With millions on the table, what would you do?

[DeskSmkr]

I’d advise him to consider the 25 million deal, if he thought the future income would be much larger and negate the 5 million loss now. For example the stardom from the championship win would make him more money later in career making him more worth more and increasing his skill working with other champions.

If this is his last season or two, and he’s heading to retirement, take the 30 million contract now and understand upfront it might be a long frustrating year and he may be the smartest guy in the room pushing everyone else to be better.

I can’t understand working more than one year if I made 30 million in one year.  I’d like to think I’d be smart enough to figure out how to retire immediately after the year was over, avoid risk of sports injury, see the world, smoke cigars, etc. Perhaps a juvenile kids dream. Then again, maybe  I’d keep playing professionally if I really loved sport.

[LLC]

A few points which have been mentioned.
- San Diego has a ton of great young players.
- Even with Machado there payroll is low and they may still go after Harper.

As well
- San Diego has probably the best climate in North America.
- Far less pressure and scrutiny in San Diego vs. NY.
- From what I’ve heard recently, it really isn’t necessary to be in a big market anymore to get big endorsement deals. They days of local media in a place like NY or LA are not once they once were and with social media, YouTube,etc. it doesn’t really matter where you are just how big of an influencer you are. Can’t remember the specifics but I saw many example of various sports stars making more money in smaller markets than some big names in large markets.

To me once your talking that much money, things other than a championship matter like quality of life, climate, ownership and commitment to paving a path to a championship contending team.


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[Jal154]

25 Million, winning team! He will make it up with endorsements!

[Jal154]

1 hour ago, DeskSmkr said:

I can’t understand working more than one year if I made 30 million in one year.  I’d like to think I’d be smart enough to figure out how to retire immediately after the year was over, avoid risk of sports injury, see the world, smoke cigars, etc

Maybe 2 years! ??

[gcman68]

1 hour ago, MoeFOH said:

Lol. Who are you trying to kid, Joe? : )

Good to hear from you, mate. It's a been a while. You went quiet in early Oct for some reason. ?

Going on almost 10 years here with only 66 posts so it was entirely coincidental I assure you! 

[Astar20]

To say the Red Sox didn’t buy their championship this past season when they won would be a lie (Yankees fan) they did pay for JD. which is what they Yankees would do if they bought machado or Harper, as a Yankees fan I was relieved they didn’t sign machado, Harper is the better player and would make a great addition at 1st base ? so I would have signed with a championship team and the money would come in time.

[HabanosNJGuy]

As a Yankee fan, I wanted no part of Machado.  Don't want his attitude corrupting the young core of this team.  Someone like him probably wanted no part of a big market team team like NY or Boston, where fan and media scrutiny would call out his style of play on a daily basis.  Let him get his millions in a small market where he can hide.  I wouldn't be surprised if he never cares about winning a title.

[gweilgi]

7 hours ago, MoeFOH said:

 

It's a question that regularly troubles and puzzles me with elite sports stars: how much money is enough? With millions on the table, what would you do?

 

Two points spring to mind.

Firstly, like bankers and CEOs, some athletes are simply paid too much.  Transfer fees for soccer players of USD300 million are obscene, as is a basic pay of USD400,000 a week (not counting appearance fees, goal-scoring bonuses, advertising and endorsements, etc) or more.  Yes, I realise there are market mechanisms at play here, but some things quite simply offend me.

That said, sports is an immensely high-risk profession.  The next ball thrown, the next tackle, the next step taken in training or during a match can end a career stone dead.  And it is a short career at best -- the average length of a MLB player's career is less than six years, ditto in ice hockey, and in American Football it is somewhat less than seven years.  That's the time one has to fund the rest of their lives ... after paying the tax man, the lawyers, the managers, the consultants, the wives and everything else.  So yes, a seven-figure salary is probably appropriate.

 

[MD Puffer]

Been reading too many posts- I initially thought this said, "With minions the table, what would you do?"

 

Answer, "Why, take over the world of course!"

 

 

For some reasons, kids like this cartoon like you wouldn't believe.  I think I've ended up watching the series of movies over a couple of dozen times each...

[Burningman]

Take the most guaranteed money for sure. One rolled ankle or bean ball and you will never be the same. Secure your future ASAP. Everything else is icing on the cake.

My 2 cents

[Puros Y Vino]

Take the money. Baseball is still a buyer's game when it comes to championships and that's still no guarantee. Take the millions to play a game, play your best and hope for the best.  There are many HOF'rs without a WS ring if you're worried about your legacy. 

[JohnS]

You know there's a stand-up skit in Season 2 (I think) of Seinfeld where Seinfeld says that he's never actually seen anyone "laugh all the way to the bank". I think Manny Machado may be one of those guys after this deal. In the long run, he'll be traded somewhere else in 5 years if healthy.

 

[JGD]

Now that more details are coming out, one thing to keep in mind is that he has an opt out after the 2023 season. So, if he feels like he made his money and wants to go for a ring somewhere else he can make that happen. 

[beparrish]

I find the arguments regarding taking less guaranteed contract $$ and making it up with endorsements somewhat questionable. For the most part, baseball players don't make a ton in endorsements. I read one article that stated in 2013, LeBron James made $42 million in endorsements, which was more than the top 10 baseball players combined made. 

In 2018, Clayton Kershaw (at #37) was the highest baseball player on Forbe's list of the World's Highest Paid Athletes. His salary was $33.238 million, and his total earnings were $34.5 million. Not a whole lot of endorsement income.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/06/13/full-list-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2018/#278db8fc7d9f

It's easy to forget how much $5 million a year is, when many of us who have worked our entire lives haven't even earned half of that amount. And we're talking another $5 million a year for 10 years ($50 million). 

Take the money.  That's way too much to pass up IMHO.

[joeypots]

If I had the talent and drive to play in the big leagues I’d go for the opportunity to win over more money. If one could manage to accumulate 50 million it could produce something like $35,000 a week invested at 3.5%. That’s not too shabby a base to work off of and I bet that Mr Machado could accumulate a lot more than that over his career. Even with agent fees and taxes. I’d rather a have legacy of winning than earnings. Alex Rodriguez, for all of that NY Yankees money, won one World Series.  I have more admiration for Bernie Williams than ARod, and Bernie ain’t poor.

[Fuzz]

You guys think too small. Take the money, and take the championship win... by buying a winning team.

[MoeFOH]

16 hours ago, crking3 said:

First I’m just curious why your a Red Sox fan ? Love to hear the story! I detest the Red Sox being from Baltimore lol...fans are absolutely obnoxious ....come to Camden yards in September when they’re playing the Sox and not in the title race, you’ll see what I mean ...also I can say that even being an orioles fan, I couldn’t stand manny machado, that dumb smirk he always had on his face after making a play, his cheap dirty slides into players, his flashiness that didn’t quite seem to suite the club.....maybe it’s just a young, modern baseball thing nowadays and he seems to be a face for it, but I just really don’t like his general approach ...totally obnoxious ....and Cant comment on the padres signing without the full picture ....maybe they do have. A shot at the playoffs or title in a few years who knows


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Became a baseball and a Sox fan after my first visit to the States in Nov 2002. We were in San Francisco, and we walked around the outer, where you could see into the stadium, of what was then PacBell Park. The season was over, of course, but I was really taken by the notion of eventually going to a ball game. Decided to pick a team to follow, and, I guess, more than anything, Boston's history and Irish link appealed to me. Only took me another 16 years to finally get to a game at Fenway! Been very fortunate with WS wins in that time though, so I'm not complaining. : )

Re Machado: totally agree. And good to hear it from an Orioles fan. To me, it's a real shame. He's so talented, and there's no need for the garbage in his game/attitude. 

Re Padres: you might be right. Anything can happen and they could come from the clouds to be a contender in the next few years. Who knows. My main point was, much to my chagrin, that the Yankees are knocking on the door right now. 

Didn't get to Camden Yards last year, but would have loved to. Looks like a great ballpark. 

[MoeFOH]

17 hours ago, Astar20 said:

To say the Red Sox didn’t buy their championship this past season when they won would be a lie (Yankees fan) they did pay for JD. which is what they Yankees would do if they bought machado or Harper, as a Yankees fan I was relieved they didn’t sign machado, Harper is the better player and would make a great addition at 1st base ? so I would have signed with a championship team and the money would come in time.

Highest payroll in baseball. Agreed. In the same breath, that doesn't guarantee anything. And, if I'm not mistaken, we are lumbered with some big useless deals we're still paying for: Panda, Castillo... And I'd argue that we won the whole thing in no small part to some of the smaller moves Dombrowski made: he stayed away from a big deal for Hosmer and went for Moreland (All-Star season) and Pearce (WS MVP), Eovaldi and Brasier. Plus, Mookie, Benny, JBJ, Xander, have come through the ranks. JD, big signing, yes, the big bat that was needed to replace Papi. Would much rather have JD than Stanton. 

Disagree about Harper. I'd rather have Machado, if you could have him with the grub-factor removed. 

In any case, looking forward to the rivalry again this year! : )

[MoeFOH]

16 hours ago, HabanosNJGuy said:

 I wouldn't be surprised if he never cares about winning a title.

This goes directly to my point. Astounding as it is, to me, part of me thinks you might be right. 

[MoeFOH]

Perhaps this sums it up... 

 

[Astar20]

53 minutes ago, MoeFOH said:

Highest payroll in baseball. Agreed. In the same breath, that doesn't guarantee anything. And, if I'm not mistaken, we are lumbered with some big useless deals we're still paying for: Panda, Castillo... And I'd argue that we won the whole thing in no small part to some of the smaller moves Dombrowski made: he stayed away from a big deal for Hosmer and went for Moreland (All-Star season) and Pearce (WS MVP), Eovaldi and Brasier. Plus, Mookie, Benny, JBJ, Xander, have come through the ranks. JD, big signing, yes, the big bat that was needed to replace Papi. Would much rather have JD than Stanton. 

Disagree about Harper. I'd rather have Machado, if you could have him with the grub-factor removed. 

In any case, looking forward to the rivalry again this year! : )

This is the why the red Sox and Yankees and rivalry will always be the most notorious in all of sports! We Yankees and red Sox love to agree to disagree! I just see getting more for your money with Harper his work ethic and longevity as a player who loves the game and not just the money. And already the Yankees are favored to win the AL east ? but I will say the red Sox had a great season but with the Yankees farm system and what Cashman has done with it the Yankees are only going to get better in time ?