Open Up Those Wallets

OPEN UP THOSE WALLETS

by C.C. McCandless

Free agent season is just around the corner, and this year’s crop of players are poised to pull down some enormous contracts. In no particular order, let’s take a look at some of the guys about to become really rich…or richer.

JACOB SARNES, Bay Area Pandas. Demand: $6.3 million. An under-30, consistent, work horse starting pitcher that could be plugged into nearly any rotation in the CBA, Sarnes has to be drooling at his opportunity here. That $6.3m starting point will be obliterated within seconds, and he’ll probably also get a max length deal. I would be surprised if the Pandas aren’t still talking to him about an extension.

ALVARO MEJIA, Dallas Devils. Demand: $6,333,333. The 30 year old first baseman has won four Dick’s Dominant Defender trophies and he has a career OPS of .815. His production dipped a little in 2029, but this well-rounded player still stands to cash in handsomely. Personality: “Financial stability is all he asks for.” He’s sure going to get it.

CRAIG MEISTER, Detroit Motors. Demand: $9,125,000. He’s a month shy of his 38th birthday, but Meister is still getting the job done. The stocky right-hander has made the third most starts on the mound in CBA history, and he’s been a double-digit winner in the Premiere League five times. He may be in the midst of the inevitable decline of a pitcher his age, but he had the lowest BB/9 ratio in the PL and has posted over 7 WAR combined in 2028-2029. He’s prepared to take a pay cut from his current salary of over $13 million, but he may not fall much shy of that, if he does at all.

PAT KENNY, Brooklyn Bulldogs. Demand: $5,633,333. Kenny is selling himself short, and his next deal will prove it. He’s 29 with 1,000 innings under his belt and a career ERA below 3.50. He’s just outside the top 20 wins among active pitchers. This OG CBA’er (7th pick overall in the inaugural 2021 draft) would be a welcome addition to many rotations across all three leagues. Brooklyn has the lowest payroll in the Silver League and they are sitting on an enormous pile of cash, so seeing this guy hit the market is surprising.

The following players have opt-out clauses they could elect to take since their clubs have been relegated:

SUPER MARIO CASTILLO, Oklahoma Mammoths. It’s safe to say this wasn’t the scenario Oklahoma envisioned when they brought the former Rookie of the Year to town. In his first year, the former member of the back-to-back champion Royals logged a 4-17 record with an ERA over 5.00 while earning more than $11 million. He has five years remaining on the jackpot contract he scored last off-season, and it’s hard to picture him throwing that out the window after the season he had…but perhaps his agent could talk him into it, considering what looks to be a shallow market for starting pitchers.

ANDY MOBLEY, Oklahoma Mammoths. Could The Sheriff begin 2030 on a new squad for the fifth straight year? It’s possible. Last year, he inked a 5 year deal at $11 million annually, and at nearly 35, after posting a sub-2 WAR, he’s probably best off staying put.

GERMAO PAULUS, Oklahoma Mammoths. This was another play that didn’t quite work out the way it was drawn up. He signed a two year deal in 2027, led the Silver League in wins in 2028, and cashed in after that season with a four year extension (including two vesting option years) that would net him nearly $40 million. The 37 year old southpaw might want to ride this out after going 0-9 with a 7.50 ERA and finding himself packed off to the Mammoths bullpen this season.

CHRIS ABBOTT, Arizona Thunderbirds. Big House signed a Big Deal worth $30 million before the 2028 campaign. The four year contract is heavily backloaded, meaning that the workhorse righty stands to make $21 million over the next two seasons. He’ll be 37 before Opening Day and he couldn’t crack the T’Birds major league roster this year and was quickly banished to the bullpen. If he opts out, it will only be because he can make more money from a malpractice lawsuit against his agent.

IVAN QUIJIJE, Arizona Thunderbirds. The Bandit already held a player opt-out, and his decision will be an interesting one to watch. After back-to-back seasons with an OPS over .900 in 2026-2027, he has been in a noticeable, steady decline. His WAR in 2029 was a donut, and if he stays in the desert, he’ll make $18 million more over the next two years. He turns 34 in a month and tearing up that opt-out should be a birthday present to himself.

ALEXIS ALARCON, Arizona Thunderbirds. The 29 year old hasn’t posted any eye-popping numbers, but he has shown improvement and the number of available and competent catchers is microscopic. He has two years at $3,738,000 per remaining before a player opt-out after 2031. He threw out 30% of would-be base thieves and had an OPS of almost .750. That should be more than enough for him to get handsomely rewarded on the open market again.

BERNARD FRANÇOIS, Mexico City Chupacabras. The 6’6” Canadian knocked a career high 18 dingers before rupturing his achilles in September. He also holds a player opt-out, but I doubt he wants to take it considering his injury and the big bump his deal gets next season—from $3.9 million this year to $7.3 mil and rising for three more. He’d be wise to keep it.

MIKE HOMAN, Mexico City Chupacabras. Everything said before about catchers applies here as well. He has won two DDDs and a Coke Black Surge award, and that’s what will stand out if he’s a free agent…he hopes. Because he won’t be getting paid solely from his 2029 slash line of .185/.279/.290/.569. He’s got a cannon for an arm and a reputation as a great handler of a pitching staff, and that’s enough for him to seek a raise from the $1.5 million he made this season and is scheduled to get for the next two years.

ABE CAPUTO, Los Angeles Chilis. Fresh off a robust 2028 season (.353 average, .987 OPS), Honest Abe was rewarded with a four year extension to stay in L.A. He followed that with his least productive season ever in 2029, with a career low WAR of just 1.3. The #4 overall pick in 2022 will most likely stay put and try to bounce back after a hamstring injury cost him a month on the DL. Three years at $6.5, $7, and $7 million with a player option for one more for $7.5 mil should be enough for this career-long Chili. However, his reputation for being greedy with a lack of loyalty could indicate otherwise.

Add a handful of players sure to exercise regular player opt-outs, sprinkle in a few promising Independent Leaguers, and open the doors to some international players…then watch the cash start flying.