Merry Christmas!
Another pitcher is down and only three prominent starters are left in Barry Zito, Jeff Weaver, and Roger Clemens as Jeff Suppan has been taken off of the market. Suppan is obviously not an ace, but he improves the Brewers pitching staff and improves the Brewers chances at the wide open NL Central. It's obvious that Suppan is not worth four years and $42 million, but nothing seems to be obvious anymore after this off-season.
'Tis the season of giving....
Overall, more Type (A) and Type (B) free agents have switch from the AL to the NL. However, the NL has signed their Type (A) and Type (B) free agents to a total of 80 years and $672,000,000, which works out to an astounding $8,400,000 per year. Comparatively, the AL has signed their Type (A) and Type (B) free agents to a total of 55 years and $347,770,000 which works out to $6,323,090.91 per year.
In terms of the top fifty free agents, the NL has signed twenty five of them compared to the AL signing eighteen with seven left on the market. Eight have switched from the AL to the NL and only five have switched to the NL from the AL. However, out of those five that switched, an astounding three have come from Texas. Texas did managed to steal three top 50's from other teams, but Carlos Lee is a greater loss than all of their gains combined and Lofton doesn't represent any upgrade of the '06 version of Gary Matthews Jr. Texas certainly has not been stellar this off-season when you factor in what they gave up to get Lee and if you believe they gave up too much for McCarthy.
For the NL, eighteen of those twenty-five signings came between the Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, and Giants and only five other NL teams signed a top fifty free agent. So far in regards to the NL's top fifty signing, they have inked them for a total of 54 years and a total of $566,600,000 and $10,492,592.59 annually. For the AL, ten teams nabbed a top fifty free agent and Texas leads the AL in four signings and is looking to drive that number up to five with Mark Mulder or Barry Zito. So far in regards to the AL's top fifty signings, they have inked them for a total of 50 years and a total of $385,570,000 and $7,711,400.00 annually. Also, if the NL nabs Zito and the AL nabs Clemens, the NL would have taken seven of the ten top fifty free agents.
Out of the entire free agent pool, the NL has signed 64 players and stolen only eleven from the AL. Those players have been signed for a collective 115 years and a total of $785,700,000 and $6,832,173.91 annually. The AL has signed 46 players, stolen 22 players from the NL, and nabbed all three prominent Japanese players. Those players have been signed for 93 years and a collective total of $567,370,000 and $6,100,752.69 annually. We'll see if the bargain hunting AL comes out looking better or the big spending NL.
It is not over yet either. With some big dollar guys still out there in Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Jeff Weaver, and Roger Clemens and some interesting names like Mark Loretta, Shea Hillenbrand, Ronnie Belliard, Tony Armas, Aubrey Huff, and Keith Foulke, there are still some bargains on the board and still some big money guys as well. With the way things a have shaken out so far, I think the Mets have the obvious goal of bringing in Zito and should explore Lorretta or Belliard should they remain on the board much longer and could be had for a great bargain and a great platoon partner on a one year deal.
Thanks again to everyone for the continued support and coming by!
..and Jake, just for you I give you a sufi-licious Christmas....
posted by michael o. at 10:27 AM
34 Comments:
Thank god Suppan signed, i would have HATED to hear anything about the Mets signing him. Those "rumors" only lasted 2 days. For 2007 however, he makes the Brewers a much stronger team, very nice rotation.
And as for me being nice. Yeah... Merry Christmas to everyone, hope everyone has as much fun as I am and have safe holiday.
1:37 PM
who dat?
3:03 PM
That picture...its a festivus miracle!!
5:09 PM
i am tired of googling sufi!
5:43 PM
What a swellicious present! Thanks for finally reposting. I go on record that Jake wasn't the only one habitually requesting.
Well, Suppan is gone, not coming to sin city as we might have expected (and did!). And you've outnumbered me to (brain) numbness. Come on, admit it, you just had to set the holiday brain a-reeling! We expect your report about the Gross National Product by tomorrow.
Something in my mind says that we'll go into the season with no further changes, a sudden downtick of the Zito Confidence Index, I guess. Too tidy for Borat if this just goes where it's expected, though you've gotta love(/laugh at) all these teams trying to countermove Borat while he stands still.
On the same note, Murray Chass had a great article in the Times about how lame the owners are, ending with a big cherry (or plum if you prefer):
"In other words, it’s still costing them [the Evil Empire] more than $300 million to conduct a business that doesn’t include a World Series championship. They might want to hold those high-fives." Boyeee!
6:32 PM
itsmetsforme...random chick. No one in particular. Just a big Dane Cook fan. Stole if off a site and repost it every blue moon....just so happens, tonight the moon is blue. And it's glorious.
9:30 PM
Sorry DG....didn't mean to leave anyone out.
9:30 PM
"just get the goddamn jelly"
10:41 PM
and a happy new year!
zito is already a met (knock, knock, knock). the question is will we grab loretta or belliard. i prefer loretta. i hate belliard as i hate all 05 cardinals.
11:01 PM
Am I the only one who does not find Dane Cook to be even the slightest bit funny?
1:34 PM
You're not alone Toasty.
9:36 AM
"Am I the only one who does not find Dane Cook to be even the slightest bit funny?"
Yes. You are alone. Retaliation is the funniest thing ever put on CD.
4:27 PM
So what do we make of the news that our main competition may well turn out to be the Giants? There are obvious advantages for Zito to stay in the Frisco area, but the chances of the Giants remaining a competitive team over the next six years are next to nill. As it it they are a pale semblance of a contender when the division is weak, and they are as old (and in one case, as surly) as most beer league softball squads.
The fact that the highest offer on the table was 6yrs/$80 million, probably shows that the Mets at 5/$75 are currently the best offer he's got. The Giants may break that open, but I really doubt anyone is going to $100 million on Zito.
This still comes down to the sixth year in my view. I've always felt the Mets will eventually get there (trying desperately to keep it an easily attainable option) but that they'll refrain from making there best bid until the very last moment.
12:30 PM
zito to the giants? that does suck. For $126M over 7 years...that's just too much.
12:34 PM
Oh well....looks like a trade is then in the works.
So long Lastings ):
- Nokes
12:38 PM
Or, maybe one of the kids has to step up.
Glavine
The Duque
Maine
Perez
Humber/Pelfrey
With the exception of the kids, that rotation did get us to within one game of the WS.
IOwT
- Nokes
12:57 PM
7 years 126 million with a year 8 option that can bring it to 144 million. That is one HUGE contract, average 18 million a year.
I do think Barry Zito is going to have a huge year. He's been doing intense offseason training plus a switch to the NL. I think he'll have a great first year making this deal look like a bargain at first. That is a huge contract though and I think eventually it will probably become a burden to a franchise that isn't exactly run well.
I'm a bit sad he won't be a Met, however this is not the end of the world.
1:01 PM
P.S.
If we are going to put out a ridiculous contract why not do it to Carlos Zambrano next year (allthough I'm always worried he is going to have a major injury).
1:02 PM
I say go with what we have and make a trade at the deadline if necessary. Give the kids a chance to step up. Rough day for the 2007 Mets, but not a final blow. He would have made the Mets and uber team, but the Giants ponied up the cash.
The Giants long term outlook is bleak. Morris, Cain, Lowery, and Zito match up with any four, but their team is not headed in the right direction. In 2007 though, they should be able to compete. However, they are only in it because of a weak overall division. I still think the Dodgers take the West.
Don't panic...let's hope Omar doesn't make any rash moves...see what we have at the deadline and where Pedro is.
1:02 PM
No reason to panic at all. Fool's money for a decent pitcher. What did WC Field's say? A sucker contract.
Agree with go it with what we've got. My whole post before must have been an inkling of something I guess. Or maybe it was just a moment of boredom.
1:07 PM
I'm not going to call it a sucker contract. I would have been ok with $16 million per for six years with a 7th year option. In reality, this isn't too far off...but add $2 million on per year, 7th guaranteed, 8th year option, it looks like it is in another stratosphere. Zito would have been nice, but it's good to see the 'new' Mets who do not panic and stick to their guns. The Mets can still win it all and they can still pick up a starter...either at the deadline or look at Mulder, who is definitely a viable option at this point.
1:33 PM
Boras has done it again. All the bids seems to be in the 5 year 80 million dollar range by all accounts, then he gets someone to blink. Unbelievable. I agree with what everyone has been saying, it's not time to panic, plenty of time to get something else done, in the meantime, find out what you have and go forward from there. In retrospect, the Rangers must have known they had no chance, so they made the McCarthy deal.
2:08 PM
The Rangers called it...they said they have a feeling he was going to be a Giant..and boom. $18 million a year...is that the highest contract ever to a pitcher?
2:33 PM
Good for Zito he raped the Giants.
I say now we sit and do nothing, we have the offense to put up the runs. Our bullpen is just as good or better than last year starting out. We have enough starting pitching out there that our rotation will still be better than most. Omar will be sending a signal to them that he has confidence in them, In June we will know where Pedro is at with his rehab and there will be teams out of the race who will want to dump salary. This is not the time to start doing something stupid.
3:15 PM
Zito's contract is now first, replacing.. (drum roll please)... Mike Hampton!
They both should have gone to the Mets. Hampton's arm fell off after a couple of years in Denver.
4:32 PM
I don't blame Zito at all for this. That is a HELL of a lot of cash. He was offered $50 million dollars more by the Giants than our offer...WOW. Unreal. I'm very glad that we didn't come near that. I wanted Zito to be a Met bad. But not for that price. If it's that kind of stupid dollars, save it for a major ace (ie: Zambrano). All I have to say is that Boras is a genius. He did it again. Got a team to go insane.
I agree with everyone else. Hang tight and see what we have. Although, I really wouldn't have a problem signing Mulder to a one or two year deal and seeing what's there. I still feel we're just as good as anyone in the NL with what we have. Please no irrational moves.
The one thing I don't want to hear out of Zito is how he went to the Giants "because they are clearly a team that gives him the best chance to win multiple championships, blah blah blah". I can't stand that shit. You went for the money bro and to hang out on the west coast and say dude a lot. Plain and simple.
I am bummed though. I think he would've been a great fit. Especially at 6 yrs/$90 mil with an option on 7. Ugh.
5:11 PM
The most important thing now is to not overreact and trade our young guys for a mediocre starting pitcher because it makes you feel more comfortable going into the year. The Mets are in a position where they have depth in their rotation, albeit with a lot of question marks, so they need to go with what they got and see how it shakes out for a couple of months and then reassess.
I don't want to trade for a starter. Did you see what the Astros gave up for Jennings? And he is a free agent next year. The Mets have a lot of money they can add next year, and they should look to make a trade when they have incredible leverage (see Yankees and Abreu).
5:27 PM
I'll stick to my characterization of the deal as a sucker contract. I mean, it's like they're using monopoly money or something. The offers on the table were 6/$80 (Rangers), 5/$75 (Mets). There is always one owner stupid enough to take the Borat head fake.
Remember two years ago, the Mets signed Kris Benson for $8 million a year, and baseball cringed. Two years later, a very good but not top echelon pitcher has just earned $10 million more a year for a contract length that few pitchers have ever seen and none so far have earned. It's a bad deal for baseball, frankly. You can already hear the spokes popping on the bridge. It's like getting ready to watch Clinton's surplus cave in a year to Bush's mindless debt schemes.
You do the same thing at an art auction, say, and the assembled bidders just shake their heads at your stupidity. This isn't blowing people out of the water; this is fiscal irresponsibility.
Yes, I'm glad the Mets are intelligent enough to watch their budget, and I hope that they'll guard their nice little insurance policies (Humber, Pelfrey) for the sake of their future fiscal vitality. Had they signed Zito for more than they are paying Beltran, I would have been disgusted.
This is a total sucker deal.
5:33 PM
And I bet the Mets just lost that second round pick they were supposed to get for Alou.
5:36 PM
Hey guys, well, I'm sure most of you would think that I am freaking out and really upset about the Zito deal...but I am not. I cannot get too riled about Omar not spending ridiculous money. I think he was shrewd to stick to his guns. Zito never had any intention of playing in NY, he just used them. Thanks goodness for suckers like SF. Long term contract for a pitcher? What are they on?
But now what?
I have to admit I am a little deflated but I'm OK with it. As someone else said earlier, as long as we don't freak and give up all our prospects for some dude who is a one-year rental, I'm all right with it.
But I did say Omar would surprise us. And I have to believe he still will. There is a right trade out there for us, he will have to make it work.
6:06 PM
oh, and another thing... I am SO glad Suppan went to Milwaukee before this went down.
6:16 PM
Suppose the Mets ought to kick the tires again on Mark Mulder. Perhaps look at Tomo Okha. Both are coming off of injuries and are no guarantee to be ready for the start of the season, but it keeps live arms on the depth chart in the case that Maine, Perez or PelfHum don't start out well. Both Mulder & Okha could prove to be good deals.
7:56 PM
DG - couldn't agree more. Omar has a tendency to go for these low value, high return type guys. Believe it or not, as much as I wanted Zito, I am ok with the way things turned out. So Mulder or Ohka might be good plan B options.
9:39 PM
INSANE...Will they have any money left for other players?
I can't imagine that their staff is that better than 2006.
It's good Zito followed through and joined a perennial winner. See you in the playoffs Barry ;)
12:39 AM
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