Some NL East links for Thursday, as the Braves and Mets get their season started in New York…
- Jose Reyes doesn't seem to be missing the Mets, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. It’d be hard to fault Reyes for enjoying his role on an exciting Marlins team and his $106MM contract.
- Cole Hamels' track record is "a little better than [Matt] Cain's, so it does make things difficult," Phillies senior advisor Pat Gillick told Bob McCown and Damien Cox on Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 yesterday. The Phillies have some interest in locking Hamels up long-term, but Cain's $112.5MM extension complicated things earlier this week.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he had two "uncomfortable" conversations with John Lannan after telling the left-hander he was being optioned to the minor leagues (Twitter links). "If he was happy and took this laying down, it wouldn't be John Lannan," Rizzo said. "And you'd have to worry about that type of person.''
- Rizzo said there's "mild" interest in Lannan, but manager Davey Johnson said the Nationals are "not trading him," Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. Lannan has requested a trade.
I would be happy too if I was reyes, nothing to miss from NY
It sure does complicate things. Signing Rollins for 3/33m complicated things as well, especially when the could have gotten at least as much offense and the same defense for 1/3 as much by signing Alex Gonzalez and only for 2 seasons like they let the Brewers do, but family loyalty over shined financial planning it looked like.
Cain deal just threw another monkey wrench into that train wreck everyone knew was coming when that horrible Rollins deal was announced.. That is.. Except for a handful of Philly fans. How handy would that 33m towards the cap come in when Hamels and maybe Victorino walk? Pence will be a goner now for about certain.
Alex Gonzalez is not even CLOSE to the player Jimmy Rollins is. Sure, they hit the same number of HRs, but Rollins makes far fewer outs AND is far superior with the glove (which is critical from your shortstop since its a premium defensive position). Rollins at 3/33 is a deal a contending team makes all day.
Also, if the Phillies weren’t expecting Cain to get more than 100MM, something is seriously wrong with the front office.
I don’t know about far superior on defense, as Gonzalez is about as solid as a shortstop can get on defense, but Rollins is better than Gonzalez by a long shot.
Is he 23m guaranteed more and than that option that can vest with PA? Large difference in 11mAAV for Rollins and 4m in Gonzalez with the small difference in offensive output. It’s not like Rollins is the huge offensive machine he was a few years back when Philly has these other people who are not only younger, but more important to the core of the team.
a 60 point difference in OBP (2011, not career stats) and a 30 point difference in SLG is a HUGE difference in offensive output.
and on a contending, win-now team like the Phillies with no immediate or long-term replacements at SS, that 3-4 year deal to Rollins, who’s still a top 10 SS in MLB, is one you make all day.
if we’re going to talk about financial blunders by the Phillies, let’s start with striking early and signing Papelbon before the new CBA was even announced.
How many Gold gloves has AGon won?
How many has Jeter won? your logic.
Gee, maybe signing the $50 million one-inning relief pitcher, for more money, and more years than Rollins, might have complicated things a little more??
Nah………
I don’t see how it really complicates anything… Hamels is pretty much guaranteed $22 million as an AAV if he hit the open market. $23-$24 mil isn’t unreasonable if they can keep him to 5 years.
They’re on something if they thought he’d take Weaver/Halladay money.
I am guessing Sabathia money if he hits the open market at perhaps as high as 25-27m if a bidding war erupts.
I wouldn’t want the Sox going anywhere near that high (don’t get me wrong, like Hamels) but for the prices of potentially available SP, would prefer the cheaper Anibel Sanchez if he can be had in the 12-14m range.
I see the NYY going all in if Hamels reaches FA, that 189m salary cap for 2014 upcoming be &)^%#^
I honestly don’t think the Yankees are going to seriously bid on Hamels. The actual cost (including busting the luxury tax threshold) would be astronomical for them. Red Sox might, if they have some room. They have salary coming off the books
Don’t think Cashman really does either to be honest, but Hankie and Hal will maybe have other ideas. They have done it numerous times already.. Jeter, Gonzalez.. Gone over Cashman’s head and signed/resigned a player to a contract Cashman didn’t want and THIS time at least it would be someone who could really help them.
Boston has just Ortiz 14m coming off the books for a fact this season and they *could* not pick up the team option for Youkillis, that would be a 13m mistake if they chose not to as he is worth it. Few more smaller contracts in the 1-4m is it otherwise.
Hank did it once with ARod and Randy Levine has done it a few times. The Boss did it every other week.
Hank’s out of the picture, and I would not be stunned if part of the contract negotiations with Cashman (he re-signed with us this offseason) had to do with Mr. Levine’s interference.
Either way though, I think the Pineda trade and our stockpiling of young SP prospects (including one or two pretty darn good ones) indicates that we’re not going with Hamels. We could even do it and still get under 189 if we sacrifice enough offense, I just don’t see us doing it.
And if you really think they aren’t doing 189….well, you’re wrong. Maybe if we manage to miss the playoffs before 2014 then they’ll wait an extra year or two, but its definitely happening in the next few years.
Have to give Henry and the Steinbrenner’s credit this past off season for not spending. Shocking to say the least when both teams had an issue that needed addressed and filled it with trades, or internally, then a trade.
Yanks, moving Montero for Pineda and Boston trading for Melencon for more BP depth so they could send Bard to the rotation.
That is 1 season of fiscal responsibility on their part and like you said.. They both keep talking about it, just how long will it last?
Hear you on George.. He signed 1 FA while was snowed in at an airport 1 year and him and the player were marooned.. Have been trying to think of that players name for years.. Was late 70’s..80’s.. Just can’t think of his name.. But yeah.. He would sign them all for awhile and not knocking him there.. He just ran his own ship.
Watched Gonzalez in 2009 with Boston and he wasn’t too awfully bad with the leather. Good arm and neither is going to light the world on fire (anymore in Rollins case) with the bat.
Edit: Sorry.. This was to Melonis above..
One would hope that Philly calculated the cost on retaining Hamels, but could they have figured it would be in the 25m range it could end up at? They took some serious gambles this past offseason with a couple of heavy weight obligations already on hand.
The issue is not dollars, the Phillies have already offered an extension that is more than 20 million, the length of the contract for Cain is what complicates the issue. Hamels wanted 6 years and the Phillies offered a 4 year deal.