Coeurd’Alene J wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:41 pm
Evidently we have a big decision at the end of 2021
https://prospectinsider.com/expensive-a ... o-in-2021/
If he doesn’t improve there should be no reason to exercise the option that we will be faced with
He gets 16.5M this yr and it can turn not an additional 4 yrs at $66M
Kikuchi, who receives $16.5 million next year, has a unique set of contract clauses. Per Baseball Prospectus, the Mariners must determine within three days after the 2021 World Series whether to exercise their option on Kikuchi. Normally, options cover one year. However, his includes four years through the 2025 season. It’s a take it or leave it deal for the team – nothing or all four years valued at $66 million.
But there’s more.
If Seattle declines its option, Kikuchi has until five days after the Fall Classic to exercise a player option for 2022 paying him $14.5 million dollars. If both parties decline their respective options, he becomes a free agent.
Sometimes Jerry doesn’t use his brain
The creatively strucrtured contract serves the interests of each party ... and perhaps is too complex for some fans.
A month after the Red Sox signed Nathan Eovaldi to a four-year, $68 million contract, the Mariners signed the younger Yusei Kikuchi to a contract that guarantees the lefthander only $56 million over four years. Kikuchi has since outperformed Eovaldi although each has disappointed.
The four-year post-2021 team option left open the possibility that the Mariners could lock down Kikuchi if the lefthander produced like Yu Darvish. Short of that the M's could walk away after 2022 when (by no coincidence) Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock and/or George Kirby should be ready.
Jerry Dipoto deserves some credit on this one.
FWIW Steamer projects Kikuchi with 2021 WAR of 2.3 in 29 starts. This year 2.3 fWAR was valued at $18.6 million.