Glaus to D-Backs for 4 years $25 million. I think this is a steal if he can stay healthy and I cant believe that no other team was going to top this? A little under 6 million a year for a 35 HR guy is great deal in my mind.
Lieber to the Phillies for 3 years $21 million. I don't get this when you could have just as easily picked up Al Leiter for much cheaper and about the same risk.
The only worry I have about Leiter is his ability to go deep into ball games. I think he only averaged like 5 2/3 IP last year, and that's not a good stat with the Marlins bullpen in shambles. Looks like they'll get Alfonseca, though.
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The Glaus deal was 4 years for $45 million, not $25 million. I guess they felt they needed someone to take Richie Sexton's place. I would prefer they just rebuild for a couple years and sort out all the rookies they brought up last year while they get financially solvent in paying off deferred money they owe from years past (This year will be $55 million in deferred payments). Hell, the Diamondbacks are still paying Todd Stottlemyre!
Glaus to D-Backs for 4 years $25 million. I think this is a steal if he can stay healthy and I cant believe that no other team was going to top this? A little under 6 million a year for a 35 HR guy is great deal in my mind.
Yeah, that'd be a hell of a deal... but it's actually 4 years, $45 mil. If he can stay healthy, that's a decent enough deal, but the problem is the D-Backs dropped this money on someone that has the words "If he can stay healthy" attached to his name.
Glaus to D-Backs for 4 years $25 million. I think this is a steal if he can stay healthy and I cant believe that no other team was going to top this? A little under 6 million a year for a 35 HR guy is great deal in my mind.
Yeah, that'd be a hell of a deal... but it's actually 4 years, $45 mil. If he can stay healthy, that's a decent enough deal, but the problem is the D-Backs dropped this money on someone that has the words "If he can stay healthy" attached to his name.
(edited by BizMoney on 9.12.04 1440)
I don't get this one. They're eager to dump Unit, but here they go signing the fragile Glaus to a FOUR YEAR, big-money deal. Glaus is a great hitter, sure, but who knows if he can even field third base anymore? He only DH'ed after his surgery. Foolish move for the D'Backs; simply too much risk to offer that kind of deal.
Jeff Kent to the Dodgers, 2 years for $17 million. Even though Kent isn't what he once was, he's still one of the top three second basemen in the game today. The Dodgers could always use some offense, so it's a decent signing.
Angels are close to signing Steve Finley to a 2-year deal worth $20 million, which seems like a LOT for a guy who's pushing 40 and has seen his overall offensive production decline the past several years... not by much, but it's still not an encouraging sign.
Solid pick-up by the Padres, but it gets erased if they let Wells walk.
The Glaus signing by the D-Backs does make sense on a certain level: The Yankees don't match up well with them for Johnson, so Johnson will probably stay. With Johnson and a certain degree of offense, you do guarantee at least 20 wins. If the young pitchers they had last year somehow develop and they find a way to patch things together, they could realistically get into the .500 region. Once there, they won't be far out of the N.L. West race if it is presumed going in that 87-88 would be the target number to win the division. Is it likely for the D-Backs? No. Was it likely for the Rangers to be in the pennant race with less than a week to go last season? Certainly not.
If the Angels end up giving Finley big money, that closes a big door in the Beltran sweepstakes. How many guys will Boras overplay his hand with in the manner he did last year with Milwood, where the supposed 5 year/$75 million dollar pact that he claimed someone offered never materialized.
Jaret Wright for 3 years/$21 million? Are they trying to outdo the Jeff Weaver fiasco? First, Wright has historically been lit up in big spots by Boston, and that is the key component the Yankees have to focus on. Second, never trust a pitcher who was resurrected by Leo Mazzone unless Mazzone is going with him. If there is a Hall of Fame wing for pitching coaches, Mazzone probably belongs in it. And, considering in 3 starts in September/October John Lieber had one bad inning against the Red Sox, I'd like to thank the Yankees for not keeping him, and certainly thank the Phillies for getting him out of the A.L. Of course, with Johnson or without Johnson, the Yankees season should boil down to this: After the most dominating decade by a relief pitcher in baseball history, has Rivera started to begin the inevitable descent. If so, the Yankees are in trouble. If not, then they will be an extremely difficult out in the playoffs.
Jeff Kent to the Dodgers, 2 years for $17 million. Even though Kent isn't what he once was, he's still one of the top three second basemen in the game today. The Dodgers could always use some offense, so it's a decent signing.
Originally posted by JayJayDeanI know he's a nice player and all, but $5 million a year for Jermaine Dye?! That seems like serious overpayment to me.
Just read an article on Chisox.com, but he chose the White Sox and their offer over more money being offered by numerous teams, because he had told GM Ken Williams he would sign...that and he liked the idea of playing at US Cellular Field, where he's had past success.
redsoxnation, you're putting a lot of loaded phrases in your argument for the Glaus deal making sense. While I see your point (that is if everything works out the way you have it written) I think it's too much to pay for a guy who, as BizMoney said, has an "if he can stay healthy" label attached to his name. It's no guarantee that Unit stays, regardless of how well the Yanks match up with the D-Backs in terms of trade value. If Zona wants to dump his salary, they'll have to take whatever the Yanks offer. And that seems to be the way this thing is going to happen, according to some reputable sources at espn. While it's not the word of Gammons, there are some people over there who think that the Yanks made a power-play the other week by saying that they weren't interested in Johnson anymore. Eventually, as the common logic goes, the D-Backs price will go down and the Yanks will wind up with Johnson. If Unit is gone, then the Glaus signing makes little sense. Sexson wants out, Finley is already gone. One 35 HR threat who is coming off an injury plagued season does not warrant the contract he signed. But I'm not a GM, so maybe I'm missing something.
As far as Dye goes, the ChiSox are getting a very solid all-around player who, like Glaus, comes with an "if he can stay healthy" tag. The money might be too high, but if he's fully recovered from his freak injury then the Sox have a solid right fielder who can put up good numbers and is very serviceable defensively.
The Kent signing makes absolutely no sense. LA is a notoriously bad hitters ballpark and Kent managed to put up the numbers he did over the past few years thanks to the protection he had in the Houston lineup. LA is going to be sorry for this one, but what else is new?
"What you don't understand, you can make mean anything." -Palahniuk
According to Gammons, Russ Ortiz is expected to sign with the D'Backs, contract is supposed to be 4 years for 34 million dollars... it seems odd that such a godawful team like the D'Backs were last year (and potentially a Unitless one in 05) would be spending that much money on free agents. I think that they still have a shot at winning the divison thanks to the return of Luis Gonzalez, as well as the Glaus and Ortiz additions, but overall I think that going with a more fiscally conservative approach to rebuilding the team would be better for its long term growth.
Originally posted by redsoxnationThe Glaus signing by the D-Backs does make sense on a certain level: The Yankees don't match up well with them for Johnson, so Johnson will probably stay. With Johnson and a certain degree of offense, you do guarantee at least 20 wins. If the young pitchers they had last year somehow develop and they find a way to patch things together, they could realistically get into the .500 region. Once there, they won't be far out of the N.L. West race if it is presumed going in that 87-88 would be the target number to win the division. Is it likely for the D-Backs? No. Was it likely for the Rangers to be in the pennant race with less than a week to go last season? Certainly not.
If the Angels end up giving Finley big money, that closes a big door in the Beltran sweepstakes. How many guys will Boras overplay his hand with in the manner he did last year with Milwood, where the supposed 5 year/$75 million dollar pact that he claimed someone offered never materialized.
Jaret Wright for 3 years/$21 million? Are they trying to outdo the Jeff Weaver fiasco? First, Wright has historically been lit up in big spots by Boston, and that is the key component the Yankees have to focus on. Second, never trust a pitcher who was resurrected by Leo Mazzone unless Mazzone is going with him. If there is a Hall of Fame wing for pitching coaches, Mazzone probably belongs in it. And, considering in 3 starts in September/October John Lieber had one bad inning against the Red Sox, I'd like to thank the Yankees for not keeping him, and certainly thank the Phillies for getting him out of the A.L. Of course, with Johnson or without Johnson, the Yankees season should boil down to this: After the most dominating decade by a relief pitcher in baseball history, has Rivera started to begin the inevitable descent. If so, the Yankees are in trouble. If not, then they will be an extremely difficult out in the playoffs.
I think that Randy Johnson will be in [Yankee] pinstripes for 2005. I just feel it, and I think that it'll get done for Javy V, Halsey, and other prospect who will never see the light of day of the Yankee's home clubhouse anyway. The deal will probably include a shitload of money too. I believe that George wakes up in a puddle after dreaming about 6'11" worth of pinstripes on the mound, and thoughts of a sold out Stadium with the marquee outside reading "Yanks/Sox TONIGHT, Unit vs Curt".
I agree with the fact that they gave Wright WAY too much. That said (again, gut feeling), they envision a rotation of Johnson, Mussina, Pavano, Milton, and Wright. I hear all the big names screaming "Pavano to Boston", and I have some doubts that he will be in the Bronx, but I think George and Cashman are gonna do all they can do to get him.
As a side note, talk about turnover for the Yankee rotation:
With the Yankee bullpen, I don't believe there will be any noticable decline with Mariano. Last year, he was used way too much, along with Gordon and Quantrill. The starters last season just couldn't pitch late into games, ever. As a team, they had ONE complete game all year, which is absurd. I think that their bullpen is looking quite good for 2005:
Mariano, Gordon (unless he is part of the Johnson trade, as rumored), Quantrill, Sturtze, Stanton (not great, but damn skippy better than Felix the cat), and Felix Rodriguez. If Gordon goes, I wouldn't mind seeing if they could acquire Rhodes as a second lefty, or maybe even Urbina to slide into the set-up slot. Either way, every year people whisper about Mariano, but as long as the Yanks remember to plug him in every night before they go to bed, he will pitch until 2020. He ain't human.
I like the Mantei signing by Boston. If he is healthy (who don't we say that about?), they didn't hurt themselves by grabbing him for a year.
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Kent is a decent player, but I'm still not convinced he's great, his MVP year was because had Bonds in his lineup and in Houston he was surrounded by good hitters. But in LA he's going to struggle especially if Beltre and Finley aren't there and if they trade Shawn Green.
Finley's numbers were actually up this year, who knows if it's going to stay that way but I don't think just 2 years is a big risk, he's obviously not dropping off tremendously like you would think a near 40 year old would.
Damnit! I was hoping he would go back to New York. All pissiness with Steinbrenner aside, he would be a wonderful pickup and Torre would surely have loved to get a lefty with some post season experience. Fucking Red Sox.
Some unusual moves this year with a lot of mediocre pitchers signing for big bucks at around $7 million + each. I can't see spending $15 mil. on 2 backend starters like Wright and Milton when you can get Pedro for $13m.
The only #2 starters I see left is Pavano at $10m, now that Radke and Leiter have signed. I wanted the Yankees to get Radke, Leiter, Lieber, or Wells and its 0-4. Ortiz, Benson, Wright, and Milton will all be overpaid.
Barring a trade for the Big Unit, which is unlikely now that Zona is spending money and their last asking price included half the Yankee team. The best I can hope for is Clement or O. Perez if available.
With the California teams out, who else is bidding on Beltran besides the Yankees?
Originally posted by skorpio17With the California teams out, who else is bidding on Beltran besides the Yankees?
The Detroit Boras', I mean Tigers, could be a darkhorse contender. It is going to take me a while to warm up to Wells. I've hated him since his days in Toronto in the early 90's, and that hatred has only blossomed through the years. Still, if he's healthy and able to take the ball in a big spot, he has proven to be able to pitch the big game. And, it means he won't end up with the Yankees at the trade deadline. Root for the uniform, root for the uniform.
We didn't exactly let him walk. We put an arbitration bid in that he could have accepted. He chose not to.
I wish him the best. I thouoght he would blow up last year and be another Randy Meyers deal for the Padres, and I was totally wrong. I'm glad he went to the AL so I can still cheer for him.
Willful ignorance of science is not commendable. Refusing to learn the difference between a credible source and a shill is criminally stupid.
Originally posted by skorpio17 The best I can hope for is Clement or O. Perez if available.
My old roommate went to high school with Matt Clement (Butler High School), and he talked with him a few weeks ago. He said he really wants to go to Pittsburgh (his hometown) but neither side thinks they can afford it. He had said that the Yankees and Padres were both interested in him (the Padres really wanted him back, apparently), but that was 2 and a half weeks ago, and a lot can change. I'm hoping for an NL team, because he got us free tickets when the Cubs came to Philly and Pittsburgh.
Maddux was also not pitching in a "pitcher's park" like Dodger Stadium. Nor was he the sycophantic darling of the New York sports media and the followng generation of sports media that grew up in NYC.