I am delighted that both players and ownership agreed to terms on the collective bargaining agreement with relative east this year. A few more years without talk of a strike or lockout will be a great thing. However, since signing this agreement owners across the league have gone on a spending spree that is reminiscent of the culture that created the A-Rod monster and two years later sent ownership to cry about “cost certainty.”
Here are some of the outlandish contracts that have been signed thus far this offseason:
JD Drew 70 mil. over 5 years
Carlos Lee 100 mil. over 6 years
Gary Matthews Jr. 50 mil. over 5 years
Alfonso Soriano 136 mil. over 8 years
Aramis Ramirez 75 mil. over 5 years
Juan Pierre 44 mil. over 5 years
Danys Baez 19 mil. over 3 years
Vicente Padilla 34 mil. over 3 years
What is amazing is that these contracts are ridiculous both in terms of annual dollars as well as length of contract (I am operating under the assumption that 3 years for a reliever is equal to about 6 years for an everyday player).
What is also amazing is that the Yankees are basically laying out of it. I love to take any opportunity I can to bash the Evil Empire, but in this case I can’t. In this wild market they are playing it sensible.
Inevitably what is going to happen here is that two thirds of those contracts are going to blow up in the faces of the owners that offered them. Teams will have to dump salary desperately and then the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets will be the only teams able to afford the talent. The signing teams will absorb part of the contracts and the big market teams will end up with talented players and they’ll be paying market value for them. Those players will be collecting above market salaries. The teams that had to dump the salary will be paying off the rest of the contract for nothing. (Anyone remember Mike Hampton?)
Inevitably we are all going to have to put up with these ridiculous conversations about “parity” and how “small market teams” can’t compete with “big market teams.” and all of that nonsense.
But it isn’t the Yankees fault that other owners are going to blow up their team’s economy by signing .500 pitchers with 4.50 eras to contracts worth more than 10 million annually.
The owners that are offering these contracts are either a) incredibly stupid or b) making more money than they will let on when it comes time to try to institute a salary cap after this collective bargaining agreement expires.
The bottom line is that right now the Yankees are being smart. The Twins are being smart. The A’s are being smart. I bet those teams continue to win throughout the ups and downs of contracts. Texas, Baltimore, LA, Toronto, and Chicago are being stupid. I resent the fact that I may have to put up with a labor stoppage in the future because these super-rich owners are throwing around their money in foolish ways.
I further resent that the owners will call for a salary cap because they can’t control themselves. And most of all, I resent the fact that the owners know that public opinion will be on their side because they know that most fans have the mentality of “I’d play baseball for free. Why are these players so greedy that they can’t bear a salary cap that keeps their salary down to 10 million annually instead of 15?!”
It is clear that it is the owners, not the players, throwing the system out of whack right now. The argument for a salary cap and “cost certainty” that will follow in about 2 years will just be total rhetoric thrown about to counteract their own mismanagement of their team. It makes me nuts!
February 2, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I wanted to run the Chase Utley deal by you guys. I was very excited and thought this deal was a good one for both sides. Thoughts on if the Phillies overpaid/underpaid or just right. For Pat Gillick to give a long term deal says something.
February 2, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Keith,
I think the Utley deal is a very good one. Phillies fans should be delighted. It is similar to the deals the Mets made with Wright & Reyes last year. All will be steals in the years to come.
Before this offseason I was hopeful that teams would be headed toward more wisdom. Fewer years for big-time free agents and signing home-grown talent to long-term deals at an affordable price years before they are elidgible for free agency.
The Phillies signing Utley now to a reasonable contract was one of the few smart things that happened this offseason. I also think the Phillies were wise not to break the bank for Soriano, as were the Mets wise to stay away from the contract that SF gave Zito.
Many “mid-market” owners wrote some very foolish contracts this off season. Here
Mike and I always debate whether players “deserve” the money they get paid. My point is always that if the owners are making so much money that they can consider these contracts, then players should get their fair share.
Of course, the counter argument is a bunch of jibberish about competitive balance. It is clear that the solution is to invest more money in scouting and developing young talent. When you realize that you’ve got a talent, lock him up early and long term for what he deserves.
From Utley’s perspective he may never have an annual average salary bigger than someone like Adrian Beltre, but he starts earning gooid money earlier therefore averaging out his career salary.
If more owners followed this formula, things would be better. Not that I actually believe they are that bad now. As long as there is no work stoppage, I’m pretty OK with the system.