The Diamondbacks signed Adam LaRoche to a one-year $6MM deal that could keep him in Arizona through the 2011 season. The streaky first baseman makes $4.5MM in 2010. Afterwards, he'll either receive a $1.5MM buyout or agree to exercise a $7.5MM mutual option for 2011.
The D'Backs were not known to be interested in LaRoche and it wasn't apparent that they had the money to sign him, but the move makes sense. It allows the club to play Conor Jackson in left field and give Brandon Allen more minor league seasoning. Eric Byrnes is the odd man out; the D'Backs designated him for assignment today in a move that will likely end his tenure in Arizona.
LaRoche reportedly turned down a two-year, $17.5MM deal from the Giants earlier this offseason, as he was aiming for three years. The 30-year-old earned $7.05MM in '09 and hit .278/.357/.487 with 24 home runs for the Pirates, Braves, and Red Sox. He was a Type B free agent, but the Braves chose not to offer arbitration.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported the agreement and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, SI's Jon Heyman, Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic added detail.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Probably wishes he’d taken the 2/17 offer from the Giants now…
I’m still disappointed in sabean for offering him that much. but not how laroche is disappointed in himself for not taking it. he probably feels like a loser right now.
Probably not. LaRoche is 30 years old. As Bill James says, “All players are declining by the time they’re 33.” If I were him, I’d rather sign a one-year “show me” deal and be on the market again at the age of 31, than lock myself up at a below-market rate for two years, and hit the market again as a 32-year-old 1B. It’s a small difference, but all major league GM’s (other than Brian Sabean) are hesitant to hand out multiple-year deals to 32+ year old players; maybe LaRoche wanted to come back on the market a little younger and hope for a longer-term offer the next time around.
OR, maybe he just didn’t want to play in SF. In which case, I bet he’s happy he didn’t take the deal. Some dudes just don’t want to play on the West Coast. As I remember, LaRoche’s home/family/etc. are all in the Great Plains now. Arizona isn’t too much closer, but it is closer to Nebraska/Oklahoma than SF is (in terms of distance, and in terms of culture).
could be? but he was thinking he was worth a lot more; like 3/30.
“all major league GM’s (other than Brian Sabean) are hesitant to hand out multiple-year deals to 32+ year old players.”
I believe you’re forgetting Rubén Amaro Jr.
No lefty slugger in their right mind wants to sign for San Fran. He’ll do well in Arizona and will hope the market picks up in the future, he’s still young. Bargain for the D’Backs and I can see them challenging in the NL if their rotation stays healthy.
to me, hes ok. he averages about 22-23 hr’s a year which would drop a lot in SF but i’m glad he signed somewhere else because i don’t really like him not to mention we saved a bunch of money by switching to geico(huff). the giants literally signed huff 15 minutes later and we saved more than 15%
Haha. If I was LaRoche and SF offered me 2/17 and then the best I could manage was 1/5, but SF had signed a guy for 1/3, I would immediately return to SF and say “Actually, 2/14 sounds great. Deal?”
Haha. If I was LaRoche and SF offered me 2/17 and then the best I could manage was 1/5, but SF had signed a guy for 1/3, I would immediately return to SF and say “Actually, 2/14 sounds great. Deal?”
I’m actually quite shocked. Does Adam regret declining that Giants offer? Or does he honestly think he fairs better on next years market?
If I’m Roachy I think it’s time to start looking for a new agent before next offseason.
He’s going to be the bottom of the barrel of next year’s market. He should have taken SF’s money and ran with it.
LOL at this fool
Mr. T pities Adam LaRoche.
Don’t look a Brian Sabean gift horse in the mouth.
LaRoche should put up big numbers in that ballpark and with the likelihood that Justin Upton and Stephen Drew improve, while Young and Jackson bounce back!
yeah the ballpark will help but now he actually has to face top notch pitching for most of the season…. say what you want about the NL as a whole but the NL West has some of the best pitching in the majors (AZ included with that nice 1-2-3 punch with a healthy Webb).
stupid is as stupid does
your screen name is funny!!!!!!!!
hahaha why thank you
Wow.
The Orioles have an obvious hole at first base and they can’t even sign Adam Freaking LaRoche…
Congratulations, Orioles. You just won the Russell Branyan sweepstakes by default.
looks like the O’s are going to get their choice of Joe Crede or Russell Branyan, time to hire a team chiropractor
Congratulations, Orioles. You just won the Russell Branyan sweepstakes by default.
Well, you should of signed w/ San Fran huh Adam? Congrats on being an idiot and not taking a DECENT offer when it was placed in front of you…
Adam laroche that what you get for thinking your worth 3 yr 20 mil
jajaja, probably got 6 or 7 M for one year. after declining 8.5 for 2yrs. smart.
Heyman says it’s 1 yr, between $4-5M. Now that is embarrassing.
lol, that’s even worse than what I said.
Ahaha, he must be desperate and scared to accept that.
Wow. I wonder how much the deal will be for.
Isn’t the 2011 class of 1B loaded though (Derek Lee, Carlos Pena)?
I think this is a glaring mistake by Omar Minaya, as LaRoche for 1-year below 8 Mil per would have given protection to Bay and Wright ESPECIALLY with Beltran sidelined. Instead they’ll give 4-5 Mil to Delgado to sit on the DL all year.
omar minaya is one big giant mistake. He had better get going on this offseason or he’s gonna end up with murphy at first
Murphy/Garko Platoon is my final hope for the offseason as I can’t imagine that Delgado would be worth WHATEVER we gave him.
How glaringly dumb does the Cora signing look?
We could have had Hudson for 2 years at 2.5 per.
Congrats D-Backs, this was a good LOW RISK signing that a competent GM would be foolish not to make.
Omar would never have signed him. Adam isn’t Latino.
Haha.
Haha.
Same tired joke…I wonders who dumber, you for making it, or the idiot who actually founded it funny.
Signing Adam Laroche would have been quite possibly the dumbest move of the year.What would be the point in signing a player to play first base who is only slightly better than David Murphy? At least if Delgado is healthy he’s a on a different playing field than Murphy, but Adam Freaking Laroche? You can’t be serious…
Wow… good fit for the D-Backs, but what is Adam’s problem? 2y 17m is not a bad deal at all…. anyway, maybe he will have a good season in Arizona, and the D-Backs will end up re-signing him.
Agree — from a long-term perspective, this was a really smart move by LaRoche.
LaRoche is 30 years old. He’s basically begun his decline phase (or he’s about to). Why would he sign a two-year deal at below market rate in a horrible offensive parkm, where he’s just going to reduce his value the next time he hits the market? Why not sign a one-year deal in a good offensive park, and hope the DBacks resign him next offseason for even more money… You can’t look at contracts in isolation; LaRoche isn’t just thinking about this contract, he’s thinking about the next one, and the next one, and the next one. I bet he puts up 10% better numbers in AZ than he would have in SF (especially with the bats AZ has compared to sh*t-ass bats like Mark DeRosa and Edgar Renteria). 10% better numbers in 2010 may mean much bigger money down the road than the piddly difference between making $5M this season and $8.5M this season…
2 years @17.5 million is hardly a smart move in a down economy. Of course there is what the media reports, and then there is the truth. He may not have been offered 17.5 million.
Pablo Sandoval is a shit bat? lol He’s a better hitter than anyone on the D backs including the strikeout king Mark Reynolds.
WELL!!!! DWAN WE MAY HAVE THE STRIKEOUT KING BUT??? HOW MANY HOME RUNS PABBLO SANDOVAL HAVE LAS SEASON?????
Doesn’t matter if you think the Giants’ bats are “shit bats,” cuz they are still going to have a better record than the D-Backs.
Sandoval is a pure hitter. If his career has longevity he has the makings of another Tony Gwynn.
The comparisons to Mad Vlad might be considered more apropos, given their free-swinging tendencies. I don’t know if we’ll EVER see another hitter like Tony Gwynn. In his 20-year career, Gwynn averaged about 30 strikeouts a season. That just doesn’t happen anymore.
The comparisons to Mad Vlad might be considered more apropos, given their free-swinging tendencies. I don’t know if we’ll EVER see another hitter like Tony Gwynn. In his 20-year career, Gwynn averaged about 30 strikeouts a season. That just doesn’t happen anymore.
ok?????
If he was gonna earned at least 6-6.5 million dollars, and what you said comes true. Then I guess it’s a pretty smart move. But 4-5 millions dollars? Wow.
If he was gonna earned at least 6-6.5 million dollars, and what you said comes true. Then I guess it’s a pretty smart move. But 4-5 millions dollars? Wow.
Does this make Connor Jackson available? He had a down year in 2009 but I think he would be a solid platoon with Bret Gardner in left field for the Yankees.
3 years for a streaky hitter heh. lucky someone had the heart to give him a home after he turned down 2/17
Wow, lots of hate here, though I can’t say I’m surprised these days. Value pickup for the D-Backs, if the numbers being thrown around are correct, and gives Laroche the opportunity to try again when more teams will be looking for 1B. Also gives Laroche an opportunity to play in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
not hate, more like schadenfreude
Schadenfreude generally means finding joy at someone else’s pain or misery. If your definition of misery is making $4-6mm a year, I want to live in your world.
How far away is Brandon Allen? Is there a possibility of getting the call early or is the only hope in 40 man expansion, if that???
Unless he can pick up the ability to play second base or center field, he’s stuck in the minors until September. As a Dback fan, I’m really glad we picked LaRoche up. Sure, he stinks pretty bad for the first half of the year, but we’d have the same production without him, and he always rakes in the second half of the year. People have to understand the black hole for the Dbacks that’s been at first base for the last few years. This was my biggest concern for ’10.
Is there a reason players don’t want to play in San Fransisco, supposedly Bay didn’t want to go to San Fran either. I’ve never been there, and I hear the climate isn’t that great but still that 17 million was a lot of coin to turn down, and at least as far as talent goes I would think San Fran is a pretty desirable team to play for.
Hitters don’t want to play there. It’s a pitcher’s paradise.
Still, it is Adam LaRoche, and he had no business turning down that money.
Having said that, the ball flies in Phoenix, and he can get some of that lost money back if he has a big year. A roll of the dice.
I wasn’t arguing that. I agree, he should’ve taken the offer.
I was just answering his question.
It’s technically rated neutral. It’s just not a home run hitter’s ballpark, especially for left handers. But, because people want to pad their power numbers for bigger contracts, they’d rather play elsewhere. SF is a great city with great fans. Just ask Jeff Kent.
It’s technically rated neutral. It’s just not a home run hitter’s ballpark, especially for left handers. But, because people want to pad their power numbers for bigger contracts, they’d rather play elsewhere. SF is a great city with great fans. Just ask Jeff Kent.
the climate is great… kills HRs for most of the year but it never gets too hot or warm.
No, it gets too cold at AT&T, though.
Cold? No SF never actually gets cold. Maybe its cold for the folks in California, but come out east in early spring and late fall and you start getting cold. Yankee Stadium was ripe for HRs this year up until the tempuratures dipped.
SF kills HRs because of the wind from the bay and the thickness of the air.
It deflates homers a bit, but it’s nowhere near Petco, and definitely isn’t a pitche’s paradise. Last year it even played like a hitters park – check it out: espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor . If players let park factors into their decisions, they should look at them better.
This just seems like a major gaffe by the agent.
Funny thing is, LaRoche has raked at both Petco and AT&T.
I think LaRoche was hoping that Baltimore would step up and give him a 2 or 3yr deal. granted it looks bad now turning down 17mill to play in SF. IF he ever figures out how to get off to good start he will have a monster year.
Very surprising. Great deal for the D-Backs, and it serves LaRoche and his agent right for having unrealistic demands. Though I’m sure the Giants would rather have LaRoche at $4 or $5 million than Huff Daddy at $3 million.
yeah no kidding… once again Sabean not only overbids, but is inpatient. Not to say LaRoche was the only option out there but Huff is a real gamble after the decline he showed in ’09. Hopefully ’08 Aubrey shows up for ’10 but i’m not counting on it.
As a braves fan, I’m not happy with this! The braves couldn’t have signed him for 4-5million? Not happy at all!
I know right.
I know right.
Guess I’ll be seeing plenty of Brandon Allen here in Reno this year..
As for LaRoche, don’t feel too sorry for him. After 2010, he’ll have made over $20 million playing baseball for seven years.
So LaRoche is this generation’s Jody Reed?
Putting the joking about LaRoche’s contract aside for a moment, I’d say the Diamondbacks are poised to seriously compete in the NL West. They’ve improved more than any other team in the division, even before factoring in the return of Brandon Webb. And if Webb and C. Jackson return to form, and Chris Young can live up to his expectations a bit, they’ll be quite a force.Webb – Haren – E. Jackson – Kennedy is a solid 1-4.Young CFDrew SSUpton RFReynolds 3BLaRoche 1BMontero CJackson/Byrnes/Parra LFAbreu 2B (?)That’s a pretty darn good lineup…. and I’m a Dodger fan.
I like Abreu but I see as more of a role player. Kelly Johnson will probably be the starting second baseman. If Webb, K. Johnson, LaRoche and even E. Byrnes can have big years because they are in contract years, the Diamondbacks will be dangerous in the NL West and possibly in the NL. They will all be searching for big money in 2011!
I agree the Diamondbacks have a pretty good looking lineup for this year, but as far as the NL West goes, I have to favor the Giants. That pitching staff is so stacked that it will be tough to beat with the improvements the Giants have made to their offense.
finally, someone with a brain.. you are asking A LOT when you say “If Webb, K. Johnson, LaRoche and even E. Byrnes can have big years…the Diamondbacks will be dangerous in the NL West and possibly in the NL.” contract year or not, that doesnt heal a guy from injury or cover up the fact that that player just sucks.. ya LaRoche is a good pickup, I wanted the Giants to sign him and am mad Sabean screwed that up, but AZ is destined to finish third in the division.. case closed.
I like our odds to put up another fight this season, and the Dodgers are nowhere as invulnerable as they seemed throughout last season, but the DBacks have the potential to make quite a run as well. Upton, Reynolds, and Montero have pretty on punch on their own, and LaRoche should help carry them through the second half. If Haren and Webb both show up to pitch, we could be looking at a 4-team race this year. Which is kind of terrifying.
I like our odds to put up another fight this season, and the Dodgers are nowhere as invulnerable as they seemed throughout last season, but the DBacks have the potential to make quite a run as well. Upton, Reynolds, and Montero have pretty on punch on their own, and LaRoche should help carry them through the second half. If Haren and Webb both show up to pitch, we could be looking at a 4-team race this year. Which is kind of terrifying.
LOL send chris young back to AAA and leave Byrnes on the bench.. Upton is still your only true bright spot in that lineup since he is capable of hitting a high average with a ton of power.. while Reynolds power numbers are nice and jump off the page, so do his record setting strikeout numbers each year.. although I dont watch every DBacks game other than the ones against SF (which is still a decent amount), I am sure he hurts your team just as much as he helps with his inability to situationally hit.. that is offensively speaking, since he does have a hell of a glove. regardless of who is pitching or hitting for you, the Giants, Rockies, and Dodgers are all better, deeper teams.. you were better off saving the money and seeing what you had in B. Allen at 1B because LaRoche doesnt make you better than those three teams I just mentioned.
Skinny: Diamondbacks lose 1 win at first base (Jackson – LaRoche). Diamondbacks gain 1 win in LF (Jackson – (Parra + Byrnes)). Diamondbacks then gain a fraction of a win (no more than 0.5) for the added depth. For a net gain of 1/2 a win on this move. Every little bit helps, but not a very big deal.
vr, Xei
How does your method even work if Jackson only played a month last year?
Guys, it’s based off of 2010 projections. Adding LaRoche adds 1.1 WAR to the 2010 Diamondbacks (I revised my 0.5 estimate above after further review).
vr, Xei
I wonder what Brandon Webb does for your formula Xei… I wonder what the “net gain” is for getting an ACE back in their rotation?
Last year, the first base position had a combined -1.9 WAR between their three players there: Tracy, Whitesell, and Allen. Before the LaRoche signing, Jackson was set to be the LFer in 2010 anyways (with Allen at first). CJ was never going to be the first baseman unless Allen did REALLY bad. So with LaRoche’s 2.4 WAR in 2009, that’s a difference of 3.3 WAR. You’re wrong on first base, but correct on LF.
Could you have been looking at the 2010 projections?
Im not sure that makes sense. In reality, Jackson didnt play at all last year, when he was playing, he was clearly not healthy. Adding Jackson and Laroche over Parra/Byrnes and the crappy production they got out of 1B last year is CLEARLY an upgrade. CLEARLY.
lol the Diamondbacks suck man, dont waste your time.. you are lucky the A’s gave you Haren or your franchise would seriously be in shambles. i know you gave up some prospects (dont know how chris carter will do) but they gave you a top 5 pitcher for PROSPECTS.. what a gift.
Nice post.
And the SF Giants won a WS when? Right. Keep playing with your Lil’ Timmy bobble-head and dreaming. Good luck with Huff in 2010. Lol.
You do realize you were the team that gave Zito $126M, right?
HAHA thats comical.. are you bums seriously hanging your hat on that improbable World Series championship 8 years ago? answer me this smart guy.. how many of those players are still on your team today? how about your manager and coaching staff, are they still there? how about your GM, still the same one from that WS year?the answers to ALL of those questions is NO and the point is that your 2001 WS title holds NO (zero, none) relevance what so ever to the teams you put out on the field the last few years or the one you are currently fielding, so why bring it up in the first place.. and yes we will enjoy Huff for this one season (even though I made it very clear several times that I was adamant on signing LaRoche).. but the fact still remains that he does not make you better than us (Giants), Rockies, or Dodgers, so you might as well have held on to that money and found out what you had in Brandon Allen at 1B.And yes we did give Zito $126M, what a terrible contract huh? He is a good pitcher when hes right but not worth a third of that money. We can agree that it was ridiculously absurd and Sabean is a GM that has made some terrible financial decisions.. but the fact remains that we are still three times better than you bums, with Zito and his enormous contract.. and I will enjoy my “Lil’ Timmy bobble-head” (hope that wasnt an attempt to clown Lincecum BTW) and Im positive you wish you had one too.. the guys been in the league two full seasons and has won two Cy Youngs.. go figure.. can you say Phenom?
Lots of questions there that I don’t have the time to answer right now (but seem obvious anyway) BUT thanks for your response. I’m a Lincecum fan (I live in SF). I just love it when Giants fans bash the Dbacks. I think it’s all good fun.
Lots of questions there that I don’t have the time to answer right now (but seem obvious anyway) BUT thanks for your response. I’m a Lincecum fan (I live in SF). I just love it when Giants fans bash the Dbacks. I think it’s all good fun.
And the team the D’backs have put on the field the past few years have beaten the SF Giants in the standings routinely (except last season and I think ’03)What have the Giants done in the decade the Diamondbacks have won the World Series? Nothing. Are you a new Giants fan or something and just started watching them last season because of their (failed) push to the playoffs?
To be clear, I like the Giants even as a divisional rival. I just find it hilarious that a Giants would be on here talking crap about other teams when the franchise they support has been woeful for years.
actually I am a true Giants fan, been one since as long as I can remember.. the reason I am “bashing” the DBacks is because I finally can.. from 2005 till a year ago WE were the butt of all jokes because of how “bad” we WERE, but not anymore.. so believe me, there are a lot of “new” Giants fans out there and it will be hard for most people outside the Bay Area to differentiate them from the true fans, especially over the internet, but be sure the true fans will be speaking out more (like myself) because we finally have the ability to.. not only are we a good team right now, but the core of our team is either less than or equal to 25 years old (Lincecum, Pablo, Cain) so we WILL be good for a long time..and Mr. Martin, lets take a closer look at the past decade and the success both of our respective teams had:From 2000 to 2009:Giants- 855 Wins, WP% of .527DBacks- 805 Wins, WP% of .497While we didnt win a World Series (although we should have but thats for another thread), we did find more success (at least in terms of winning games) in the 2000’s than the D-Backs so I guess we werent as bad as you thought we were my man.But like I said earlier, our future (which includes this upcoming season) is MUCH brighter than yours so if you have to continue to talk about 2001 or the past several years, be my guest, I will gladly admit there was a stretch where we were terrible, but that all changed in 2006 when Lincecum was drafted outta Washington with the 10th pick in the 1st round. God Bless Sabean and his scouts for that wonderful pick as well as the Cubs and Indians for failing to sign Timmy when they drafted him in 2003 and 2005, respectfully.
actually I am a true Giants fan, been one since as long as I can remember.. the reason I am “bashing” the DBacks is because I finally can.. from 2005 till a year ago WE were the butt of all jokes because of how “bad” we WERE, but not anymore.. so believe me, there are a lot of “new” Giants fans out there and it will be hard for most people outside the Bay Area to differentiate them from the true fans, especially over the internet, but be sure the true fans will be speaking out more (like myself) because we finally have the ability to.. not only are we a good team right now, but the core of our team is either less than or equal to 25 years old (Lincecum, Pablo, Cain) so we WILL be good for a long time..and Mr. Martin, lets take a closer look at the past decade and the success both of our respective teams had:From 2000 to 2009:Giants- 855 Wins, WP% of .527DBacks- 805 Wins, WP% of .497While we didnt win a World Series (although we should have but thats for another thread), we did find more success (at least in terms of winning games) in the 2000’s than the D-Backs so I guess we werent as bad as you thought we were my man.But like I said earlier, our future (which includes this upcoming season) is MUCH brighter than yours so if you have to continue to talk about 2001 or the past several years, be my guest, I will gladly admit there was a stretch where we were terrible, but that all changed in 2006 when Lincecum was drafted outta Washington with the 10th pick in the 1st round. God Bless Sabean and his scouts for that wonderful pick as well as the Cubs and Indians for failing to sign Timmy when they drafted him in 2003 and 2005, respectfully.
I really wanted LaRoache to play for the Giants. However him turning down a really honest offer to squeeze out a few more dollars showed weak character. I am glad we saved the money and signed someone excited to play for us. I think the main thing fans want when they sign a FA is the excitement to come to your city and be a part of your club.
People are focusing on LaRoche’s mistake of declining the #sfgiants offer, and are forgetting that Sabean screwed the pooch on yet another deal.
It is official: Sabean is incapable of evaluating the FA market. The LaRoche/Huff saga offers up the two most recent examples:
1. Offering LaRoche 2/$17M or $8.5M annually when he would eventually earn $5M annually
2. After he declined, jumping on Huff instead of realizing LaRoche had no other suitor that would offer similar money–or a multi-year contract, for that matter.
The fact that the #dbacks are going to get LaRoche production for just $2M more than the Giants are paying Huff is unbelievable when you look at their respective 2009 stats (a season where both guys spent time on multiple teams):
LaRoche: 25 bombs, .277/.355/.488 (which gives him an OPS of .843)
Huff: 15 bombs, .241/.310/.384 (which gives him an OPS of .694)
With an offense as anemic as the Giants’–one that struggles to both get on base AND hit for any kind of power (let alone home runs)–that 149-point difference between LaRoche’s OPS and Huff’s is WELL worth $2M. However, Sabean simply pulled the trigger too early on Huff instead of waiting to see how the competition on LaRoche would shape up.
What’s more, the team that won the LaRoche battle finished 70-92 in the NL West, whereas the Giants finished 88-74 in the same division. The fact that Sabean couldn’t leverage the “we will be in contention” card is just awful.
Excellent analysis. The guy sounds just like Jim Hendry.
Don’t forget: Huff isn’t even an upgrade above Ishikawa, on offense OR defense. The Huff signing was odd, to say the least.
Very true, especially about misgauging the dollars. But we can’t say one thing: if Sabean was impatient, b/c maybe LaRoche made it clear — I won’t play there — and was looking for a “pillow” deal like Beltre (to use Boras’ words) that’ll let him showcase his stats in a friendly yard and then get a bigger multi-year deal next off-season, when, god let’s hope, the economy is better and insanity might return to baseball.
You made some great points, but we don’t know the full story behind the Sabean/LaRoche negotiations. Maybe LaRoche straight up told Sabean that he doesn’t want to play in a pitcher’s park and simply playing in SF doesn’t appeal to him. There’s only so much you can do when a player just flat out doesn’t want to play for your team. I don’t know if that was the case or not.. but I’m saying we have no way of knowing what went on with the talks with LaRoche and there was most likely some other reasons why the Giants couldn’t pull him in.
Yes–I do not know how the conversations went. But I would expect a major league GM to be able to talk a 30-year-old player out of opting for a “pillow contract” if he is the only GM offering up a multi-year deal, and beating the pillow offer by $3.5M annually.
A point I can make more easily, as jdub220 mentioned, is that Huff is such a minor upgrade to Ishikawa that this an undeniable waste of money. While Huff should provide a miniature boost over Ishi’s offensive production, Ishi’s defensive production makes it a wash, more or less. This means that Sabean basically spent $3M for no reason, whereas the Dbacks got a $5M steal.
Also, to the point that Huff can play OF: I respect the versatility, and would normally value it highly, but the Uribe and DeRosa signings already upped our versatility to such a level that defensive versatility needed to take a backseat to offenseive production. Another point on defense: LaRoche’s defense at first is much better than Huff’s.
It’s just an all-around misuse of funds if you compare the two, and look at our need for a 5th starter, catcher, and reliever.
What part of he didn’t want to play for the Giants did you not understand? If Laroche didn’t want the 18 mil (Which was his highest offer on the table)Sabean put on the table, that should tell you all you need to know.
I agree that Huff isn’t much to brag about.. but I think they’d signed him mainly because he’s a proven hitter despite his drop-off season in 09. Comparing 09 stats – yes, he’s no real upgrade from Ishi. But he has experience and many other good years under his belt. The 1B market is huge next year, so might as well sign Huff for one year and give Ishi more time to develop. And if we don’t feel comfortable with him starting next year, sign one of the big name 1Bs. That’s the way I see it at least.
WOWWW!!!!! i don’t know what u r talking about…i mean first of all…Huff is playing in the NL so he is bound to play well….I think you r feeling sorry cause we didnt get Adam Laroche for only 4.5m….There is a 95% chance Huff will do better in the NL ….I mean when he as ith the Orioles he had to bat against some of the better pitchers …JUST LOOK AT THE HARD CORE EVIDENCE!!!
Hahahah. Since when do hitters come to the NL West and put up better numbers? The list of hitters that flopped in the NL West is much longer than the ones that excelled there. They are mostly pitchers’ parks and generally strong pitching (best ERA in baseball last season was the Dodgers, 2nd the Giants). Facing guys like Haren, Webb, Lincecum, Cain, Billingsley, Kershaw, Young, Francis, Jimenez, etc. is not an easy task.
Hahahah. Since when do hitters come to the NL West and put up better numbers? The list of hitters that flopped in the NL West is much longer than the ones that excelled there. They are mostly pitchers’ parks and generally strong pitching (best ERA in baseball last season was the Dodgers, 2nd the Giants). Facing guys like Haren, Webb, Lincecum, Cain, Billingsley, Kershaw, Young, Francis, Jimenez, etc. is not an easy task.
WOWWW!!!!! i don’t know what u r talking about…i mean first of all…Huff is playing in the NL so he is bound to play well….I think you r feeling sorry cause we didnt get Adam Laroche for only 4.5m….There is a 95% chance Huff will do better in the NL ….I mean when he as ith the Orioles he had to bat against some of the better pitchers …JUST LOOK AT THE HARD CORE EVIDENCE!!!
great analysis.. couldnt agree more in regards to how terribly Sabean handled this situation.. my first reaction to this signing was “wow, sabean should be fired immediately.” but after more thought, like dlineback said, you dont know how the conversations played out.. but also with that said, i know at the end of the day money talks.. the Giants were right in moving on from LaRoche since he declined their offer, seeking a 3 yr deal, but i do believe they did so too soon.. there is a lot of time left in FA and with Huff not generating a ton of interest, that was an option they could have fell back on say 2-3 weeks down the road if LaRoche still stood firm.. obviously hindsight is always 20/20, but I did think they moved on Huff too soon since those were really the only two above average FA 1B left (minus Delgado who is coming off an injury and is old as dirt).. personally, i wanted LaRoche more than anything because he clearly provides a significant upgrade offensively over what we had at 1B (Ishi) while still playing a decent 1B, but to say that Huff is an insignificant upgrade OFFENSIVELY over Ishi is ridiculous.. yes, we all know he had a bad 2009 but to judge him on one bad year when he has a career line of .282/.340/.472 is unfair, especially considering that this was a one year deal at market value.. while Ishi does have one of the best gloves at 1B in the league, i think its clear the Giants NEEDED a big bat more than a great glove at the corner since, as you stated, our offense was so anemic.. Huff DOES have the potential to provide a .270 avg 20 HR 85+ RBI year while not striking out a ton as well as doing the small things like getting guys over and getting them in, but to think that Ishi could have provided those kind of numbers THIS YEAR (since this is a ONE year deal and is all about 2010) is ludicrous.. LaRoche was the best fit but Huff’s bat is still an upgrade over Ishi’s and we will all see why.
in your comparison you’re also assuming they both produce very similar numbers in 2010. Not saying you’re wrong but if you look at Huff’s ’08 numbers then Sabs is a genius. Using career stats however both are pretty much the same player, LaRoche is better with the glove at 1B. Personally if they were going after anyone i was hoping it would have been Branyan because he will end up ebing the cheapest and would allow for Ishi to get a fair amount of ABs.
Would have loved the Braves to keep him at that price (and length).
Right.
Right.
The free agent dreams of getting that big Teixeira, Holliday money clouded his judgement. Guys in arbitration like Laroche get overpaid (7+ million last year) and then think free agency will get them even more.
ouch. If this is what he had to settle for than the bargain bin is open
Sabean never fails to make the last signing at a position before its respective bargain bin opens up. #sfgiants
“The deal is worth $4 million for the first year with the second year being $8 million if both the team and LaRoche agree to pick up the option, reports Sports 620 KTAR’s John Gambadoro.
If the option is not picked up there will be a $2 million buyout, meaning LaRoche is guaranteed $6 million from the team.”
So, 2/$12M at the most, 1/$6M at the least. I like the move. I’m sure LaRoche will like Phoenix and Chase Field quite a bit.
So are the D-Backs going to sit LaRoche until after the All-Star break, that’s the only time of year he’s worth a cent.
This is what you get for fighting for every penny….
uhh…. this would have been right in the braves price range… that they would have offered Laroche (if they hadn’t have signed Glaus.) DAMN IT
Ikr.
Ikr.
Wow. That’s what happens when you’re greedy I guess. In that case, Sheets is going to get a lot less than his asking price.
Well everyone calls LaRoche dumb.. which he is for not taking the deal, but Sabean is the idiot here.. offering way too much.
and here i thought the O’s were the only team who really gave a damn bout this scrub…oh well its not like were goin 2 be missing much
He should have listened to me: I’ve been saying that free agents need to sign by the first of the year because they run the risk of getting declining offers.
There is something about January 1 of the new year. It really feels like it’s down hill to spring training. Obviously there isn’t nearly as much time but it’s not like a guy can’t sign before April 1. The World Series is over in October which is 3 months and it’s about 3 months from the first of the year to April.
This is a nice deal for the D-backs. Pretty sad that this is all LaRoche got. He is worth a lot more than this. Lineup looks good now may be the time to pick up a starter and a couple more relievers.
Who is LaRoche’s agent ? BoZo the Clown
Oops …
That’s a great value for D-Backs. Wonder if the Braves are kicking themselves now. The value of Glaus to LaRoche absolutely exceeds $2m.
Yankees just got Jermaine Dye.
what a joke?! where did u heard that?
i get updates on my phone about yankee transactions.
and white sox transactions.
I don’t see this anywhere.
Always gotta be one guy in the crowd who thinks this is cool to do.
Always gotta be one guy in the crowd who thinks this is cool to do.
NO THEY DIDN’T!
Any idea what Byrnes would want if he was released? 1.5-3MM a year? Cubs should do that for a fourth outfield option over Reed Johnson.
He will be lucky to get that with all of his hamstring woes reliability with him is thrown out the window and furthermore I will give the Cubs more credit then to go after him.
He is not much different than Reed Johnson. Both guys get hurt a lot, and I would rather see the Cubs pend 1.5 on Byrnes that 3.5 on Reed Johnson or even consider Jermaine Dye.
He is not much different than Reed Johnson. Both guys get hurt a lot, and I would rather see the Cubs pend 1.5 on Byrnes that 3.5 on Reed Johnson or even consider Jermaine Dye.
He will be lucky to get that with all of his hamstring woes reliability with him is thrown out the window and furthermore I will give the Cubs more credit then to go after him.
wouldnt mind seeing byrnes in a yankees jersey next season
Any idea what Byrnes would want if he was released? 1.5-3MM a year? Cubs should do that for a fourth outfield option over Reed Johnson.
I wonder if his brother Andy makes more than him now.
But has Andy grossed as much over his career and been as successful as Adam I think not.
But has Andy grossed as much over his career and been as successful as Adam I think not.
I wonder if his brother Andy makes more than him now.
This is what happen when you get greedy adam laroche your nothing but a second half player. Too the remaining free agents especially johnny damon pay attention.
This is what happen when you get greedy adam laroche your nothing but a second half player. Too the remaining free agents especially johnny damon pay attention.
WOW!!!!!!!! ONLY 4.5 million….!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!!! ONLY 4.5 million….!!!!!!!!!!
Adam LaRoche is a clown
Adam LaRoche is a clown
I don’t get how releasing Byrnes would help the D’Backs payroll. Wouldn’t they still be on the hook for his salary? This isn’t the NFL, the contracts are guaranteed. Do they have an insurance policy for “terrible”? What am I missing?
maybe they have a buyout? Or maybe it only requires they pay half? Yeah, I have no idea either. 😛
They would be on the hook for 100% of it if he cleared waivers. But, there is probably a 99.9% chance he clears waivers
(I imagine that 0.1% comes in Hendry getting a skittle stuck in his keyboard and accidentally clicking the “claim player” box as he franticly attempts to salvage his ranbowey goodness treat. Crazier things have happened when Hendry and Food collide – including a 3 year deal to that psychopath Bradley)
They would be on the hook for 100% of it if he cleared waivers. But, there is probably a 99.9% chance he clears waivers
(I imagine that 0.1% comes in Hendry getting a skittle stuck in his keyboard and accidentally clicking the “claim player” box as he franticly attempts to salvage his ranbowey goodness treat. Crazier things have happened when Hendry and Food collide – including a 3 year deal to that psychopath Bradley)
I don’t get how releasing Byrnes would help the D’Backs payroll. Wouldn’t they still be on the hook for his salary? This isn’t the NFL, the contracts are guaranteed. Do they have an insurance policy for “terrible”? What am I missing?
This is cool actually because it says the market/prices are coming down big time…My Padres should be able to sign 2-3 guys now….lol good stuff
This is cool actually because it says the market/prices are coming down big time…My Padres should be able to sign 2-3 guys now….lol good stuff
I can’t wait to be at the ballpark the first time he comes up to bat in SF!
LaRoche rakes at AT&T. I’ll be there.
.395 avg. in only 43 at-bats
can you say small sample size?
Well, yeah. Better than him sucking in 43 AB, right? Small sample size or no.
I guess
but I wouldn’t consider it “raking”
Small sample size raking?
Small sample size raking?
I guess
but I wouldn’t consider it “raking”
Just idle curiosity, I wonder if those ABs were during the first or second half of the season? Hmmm… Could be an entertaining bit of research.
He’s perfect to pick-up Haren’s second half fade!
Man, if LaRoche could pitch, you guys would be -set-. (It’s sort of like how Matt Cain can hit. Sort of.)
Man, if LaRoche could pitch, you guys would be -set-. (It’s sort of like how Matt Cain can hit. Sort of.)
He’s perfect to pick-up Haren’s second half fade!
Just idle curiosity, I wonder if those ABs were during the first or second half of the season? Hmmm… Could be an entertaining bit of research.
AWESOME – see ya byrnes.
I hope he has fun playing in intense games all season fighting for 4th place with the padres.
Love for the White Sox to take a chance on Byrnes. Let him DH(pending a decent, healthy spring training) and he could pretty much play any outfield position. He’s Ozzie’s kind of player and he’d be cheap as hell.
I dont think so since the White Sox traded for Pierre. To bad for Beltran, but i see byrnes heading to a met uniform to play CF
In that case when Beltran is healthy Byrnes sits again? With a team that he could play more full time like the Padres would be more likely IMO
Byrnes could be a very logical fit for the Padres for cheap.
WTF…he tells the braves he wants a multi-year deal, then turns down a 2yr $17M from the giants and ends up signing on a 3rd or 4th place team for 1year and $4M???
Co-stan-za
If Byrnes goes, I’d love San Diego to snatch him up. I think the lifestyle is perfect/change of scenery…he’s a good community guy and if healthy, he’d be a steal. The OF rhb they’re looking for.
Im a Dback fan but i always go to see them here in SD, Byrnes fits on CF on SD, but dont see that comming since byrnes is 10mill on 2010, so i see him more like a met
If the D-backs release him they would have to eat his salary. The Padres could get him close to the league minimum.
great move by the dbacks needed another bat in the lineup that could produce numbers like laroche. so that puts parra as the fourth outfielder witch is good he’ll be playing alot of left and center depending of how good of a year chris young is going to have.
I think the DBacks could be the most improved team this year when you factor in Webb returning. They could have a very bright year and I think Colorado is there only real competition w/ DBacks and Rockies being the only two well rounded teams. LA has tons of offense but no pitching outside Kershaw who I’m not even sold on yet. SF has a good one two punch and a decent overall rotation but absolutely nothing outside Sando in the offense. I think the DBacks and Rockies are the two best teams in the division now.
Meh, we got Glaus now so I don’t care about him anymore. It was a fun summer fling with him, but that’s mostly it.
It would be cool to see Byrnes play with the Giants where he’s wanted to play ever since he was a little kid but it looks like our OF is full unless we put him in RF
and I don’t see how LaRoche makes the D’Backs the favorites in the NL West they have a good core of young players with Upton and Reynolds and Webb (if he can stat healthy) and Haren and Jackson is a nice pitcher but their rotation is not better than ours IMO
I think as much as I hate to say it LA is the favorite and the Giants are gonna have to battle with the Rockies again to challenge LA with Arizona in the mix
“In order to make room for LaRoche, the Diamondbacks are leaning towards releasing Eric Byrnes, says Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic”
I bet Hendry is licking his chops reading that 🙁
“In order to make room for LaRoche, the Diamondbacks are leaning towards releasing Eric Byrnes, says Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic”
I bet Hendry is licking his chops reading that 🙁
Does this really make any sense? I mean LaRoach should of went to a place that needed him more like the Giants and the D’Backs should not have wasted money. If they knew they wanted to do this they should of traded Eric Byrnes for another bad contract. Tampa Bay maybe could have been a fit Byrnes for Burrell. Byrnes could come off the bench, DH, or play RF for TB while Burrell could of played LF and Connor Jackson could have moved back to 1B.
Who the hell would want Byrnes or his contract?!?
Who the hell would want Byrnes or his contract?!?
Does this really make any sense? I mean LaRoach should of went to a place that needed him more like the Giants and the D’Backs should not have wasted money. If they knew they wanted to do this they should of traded Eric Byrnes for another bad contract. Tampa Bay maybe could have been a fit Byrnes for Burrell. Byrnes could come off the bench, DH, or play RF for TB while Burrell could of played LF and Connor Jackson could have moved back to 1B.
Hey you Giant fans, We should be soooooo happy that Adam LaRouche did not take 17.5 million for 2 years because we recieved something good if not better than him in Aubrey Huff. Take my word for it, he is going to be part of this years winning team. I’m so happy that LaRouche either did not go to the right school or doesn’t know how to figure money out. Signing a 1 year deal and expecting to get a 2 year deal next year, which still will not even be close to what the Giants offered for 2. If I was ever going to recieve 17.5 million (which he’s not even worth no where near, and he knows it), I would have taken it and run with the way this economy and world is. The trouble with the ball players today is they take everything for granted and they don’t know the true value of money today. Futhermore, me being a Giant fan for 61 years, don’t want a guy like him if he does not want to play for us. Remember, Aubrey Huff’s strike outs is very very low as opposed to LaRouches, just look up the records. Plain & simple, Huff makes contact on the ball a lot more than LaRouche does. I love the Giants and am so happy about this whole ordeal. Go Giants this year with your great pitching. Now remember this LaRouche, you must face Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, Bumgarner, Romo, Wilson, Affedelt, Runzler, Joanquin, Medders and the next pitcher the Giants are going to get before the start of the season. Good luck with that!!!
Yeah and what are you drinkin weirdo…LaRouche is way better than Aubrey Huff now i see why yall lose signing washedup players like him… Im glade he didnt sign with SF thats funny as he** haha YALLS LOST… 1 more thing its not all about the money… NOW you watch SF this year and ill watch the Braves and Dbacks kick yall butt… Have nice day
I just read all the comments, I guess all of us are wrong and you are the only one right. LOL. You are just mad like all the other Brave fans are because he was playing for them and they had the first crack at him and they did not offer him what Arizona offered him. I told you before, look up his stats. Huff’s BA is higher than LaRouches and also Huff makes contact a lot more than LaRouche does. A lot less strike outs. Yes, we will see this year Weirdo!!!
Type your reply…
Type your reply…
Hey you Giant fans, We should be soooooo happy that Adam LaRouche did not take 17.5 million for 2 years because we recieved something good if not better than him in Aubrey Huff. Take my word for it, he is going to be part of this years winning team. I’m so happy that LaRouche either did not go to the right school or doesn’t know how to figure money out. Signing a 1 year deal and expecting to get a 2 year deal next year, which still will not even be close to what the Giants offered for 2. If I was ever going to recieve 17.5 million (which he’s not even worth no where near, and he knows it), I would have taken it and run with the way this economy and world is. The trouble with the ball players today is they take everything for granted and they don’t know the true value of money today. Futhermore, me being a Giant fan for 61 years, don’t want a guy like him if he does not want to play for us. Remember, Aubrey Huff’s strike outs is very very low as opposed to LaRouches, just look up the records. Plain & simple, Huff makes contact on the ball a lot more than LaRouche does. I love the Giants and am so happy about this whole ordeal. Go Giants this year with your great pitching. Now remember this LaRouche, you must face Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, Bumgarner, Romo, Wilson, Affedelt, Runzler, Joanquin, Medders and the next pitcher the Giants are going to get before the start of the season. Good luck with that!!!
Did LaRoache ever take a math class in his life?….How do you pass up two year deal worth 17.5 million from SF to sign a one year deal for 5.5 million with the D’Backs? I know there is an option year but its mutual. I guess when your not killing much dear as you can find with Chipper Jones , math takes a second seat. What a redneck.
Whats wrong with being a redneck? he didnt want to go to SF thats y he turned them down.. Its not all about money!!!
if he took that kind of deal why in the heck didn’t the braves jump on board a long time ago..