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MLB Hot Stove Thread 07
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The guys on 1st and Ten (ESPN) earlier today said that Bonds was definitely worth a $15M/1yr contract, but not a $20M/2yr contract. He definitely puts butts in seats.
He sure does. I made two trips last year just to BOO the guy. It would bring the biggest smile to my face to see him intentionally walked every at bat this year, just so he has no shot at the HR record.
That's a lot of money for a player almost exactly like Trot Nixon. It's not like Drew is any sort of "upgrade" from Trot, except in price tag (everyone knows Nixon would have given a substantial "hometown discount" like Arroyo did last year).
Now let's just hope Lugo turns out more like the immediately preceding free agent shortstop the Sox had, and not the one before him. I'm not knocking Edgar, he's a good player, just not in the AL.
Looking at the comparison, I don't see where Drew's not the better choice. 22 less games played than Trot, Drew is only barely bettered in Career 2Bs, RBIs and Hits. Last year's numbers and projected, he's all over Nixon on Slugging. I'll concede IJ's point that he looks better on paper, but I still think, barring injury, Drew will earn his keep.
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But of course he would not have taken it. From the get-go, Bonds advertised his refusal to sign any performance incentive-based contract. Big guaranteed cash, or nothing, was his bargaining position. And he got it, from probably the only team that would offer it. The Giants could have signed a first-tier productive player instead of a fading star probably limping through his last season for that kind of money. The home-town crowd may show up in hopes of seeing him break the record but I think everybody has to know that this move is not going to help them win the division.
$16 million for one year of 42-year-old Bonds sounds a heckuva lot better than some of the absurd contracts behind handed out to the likes of Juan Pierre, Carlos Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Gary "One Year Semi-Wonder" Matthews Jr. et al. Not that the Giants didn't try to throw their money away on those guys, but they thankfully came up short.
Coming in to the off-season, I thought Bonds would get about $10-11 million, but other GMs' profligate ways increased his value. And I think all sides knew all along that San Francisco was the only place that made sense for Bonds, for all the good and bad reasons.
And Bonds didn't limp through the end of the season: his legs were finally back in good shape by August/September and his productivity was very high. Unless he gets another injury (knock on wood!), I think his 2007 numbers should be overall better than 2006.
Bringing back Bonds alone won't help the Giants win the division. I like the Dave Roberts signing (a better player for less money than Pierre); it's good to see Rich Aurelia back in the fold (guess he'll have to play first base!?); I'm okay with the return of Ray Durham (productive when healthy, and Frandsen probably isn't quite ready for the FT job at second); Bengie Molina is a dumb move -- guy is fading fast both at and behind the plate, and Eliezer Alfonzo proved last year that he deserved the job. Hopefully the difference-maker will come via trade, but I'm not sure what the Giants have to offer ("No, you can't have Matt Cain!" is a phrase Sabean should repeat to himself 50 times a day before he leaves the house in the morning.).
I have mixed feelings about losing Schmidt. I thought for sure he was gone, and I've a mind to believe he'll not really be worth the money spent on him. For a guy who could be such a dominant pitcher, he'd get hurt or lose focus or whatever and just not be very consistent. Put Matt Morris' head on Jason Schmidt's body and you've got something to work with...
And the Dodgers might as well change their team colors to orange and black: it's looking like San Francisco South down there, right down to the new head trainer. It's kind of depressing IMO.
EDIT: Ex-Giant Jose Uribe was confirmed killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic. A sad loss of one of my favorite Giants of all-time. RIP. When you arrive at the pearly gates, the angels will all chant in unison: "Oooooooooh... REEBAY!"
Every season we redefine what it means "pay to much" for free agents, always upwards. A quality position player is now worth $8-10 million (which is the figure the Dodgers paid for Pierre), and a top performer is able to fetch $15-17 million (which is what the Cubs paid for Soriano). Both of these players are in the middle of productive careers. Does Bonds, at the very end of his, deserve the something closer to the higher or lower number? I think you already answered that question. The Giants committed a large chunk of their annual player salary to somebody who may be around mainly for show, when they could have have dealt for a high-caliber player in their prime for the same sort of money. What can I say? As a Dodger fan, I'm feeling no pain.
BTW, I like Dave Roberts too. Maybe he'll finally find a home in San Francisco. I always thought he deserved better than to be shuttled around from city to city.
Yeah, everyone knew it would end up that way. The Giants had invested too much in him to let him potentially break the record with another team.
Nope, and Magowan said as much when he said that Bonds is no longer the centerpiece, that they needed to get younger and more balanced instead of being a one-man offense. In all fairness, they took the "superstar slugger plus some lukewarm bats" idea as far as it could have gone, several playoff appearances and a pennant. They no longer have the pieces to be top contenders, and they don't want to get stuck with nothing to work with when Bonds retires, which you have to figure is within the next two years, record or no.
Part of me was suspicious that the Giants weren't trying harder to keep him, like they thought he wouldn't be good enough again to keep. Then I thought that they might be pretending to be uninterested to make people think that, then they could maybe sign him for less. Oh, the mind games of the Hot Stove League!
Not depressing. It's nice to see some players finally come to their senses.
I've always liked him, but it's easy to overrate him. A guy with his speed should have a higher OBP to take advantage of him. And he's much less durable than Pierre has been. On the other hand, I think he's got more bang-for-the-buck. I actually didn't like the Pierre signing much, and I'd like to see Roberts in blue again, but I'm not sure it would be a better acquisition. Kind of a tossup.
The Giants committed a large chunk of their annual player salary to somebody who may be around mainly for show, when they could have have dealt for a high-caliber player in their prime for the same sort of money. What can I say? As a Dodger fan, I'm feeling no pain.
Well, it's just a one year deal. I don't think those hurt a team at all, certainly not in the long run. And I think Bonds has a good shot at having a better year than last year, with the big caveat that he stays fairly healthy. Once the knee was fully back, he was very productive.
I don't think any of the free agents this year were truly guys you'd build a team around, so I don't mind that the Giants sat out/missed out. Better to wait 'til next year and take your best shot at, say, Vernon Wells (Ooh, didn't know he shared my birthday -- today! Happy Birthday, VW!). I'm not sure who else is FA after this season, but I thought this year's group was pretty weak.
But the Giants' pitching also bothers me. Wonder if those Zito rumors will come to anything? Probably not. Talk about the ideal replacement for Schmidt, though...
I think the attendance is a big factor too. The privately-financed ballpark might not sell out if a Bonds-less Giants team performs poorly. They've got debt payments to make.
The Zito rumors would be more likely to come true if the Giants hadn't already plunked down $16 million in markers on Bonds. But hey, if the Giants want to play one more season of Barry Bonds & Friends, then that's okay with me.
I look at those numbers and see the exact same ballplayer. Drew hits 3 more hrs a year -- otherwise, the only benefit he gives you is a better obp.
Seems to me the sox went out and got a name when they could have saved some money.
It seems the Braves are interested in acquiring Roco Baldelli from the Devil Rays to serve as our leadoff hitter/left fielder. I just hope we don't offer up TOO much for his services...
I am very excited about this. I was really disappointed when he left NY 3 years ago, but it is good to see him back. Hopefully the yankees can find someone to play first base that can handle that awesome pick off move.
And Eric Gagne signs with Texas, after being offered what sounded like a better deal by the Dodgers. Is Scott Boras becoming one of the most despised agents in baseball?
Looks like he's earning the title of being called "the real commissioner of baseball" or "baseball's most hated man".