they can spend. Ego is a big part of it also, and some constantly compare their salary to others and want more and more.
“How much is enough” poor folks like I think, and the answer these days apparently is “There is no such thing as enough.”
People will complain that the owner doesn’t spend enough on players, and then bitch about ticket and beer prices at the game, not connecting the dots between the two.