Here’s an interesting article from the Yahoo columnist that includes his selections for most overpaid players so far this year. Some of the blurbs are downright painful, like the reminder that Jason Kendall is earning more than $13M for this year’s "production."
I bring it up because overpaid players are so often a source of trade rumors on a thin market. After all, do you think it would take much to pry Kendall away from the A’s? Shea Hillenbrand away from the Angels? It seems that clubs falling in the standings with money to burn (Yankees, anyone?) can always take on more salary, making deals like last year’s Bobby Abreu acquisition, which cost little more than money.
The All-Overpaid team doesn’t have a lot of candidates for that sort of deal, because many of the players are already playing for one of the rich teams, or–in Kendall’s case–aren’t going to be coveted by anybody. But there are a few candidates. The most notable is Scott Rolen. I would be surprised if he were traded, but if Walt Jocketty found a GM more optimistic about Rolen’s decline years than he is, the Cards could certain use the payroll flexibility.
The other names that pop out are relievers Armando Benitez and Scott Eyre. Benitez was rumored in some salary-dump swaps in the offseason, and if he strings together a couple more poor outings, he could end up out of the 9th inning. If that’s the case, he could end up a poor man’s (well…maybe "poor" isn’t the best way to put it) version of 2006 Francisco Cordero. Eyre doesn’t offer the same potential, but the further he sinks into Lou Piniella’s doghouse, the more likely he’ll have a chance to return to form in a new uniform.
By Jeff Sackmann
Brew Crew Ball
