Gratuitous bunting commence!

Ugh.

I know, when assessing Mattingly, we should look at the entire skillset. For example, he's good with the media, keeps a harmonious clubhouse, doesn't abuse pitchers, etc.

But keeping me from a whole-hearted endorsement is Don's continued mangling of the little stuff. Yes, like the bunting. But also his failure to pull banged-up players for pinch runners/defensive replacements (in the postseason, a gimpy Ethier never got rest). Watch him for a season, and the tactical errors pile up.

Mostly, it's the bunting. In the 8th inning of G4 NLDS, had Uribe got the bunt down, the Dodgers probably lose the series. Because, with one out and Puig at third, Kimbrel probably is called in, and he retires Schumaker and Ellis with little problem. Barring a ninth-inning collapse, the series goes back to Atlanta.

Good for Donnie Baseball.

Anyone heard the Trout rumor. $400 million for 12 years.

How much of his contract goes to Puig ?

Remember back in May when he looked like he was a day or two away from being canned. Nice comeback.

$400 million for 12 years.

Nope but let's see ...

one free year, 3 arb years, 8 FA years

Doesn't look plausible. Even if the 8 FA years were at a staggering $40 M per (way, way more than anybody else right now) that's only $320 M, pricing his 3 arb years at $80 M total -- as much as anybody else.

12 years, $300 looks possible -- 8 @ $30 ea, then $60 for the 3 arb years but that's still too much for the 3 arb years.*

My semi-official guess would be arb at $50 M total, 4 @ $28, 4 @ 32 which is 12/$290. Throw in a couple mill for 2014.

* If it ever got to arb, Trout would obviously receive the "special" tag and he'd get whatever the 2015-17 equivalent of Howard's 3/$44 would be. But I have a hard time seeing an arbitrator putting him past something like 3/$60 (15/20/25). And the team should be getting some sort of discount for guaranteeing that ahead of time. Granted, I haven't been keeping a close eye on arb year salaries for a while now.

Good job Donnie baseball: New manager deal; booted from HOF ballot...all in 24 hours!

#2, where in the heck did you hear that? I'm with Walt, $300mil, though outrageous, seems somewhat plausible. Best part is that if he's still maintaining the awesomeness, he could sign again at 34/35 for another 5 year deal.

Mattingly is basically the same as Torre was as Dodgers manager, which is to say, really outstanding in the clubhouse and pretty shaky on in-game decisions. I'll take the tradeoff -- the clubhouse part is a lot more important IMHO. Mattingly does manage the bullpen slightly better than Torre did (it would be hard to be worse).

Trout at 20/$400 I guess I could see. Angel for life (or until they eat the contract), ridiculously long commitment but the same AAV as Votto's contract (that takes him through age 39 plus an option!) and by 2033 I'll be spinning in my grave* because the Darwin Barneys of the world will be getting $25 M a year.

* Don't worry, HW will still be around giving you guys all the grief you can handle.