MLB: Four Players Who Deserve Better Than Their Current Teams

It’s simply no fun watching great players play for poor teams, no matter what the sport is. Four MLB players currently stand out as victims of this situation.

Every professional sport revolves around championships. Fans can marvel all they want about an athlete’s individual accomplishments, but come judgement day, it’s all about the championship ring(s).

Championships seem to be most influential among NFL quarterbacks–everyone is familiar with the ridicule Peyton Manning endured prior to winning his first Super Bowl. Quarterbacks, however, are held to a higher standard due to the single-handed impact they have on a game. Hence, you don’t see linebackers or defensive backs get knocked down by their lack of jewelry.

Jump to the NBA and you see players sign short-term deals all the time just to be part of a winner. Of course, there is a major disparity in professional basketball. The recent trend has washed up players joining power houses such as the prior Miami Heat teams and the current Cleveland Cavaliers. We saw that with Ray Allen in Miami and Shawn Marion in Cleveland. A secret to no sports fan, Kevin Durant opted to join the already unstoppable Golden State Warriors this past offseason. His decision should streamline at least another championship appearance for the Warriors in 2016-2017. NBA players appear to have the most freedom to join winning teams.

Now to the topic at hand…Major League Baseball. Unlike NFL quarterbacks and NBA players, MLB players have to share their impact in a game. The only player that gets to touch the ball all the time is a pitcher, but he only gets to do that every so many days. A hitter steps to the plate generally four times a game, and maybe gets to touch the ball in the field a handful of times a game.

The purpose of this professional sports comparison is to show support for some of the MLB players who are stuck on losing teams. Certain players optimistically signed long-term contracts just to see their team’s chances wither away year by year. Now they are on the backend of their careers trying to build a legacy, while also forced to play part in a rebuild.

Jul 17, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto waits on deck during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports. MLB.

Joey Votto

Career Length: 10 years

Playoff Experience: 9 games

Deepest Playoff Run: NLDS

Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto signed a 10-year, $225 million contract with the team in 2012. Votto’s contract was/is the most lucrative in Reds’ history, and clearly indicated the team’s intentions to build around their star first baseman. Cincinnati managed to make the playoffs in both 2012 and 2013, however, they have dropped rapidly since, and are now one of the worst teams in the MLB. They have declined to the need of a major rebuild. You’d think a perennial All-Star such as Joey Votto would want out the moment he hears mention of a rebuild. Strangely, that is not the case. In fact, it’s actually the opposite.

Embedded in Votto’s contract was a full no-trade clause. This means Votto has the right to veto any trade he wants. The Reds have periodically tossed Votto’s name around the trade market; however, they are fully aware of his unwillingness to leave Cincinnati. It seems Votto proved his point to the Cincianniti front office, as they have once again deemed him the center of their rebuild. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon wrote in article in 2015 covering Votto’s no-trade stance. Votto stated at Reds’ 2015 Fan Fest:

“I don’t think of myself as anything other than a Cincinnati Red. It’s one of the really cool things about having a no-trade clause. I’m one of the rare players who has that. I get to stay a Cincinnati Red.”

Despite his yearly MVP candidacy, Votto chooses to be most valuable to his Cincinnati Reds, rather than a playoff contender. More power to him. Loyalty can often be a forgotten art in today’s professional sports, that is something Votto is certainly not guilty of. Yes it would be more exciting to see him amidst a playoff battle, but he is set in his ways in Cincinnati. Just remember this the next time you start to feel sympathy for the Reds’ star player.

Joe Mauer

Career Length: 13 years

Playoff Experience: 9 games

Deepest Playoff Run: ALDS

You can feel sympathetic for Minnesota Twins’ catcher/first baseman Joe Mauer. Mauer will turn 34-years-old on April 19th. His best years are evidently behind him as his statistics have steadily declined each of the past three seasons.

Mauer played a major part in the Twins’ most recent prime. Back when the cast included Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano, and Justin Morneau; Joe Mauer was every bit as important to the team. Mauer was the best hitter in baseball for a number of seasons. His best year was in 2009 when he won the AL MVP. In 2009, Mauer slashed an absurd .365/.444/.587. He also contributed his greatest power season in ’09, bashing 29 home runs. That year his team was swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

As great of a career as Joe Mauer has had, he has not been rewarded any playoff success, and has not come even close to a World Series. A player of his stature deserves better. Mauer has two years remaining on his 8-year contract with Minnesota. He will be 36-years-old entering his 2019 season (assuming he does not retire). Perhaps Mauer can sign a short-term deal with a major contender. He is now limited in the field and provides very little pop off the bat; however, he has astounding intangibles and he would likely still be a productive first baseman/DH come 2019.

It will be interesting to see how he plays free agency. I would equal the likelihood of him signing with a contender to the likelihood of him retiring a Minnesota Twin.

Ryan Braun

Career Length: 10 years

Playoff Experience: 15 games

Deepest Playoff Run: NLCS

Ryan Braun is yet another former MVP stuck in a rebuild. Braun’s Milwaukee Brewers are going nowhere fast. The team has a promising farm system, but the talents of their young prospects likely won’t transpire for another handful of seasons. That, along with the empire which the Chicago Cubs have built, will continue Braun’s playoff-less streak.

Fast forward through the next handful of seasons to 2022. Braun would finally become a free agent right around the time his beloved Brewers regain competitiveness. He would be 38-years-old and, if still playing, would likely be beyond his desired talent. I doubt Ryan Braun wants to waste his next five Octobers watching the playoffs from his couch.

His only way out is via trade. The Braun trade talks never grow tired. Whether it be the offseason or the regular season, his name is always being mentioned in a dream blockbuster deal. Like Joey Votto, Braun also benefits from no trade protection. Braun has eliminated all but five teams from his no-trade clause. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals are the only teams eligible to acquire Braun without his consent. The Dodgers are the only team that has openly shopped for Braun, though they can’t seem to complete a deal. L.A. and Washington are the most likely candidates to acquire the Brewers’ left fielder. Both are playoff ready, and both have a mix of prospect talent and major league talent to prompt an eventual trade.

Don’t be surprised if a deal gets done as early as this year’s trade deadline. Perhaps the underperformance of Jayson Werth for the Nationals or Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers will force a trade for Braun.

The Brewers are certainly in no rush. They shipped Jonathan Lucroy to Texas for a couple of elite prospects. Many assumed Braun would be dealt shortly thereafter; however, Milwaukee will not budge. A weapon such as Ryan Braun deserves to be shown off in the postseason. Hopefully the Brewers deal him soon.

September 23, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE. MLB.

Evan Longoria

Career Length: 9 years

Playoff Experience: 30 games

Deepest Playoff Run: World Series (2009)

By a long shot, Evan Longoria has outdone his comparables in terms of playoff success. He is the only one of these four to have played in World Series, and is the only one with any individual playoff success. That being said, he has hit a dead period of postseason potential. The Tampa Bay Rays have not made the playoffs since 2013. They play in a ridiculously competitive AL East and are by far the inferior team in the division in its current state. It may be some time before Longoria plays deep into October if remaining in Tampa Bay.

As nice as it would be to see the talented Longoria play for a contender, he seems to share the same perspective as Joey Votto when it comes to his long time team. Longoria quoted the following in a 2012 ESPN.com article soon after signing his 10-year contract with the Rays:

“My goal from Day 1 was to be the first player that played their whole career here, the first guy that came into the organization and went out in the organization, and played all the years between. There’s no better place for me.”

His plans are going accordingly as Longoria is locked under contract until 2022 with Tampa Bay. The lone defense to that comment is its timing. Longoria quoted that three years apart from a World Series appearance and at a time in which Tampa was a yearly playoff contender. Things have changed since then. The Rays don’t look to be a part of the playoffs for quite some time.

Evan Longoria remains a polarizing player at the age of 31. He is a crowd favorite throughout the MLB and may be the only reason anyone continues to show up at Tropicana Field. It would be a joy to see him back in the postseason. The Dodgers seemed like a good fit for Longoria considering he is a California native. Prior to the re-signing of third baseman Josh Turner, Evan Longoria figured to be on the Los Angeles radar. The more the Tampa Bay Rays sell the more willing they will be to trade the face of their franchise. Although it may be a few years yet, I foresee Longoria finding success with another team.