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... but giving the M's a $2m buyout of a $16m contract wouldn't be about taking a freebie. It's about selling your stock option at a super-generous price.
Hey, even cutting a deal where Hanshin did $5M and the M's $3M would have been doing Seattle a favor. The contract was in place and it was Kenji's money. :- )
Been awhile since I was out on my own. Three years ago it used to be the norm. Now it's once in thirty posts. As Ichiro would say, look around and see who has changed...
;- )