In the wake of Josh Hamilton’s departure from the Angels, his five-year, $125MM deal with the club may be the worst free agent signing of all time, ESPN’s Jayson Stark opines. The Hamilton deal tops Stark’s list of the five worst signings ever, which also includes another ongoing contract in Melvin Upton Jr.’s five-year, $72.25MM pact with the Braves. Two other current deals receive dishonorable mentions: Shin-Soo Choo’s seven year, $130MM contract with the Rangers is cited as a “disaster in the making,” while Alex Rodriguez’s ten-year, $275MM contract with the Yankees is a “category unto himself.”
Here’s more from around the baseball world…
- The Angels seem likely to make a trade for left field help, according to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, though such a move isn’t likely to happen for at least another month. Acquiring a new left fielder to replace Hamilton would allow the Halos to shift Matt Joyce and C.J. Cron into a platoon at DH.
- David Price said he hasn’t “heard anything” new about extension talks with the Tigers, the southpaw told Mlive.com’s Chris Iott (Twitter link).
- Teams are looking at the Brewers as the first team who could start selling, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. One executive speculated that Milwaukee could make everyone available except Jonathan Lucroy and Jimmy Nelson. Sherman thinks Carlos Gomez could be a big trade chip if the Brewers decide on a full rebuild and don’t think they can sign Gomez to an extension.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman is satisfied with Stephen Drew and isn’t looking for any internal replacements at second base, he tells ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand. Drew is hitting .177/.274/.419 with four homers in 74 plate appearances and has posted below-average defensive numbers as a second baseman. Despite Drew’s numbers, Jose Pirela’s concussion recovery and Rob Refsnyder’s defensive issues have left the Yankees without a ready replacement for the veteran.
- In his latest Insider-only piece, ESPN’s Jim Bowden gives his opinion on how five struggling teams can solve their problems. One suggested fix, for the Nationals, is simply to do nothing; Bowden thinks the front office should wait until everyone is healthy before deciding if changes need to be made.
I still gotta go with Mike Hampton. Beyond innings, they got zero value from him.
On the plus side, that contract gave the Mets David Wright!
If Price has another great year, I don’t see him staying with the tigers, he’s going to test the market.
Why can’t he test the market AND stay with the Tigers? Remember Pizza Pizza.
Price has had more and more bad outings since the 2013 season opened. Giving him a 6-8 year contract for $200M is insane. If the Tigers didn’t pay Scherzer, they surely aren’t going to pay Price. He’s going to go to a team with a desperate owner and/or FO that will look up in 2-3 years and wonder why they did what they did..
I can understand making a higher offer than they did to Scherzer, because Price is a better pitcher, more likely to pitch 8 innings than 6 (like Scherzer). I would be careful of the length of contract.
Scherzer is better than price.
We disagree.
Definitely
In innings 1-6 maybe. But Price can go 9 and Scherzer can’t. Also lefties can become “crafty” as they age, righties can’t.
Much less risk with similar contracts with Price v. Scherzer.
Ever heard of Jered Weaver? and Scherzer can easily go 7-8 innings.
Just too bad he usually doesn’t.
Wait do you mean this year or in general?
In general.
Then you would be wrong lol.
Good. So Tigers fans can looking for Justin Verlander turning into Weaver and earning the rest of his contract?
Weaver was never really a power pitcher to begin with and relied heavily on his offspeed stuff. Verlander is a whole different animal.
And what exactly is Max Scherzer?
A power pitcher.
When Weaver first came up, he was throwing 94-96 and now he’s around 83-86
I dont remember weaver throwing that hard. I remember him around 90. That being said, you could be right.
1. Your argument says there is more wear and tear on Price’s arm.
2. Since Price has not had to pitch “crafty”, why is he worth a $25M AAV because you think he’ll be an elite pitcher doing that?
As pointed out Jered Weaver, but even more so in terms of crafty, try a John Smoltz or Greg Maddux. Many a right handed hurler has become a craftsman to an arm as he aged so to say only lefties do is just not accurate I am sorry.
I’m in complete agreement, but Maddux isn’t the righty I’d exhibit. He wasn’t getting it up there more than 92 in the late 80’s with the Cubs. He was the definition of prepared. I suppose its all a matter of opinion and splitting hairs… I know what you mean. Maddux just was a real deal pitcher…. Solid stuff made better by game plan and accuracy. He’d intentionally throw a meat ball to a hitter in one at bat just to set him up for later in the game when it mattered.
Robb may have been speaking of the years where maddux was throwing his heater far under 90 mph. Id label that as crafty haha
As soon as I replied I thought… “Wow…I just described crafty. Ha”. I guess when I think crafty I think junk ballers…John Candelaria…Tom Candiotti
hahaha, maddux kindddd of became a junk baller in his later years.
Hang out long enough and anyone becomes a junk baller….Gaylord Perry was still doing it at age 108.
I don’t think so either. Scherzer has been far more consistent the past few years.
Price used to dominate a high percentage of his starts. I noticed that changing 2 months before the Rays traded him to the Tigers – and with the Tigers in 2013 he hardly came off as an elite pitcher….it could be argued that Smyly outperformed him.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s had some sensational outings for the Tigers. But for a guy expecting a long-term $200M contact – one can’t be serious.
Not sure what Price you are talking about. His FIP was LOWER with the Tigers than with the Rays in 2014.
Sorry, I’m not into stat fights. I watch the games.
If you think Price is an elite pitcher, that’s fine. I think he still is at times. But this is pretty much the same as the Yankees giving CC a lot of dollars and years when they did…..and please don’t quote me CC vs. Price stats. The Rays got his best years at bargain prices. A writer I read after the Porcello signing noted that the Red Sox are going to get a much better deal out of extending Porcello then the Cubs will at signing Lester. I don’t particularly care for Porcello, but the man is going to be proven to be right….by a long stretch.
As for Price – I have seen nothing from him this year that would make me think DD needs to call his agent ASAP to sign a long-term extension for $25M AAV. Not even close. Maybe he’ll do better as the weather warms up.
For the Tigers, a pitcher who can go 8 innings on his 100 pitches is more valuable than one who goes 6. Scherzer is a solid pitcher with ONE complete game. Total. Career. The Tigers bullpen is best when its not used. Wish it wasn’t so, but that’s the reality. Price, to the Tigers anyway, is the better pitcher.
Shocked that Vernon Wells didn’t make Stark’s list.
You could argue that one was worse because that was a trade that cost the Angels Mike Napoli as well as gobs of money.
Yeah, everything about the Wells deal is incredible. The fact that he got it in the first place is bad enough, but another team deciding to take it on while also giving up some pretty good trade value is almost unbelievable.
When I read, “Drew is hitting .177/.274/.419 with four homers in 74 plate appearances and has posted below-average defensive numbers as a second baseman” and I also read “Yankees GM Brian Cashman is satisfied with Stephen Drew,” I have to wonder… If it’s actually true that the Yankees are “satisfied” with this… oh, how times have changed! I mean, I get that he pretty much HAS to say stuff like that, but wow…
I wonder if they would take Daniel Murphy? I think Murphy would excel in Yankee stadium. He has line drive power to left field, which is enormous in Yankee stadium and would amount to a good number of doubles, and in addition he has pop to right field which would amount to a good deal of homers. He can almost pretend to be a second basemen, but he is actually pretty decent at first and third base once you get him accustomed to playing there. He could technically have the ability to play 3 infield positions in addition to playing in a stadium uniquely suited to his particular hitting style. Also, he’s available.
If they wanted an primarily offensive second baseman, they’d just call up Refsnyder.
Why would the Mets trade their starting second basemen when they are competing? It wouldn’t be a wise decision especially with Murphy providing more value than he would net.
a lot of Mets fans think Dilson Herrera or even Matt Reynolds are better players than Murphy right now.
that said, I’d still want something back for Murphy other than salary relief. his contact-oriented bat and positional flexibility makes him a solid bench piece, even if the Mets do decide to go with Herrera later in the season.
Maybe that’s true. Murphy is pretty good offensively so I’m sure they could use him somewhere than just as a bench piece.
Murphy is the 4th best second basemen in the organization.
That slash line isn’t really a complete train wreck. The average is ugly, but he’s almost at .700 OPS which is more or less average. Would be easier to swallow if he had better defensive numbers.
Yeah, it’s not exactly like he can say, “We’re desperate for a second baseman who can field AND hit! All my fellow GMs, please call me with offers!!!” That’s how you end up getting offers like, “Oh yeah, we’ll give you Omar Infante and even pick up some of the money. Just give us that double A, guy, what’s his name, Jury? No, Judge, Judge, it is.”
Defensive statistics make no sense to anyone that watches a lot of games.
Yeah, they do. It gives a pretty telling statistic of range without the spectator bias.
Someone with bad range can make great looking plays because it takes them so much effort compared to someone with better range.
Some players have great range, but basically due to poor positioning. Thats the joy I take in actually being at a game and watching how the defenders set up. Some players seem to have almost a sixth sense where to position. I know there are reams of data…but its still impressive
If you think that someone is getting those stats by measuring where balls go to compared to where the fielder is stationed, then you would be wrong.
Think some fans though will judge a player’s defense on effort rather than actual defense.. Laying out on ball’s, having to dive to make a play because they initially froze, or misread a play. Ellsbury has had that problem his entire career is one example.
Glove magicians, such as Stephen Drew and Jose Iglesias know how to position themselves also, not to mention have superb footwork in the SS hole and when they “lay out” to make a play, it’s the real thing. Therefore on some I disagree with some of those weird stats also.
I’ll say this. I got a much greater appreciation for how Kevin Cash is running the Rays on the field by being in St. Pete on Saturday than I would have gotten being locked down by a camera in CF showing only the pitcher and batter.
I read a comment the other day from a guy that said that the Indians losing him has hurt that team. For sure their bullpen is not the same.
Cash is going to be a good one…he’s been fun to watch. Very intelligent
As soon as they start losing again on a frequent basis, then we’ll probably see a change of tune.
You can hit poorly as long as the team is winning, but as soon as they start losing…
It looks like the Price decision is on the Tigers end. And it looks like they do NOT want to negotiate. Perhaps seeing Verlander every day is a big influencer in Dombrowski’s strategy.
Could also be Price’s start against the Yankees.
I HIGHLY doubt any GM would ever take 1 start into consideration when judging a pitcher’s performance.
I could see a GM taking every start into consideration. That this was the 2nd time he has been hammered like this by the Yankees since DD acquired him, may, or may not, be a red flag.
He says he’s not looking but I’m sure Cashman is fielding all calls. I’m just also as sure that he’s not getting any offers he’d consider taking on April 30th.
A lot of hot air coming out of guys like Sherman and Heyman about the Brewers but they never had a clue to the thinking in Milwaukee. The Brewers got nothing, absolutely nothing out of the their core players in April. That’s not likely to continue. Braun has started coming out of it the past couple days. Ramirez is making better contact. Gomez comes off the DL on Friday, and Lucroy will follow in a few weeks.
If they start hitting there’s plenty of time to get back to .500 by All Star break. It’s the same group essentially that was in first place most of last year.
Now before anyone says that’s a rosy picture (and it is), it’s more my observation of what they are thinking. If they were close to pulling the plug, Roenicke would be the first to go and he’s still in the dugout.
If the Brewers are still well out of it by the end of June, they’ll start some selling but I don’t expect it to be a wholesale stripping of their roster like the Astros did a few years ago. Too much of Milwaukee’s revenue comes from ticket sales, and right or wrong, they will try rebuilding on the fly. So figure guys like Lohse, Ramirez, Parra and perhaps Garza to be on the block, but I think they’ll keep Gomez. Segura might be the one younger guy who could be had but only because the Brewers are deep in SS in the high minors.
I tried watching the Brewers at least 10 times last year when they were winning, but they still left me cold. There was something missing to me.
Earlier this year when the Indians were selected by SI to win the WS, I said that made no sense to me, and felt their roster was comparable to the Brewers – though the strengths and weaknesses were in different areas. It’s interesting that in the first month, they have similar production.
Teams and players can go on hot streaks that can last for 2 months – but it doesn’t mean they will sustain it. It’s interesting to me that fans and the media that felt the Royals “got hot” in 2014 and picked them to finish 4th in the ALC for 2015, did not grasp that they had the best record in the AL in 2013 after the All-Star break, that the players were improving all though 2014, and the team took off once Yost stopped his screwball tactical moves and just let his guys play (which he admitted after the 2014 season). Every year the perceptions are proved wrong.
The Brewers have talent, but there was a definite hangover heading into this season after last year’s collapse and management’s attempt to try and ignore it as if it didn’t happen. Key players felt responsible and put extra pressure on themselves and result was disasterous. On top of that a few injuries cropped up. Now that they’re being already written off, it wouldn’t surprise me if they got hot. Lind looks like a fine acquisition and Segura is swinging the bat like he did his rookie year. They just need more consistent starting pitching and their big guns to hit.
I thought the Indians looked like a slightly less talented KC.
You’re kidding.
I think the Royals roster is the most complete roster I’ve seen in MLB since the early 70’s A’s that won 3 WS in a row. You’ve got 7 position players that can win gold gloves.
The Indians can’t make plays on defense or run the bases, and while their OBP is always high due to hitting foul balls and coaxing walks, their BA with RISP or even with runners on base has been far below average years. Possibly the most overrated team in MLB.
I think we’re making the same point. When the Indians hoopla was going around…I looked at them and they looked like a Royals lite….by that I mean maybe not even 3rd in the division. Royals are solid….complete… Not overwhelming and they need breaks…but in this day and age without sheer dominance and 110 wins teams…they are rock solid…. They can in essence put Kershaw out there WITH a lead whenever they wish…Thats their bullpen.. Kershaw
Mariners are probably more complete than the royals in my opinion
Just have to question what Segura brings back. He looked like a utility infielder coming out of the Angels system…had to deal with tragedy…but not sure he’ll ever put up those half season power numbers he displayed.
Mlb needs to deal with this blackout rule. I’m less than 4_hours from the park and blacked out without a regional network that carries them. They rather I be a Rays fan than Brewers. That’s Iowa though… Home of the 6 team black out
A-Rod already has over 22 WAR on what effectively is now a 9-year, $~258M deal (factoring in the assumption that he’ll hit no. 660 and be paid for it, but never hit 714). that’s bad, but not awful when measuring against MelBJUPTON, or Hamilton, who will be paid to produce for a division rival.
The Bobby Bonilla deal with the Mets to me stands out as pretty bad as does Mo Vaughn back with the Angels.
It depends on what your definition of bad is. If you want a selfish, unaccountable man child with million dollar talent and a five-cent head that you have to pay a division rival $65 million to take off your hands three years into the contract, then it was a great signing.
I hope you never know anyone with the struggles Hamilton faces on an every day basis.
classless comment
Why did the Yanks expect Stephen Drew to be any better than how he’s performing now?