If he has more than 2 good years, I will be shocked. So approximately 80 million dollars wasted...
This is the sort of stupid deal that guarantees that small market teams are really just the minor leagues for big market teams. The Reds have traded away basically all their talent (even reasonably priced talent like Sonny Gray's 10 mill a year for a solid starter) to once again be the AAAA affiliate of teams with money. Other small market teams also jettisoning players because they cannot compete.
While teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Cubs have unlimited funds to spend.
Until baseball has real revenue sharing and a salary floor and a salary cap like the NBA and NFL it will be an unwatchable affair with 8-12 teams that will hover around 100 losses ans cannot make the playoffs beyond a play in Wildcard win and 8 teams that hover around 100 wins and always make the playoffs.
The only smallish market team with any success is the SL Cardinals because with an unbalanced schedule they can beat the crap out of the Reds, Pirates, and Brewers. Only the big money Cubs between them and a safe playoff spot.
Once you get to the real playoffs it is a crap shoot because of pitchers and wonky strike zones. But if you have deep pockets you can buy your way to 95 wins and a post season birth (see the Yankees), even if you don't win the championship.
They might as well relegate small market teams to the AAAA league because that is all they are now.
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