[Galaril]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Edinson Volquez got $10m/y, league average pitchers who can throw 200 IP get $10m/y+. The closest comp, Homer Bailey, got 6/$108 while giving up an arb year. Porcello was going to get PAID Rick Porcello’s Upcoming Enormous Payday | FanGraphs Baseball

He's still 26 (younger than Jacob DeGrom, Brandon Workman, etc), has a career 4.30 ERA despite being rushed to the majors and playing in front of arguably the worst infield defense in the majors, and zero injury history. The money isn't going to be a steal, and there's always injury risk, but locking him up just for age 27-30 is amazing, even if he's "only" a 4.00 ERA guy, and not the 3.50 guy his FIP from the last 2 years indicates.

And because the comparison is inevitable, I'd rather have Jon Lester this year, I think it's a toss-up between the two for the next few years, but I'm ecstatic we're not committed to paying Jon Lester $50m in 2020/21. And I also think the Red Sox willingness to go as high as they did on the yearly $ is directly related to Lester turning down 4/$70 last year at this time, and how badly low-balling him backfired.

Great points and hope you and others that point this out are right.