The Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday reportedly agreed to terms with outfielder Dayan Viciedo on a minor league contract, per both Shi Davidi of Sportsnet and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, a transaction that gives us a glimpse into the minutiae of baseball rules.
Dayan Viciedo, minor league contracts, arbitration & termination pay
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Viciedo will get $2.5 million per Davidi if he makes the Blue Jays, who are expected to be without outfielder Michael Saunders to start the season after a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Viciedo, who turns 25 on March 10, hit .231/.281/.405 with 21 home runs in 2014 with the White Sox, and in his five-year major league career has punished left-handed pitchers to the tune of .291/.331/.507 with 21 home runs and 31 doubles in 487 plate appearances. He could be someone who could not only make the team in Toronto, but also stick around once Saunders returns, if only for right-handed power off the bench.
But this isn’t the first contract Viciedo has agreed to this winter. He avoided salary arbitration with the White Sox in January, signing for $4.4 million for 2015. But since most arbitration contracts aren’t guaranteed, Chicago was able to cut bait at only roughly one-sixth of the cost.
When the White Sox signed Gordon Beckham on Jan. 28, they designated Viciedo for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster, then released him six days later. By releasing him in the offseason, the White Sox only owed Viciedo 30 days termination pay. Since MLB calculates salary based on a 183-day regular season, the White Sox paid Viciedo roughly $721,311 to send him away, still $3.7 million less than he would have received had he stayed with Chicago.
If Viciedo does make the Blue Jays, that $2.5 million isn’t enough to totally recoup his loss. But given that spring training has already started, and that demand for his services wasn’t so hot, this is probably the best Viciedo could have hoped for under the circumstances.
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