‘Tugboat’, Aurora Re-up on Historic Deal
by Francis Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer
September 29, 2023: Bakersfield, California – No PEBA team has won as many games during the Topham tenure on The Front Range than the Aurora Borealis. One might think that as a result, the team would be one big spender – and certainly the team has spent money, but reckless would not be a term that one might use to describe the teams financial plan. Looking for Aurorans to litter the top-25 list of player salaries? Skip to #24 to find Mike Provost at $18M in 2023.
That’s all about to change.
While Provost has one more year left in his current 4-year contract (and rumored to be looking for a $30M payday), his 2024 $18.5M salary is likely to not make the top-25 list, teammate Randy Smith is about to join the party – and in record-setting fashion.
Aurora GM Will Topham announced before today’s game that ‘Tugboat’ – the 2022 PEC MVP and Golden Arm runner-up (to his well paid teammate Provost), and the Borealis had agreed on terms of a massive 7-year contract for what is likely to be a record $171M dollars (at least for Aurora) that keeps him on The Front Range through 2030.
‘Tugboat’ was the #1 overall pick by the Yuma Bulldozers in 2014, and was dealt in a deadline deal with San Antonio in 2017 (for RP Larry Taylor). The Calzones shipped Smith to Aurora in 2021 in a pre-deadline deal for Junior Cook, Jack Speed and draft choices.
Smith made an instant difference for Aurora, posting a 9-2 record and a 2.21 ERA in 15 starts after the deal, then he followed that up with a 3-0, 2.76 ERA record in the post-season as the Borealis won their second title in three years. Last year (2022), after a 16-7 record and a league best 2.49 ERA in his first full season on The Front Range, he had a masterful postseason: 5-0, 1.35 ERA as he was the PEC MVP, leading Aurora to back-to-back titles. His 2023 record is 19-6, with a 2.57 ERA – 3rd best in the PEBA and just 0.03 behind Suitani of Shin Seiki.
“We’ve been having off-and-on discussions with Randy’s agent for most of the year – discussions that began shortly after the winter meetings.” Topham started, “After we made the deal with Yuma for Gunner, Randy’s camp wanted reassurance that we were dedicated to keeping Randy in Colorado. There was never any question.”
The question became moot when Gunner MacGruder went down August 3rd with a torn ligament in his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery – a procedure that will require him to miss the entirty of 2024 – an injury that puts pressure on the moulding of the 2024 rotation.
“There is no question losing Gunner and ‘Tugboat’ for next year was going to be a massive blow to the team. Couple that with Provost entering his final year (Provost has a team option for 2024 that will obviously be picked up), and we potentially looked ahead to 2025 with a rotation of Eduardo Romano, Eric Perkins, and…?”
Instead, Aurora has a rotation of Provost ($18.5M), Smith ($20M), and Romano (a team option worth $13M) lined up as the rotations core to start 2024.
Add to that, the retention of ‘Sawmill’. After making the big announcement regarding Smith, Topham also provided details on a 1-year extension for the long-time Aurora ace. “We’ve also inked Martin Francisco to a 1-year, $10.6M deal to keep him in the fold and give us a fourth proven starter for the rotation.”
“When we made the Gunner deal,” Topham explained, “We figured we had three good years at a reasonable price. That deal, in our mind, made 2023 possibly ‘Sawmill’s final season here – despite his long, dedicated service to the team. He understood the score. At 35, and nine seasons here, it was maybe time to go. Losing Gunner changed all that – ‘Sawmill’s salary suddenly became… possibly… a bargin?”
We shall see. Francisco finished at 12-8, with a 3.81 ERA. 2023 saw Francisco post the most HRA and BB in his career. Still, he’s a dependable arm who’s 191 IP were just 5 IP shy of Randy Smith’s 196. ‘Sawmill’ has a career 113-58 record with Aurora and a 3.27 ERA for the Borealis. When asked if the signing of Francisco meant Aurora was done considering pitchers for 2024, Topham chuckled “No… we are never done looking at pitchers, and we certainly have our eyes on more than a few.”
Meanwhile, ‘Tugboat’s deal has 5-guaranteed years worth $115M, plus two-vesting years, believed to be based on 28 GS each, worth $28M each. Smith will be 37-years old should he last the length of the contract. There are scouts around the league who have expressed concern regarding his stamina and some have Tweeted that they felt his value towards the end of the contract may be more as a reliever/closer – ‘much like I view ‘Moondog’’, stated one I spoke to (anonymously, of course) prior to tonights game.
For now, Aurora looks to have solidified a rotation that in two-years may look very different – save Randy Smith. What the long, deep contract does for a ‘frugal’ team’s finances is to be seen. With whispers of changes to the League’s taxation plan floating in the wind, and the potential for more money being available for Aurora… perhaps there is no effect. Then again, Mike Provost, Paul Carlisle (and Mike Britt in 2027) may be saying, “Show Me The Money”.