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Heyman's Latest: Furcal, Sabathia, K-Rod

By Nat Boyle [December 7, 2008 at 10:57am CST]

Jon Heyman has a few new posts on his Fan-Nation blog:

Heyman thinks its peculiar that Rafael Furcal passed up his last offer of 4 years, $35-40MM, especially while the shortstop market is thinning out. The Giants signed Edgar Renteria. The Cubs want a lefty-bat. The Braves need to deal Yunel Escobar before they'll be interested in Furcal. Again, Buster Olney noted today that Furcal was asking 4 years, $52MM.
Can the Giants afford CC Sabathia? They've already signed Renteria, Jeremy Affeldt, and Bobby Howry. And he would be the team's second $100MM contract having already made the mistake of overpaying Barry Zito. They admit they need a bat more than another arm. And while Sabathia would like to play in San Francisco, would he like to make less than Zito's $18MM on the same team?
No surprise that Francisco Rodriguez is sitting atop the Mets closer wish-list. According to Heyman, he's followed by Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, and then a combination of Trevor Hoffman and Huston Street, who would need to be dealt from the Rockies. Heyman doesn't complete the list beyond those 4 options and notes that the Hoffman/Street option is a popular idea in the organization. For K-Rod, 3-4 years would be the Mets threshold.

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Comments

Sabathia at less than 18mm per year. Who put something in Heymans coffee?

Posted by: paineinflicted | December 07, 2008 at 11:00 AM

4/52. Furcal ain't getting that with his back.

Posted by: melonis rex | December 07, 2008 at 11:03 AM

You know, if Zito had any ounce of integrity or felt anything, at all, like a man, he would pony up 4-5 million of his outrageuos contract to help the Giants bring Sabathia to Frisco. He may not owe the Giants organization that much, as they were stupid enough to sign him, but he certainly owes us fans SOMETHING.

Posted by: Brent | December 07, 2008 at 11:18 AM

If I'm the Giants I would have to think 3 years down the road about signing CC. Obviously I think the world of CC. Top 5 pitcher in baseball. But let's say the Giants did sign CC. I can't see him settling for less than Zito. Let's say it 5/100. Then in the 2011 they would be paying:

CC: 20 mil
Zito: 18.5 mil
Lincecoum: arb year, 1 year removed from FA
Cain: Team option year heads into FA

If the Giants set a precedent for paying huge 100 mil++ contracts to pitcher outside of their organization then what could they possibly say to Lice if he continues to be as good as he has so far?

Can they afford to keep, at minimum, Zito, CC and Lince as well as field a competent team at other positions?

Posted by: YanksFanSince78 | December 07, 2008 at 11:22 AM

CC could sign for 5/$110M and hit free agency at age 33 and get another big contract. That would be more than "Zito's $18M" (which is actually $18.5M BTW).

Posted by: A | December 07, 2008 at 11:23 AM

So lets see, A's, Giants, Braves , Cards all off Furcal's list and that leaves... a bunch of "Mystery" teams.

So now he has to pick from:
-Reds
-Twins
-Indians
-Royals
- O's (?)
- Padres (?)

No way he's getting A) four years B) over $9M/year from any of those teams.

I think the 4/$35-40M is the best offer he is going to see and he'll come back around to the A's.

Posted by: basicslop | December 07, 2008 at 11:28 AM

CC's next contract will almost definetly not be as big as the one he'll sign now. One of the best things about signing him now is that you're getting him in his prime years (28-32).

Posted by: YanksFanSince78 | December 07, 2008 at 11:38 AM

I keep coming back to the White Sox, unless Furcal won't play second/they won't play Alexei at second. I just love him in their lineup.

Posted by: scribbletone | December 07, 2008 at 12:16 PM

CC is not a top 5 pitcher in baseball.

Santana
Beckett
Hamels
Holliday
B Webb
Linecum

I would even take roy oswalt over him, perhaps peavy

Posted by: mike_lee | December 07, 2008 at 01:03 PM

In 2010 the Giants have $20MM off the books when the contracts of Bengie Molina, Randy Winn and Dave Roberts end.

Each of those players could be replaced by cheap pre-arb players within the organization.

So the Giants could afford CC. However unless the teams payroll is going to increase from $90MM, which is possible, it doesn't make sense to have $40MM tied up into two pitchers.

Matt Holliday in 2010. That's money better spent.

Posted by: kdub | December 07, 2008 at 01:06 PM

At this point, CC is better than Halliday and Beckett.

In no particular order:

CC
Santana
Lincecum
Webb
Hamels/Peavy/Halliday

Posted by: wildabeast4 | December 07, 2008 at 01:06 PM

whitesox are just waiting for Cabrera's announcement that he's turning down arbitration, then KW will sweep in and sign Furcal

Posted by: rfro | December 07, 2008 at 01:06 PM

Holliday is not a pitcher...do you mean "Halladay?"

Posted by: metzfan22 | December 07, 2008 at 01:13 PM

at this point?
Holliday and beckett do it in the AL EAST
CC did it in the NL central, and AL central (and didnt get it done in the al central this year)
two years in a row he has not performed in the playoffs, where beckett EXCEEDED last year (sucked this year, but was injured)

Posted by: mike_lee | December 07, 2008 at 01:14 PM

First off, rfro, I wouldn't be shocked if Cabrera accepted arbitration. And on a related note, if Kenny Williams hasn't signed a FA from another team in years, what makes Furcal the exception?

mike lee, Sabathia has been a more consistent pitcher than almost any of those guys the past 3 years. Plus, not a single pitcher in baseball had a better 2nd half of 2008, no one even came close...

Posted by: oaklandathleticsince88 | December 07, 2008 at 01:14 PM

1.) Santana
2.) CC
3.) Halladay
4.) Webb
5.) Beckett

Posted by: metzfan22 | December 07, 2008 at 01:15 PM

metzfan,

how can you not have the NL Cy Young winner on your list. I understand Lincecum doesn't have nearly as much experience, but he is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

Posted by: wildabeast4 | December 07, 2008 at 01:21 PM

when CC does it in the playoffs, he will be in the top 5.

Playoffs either make you or brake you, right now he hasnt proven himself in the playoffs.

Posted by: mike_lee | December 07, 2008 at 01:28 PM

Why would Furcal move to 2nd to play for the White Sox. Furcal is a pretty good defensive SS has a CANNON for a arm, why waste it at 2nd? That would be worse than having Arod move off the position for Jeter.

Posted by: Steveo26 | December 07, 2008 at 01:37 PM

"Playoffs either make you or brake you, right now he hasnt proven himself in the playoffs."

Shut up. And it is break, not brake.

Posted by: nrmax88 | December 07, 2008 at 01:39 PM

Lincecum doesn't make my top 5 either. Giants should sign CC and trade Lincecum for a king's ransom. They can fill a bunch of holes with very high end players, and still go into the season with a rotation of CC, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, and Bumgarner/Alderson waiting. I know it isn't a popular idea, but I don't care.

My top 5 pitchers in baseball are

1) CC
2) Johan
3) Roy Halladay
4) Brandon Webb
5) Cole Hamels

Guys like Lincecum, Peavy, Haren, Beckett, Shields, Lackey, Lester, are close also. Picking top 5 is very hard. All of the above are top 15 imo.

Posted by: nrmax88 | December 07, 2008 at 01:45 PM

Brett, I agree completely, but I'm pretty sure the union won't allow moves like this. After all, if one guy did it, there would be calls for it all the time...

Posted by: jaywest05 | December 07, 2008 at 01:49 PM

"Playoffs either make you or brake you, right now he hasnt proven himself in the playoffs."

By that logic you need to take Halladay and Lincecum off your list.

Posted by: GeneralManager | December 07, 2008 at 01:50 PM

So are you exluding Linceum,Halladay, etc from your list as they dont have the playoff experience? And if youre going to use the AL east as a tool to determine the top 5, than how can you list NL pitchers altogether as the NL is weaker than the AL

Posted by: ECT | December 07, 2008 at 01:51 PM

I'm sorry CC is a top 5 pitcher, who cares about playoff performances they don't matter unless you are in the playoffs. The last two years teams RODE CC into the playoffs. Mike Lee of the pitchers you mentioned only Beckett and Hamels have really enjoyed postseason success. Halladay and Linecum haven't even been there yet they are better pitchers than CC how does that make sense?

Posted by: Steveo26 | December 07, 2008 at 02:00 PM

Steveo-

That was what I was getting at by questioning whether Furcal would move over.

Posted by: scribbletone | December 07, 2008 at 02:06 PM

the picthers I mentioned havent sucked in the playoffs yet
sabathia has

he isnt a top 5.

Posted by: mike_lee | December 07, 2008 at 02:20 PM

CC is top 2 or 3 from your list.

Posted by: ECT | December 07, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Matt Morris is twice the pitcher Sabathia is! Proof.

Matt Morris
10 Postseason Series, 4.05 ERA, 73 IP, 73 H, 34 BB, 44 SO

CC Sabathia
4 Postseason Series, 7.92 ERA, 25 IP, 33 H, 22 BB, 24 SO

Posted by: kdub | December 07, 2008 at 03:52 PM

1. Johan
2. CC
3. Webb
4. Lincecum
5. Halladay

Posted by: bravesfan22193 | December 07, 2008 at 04:24 PM

I would agree the most with your list, bravesfan.
but for what its worth (though not much, because this is a big "if") Harden is a better pitcher than any of these guys when healthy (again, when healthy).

Posted by: oaklandathleticsince88 | December 07, 2008 at 05:02 PM

matt morris will never be compared to cc. never.

Posted by: brewers19101 | December 07, 2008 at 06:13 PM

I think his post was noting that postseason success is a pointless way to rank a picture.

Posted by: ECT | December 07, 2008 at 06:35 PM

Picture=Pitcher

Posted by: ECT | December 07, 2008 at 06:42 PM