Juan Pierre: 5 years, $44M ($9M a year) Gary Matthews Jr.: 5 years, $50M ($10M a year) Carlos Lee: 6 years, $100M ($16.6M a year)
Ok, I need to ask. Exactly what pills are the GM's taking this year? Carlos Lee does NOT deserve $100 million and I'm sure every Brewers and Rangers fan will agree with me on that one. The sad thing is, there are STILL A-listers out there. Is anyone else expecting the winner of the Barry Zito sweepstakes to completely break the bank?
I'm so compelled to support teams that say the Yankees and Red Sox have an unfair advantage because they have such a high payroll, but how can I support that argument when the money these teams do spend is just squandered like this?
EDIT: I fully expect an angel (not the baseball ones) to lose its wings if J.D. Drew gets anywhere NEAR this kind of money. That's when I'll declare MLB to be Bizarro World.
EDIT #2: And going under the radar, the Astros have also signed Woody Williams to a two-year deal...for $12.5 million. Ay Carumba!
(edited by It's False on 24.11.06 2306) "That's the thing: Maybe he'll be up and down this season, but when he's up, is there another center in the league quite like him? He protects the rim, passes out of double teams, has great hands around the basket, up-fakes on his jump-hooks, rebounds in traffic, even has a motor that keeps going and going (unlike a stiff like Eddy Curry). I'm not sure what's missing here. This is stunning. This is startling. There's almost no precedent for it. Just what the Lakers needed: More obscenely good luck. Meanwhile, I have to watch Al Jefferson whip jump-hooks off the front of the rim for the third straight season. I will now pour scalding hot water down my pants." -Bill Simmons on Andrew Bynum (11/08/06)
This is about a mil and a half short of what the Yankees are paying A-Rod per year. It's probably safe to say that in light of deals like these, the Yankees and other teams will be keeping their stars like A-Rod.
For the Astros' sake (and baseball's, because of contracts like this), I hope Lee's knees hold up over those 6 years.
It's probably safe to say that in light of deals like these, the Yankees and other teams will be keeping their stars like A-Rod.
Actually, Alex Rodriguez has an out clause after next season. After the playoffs, there was talk that he'd use it to 'escape the pressure of New York.' Now? If the money is still there next season (a big if) and he's one of the top tier players in the league (a small if), he could do better than $25 a year in the market, or at least come out ahead with a new longer deal.
And I'm not sure teams will be more willing to keep the previous expensive guys; if I'm the Red Sox, and I still want to move Manny, now's the time before you could only get junk in a salary damp but now you can actually get value back. Yea, it'll take more money than usual to replace him if you go top line, but if you go for a budget replacement instead now, you could bank the money and then afford to get top guys in the next few years, where everyone's magically broke again.
I sure hope the Cubs sign Carlos Zambrano to a long term deal now. If this is what the hitters are getting, the escalation is going to be crazy when C and D level starters start getting 4 year deals and such.
It's probably safe to say that in light of deals like these, the Yankees and other teams will be keeping their stars like A-Rod.
Actually, Alex Rodriguez has an out clause after next season. After the playoffs, there was talk that he'd use it to 'escape the pressure of New York.' Now? If the money is still there next season (a big if) and he's one of the top tier players in the league (a small if), he could do better than $25 a year in the market, or at least come out ahead with a new longer deal.
And I'm not sure teams will be more willing to keep the previous expensive guys; if I'm the Red Sox, and I still want to move Manny, now's the time before you could only get junk in a salary damp but now you can actually get value back. Yea, it'll take more money than usual to replace him if you go top line, but if you go for a budget replacement instead now, you could bank the money and then afford to get top guys in the next few years, where everyone's magically broke again.
I sure hope the Cubs sign Carlos Zambrano to a long term deal now. If this is what the hitters are getting, the escalation is going to be crazy when C and D level starters start getting 4 year deals and such.
The big winner if A-Rod opts out is Texas, as Hicks would get out of paying the rest of that contract. I know he quit on the team in August, but, as I said the instant he pulled himself from the game against the Yankees: Manny is the smartest guy on the team because he saw the ship be sunk. They can't get anyone to replace his numbers, and, even his worst years are superior to J.D. Drew's best seasons, and I'd rather pay Ramirez $35 million over the next 2 (I don't think they'll pick up the options, though, they do seem somewhat reasonable now) than J.D. Drew $80 million over the next 5. Of course I wouldn't pay J.D. Drew $5 over the next 100 years to play in Boston because he will be found in the fetal position by the middle of May, but, that's another rant that is a corrollary to my Julio Lugo will be a Bust in Boston diatribe. I guess Lee was smart turning down 50 for 4 from the Brewers at mid-season. And, I wouldn't trust a pitcher that was successful in Petco going to the former Enron. Thank God the Red Sox locked up Ortiz through the rest of the decade.
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I know nothing regarding baseball and PED's should surprise me anymore...but call me a sucker, because I'm shocked by this. Wow! Ryan Braun of Milwaukee Brewers tests positive for performance-enhancing drug What a huge disappointment.