Webb Extension Talks Tabled

Josh Byrnes is a smart man. You don't extend a 31 year old pitcher for max dollars.

"- I wonder if Webb will be affected at all if Orlando Hudson leaves as a free agent after this season."

Of course he will be. Callapso was traded right?

Presuming Hudson does leave at the end of the season (as I think he will) the D'backs are not in trouble when it comes to 2nd base. People forget a little about Emilio Bonifacio who could step right in.

Manny/Arod/M.Cab you should as a G.M identify the top 3-5 of every position, and never spend a free agent dollar on anybody who doesn't fit that criteria. Create a player development program, that requires no free agent deals.

"ArodSucksaLife-

First off, Webb is 29, not 31. Second off, u r exactly right in your assestment. I would extend webb possibly till he was 33 or so if he comes with a hometown discount...."

I know his age. My point is that Josh Byrnes his GM, has made a deal taking him to 31 with the deal he signed a while ago that pays him 09:$6.5M, 10:$8.5M. That is flat out outstanding. Everyone else in baseball can bid on him after that, and pay him 20 million which he may or may not be worth year to year, but he is most definitely not worth of the contract that he will require. So the Diamondbacks will let him go after this contract, which makes a while shi*load of sense. They will get 2 draft picks for him after competing for 3 World Series. They only have tom sign him if there is a home town movement to reguire his services, which is doubtful.

Hmm, I wonder if the list of pitchers who didn't enjoy success after their age 31 season is longer than the list that did.

I bet it is. Hell I even bet it's significantly longer. There are certainly exceptions but generally it's a smart move to not invest ace-dollars in an aging arm.

I think AA was desperate to sound smart and tell somebody off...

I wonder if there is a list of pitchers that had exorbitant dollars thrown at them that crippled a franchise because it was a poor investment. Not everyone is the Yankees that can just absorb a Carl Pavano.

You want to cost control a players peak years, and then let someone else take the risk of free agent deals on the declining years.

Ryan Howard is a prime example. The Phillies are maximizing his peak during his pre-arbitration/arbitration years. They would be foolish to give him a massive multi year deal because when he's 35+ and not hitting 50 bombs a year he's not going to be worth it. If you tried to sign Brandon Webb to a free agent deal right now he'd be getting a Johan type deal, and maybe the first 3 years of the deal are fine but when he's 34-35+ and still making 20 million its kind of a bitch.

Maximize the performance per dollar. Go read Moneyball.