How Much is a Title Shot Worth to an Athlete?

[Texsox]

The quotes always start coming up this time of year. "Greedy, he just wants the money!" "I bet he hates for going to X now that his old team won". Yest when a player does sign for less because a team seems like a title lock *cough* Heat, fans get upset. What free agent would have looked around last year and signed with the Cards for less because they had a great chance at a title?

 

I'm taking the money, hoping Boras will accept me as a client. During my retirement I'll visit the poor section of town and pay my respects to the players who chased a title lock for less money, whether they got it or not.

[cabiness42]

To me, it's not just about the title shot. It's about whether or not I would enjoy living in a particular city, liking the manager/GM/coaches/staff, liking the players, stuff like that.

 

My situation is on a much smaller scale, but I moved from Chicago to the East Coast for a 20% raise and then took a 10% pay cut to move back to Indiana because I hated living out there so much.

 

Javy Vazquez has taken less money than he could get in his last couple deals to ensure that he stays in the Eastern half of the country with convenient travel to PR.

[southsider2k5]

A lot of the dollar amount would have to do with my earning power as a player. If I was a guy who had made a $100 million in my career, it would be much different than if I were something like a million dollar a year player early in my career. A title is important, but so is taking advantage of the chance to set my family as much as possible.

[LittleHurt05]

A lot of the dollar amount would have to do with my earning power as a player. If I was a guy who had made a $100 million in my career, it would be much different than if I were something like a million dollar a year player early in my career. A title is important, but so is taking advantage of the chance to set my family as much as possible.

 

This. If you are a 26 year old who has been playing on your first contract, you want that big payday to set yourself for life. If you are Jim Thome who has made tons of money already, the contract doesn't mean much.

[TheBlackSox8]

as an athlete...if offers were in 25-30 mil range, I'd take 10 mil off that just to go to a team with better chances. otherwise, top bidder if i'm going for my first big contract.

[chetkincaid]

I think that that the desire to win and be the best is what drives professional athletes. That is a big reason that they are pros and we sit around and talk about them. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy for us to say that we'd take the money because we aren't pros. But their willingness to work hard and sacrifice to be winners is a big reason that they are professional athletes in the first place.

[Steve9347]

It's all about the Benjamins.

 

The highest bidders aren't normally from s*** teams, so it usually works out. I wouldn't mind playing in Washington with that up-and-coming roster, so something like what Jayson Werth did last year wouldn't be a problem for me.

 

Sure, if the high bidder is the Pirates, I'd think twice, or if they were in a s***ty location like KC. I'd lean Chicago and then coastal, but I can retire wherever I want with my millions.

[Texsox]

I think that that the desire to win and be the best is what drives professional athletes. That is a big reason that they are pros and we sit around and talk about them. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy for us to say that we'd take the money because we aren't pros. But their willingness to work hard and sacrifice to be winners is a big reason that they are professional athletes in the first place.

 

 

They are competitive in everything except how much they earn? You don't think they want to be the highest paid at their position?

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

It depends on my contract really. If I am being offered $1.5M, I wouldn't take $500K to go to a better team. However, If I was making $15M a year, I would give up $2-3M to go to a better team.

 

For purposes of the poll, I put $1M. I can't ever see giving up $10M a year to win, and I imagine all those figures are based on a yearly salary.

[Milkman delivers]

This. If you are a 26 year old who has been playing on your first contract, you want that big payday to set yourself for life. If you are Jim Thome who has made tons of money already, the contract doesn't mean much.

 

as an athlete...if offers were in 25-30 mil range, I'd take 10 mil off that just to go to a team with better chances. otherwise, top bidder if i'm going for my first big contract.

 

These. It's entirely dependent on the situation. Say if I were Albert Pujols right now (minus the titles), I'd sign somewhere for around $20 million if that team has a real shot at winning it all. Nobody needs to make $30 million a year. Again, this is why Jered Weaver might be my favorite non-White Sox player.

[chetkincaid]

I understand wanting to secure a future for yourself and your family. I'd want to do that too. But it has to suck playing for a team that you know won't have a chance at winning. Ever. It has to be demoralizing. Can you imagine playing for the Orioles? Someone might sign a big contract with them but can you imagine constantly looking at winners in New York, Tampa Bay and Boston and knowing that you probably will never win there?

[kev211]

I'd easily take less to play somewhere I felt comfortable and had a chance to win. The amount less I would take would depend on how much I am making.

[Milkman delivers]

I'd easily take less to play somewhere I felt comfortable and had a chance to win. The amount less I would take would depend on how much I am making.

 

Allow me to take care of this before someone somehow even snarkier than me does it:

 

That's easy to say, but you have nowhere near the talent these guys do. If you were one of them, there's no way on Satan's hairy, red ass you'd take less money. You'd want to make as much money as humanly possible for yourself and your family. You can talk a big game all want from your mom's basement about how you'd ride in on your high horse, take half the salary you could earn, and stay in your hometown to win a title. But when you're faced with the money, you'd take it every time.

 

That about covers this thread.

[greg775]

It's seems pretty basic. If you are a veteran and already set for life financially, you might want to stay with one team your whole life as long as the team has a reasonable shot at anything. Now if the team is the Royals or somebody like that with zero shot, you have to flee, but if I were Mark I'd take the hometown discount.

 

Now if he's convinced the Sox are s*** and won't be contending anytime soon (which frankly is possibly the case), then I don't blame him for heading to the money and a contender. If he does stay it means he's willing to watch Rios and Dunn hit for another full season or two, so maybe that lends us fans hope that there's hope the 2 of them will turn it around.

Edited November 9, 2011 by greg775