The big dominoes kept falling today on the first day of the Winter Meetings. As widely expected, Trea Turner, one of the "Big 4" shortstops signed with the Phillies. What was not expected was the terms of the deal, 11 yr/$300 M. That is definitely more than the 8 yr/$268 M MLBTR projected for him but it's also a way lower AAV, $27.3 M vs $33.5 M. This cuts against the trend of higher AAV's on shorter contracts and feels like it included de-facto deferred salary as Turner is highly unlikely to still be playing SS at age 40 and his offensive production, while excellent for a SS is not quite what you would look for from a lesser position. Not sure what this means for the other shortstops on the market but Carlos Correa is two years younger so could now reasonably expect at least a 10 year contract with a significantly higher AAV.
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Justin Verlander RHP signed a 2 year contract with the Mets that matched Max Scherzer's AAV of $43.3 M. Verlander and Scherzer are two great veteran pitchers who are defying age, but they have also both had their struggles in the postseason which is fast becoming all that counts in MLB.
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In a lesser deal, Carlos Estevez RHP signed a 2 yr/$13.5 M deal with the Angels who seem to be finally serious about putting a strong supporting cast around their two superstars. Estevez is a hard thrower who put up a 3.47 ERA pitching for Rockies. You would think that would translate to a lower FIP but his FIP registered at 4.08. It continues to be a relative seller's market for relievers.
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