Interest in Tabata?

[jorgenswest]

Jose Tabata has been out righted. He can elect free agency. Should the Twins be interested?

 

He has played a lot of centerfield in the minors. There wasn't an opportunity to play CF with Pirates. He would be below average there but so are Fuld and Hicks.

 

His career OPS+ is 100 helped mostly by his OBP.

[TheLeviathan]

Tabata was once a promising prospect. With this team's CF issues I'd take a flyer on him.

[James]

Still only 25 and has a .275 batting average over 1600 MLB at bats, can play all three outfield spots... I'd give him a shot.

[DaveW]

He is better than Fuld.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Too many question marks with this guy.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

He is better than Fuld.

 

Fuld may be below average, but at least he is reliably below average.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Would anybody take him over Parmelee? That's realistically the spot on the ML roster he'd be taking.

 

I think he's a better use of a roster spot than Florimon or Deduno at this point, since Gardy isn't playing those guys anyway.

[DaveW]

Fuld may be below average, but at least he is reliably below average.

 

Tabata is much better IMHO, however this is worth noting below: Its worded poorly, does this mean basically he would be forfeiting his entire deal if he elected FA? Or just the 250k buyout option?

 

Tabata is owed roughly $1.59MM over the remainder of the current season, $4MM in 2015 and $4.5MM in 2016. The buyout on his first option is $250K, meaning he’s guaranteed roughly $10.34MM through the end of 2016. As a player with more than three years of Major League service time that was outrighted, Tabata has the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, though in doing so he would forfeit the remaining guarantee on his contract, making the option more or less a moot point.

[TheLeviathan]

Eh....if acquiring him means taking on those option years I'm far less thrilled. Tabata is a guy that doesn't bring a lot of power or speed and he's not elite defensively.

 

If he elects FA than I'm on board, but only at a very reasonable price.

[tobi0040]

Tabata is much better IMHO, however this is worth noting below: Its worded poorly, does this mean basically he would be forfeiting his entire deal if he elected FA? Or just the 250k buyout option?

 

Tabata is owed roughly $1.59MM over the remainder of the current season, $4MM in 2015 and $4.5MM in 2016. The buyout on his first option is $250K, meaning he’s guaranteed roughly $10.34MM through the end of 2016. As a player with more than three years of Major League service time that was outrighted, Tabata has the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, though in doing so he would forfeit the remaining guarantee on his contract, making the option more or less a moot point.

 

 

First thought, what a terrible contract. Are we sure Bill Smith was not involved?

 

Second, he appears better than Fuld. However, I looked at baseball reference and I could not find whether or not he could "really get after it". Until I know that, I can't commit.

[JB_Iowa]

Looks like a team would have to take it on UNLESS Tabata elects free agency (and why would he do that)?

 

From today's MLBTR chat:

 

Steve Adams:

Pretty much nil. He passed through waivers unclaimed, and Huntington's been shopping him since Spring Training. Maybe if Pittsburgh kicks in $4-5MM someone would take a shot on him, but Pittsburgh still wouldn't get much more than salary relief.

[DaveW]

First thought, what a terrible contract. Are we sure Bill Smith was not involved?

 

 

I mean hindsight makes it look like a bad contract, however it's not like they owe him a ton of money he likely wouldn't have been making anyways. The three option years would have been a bargain for the Pirates had he progressed like they thought he would.

[DaveW]

Looks like a team would have to take it on UNLESS Tabata elects free agency (and why would he do that)?

 

From today's MLBTR chat:

 

Steve Adams:

Pretty much nil. He passed through waivers unclaimed, and Huntington's been shopping him since Spring Training. Maybe if Pittsburgh kicks in $4-5MM someone would take a shot on him, but Pittsburgh still wouldn't get much more than salary relief.

 

Thanks for the clarification, if the Twins weren't loaded with toolsy OF i would say sure, why not if the Pirates ate half of the contract. However as much of a short term upgrade he would be, he would likely be relegated to 4 OF at best status as early as next May.

[James]

I really should have checked up on his contract before I opened my big mouth.

 

If Pittsburgh wants to throw in money, I'd take a flyer on him, even if he did eventually just become a 4th outfielder. I wouldn't take on that contract as it is though.

[cmathewson]

Only if he elects free agency. He's not that much of an upgrade over Fuld.

[jorgenswest]

Thanks for the contract info.

 

It seems like a no brainer to offer a top prospect a long term deal to buy out arbitration years. It isn't always so team friendly. On the other hand, risking 4 and 4.5 million isn't going to kill a teams chances.

 

Maybe the Pirates want to exchange bad contracts. Can they resurrect Pelfrey next year? The Twins must owe him somewhere around 8.25 million compared to the 10.34 million owed Tabata.

[nicksaviking]

Bad contract Tabata for bad contract Pelfrey.

 

Aren't all the Pirates starters injured and all the vets on the last year of their contracts?

 

The Pirates sure seem to have good luck with former Twins pitching.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

There's also rumors that Tabata is actually 30 (or around there) too.

[snepp]

There's also rumors that Tabata is actually 30 (or around there) too.

 

He'd fit in just fine then.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Is $10mm for 2.5 years something the Twins can't take on?

[The Wise One]

There's also rumors that Tabata is actually 30 (or around there) too.

 

He was signed when he was 16. One or two years off maybe he could pull it off. More than that I would doubt that.

[nicksaviking]

He was signed when he was 16. One or two years off maybe he could pull it off. More than that I would doubt that.

 

I don't know, Kevin Bacon played a college kid in Animal House in 1978, then a high school kid in Footloose in 1984 then a college kid again in Flatliners in 1990. I'll bet Tabata could pull it off assuming he's no worse an actor than Bacon.

[The Wise One]

I don't know, Kevin Bacon played a college kid in Animal House in 1978, then a high school kid in Footloose in 1984 then a college kid again in Flatliners in 1990. I'll bet Tabata could pull it off assuming he's no worse an actor than Bacon.

 

Kevin Bacon would have had makeup artists. I have yet to see or hear of a ball player in the heat of the Dominican Republic wear makeup. I have read plenty of posts from overactive imaginations.

 

Enough people think highly of Bacon's skill to pay him a lot of money (net worth 50 million without word of him havin the spending habits of Bryant McKinney <sic?>), have him play in some 60+ films, play himself in tv shows, and have a hot wife for 20 years. Tabata might be a better actor than ball player but that talent is as undiscovered as his ability to be a good mlb hitter.