GRPhilipp said:
Sincere question: Why are so many posters here treating this as a two-horse race between Pablo and Hanley? To me, Headley seems like he belongs in the conversation on at least even footing with those guys, but he is left out much of the time (not by you, Captain). Why?
Is it because people implicitly assume the Yankees will re-sign him?
Yes, because what deal would you offer Headley that they wouldn't top?
For example, the deals I'd offer each player as an armchair GM would be something like this:
Headley - 3/$45M with a vesting 4th year option at $15M based on 250 games played at 3B between 2016 and 2017.
Sandoval - 6/$96M
Hanley - 4/$68M, 5th year option for another $17M that vests if he sees >500 PA in each of 2017 and 2018.
There is no way NYY doesn't one up that Headley deal by guaranteeing the 4th year. Give him 4/$60M and the yankees will give 5/$75M. I mean, we're talking about the team that gave Carlos Beltran a 3/$45M deal and Jacoby Ellsbury 7 years. They talk a lot about frugality, but they always give more years when asked.
Sandoval at that is probably something SF would match, but that's borderline as sometimes they get real stingy. If the Sox had to go over the top at 6/$102M that's better than landing no one, but at that point you're at the edge of reasonable.
Hanley is interesting. Some FA prognosticators predicted him at 4/$64M, others say he's definitely getting over $100M. If the market isn't real hot for him (which it might not be as he really can't stick at SS anymore, the Dodgers have Seager, the Yankees have a full OF, 1B, DH, and want Headley at 3B, etc.) he could be had at a deal and his bat is clearly the most capable of aging well as a 1B/DH/LF.
Also, lets stop wasting our breath talking about trading for Beltre until there is real substance to him being moved. Texas isn't looking to trade the single best player on their team who has a fair deal for short years for anything short of a king's ransom. If we want another alternative from these three I'd add Jed Lowrie, but he'd need to be on a make good deal given his dubious health and huge offensive decline last season.