The usually reliable Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported earlier today that OF Juan Pierre (above, left) is on the brink of signing with Los Angeles of Los Angeles and “is believed to be seeking $9M a season and his contract could be for as long as five years.” Which makes J.D. Drew seem like a great deal at 5 years for $55 million. Seriously, now would be a good time to start throwing the “collusion” word around. As in, owners, agents and players are all colluding to spend all available revenue on mediocre talent.
XM’s expert analyst Kevin Kennedy is awfully impressed by the pending move, hailing Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, “for not just sitting around. If J.D. Drew doesn’t want to play for the Dodgers, you’ve got to make your move.” Indeed, a lesser baseball executive — say, a calculator-wielding person named Paul — would handle the situation very differently, either sitting on his hands until Opening Day, or even worse, offering J.D. Drew an ownership stake in the ballclub.
UPDATE : 5 years, $45 million. Then again, if the Cubs are willing to pay their new leadoff hitter (the one who struck out 160 times last season and ranked 91st in OBP), $136 million, who am I to scoff at Ned Colletti?
If you thought Kansas City Royals were going to stand pat this offseason, well, think again. The rest of the AL Central is trembling in fear upon learning KC has acquired Johnny Jason LaRue from the Reds for the always popular player to be named later. Bob Dutton says this “adds catching depth” and during a close season when Alberto Castillo finds work, I suppose that makes sense.
As tipped over the weekend, Moises Alou has signed a one-year deal with the Mets, with a club option for 2008. Showing that he didn’t think much of Chunklet’s “Overrated” issue, Omar Minaya has dealt right-handers Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom to Florida in exchange for lefties Adam Bostick and Jason Vargas (above).
“ranked 91st in OBP”
Now wait…I’m confuded, because Ned Subletti said this…
“Pierre gets on base an awful lot”…
http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061120&content_id=1744020&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp
ONE OF YOUSE AM LIE!
actually, it was Alfonso Soriano I was refering to (ranked 91st in OBP).
That said, Juan Pierre’s on base percentage of .330 (no kiddin’) was the 130th best in the big leagues last year.
Can’t argue with Ned, though. Pierre gets on base far more often than most people who aren’t baseball players.
I know you/I would have to be a giant nerd to care about this, but that Mets deal sounds lame to me. Owens and Lindstrom (who amazed in the Futures Game last year) projected as relievers who, whether they would be needed in a well-stocked Mets bullpen or not, could’ve been of use either to trade for young position players or a starter better than Vargas. Vargas is left-handed, still young and might be considered a decent prospect in a less pitching-rich organization than the Marlins — and was pretty decent in the bigs in ’05 — but his ’06 numbers (7.33 ERA, 25 BBs in 43 IP with the Marlins, 7.43, 51 BBs in 69 IP at AAA) make him 1) one of the least effective pitchers in baseball with that many IP and 2) look like a younger, watery/domestic Victor Zambrano. Maybe it’s just a Mets fans’ unreasonable loyalty to guys who’ve been on baseball cards as Mets, but this seems like shuffling the deck for shuffling the deck’s sake. Now that the Mets have traded all their marginal young relievers, between this and the Ring/Bell deal, who am I supposed to cheer for? Where’s Bartolome Fortunato? What’s my problem?
no more stories about Hank O’ sis schooling him, either.
Bostick’s AFL numbers :
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Adam%20Bostick&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=445239
Kudos to A-Bos, holding opposing batters to a .296 BAA. Anyway, both these guys have really good splits against lefties. Which they should, because they’re both lefties. Eh. I shouldn’t get so worked up about it. Wasn’t there a war going on or something?