Email a copy of 'NL Central Notes: Lackey Contract, Suarez, Nelson' to a friend
Loading ...
By Steve Adams | at
Email a copy of 'NL Central Notes: Lackey Contract, Suarez, Nelson' to a friend
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
hide arrows scroll to top
ianthomasmalone
Lackey is even more of a bargain because the Cards don’t have to pay Allen Craig either.
I know it’s been said many times, but many isn’t enough. That trade was awful. Look at him this year. That’s not a man who ever wanted to retire. He tricked the Sox into trading him to the NL and they fell for it.
chrisarreola
The info given on Lackey is incorrect. The $400k bonus he just got is only one of several bonuses. He’ll be earning closer to $2MM, I believe.
chrisarreola
Link: m.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/lackey…
Steve Adams
Thanks! Not sure I saw that amidst the trade deadline chaos, but I’ve updated the post with the correct info on his 2015 earnings. Much appreciated.
chrisarreola
No problem! Thanks for the great content, day in and day out.
Steve Adams
Appreciate the kind words. Your feedback was particularly well-timed, as I’ve been working on a post taking a look at Lackey’s free agent stock that would’ve otherwise had the wrong info on his 2015 salary, so I’m doubly appreciative!
Lance
still, a bargain. But Kelly rebounded this year and won eight in a row and and had a 1.88 ERA in his last seven victories. Kelly could still make that trade look good for the Red Sox.
bobbleheadguru
Slight critique on the phrase “lopsided trade” above:
Simon is not going to win a Cy Young anytime soon. However, he replaced Scherzer on the roster and has actually has more wins than Max this year, on a team the is horrible.
He is the type of pitcher that has a high ERA, because when he is bad, he is really bad. However, the has a 1 hitter and another game where he took a no hitter into the late innings.
If the team around him was any good, he would be a very solid #3.
ianthomasmalone
You’re resorting to wins to justify that trade?
Simon is the type of pitcher who has a high ERA because he is not very good. He’s had a few good games, but many more than were downright awful.
He could be a #3 in the NL with a good defense. Definitely doesn’t belong in the AL.
bobbleheadguru
He is the statistical equivalent of Rick Porcello at 1/10th the contract cost.
Some fantastic starts counterpoised by some pathetic starts.
For both Porcello and Simon, ERA may not be the best measure of overall quality.
As for Simon/Porcello/Scherzer comparison:
Simon has TEN starts in which he has given up 0 or 1 run.
Porcello has 5.
Scherzer has 11.
Like I said, when he is ON he is ON. It is just that his bad games are horrible.
mookiessnarl
Back to the Porcello comps again? Porcello is making 12.25 million this year and Simon is making 5.5 million. How exactly is that 1/10th the cost? Unless you mean next years contract which will admittedly pay Porcello 20.125 million but what Simon makes is still to be determined (probably about half). Comparing one bad pitcher to another doesn’t really do much to prove anything though. Unless you’re going for both Porcello and Simon are terrible but at least Simon is cheaper, which isn’t a very good argument.
bobbleheadguru
Fair enough. Total Contract value is what I was pointing to, but if you want to call Simon = Porcello, I am good with that. It is just that Simon is not a horrible pitcher. He is an OK #3 with big upside about 1/3rd of the time.
Porcello and Simon have high ERAs even though they are both excellent pitchers some of the time. Neither is very consistent however.
ianthomasmalone
They’re not very comparable. Simon’s one good year (and only full season as a starter until this year) was one where his ERA outperformed most of his advanced stats by a wide margin whereas (before this year) Porcello typically underperformed his advanced stats until last year. There is a reason why they signed him to the extension, however foolish it was.
bobbleheadguru
I am referring to 2015 stats. Had the Tigers been a powerhouse team and made it to the ALDS this year, he would have been pitching game 3 and would probably be favored in that game. Suarez for that kind of guy is not a bad trade at all.
Of course, the rest of the team vastly underperformed, so that will not happen.
ianthomasmalone
Simon’s 2015 starts are terrible across the board, except wins of course… Singling out his few good games doesn’t suddenly make him a great #3.
stymeedone
Never saw Guru use the word “great”. Suarez wouldn’t have even been the utility fielder on the Tigers. Simon has provided innings on a team that doesn’t have a bullpen. Suarez fits better in Cincinnati, but Simon filled a role in Detroit. No regrets as Suarez probably wouldn’t have been worth any different this year after another year in AAA.
bobbleheadguru
Wins for Simon or Porcello are a very valuable, despite what the pocket protectors declare. [Side note: absurd that Jack Morris is not in the hall of fame simply because he did not play in Boston/NY coupled with his “high ERA”….same issue].
2015, Simon had about the same probability of completely dominating (as define by giving up 0 or 1 runs) his opponent as $210MM Scherzer.
For a #3 pitcher, that is well above average. And I did not call him great.
PLAYTOWIN
Realistically are not Simon and Porcello #5 starters on a good team and innings eaters on a bad team. Porcello has joined a long list of those who have not lived up to their potential or their contact. Simon has discovered modest success at age 33.