On this date 46 years ago, Willie Mays signed a new contract for $100K, becoming the highest paid player in baseball. Mays hit .304-49-141 with a 165 OPS+ at the age of 31. He was also the runner-up for the NL MVP, his sixth top-5 finish. He would go on to finish in the top-5 three more times. Forty-six years later, Mays may have helped influence Ken Griffey Jr.’s decision to sign with his original franchise. With most players already in their respective camps, several big names are still looking for an empty locker. Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- MLBDepthCharts.com is a new site that projects the rosters and starting lineups of every team.
- MLB Notebook compares Ken Griffey Jr. and Garret Anderson and suggests that the Braves should be happy that Griffey is back in Seattle with Anderson still available.
- Pirate Revolution says the Pirates accomplished little with Nate McLouth’s extension noting that he likely won’t be worth the $9.4MM option in 2012, which was the one free agency season the Bucs bought out.
- Jorge Says No! takes a look at what has been a strange market for left-handed relievers.
- Hot Stove New York puts together a list of the top 20 free agent signings this off-season.
- UmpBump breaks down the offseason of the Mets.
- Goat Riders of the Apocalypse projects the opening day roster for the Cubs.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.
