It was definitely not kosher how he and his agent orchestrated the whole thing but that's pro sports. Tampering, and playing underhanded is part of the way of doing business when so much money is at stake. One thing to remember is that hype dies down much faster than it comes up. Look at year after year who the best players are and how they died down after some time. We don't have to look far in Vlad's rise and fall. To play two positions is putting strain on his body and if he gets injured and experiences any prolonged bad play, his stock decreases, and so does coverage. The odds are this contract will blow up in their face.
And some posting about the special treatment he'll be receiving vs. other players, are right. It's going to piss off a lot of his teammates who are stars themselves. Part of being a team player is being treated the same...not given preferential treatment. Of course it'll roll off the backs of some, but for some it'll be an annoyance.
As for the deferral of salary, I don't know about the tax implications, but I guarantee you if we landed him and he did that he'd be seen as the greatest team player ever. I temporarily think he's scum for using the Jays though.
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