Why not lock up JJ Walker Scott and Winn.

[ClassicO]

There is no way you lock up guys like Walker, Winn and Scott early until they put together a solid 2 years or more in a row. None of those 3 has been able to do that. Once you start handing out those deals you now got in place and contracted players that when they suck you cannot move because money is tied to them. We just got out of that system with the Arenado's and Gray's on this team. A couple of good games does not qualify a career. I am not sold on any one of the 3 at this point personally. Let's see what they are doing on the backside of the lockout in 27 first.

$5 million a year for Scott is NOT $25 million a year for Gray/Arenado.

Is it necessary though? What are we really saving?

If you are even saving $3, $4, $5 million a year, do that four or five times and you've "saved" enough to go out and sign a pretty good FA if you need one to put you over the top.

That's a really good point. With Scott II, how would you consider his role on the team over the next several years. It's pretty hard to tell by the time he would reach FA whether he would be anywhere from a starting caliber CF to a 5th OF/specialty player. Consider the other OFs that may be in the picture. I see the benefit of locking him in at a certain price, what would that certain price be?

With Scott it really depends on how far you want to go.

He's age 25 this year. If you want to do five years right now, through age 30, which I think would be ML min., ARB-1, ARB-2, ARB-3, and one FA year, it should be like $4-$5 million per, IMO. I think you're trying to offer about 50%-70% of what he might make year-to-year. So 5 yrs./$20 million is guessing that he might otherwise make like $30 million ($1 M, $2.5 M, $5 M, $8 M, $13.5 M) going year-to-year.

But then the more FA years you want to bring in after that, it would make it more expensive.

But if you are doing this at all, it is because you think he can be your starting CF for the next 5+ years.

Wow. I don't see Scott being a starter for long this year, much less future years. To each his own...

[StlMike1969]

There is no way you lock up guys like Walker, Winn and Scott early until they put together a solid 2 years or more in a row. None of those 3 has been able to do that. Once you start handing out those deals you now got in place and contracted players that when they suck you cannot move because money is tied to them. We just got out of that system with the Arenado's and Gray's on this team. A couple of good games does not qualify a career. I am not sold on any one of the 3 at this point personally. Let's see what they are doing on the backside of the lockout in 27 first.

$5 million a year for Scott is NOT $25 million a year for Gray/Arenado.

But what happens is you now lock down CF with Scott and trying to replace him will be an act of god later. Scott was really bad hitting last year, this spring too. Yes he has gotten a few hits to start the season but he is certainly not spraying the ball around the yard with authority. A guy like Scott also relies a lot on speed for defense and offense. What happens when a leg injury happens? He is not that natural hitter that can overcome those kinds of injuries. This team needs 3 viable hitters in the outfield and every position should be open for competition until those holes are filled with guys that can produce it year to year. Personally I do not care if they are doubles hitters, high average hitters or HR thumpers as long as they have a legit stick. Scott is none of these things and we have seen that contracts play over skill. Forget saving money down the road. Rebuilds are for finding the right guys and this team should be doing that and not worrying about saving a full $ down the road. Even JJ should be made to wait at least until after the season has happened in my opinion.