Sometimes you just run out of things to say.
What can you say that hasn't already been written or said about the Giants and these last 5 years? It's simply mind-boggling what they've accomplished, and I'm still pinching myself from 2010, let alone the other two.
As this team heads into another odd year with yet another unexpected ring in tow, they have the unique distinction of having more questions than answers, and having two teams in their division significantly favored over them, fair or not.
I say "unique" only because, you know, it's the Giants.
What other team could win 3 in 5 and be considered a 3rd place team before the season starts with so few changes?
The lost Pablo. Okay. Sort of a big deal.
Sometimes Pablo was great, but let's be honest, he was good for about 3-5 streaks a year and a great postseason performance (after he got his life together post-2010). They'll miss 3 HRs against the Tigers and all those singles from 2014.
The honest to God truth of the matter is though, that he was just a little bit better than average. Larger than life, and a marketing department's dream, yes. A regular season superstar however, he never was.
Look at 2014's regular season. .279 with 16 HRs and above average defense. That's a solid player, that's a a good player, but that's not a great player.
I am not downplaying his contributions to this team, especially in the postseason. I am not downplaying his impact on the fanbase or on the bottom line. He was a great Giant overall, but a great player, he was not. He was the 11th most valuable 3B last year according to WAR, and he had a lower batting average, on base percentage, and only scored 8 more runs than his cheap and scrappy replacement, Casey McGehee.
Again. Not saying we're not going to miss him at all, I'm just saying that he wasn't truly great, and all that shit he said on the way out left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Adios Pablo, and good luck with Boston being sympathetic to your cold streaks and new lobstah roll addiction.
Other thoughts
-- Tell him goodbye. Rest in peace Lon Simmons. Although your heyday was well before my time, there's no question you were an absolute legend. What I wouldn't give to sit down with our Giants broadcasting team with a couple other legends and hear the stories they'd tell. Hell, invite Vin Scully while we're at it. Maybe this can be arranged once we're all dead because of ISIS or Al-Shabab and we'll all meet up in heaven. It's a plan.
-- Get well Hunter Pence. This team's OF will probably account for 35 HRs combined WITH Pence. Without him, as I read somewhere, "this OF has so little power, it's comical". Where have we heard that one before? Oh yeah, like almost every year.
-- OH YEAH! Duffman returns. Get your Duff and Duff Light ready, because Matt Duffy made the roster with a .361 Spring over the perpetually lame Ehire Adrianza. I will be glad to see Adrianza finally off the roster, as he is out of options and will probably be grabbed by some desperate team of jerks. Adrianza was a poor man's Manny Burriss. I'm glad to see Duffy rewarded for his play, and I'm also looking forward to him playing all over the diamond to get into the lineup. Then he will take advantage of a random injury, gain 5 position fantasy eligibility and will become the new Ben Zobrist.
I guy can dream, right?
-- If Gary Brown gets cut and claimed by the Cardinals and assigned to AAA Memphis and no one cares, does he make a sound? The answer is no, because that happened, and no one talked about it once. I wish him well, but it's safe to say, he was a complete waste of a 1st round pick.
-- The rotation possibilities are endless, because we don't know who's good and who sucks. Who will join Bum, Peavy, Cain, and Hudson in the rotation for the long haul? Or will it be a constant revolving door of maybes, has beens, and spot starts between Lincecum, Petit, and Vogelsong? Spring training numbers told us they all looked pretty bad, with Peavy having a near 10.00 ERA. If I had to wager a guess, they'll trot out Lincecum until we've all had it with him, then Vogelsong will end up in there with Petit mopping up innings and spot starting due to injury.
Then there's the what ifs related to injury. Will Matt Cain regain his form or will he be a gopherballer with diminished velocity? Is Hudson done? Is Peavy done? Is Lincecum done? Is Vogelsong done?
Hahaha. Patterns and speculation are fun!
-- The Padres have a lot of good players
-- The Dodgers have a lot of good players
-- I think we're still good, but I'm not sure
-- Tell me the last time a paper champion won a World Series. 2009 Yankees? 2007 Red Sox? The point is, it doesn't happen very often. Good luck trying to buck that trend, Doyers and Madres.
-- I predict that Belt, Posey, Pence, Panik, Crawford, McGehee, Aoki, and Pagan will hit a combined 100 HR. We'll get another 20 from randoms, and that puts us at 120. That is 12 down from last year's total of 132, which would have put us at 25th in the league. No Morse, no Panda, makes a little too much sense, right?
Don't feel too bad about our return to the bottom of the power rankings though. Kansas City hit 95 HR last year-- which was worst in baseball. So, we can still make it to the World Series and lose, right? Pretty good for an odd year.
-- Bochy and Sabean are locked up until they're really old. Good for them, they've earned it. I have no issue with that. Also good to see Bobby Evans named General Manager. He's been the guy behind the contracts and scouting for a very long time. Sabean made the decisions, but Evans was the one talking to the agents, drawing up the contracts, and doing the research. He was the man behind the man, and now he is the man. Truly proving that in the right situation, hard work pays off. Plus, he's a very candid interview to listen to. Wonder who he got that from...
Once Pagan and Belt go down with their annual injuries, can we find a way to trade for Allen Craig please? Boston is literally not using him this year. Maybe being close to his old stomping grounds at Cal will help him find his mojo. Just a thought.
Speaking of Belt, how many more years of snakebitten disappointment are we going to sign up for before it's time to cut bait? It's the same thing every year. Freak injuries or lack of confidence do him in one way or another. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a goddamn 150 game, 30 HR breakout season. He's well overdue and I'm tired of waiting.
I'M EXCITED.
LET'S PLAY SOME BASEBALL!
Showing posts with label Bobby Evans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bobby Evans. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2015
Thursday, April 10, 2014
How Agent Gustavo Vazquez screwed Salvador Perez and why Giants brass tabled Sandoval talks
Close your eyes and imagine this for a moment. It's 2008 and Katy Perry's magical song about kissing girls is brand new. An intriguing 21 year old 3B/C named Pablo Sandoval has come out of nowhere to hit .345 in only 41 games. No one quite knows how good he can be, or that one day he'll be an All-Star or a World Series MVP. No one knows about the Panda-monium.
Now, I want you to substitute Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez for your vision of Sandoval. You can't picture Perez? Well, that's a shame, because he's one of the best young talents in the game that you probably haven't seen play-- unless you watched him catch Mariano Rivera in the All-Star Game last year at Citi Field in New York.
Then, Salvador Perez was a 22 year-old All-Star; a guy who was once signed by a rickety old Royals scouting program in Venezuela for a measly $65k. Probably similar to what Sandoval got from the Giants.
Like Panda, Perez was called up for the first time as a 21 year old, and promptly hit over .300, showing excellent defense and instincts. Recalled the following year in June of 2012, "Salvy" as he's known, hit over .300 again with 11 HR and a .993 fielding percentage in only 76 games.
Take this quote from Royals Scout Art Stewart:
Most teams would stand pat, and enjoy the fact that they had this young talent under team control through pre-arbitration and arbitration years-- usually 6, sometimes 7 years. The Royals, sick of losing games and losing their players to richer teams, decided to be aggressive and lock him up.
Indeed it is unusual for a team to offer a multi-year deal to a player still so deep under team control. There are examples of this, but the likes of Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria are just not good comparisons. Those two were blue-chippers who've been told they're great from age 10 and have behaved accordingly. They commanded big deals in comparison (but not compared to their production on the open market), and preferred to stay in their small market havens a couple years into free agency while being able to sign an open-market deal before they turn 30.
Perez's deal is different. It's completely irresponsible.
While researching this, I came upon McCovey Chronicles' fearless leader Grant Brisbee's take on the contract via SB Nation's "Baseball Nation".
It fascinated him, he couldn't stop thinking about it. It was just plain interesting. A young, rather unproven guy still under control for years signing a seemingly creative contract that was almost a no-risk deal for KC. On the other hand, it was some guaranteed money for Perez if he couldn't hack it. A win-win it seemed.
Now it's just a win for the Royals; the type of thing Royals GM Dayton Moore thinks of when he has a bad day to cheer him up. Kansas City made out like bandits, they knew it, and Pablo Sandoval's agent Gustavo Vazquez is to blame.
Until very recently, as I detailed here, Vazquez was a member of Morgan Advisory Group (MAG), and held the title of Senior Baseball Director. He was charismatic, and was an excellent recruiter. MAG's stable of players was primarily Latin American, and mostly Venezuelan (including of course Sandoval and Perez). The players felt comfortable dealing with "one of their own", and became good friends with their representation.
That's where Gustavo Vazquez's skills as an agent end.
For all his skills wooing potential clients, Vazquez lacked the shrewdness and knowledge necessary to structure contracts, and there is no better example than the Salvador Perez deal.
According to a source (and yes, a legitimate source that I'm not making up, because I take this seriously), Vazquez took liberties with the Perez-KC negotiations that culminated in Perez signing "one of the most irresponsible, team-friendly contracts in the last 20 years".
The reason it was so fascinating at the time is because it didn't make sense. What player would sign away most of his promising career for $23MM at most??
The answer? A player who became too buddy-buddy with his agent, who in turn did not follow directions from his agency.
Let me ask you this. Would Scott Boras tell Salvy Perez to sign that deal? Absolutely not. Scott Boras would laugh in the Dayton Moore's face and book a tee time on his iPhone immediately. That's how ludicrous this deal was.
According to the source, Vazquez was told not to include any free agency years or any club options in the Perez deal-- a standard thing. Of course Vazquez made sure the contract included all of that stuff and more. Name one young player that gave up free agency years in a contract extension that isn't making significant money. Think Posey, Longoria, Braun.
It simply doesn't happen-- and that's why this deal was so egregiously irresponsible.
From Cot's Contracts:
Again, why would Perez sign this deal?
You're talking about a poor kid from Venezuela who had his mom pitch him corn kernels while he hit them with a broomstick. He was a 22 year old from from South America in the middle of Kansas City, Missouri. Most Americans at that age are naive fools as well. I don't blame him necessarily. I also don't blame the Royals. There's a reason there are agents and lawyers and a Players Union-- to protect players from being taken advantage of.
It was pure negligence on Vazquez's part-- a guy who simply signed whatever KC put in front of him and effectively signed away his client's best years for peanuts. If Perez were to become just a third of the player Buster Posey is, he'd be making $48MM over that 8 year period-- very similar to the initial 6 year deal signed by Longoria.
This contract was also an embarrassment to Morgan Advisory Group, who trusted their supposed "Senior Baseball Director" to follow directions that came from the top-- presumably, but not confirmed, Ryan Morgan himself.
And if you look at the timeline of the Perez contract, more interesting facts come to light.
The deal was made official on 2/27//12. On the surface, you'd think this is irrelevant. However, a closer look at what this date corresponded with is telling.
MAG represents a good deal of NFL players and rookies trying to get drafted. It is now the biggest part of their business after Gustavo Vazquez and Michel Velasquez stole their entire MLB Portfolio in a rogue move that I talked about yesterday.
And where do agents and players go before the NFL Draft? The NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
The Combine was held in Indy from 2/22/12 until 2/28/12, and presumably, most of MAG was either there or focusing on that while Vazquez was mortgaging away his client's future in Kansas City or at Spring Training in Arizona.
What does this have to do with the Giants?
Vazquez and his henchman Velasquez are now "representing" the maddeningly lovable Pablo Sandoval, who is set to hit the open market after this season. Brian Sabean is "at the end of his rope" and contract talks have been tabled. As I said yesterday, you cannot blame Sabean or Bobby Evans for suspending talks. You're dealing with two geniuses that are getting sued by their former employer for $5MM after stealing equipment, money, and MAG's entire MLB client list in a stupid scheme. It's like talking to a brick wall.
You're talking about a couple of guys operating on, essentially, stolen capital that is almost certainly beginning to run out. These guyswant need to make a huge splash with their biggest client with their new agency. If for example, Pablo were to make the wise decision and go back to Morgan or even choose Scott Boras, who he was seen speaking to in LA, Vazquez's house of cards would collapse immediately.
These guys would likely sell their own mothers to improve their situations, and that's how they view Sandoval-- as their meal ticket.
Unless their 5 years, $90MM is met, they basically have nothing to say. No matter that comparing an injury prone 3B who has only achieved an OPS over .800 twice in 5 full seasons to a 5 tool OF that never misses a game is absurd. They want Pence money, and they want it now.
The comparison baseline doesn't even make sense.
If they want to compare him to someone and reach for the stars, why don't you start with David Wright or Evan Longoria, and work your way down to the closest comparison, Ryan Zimmerman of the Nats.
Zimmerman is almost assuredly overpaid, and has now developed an arthritic throwing shoulder in the first year of a 6yr./$100MM deal. It's a cautionary tale indeed. Now they're hoping to move Zimm over to 1st or teach him how to throw sidearm.
So yes, the deal these clowns seek is valid when compared to Zimmerman's deal in some ways, but that is assuming that Pablo is Zimmerman's equal. He simply hasn't been. Zimmerman is a career .286 hitter with 180 career HR. Pablo has a slightly higher career average, but just doesn't have the track record.
The Nats made a mistake with that contract, and now it's the baseline for Sandoval. Isn't it great how this works?
As I've said, it's not the money factor that bugs me about this situation, or even Sandoval's on-field play. It's about two unprofessional shadesters unwilling to negotiate with an organization that is unquestionably the most loyal in baseball.
The Giants have locked up (for better or worse) every single player that has either helped them win, or is loved by fans. Aubrey Huff, Scutaro, Bumgarner, Posey, Lincecum, Vogelsong, Cain, Pence, etc., etc. They even gave Barry Zito more dignity and chances at redemption than Pope Francis would have.
They want to keep Sandoval in San Francisco, but if you're dealing with a couple of dopes that won't negotiate or be reasonable, then you face the near certainty that the player you're trying to re-sign will end up hitting the open market and a bidding war will ensue.
To be honest, that's how I see this shaking out. It has never been Vazquez's goal to get a deal done with the Giants. His goal is to have his client fought over and overpaid, and that's what we're looking at.
Whether or not you think any of this is relevant, I don't know, but it is an interesting story that directly affects the Giants, and I cannot for the life of me understand why this facet of the Sandoval negotiations has not been blown up yet. If these guys feel the heat on them, they may be more likely to cut bait with their hardball stance and sign whatever the Giants put in front of them, just like they did to Salvador Perez.
 |
| Perez may be smiling now, but he won't be later when he realizes how much money he'll be missing out on in the future. |
Now, I want you to substitute Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez for your vision of Sandoval. You can't picture Perez? Well, that's a shame, because he's one of the best young talents in the game that you probably haven't seen play-- unless you watched him catch Mariano Rivera in the All-Star Game last year at Citi Field in New York.
Then, Salvador Perez was a 22 year-old All-Star; a guy who was once signed by a rickety old Royals scouting program in Venezuela for a measly $65k. Probably similar to what Sandoval got from the Giants.
Like Panda, Perez was called up for the first time as a 21 year old, and promptly hit over .300, showing excellent defense and instincts. Recalled the following year in June of 2012, "Salvy" as he's known, hit over .300 again with 11 HR and a .993 fielding percentage in only 76 games.
Take this quote from Royals Scout Art Stewart:
“He’s one of the best young catchers I’ve seen. You gotta go back to Pudge (Ivan Rodriguez) and guys like that. He’s got the ability to be an All-Star for many years. As long as he stays healthy.”
Most teams would stand pat, and enjoy the fact that they had this young talent under team control through pre-arbitration and arbitration years-- usually 6, sometimes 7 years. The Royals, sick of losing games and losing their players to richer teams, decided to be aggressive and lock him up.
Indeed it is unusual for a team to offer a multi-year deal to a player still so deep under team control. There are examples of this, but the likes of Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria are just not good comparisons. Those two were blue-chippers who've been told they're great from age 10 and have behaved accordingly. They commanded big deals in comparison (but not compared to their production on the open market), and preferred to stay in their small market havens a couple years into free agency while being able to sign an open-market deal before they turn 30.
Perez's deal is different. It's completely irresponsible.
While researching this, I came upon McCovey Chronicles' fearless leader Grant Brisbee's take on the contract via SB Nation's "Baseball Nation".
It fascinated him, he couldn't stop thinking about it. It was just plain interesting. A young, rather unproven guy still under control for years signing a seemingly creative contract that was almost a no-risk deal for KC. On the other hand, it was some guaranteed money for Perez if he couldn't hack it. A win-win it seemed.Now it's just a win for the Royals; the type of thing Royals GM Dayton Moore thinks of when he has a bad day to cheer him up. Kansas City made out like bandits, they knew it, and Pablo Sandoval's agent Gustavo Vazquez is to blame.
Until very recently, as I detailed here, Vazquez was a member of Morgan Advisory Group (MAG), and held the title of Senior Baseball Director. He was charismatic, and was an excellent recruiter. MAG's stable of players was primarily Latin American, and mostly Venezuelan (including of course Sandoval and Perez). The players felt comfortable dealing with "one of their own", and became good friends with their representation.
 |
| Gustavo Vazquez |
For all his skills wooing potential clients, Vazquez lacked the shrewdness and knowledge necessary to structure contracts, and there is no better example than the Salvador Perez deal.
According to a source (and yes, a legitimate source that I'm not making up, because I take this seriously), Vazquez took liberties with the Perez-KC negotiations that culminated in Perez signing "one of the most irresponsible, team-friendly contracts in the last 20 years".
The reason it was so fascinating at the time is because it didn't make sense. What player would sign away most of his promising career for $23MM at most??
The answer? A player who became too buddy-buddy with his agent, who in turn did not follow directions from his agency.
Let me ask you this. Would Scott Boras tell Salvy Perez to sign that deal? Absolutely not. Scott Boras would laugh in the Dayton Moore's face and book a tee time on his iPhone immediately. That's how ludicrous this deal was.
According to the source, Vazquez was told not to include any free agency years or any club options in the Perez deal-- a standard thing. Of course Vazquez made sure the contract included all of that stuff and more. Name one young player that gave up free agency years in a contract extension that isn't making significant money. Think Posey, Longoria, Braun.
It simply doesn't happen-- and that's why this deal was so egregiously irresponsible.
From Cot's Contracts:
Salvador Perez c
5 years/$7M (2012-16), plus 2017-19 options
5 years/$7M (2012-16), plus 2017-19 options
- 5 years/$7M (2012-16), plus 2017-19 club options
- signed extension with Kansas City 2/27/12
- 12:$0.75M, 13:$1M, 14:$1.5M, 15:$1.75M, 16:$2M, 17:$3.75M club option,18:$5M club option, 19:$6M club option
- award bonuses, including $50,000 for All-Star selection
- 2017-19 salaries may increase by additional $5M overall based on performance and awards in 2012-16 (earns bonuses by reaching 4 points, with 1 point each for All-Star selection, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, top 15 in MVP vote)
- 1 year (2011)
- contract purchased by Kansas City 8/10/11
- signed by Kansas City 2006 as an amateur free agent from Venezuela
Again, why would Perez sign this deal?
You're talking about a poor kid from Venezuela who had his mom pitch him corn kernels while he hit them with a broomstick. He was a 22 year old from from South America in the middle of Kansas City, Missouri. Most Americans at that age are naive fools as well. I don't blame him necessarily. I also don't blame the Royals. There's a reason there are agents and lawyers and a Players Union-- to protect players from being taken advantage of.
It was pure negligence on Vazquez's part-- a guy who simply signed whatever KC put in front of him and effectively signed away his client's best years for peanuts. If Perez were to become just a third of the player Buster Posey is, he'd be making $48MM over that 8 year period-- very similar to the initial 6 year deal signed by Longoria.
This contract was also an embarrassment to Morgan Advisory Group, who trusted their supposed "Senior Baseball Director" to follow directions that came from the top-- presumably, but not confirmed, Ryan Morgan himself.
And if you look at the timeline of the Perez contract, more interesting facts come to light.
The deal was made official on 2/27//12. On the surface, you'd think this is irrelevant. However, a closer look at what this date corresponded with is telling.
MAG represents a good deal of NFL players and rookies trying to get drafted. It is now the biggest part of their business after Gustavo Vazquez and Michel Velasquez stole their entire MLB Portfolio in a rogue move that I talked about yesterday.
And where do agents and players go before the NFL Draft? The NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
The Combine was held in Indy from 2/22/12 until 2/28/12, and presumably, most of MAG was either there or focusing on that while Vazquez was mortgaging away his client's future in Kansas City or at Spring Training in Arizona.
What does this have to do with the Giants?
Vazquez and his henchman Velasquez are now "representing" the maddeningly lovable Pablo Sandoval, who is set to hit the open market after this season. Brian Sabean is "at the end of his rope" and contract talks have been tabled. As I said yesterday, you cannot blame Sabean or Bobby Evans for suspending talks. You're dealing with two geniuses that are getting sued by their former employer for $5MM after stealing equipment, money, and MAG's entire MLB client list in a stupid scheme. It's like talking to a brick wall.
You're talking about a couple of guys operating on, essentially, stolen capital that is almost certainly beginning to run out. These guys
These guys would likely sell their own mothers to improve their situations, and that's how they view Sandoval-- as their meal ticket.
Unless their 5 years, $90MM is met, they basically have nothing to say. No matter that comparing an injury prone 3B who has only achieved an OPS over .800 twice in 5 full seasons to a 5 tool OF that never misses a game is absurd. They want Pence money, and they want it now.
The comparison baseline doesn't even make sense.
If they want to compare him to someone and reach for the stars, why don't you start with David Wright or Evan Longoria, and work your way down to the closest comparison, Ryan Zimmerman of the Nats.
Zimmerman is almost assuredly overpaid, and has now developed an arthritic throwing shoulder in the first year of a 6yr./$100MM deal. It's a cautionary tale indeed. Now they're hoping to move Zimm over to 1st or teach him how to throw sidearm.
So yes, the deal these clowns seek is valid when compared to Zimmerman's deal in some ways, but that is assuming that Pablo is Zimmerman's equal. He simply hasn't been. Zimmerman is a career .286 hitter with 180 career HR. Pablo has a slightly higher career average, but just doesn't have the track record.
The Nats made a mistake with that contract, and now it's the baseline for Sandoval. Isn't it great how this works?
As I've said, it's not the money factor that bugs me about this situation, or even Sandoval's on-field play. It's about two unprofessional shadesters unwilling to negotiate with an organization that is unquestionably the most loyal in baseball.
The Giants have locked up (for better or worse) every single player that has either helped them win, or is loved by fans. Aubrey Huff, Scutaro, Bumgarner, Posey, Lincecum, Vogelsong, Cain, Pence, etc., etc. They even gave Barry Zito more dignity and chances at redemption than Pope Francis would have.
They want to keep Sandoval in San Francisco, but if you're dealing with a couple of dopes that won't negotiate or be reasonable, then you face the near certainty that the player you're trying to re-sign will end up hitting the open market and a bidding war will ensue.
To be honest, that's how I see this shaking out. It has never been Vazquez's goal to get a deal done with the Giants. His goal is to have his client fought over and overpaid, and that's what we're looking at.
Whether or not you think any of this is relevant, I don't know, but it is an interesting story that directly affects the Giants, and I cannot for the life of me understand why this facet of the Sandoval negotiations has not been blown up yet. If these guys feel the heat on them, they may be more likely to cut bait with their hardball stance and sign whatever the Giants put in front of them, just like they did to Salvador Perez.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Tim Hudson a good move for Giants, Javy Lopez close to deal
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We're picking up speed here.
Seemingly out of left field, Tim Hudson is a Giant, and I for one am pleased.
How can you go wrong with A) a proven competitor and good pitcher and B) a two year deal?
Yes, he's getting long in the tooth at 38, but he's still in great shape, should be fully recovered from his season-ending ankle injury last season, and he flat out knows how to pitch. With the starting pitching market in its currently absurd state, two years, $23MM for a 38 year old like Huddy seems like a not-so-bad proposition when compared to the 4 year hamstringing albatrosses in the $60MM range stiffs like Edwin Jackson and Ryan Dempster got and Ricky Nolasco will likely get.
Yep, that's where we are in baseball. We're to the point when $11.5MM a year for a 3rd/4th starter is a bargain. I don't know how we ended up here, but it just is what it is.
It's also a bargain when compared to Tim Lincecum, who will make a whole lot more for, as of now, worse statistics.
With Hudson, the Giants get a guy who knows how to pitch. Throughout his career, he's done a great job mixing speeds, and throwing a variety of pitches to keep hitters guessing. He's only lost a mile and a half on his fastball since 1999, and hasn't had a BB/9 average higher than 3 since 2006.
Most recently, Hudson had a 1.19 WHIP and opponents only hit .246 against him. Also, he has allowed a total of 56 HRs since 2006. In comparison, Lincecum has given up 110 round trippers... and he didn't make it to the majors until 2007.
So yeah, Tim Hudson is pretty damn good for an old guy I'd say.
How much of that plays into the fact that the Oakland Coliseum and Turner Field are cavernous pitcher's parks? Well, that's a valid argument to a certain extent.
Career stats have Hudson with a 3.04 ERA at home and a 3.82 ERA away. In 2013, the splits were sharply different with Hudson posting a 2.83 ERA at Turner and a 4.86 ERA elsewhere. 2012 seems to be a bit of an anomaly, with a lower ERA on the road, but 2011 sticks to the script, with 2.31/4.57 home/away splits.
The good news here is that he's pitching to another massive outfield like Atlanta and Oakland. There are trips to San Diego and LA to look forward to. But there's also Phoenix and Denver too... so let's hope these splits don't get too crazy. He's had only 2 seasons since 2002 where he's pitched better on the road.
Let's not make too, too much of this though. Many players pitch better at home. Just something to keep an eye on during those hot weather trips to the bandboxes of America's Heartland in the middle of the season.
Then there's the intangibles. Hudson is a hard-working guy who has refined his craft over the years and really hasn't dropped off at all, like many do at his age and with the amount of miles on his arm. He's yet another Southerner that will immediately fit in with leaders Cain, Posey, and Bumgarner, and here's the kicker: he wants to be here.
This isn't a high-bidder take all thing like Albert Pujols. Hudson expressed interest in being here, and he may have taken a lower offer to make that happen. It's a rarity these days, but I just love hearing that. Especially because the Giants have had a seriously difficult time wooing free agents in the past.
Buy hey, what pitcher wouldn't want to pitch for us? It's damn near impossible to give up a home run and you get to throw to Buster Posey. When his contract expires after 2015, hopefully some of our young arms will be ready to go. Sounds like a pretty sweet plan to me.
Welcome aboard sir!
Lopez near deal?
Bobby Evans told Jim Bowden that the Giants are about to re-sign Javier Lopez. Check out the MLBTR article here.
This is a great deal at nearly any cost. Lopez is as reliable as they get, and the Giants' bullpen would've been severely weakened if he had left. Unlike Jeremy Affeldt, Lopez can be counted on.
Now about that left fielder...
We're picking up speed here.
Seemingly out of left field, Tim Hudson is a Giant, and I for one am pleased.
How can you go wrong with A) a proven competitor and good pitcher and B) a two year deal?
Yes, he's getting long in the tooth at 38, but he's still in great shape, should be fully recovered from his season-ending ankle injury last season, and he flat out knows how to pitch. With the starting pitching market in its currently absurd state, two years, $23MM for a 38 year old like Huddy seems like a not-so-bad proposition when compared to the 4 year hamstringing albatrosses in the $60MM range stiffs like Edwin Jackson and Ryan Dempster got and Ricky Nolasco will likely get.
Yep, that's where we are in baseball. We're to the point when $11.5MM a year for a 3rd/4th starter is a bargain. I don't know how we ended up here, but it just is what it is.
It's also a bargain when compared to Tim Lincecum, who will make a whole lot more for, as of now, worse statistics.
With Hudson, the Giants get a guy who knows how to pitch. Throughout his career, he's done a great job mixing speeds, and throwing a variety of pitches to keep hitters guessing. He's only lost a mile and a half on his fastball since 1999, and hasn't had a BB/9 average higher than 3 since 2006.
Most recently, Hudson had a 1.19 WHIP and opponents only hit .246 against him. Also, he has allowed a total of 56 HRs since 2006. In comparison, Lincecum has given up 110 round trippers... and he didn't make it to the majors until 2007.
So yeah, Tim Hudson is pretty damn good for an old guy I'd say.
How much of that plays into the fact that the Oakland Coliseum and Turner Field are cavernous pitcher's parks? Well, that's a valid argument to a certain extent.
Career stats have Hudson with a 3.04 ERA at home and a 3.82 ERA away. In 2013, the splits were sharply different with Hudson posting a 2.83 ERA at Turner and a 4.86 ERA elsewhere. 2012 seems to be a bit of an anomaly, with a lower ERA on the road, but 2011 sticks to the script, with 2.31/4.57 home/away splits.
The good news here is that he's pitching to another massive outfield like Atlanta and Oakland. There are trips to San Diego and LA to look forward to. But there's also Phoenix and Denver too... so let's hope these splits don't get too crazy. He's had only 2 seasons since 2002 where he's pitched better on the road.
Let's not make too, too much of this though. Many players pitch better at home. Just something to keep an eye on during those hot weather trips to the bandboxes of America's Heartland in the middle of the season.
Then there's the intangibles. Hudson is a hard-working guy who has refined his craft over the years and really hasn't dropped off at all, like many do at his age and with the amount of miles on his arm. He's yet another Southerner that will immediately fit in with leaders Cain, Posey, and Bumgarner, and here's the kicker: he wants to be here.
This isn't a high-bidder take all thing like Albert Pujols. Hudson expressed interest in being here, and he may have taken a lower offer to make that happen. It's a rarity these days, but I just love hearing that. Especially because the Giants have had a seriously difficult time wooing free agents in the past.
Buy hey, what pitcher wouldn't want to pitch for us? It's damn near impossible to give up a home run and you get to throw to Buster Posey. When his contract expires after 2015, hopefully some of our young arms will be ready to go. Sounds like a pretty sweet plan to me.
Welcome aboard sir!
Lopez near deal?
Bobby Evans told Jim Bowden that the Giants are about to re-sign Javier Lopez. Check out the MLBTR article here.
This is a great deal at nearly any cost. Lopez is as reliable as they get, and the Giants' bullpen would've been severely weakened if he had left. Unlike Jeremy Affeldt, Lopez can be counted on.
Now about that left fielder...
Friday, February 12, 2010
Lincecum Reaction
I have to say that I'm pleased with the outcome of the Lincecum contract. I am surprised however, to see that the Giants actually came to their senses at the last minute. This shows that Neukom/Evans/Sabean aren't totally crazy, but also that they never had the brass cojones that some were saying they did. Here's a brief history:
-- They offered him $8MM and he wanted $13MM.
-- They offered him $37MM for 3 years ($12.3 per year) and he wanted more.
-- Minutes before arbitration, they offer him a 2 yr./$23MM deal which he accepts. It works out to $11.5/yr.
I just don't get this whole thing. If the front office was willing to give him $8MM plus a "two million dollar signing bonus", why not just offer the son of a bitch $10MM to begin with? That's basically what it is. Ten this year. Thirteen next. It's a fair deal, but it's like come on. Why drag this crap out like this?
What I believe to be true is that the owners around baseball, and probably Commissioner Old Balls himself, were pressuring the Giants not to allow any new arbitration precedents to be set. As this Baggarly article points out, if players like Lincecum break arby records by a mile, this system, based on precedent, would be on its way to becoming quickly obsolete and ineffective.
What if the Royals had Lincecum? When he won that $13MM settlement, that would've killed them. Then what about '11 when he won $15 or $17? They have to trade their 2nd year arbitration star player because they can't afford his awarded salary?
Obviously Timmy is a one-in-a-million player, but he nearly broke a system by himself. Small market clubs and Old Balls Selig just let out a huge collective sigh of relief that these two parties avoided an ugly-looking hearing.
My shortened thoughts? Timmy is good. Pay Timmy. Keep Timmy happy. Don't let Timmy leave San Francisco. Ever. Hey, even Simple Jack could agree with that, and that's with Ben Stiller going "full retard".
It's a Tropic Thunder joke people. Get with the program.
So what do you think Timmy's gonna do with that money? Buy a bunch of oregano? Get some new skull caps? I bet he buys a few pitchers of Coors Light at Bar None for beer pong now. Although with Brian Wilson also getting a hefty raise, maybe they'll start going to classier bars...
Nah. It'll never happen.
Have a great weekend y'all.
Let your Budweisers be cold and your Skoal as moist as the day it was shipped from the factory.
-- They offered him $8MM and he wanted $13MM.
-- They offered him $37MM for 3 years ($12.3 per year) and he wanted more.
-- Minutes before arbitration, they offer him a 2 yr./$23MM deal which he accepts. It works out to $11.5/yr.
I just don't get this whole thing. If the front office was willing to give him $8MM plus a "two million dollar signing bonus", why not just offer the son of a bitch $10MM to begin with? That's basically what it is. Ten this year. Thirteen next. It's a fair deal, but it's like come on. Why drag this crap out like this?
What I believe to be true is that the owners around baseball, and probably Commissioner Old Balls himself, were pressuring the Giants not to allow any new arbitration precedents to be set. As this Baggarly article points out, if players like Lincecum break arby records by a mile, this system, based on precedent, would be on its way to becoming quickly obsolete and ineffective.
What if the Royals had Lincecum? When he won that $13MM settlement, that would've killed them. Then what about '11 when he won $15 or $17? They have to trade their 2nd year arbitration star player because they can't afford his awarded salary?
Obviously Timmy is a one-in-a-million player, but he nearly broke a system by himself. Small market clubs and Old Balls Selig just let out a huge collective sigh of relief that these two parties avoided an ugly-looking hearing.
My shortened thoughts? Timmy is good. Pay Timmy. Keep Timmy happy. Don't let Timmy leave San Francisco. Ever. Hey, even Simple Jack could agree with that, and that's with Ben Stiller going "full retard".
It's a Tropic Thunder joke people. Get with the program.
So what do you think Timmy's gonna do with that money? Buy a bunch of oregano? Get some new skull caps? I bet he buys a few pitchers of Coors Light at Bar None for beer pong now. Although with Brian Wilson also getting a hefty raise, maybe they'll start going to classier bars...
Nah. It'll never happen.
Have a great weekend y'all.
Let your Budweisers be cold and your Skoal as moist as the day it was shipped from the factory.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Why do Lincey this way?
Quick note before the post: The website Hotstove.com, is now seeking The Dodgerhater's opinions on matters of the Giants. Check out my first entry here. Also, Check the little Twitter box on the left column of this site. I'm using it to put up sweet links that aren't worthy of their own post. In addition, yesterday The Dodgerhater was added to Yahoo's Big League Stew's Giants blog directory. Big stuff. Tons of traffic. Thanks to everyone who reads this!
Now, to more important matters:
Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball.
Did my nose grow any longer? Did I go into convulsions like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar (see video below)?
This is because the above statement is true. Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball... and he's only 25.
Baseball's system of rookie deals, arbitration, team control, and absurd uncapped free agent deals, really makes for a screwy game of back and forth for players like Timmy.
His rookie deal out of U-Dub paid him a $2.025MM signing bonus, and he made $405k in '08 and $650k in '09. Yeah, that makes him a moderately rich man already, and we all wish we had that much in the bank. But he's the best pitcher alive who happens to be making Pauly Shore royalty money, when he really deserves something cooler. Like Horatio Caine money or better.
This system greatly benefits teams like the Giants and Brewers who have these type of players under control for six years at reasonable rates, arbitration raises notwithstanding. Guys like Lincecum and Prince Fielder are making peanuts in comparison to what they're worth, and it's just the nature of the beast. They'll get their chance to make their money, it's just a matter of time.
But, herein lies the issue.
When teams like the Giants play the whole "precedent" game and act like a bunch of stingy ass lawyers, the player becomes irked. If Timmy is a guy like Terrell Owens or Rickey Henderson and speaks in the third person, he becomes "disrespected" and begins holding a grudge against his team. Luckily Timmy is easygoing and probably wouldn't know how to spend $8-13MM if he tried. That doesn't mean that he is okay with being lowballed.
Timmy's position is: "I've been the best pitcher in baseball, and have carried this team for two years. I was better than CC Sabathia, Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, and Johan Santana, and you think that I deserve less than $13 mil? WTF do I have to do? Eliminate drug dealers in the Bayview? I'm only asking for $13 mil. I could've asked for $16!"
This is the Giants' case... "Uh, well. You're too young, and we've offered you a record... uh... so yeah."
I think this video will help illustrate Bobby Evans/Sabean's future hearing performance. Click here if you're on an Email Newsfeed or Facebook:
Take Fangraphs' numbers. You can say what you will about these nerds, but their stats are pretty damned accurate and their projections are extremely relevant.
In '09, Timmy was worth $37MM according to Fangraphs. Only Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke were worth more (somehow). And, if you go back, Timmy was worth $33.7MM in '08 and $13.2MM as a rookie in '07 when he threw less than 150 innings!
As I count it, Timmy's career so far has been worth $83.9MM. And he's only earned $2.675MM. Maybe they should take those numbers to the arbitrator.
The point in all this is to say that the Giants, with their lowball offer of $8MM, does more harm than good. Obviously, payroll flexibility is the most important thing for the Giants, and I get that. I've gotten that ad nauseum.
But what good does payroll flexibility do when the best player you've had since Barry Bonds, and the best pitcher since Juan Marichial is pissed off and feels slighted?
It's not that Timmy won't win the $13MM at arbitration, as the mediator will pick his submission, it's the fact that the Giants lowballed him pretty badly, and they know it.
What's strange about it is that it looks like the Giants never had any intention of trying to hammer out any middle ground before the hearing takes place in a few weeks, mentioned here by Andrew Baggarly.
It's as if the Giants are either resigned to losing the case, or really live in a fantasy world where their "record offer to a player with less than three years of service" is deserving of a win, and are so confident in that that they won't budge to a middle ground. Apparently they've barely even spoken to Lincey's agent, Rick Thurman.
It's just an example of poor management.
I've defended this front office as much or more than anyone out there, and I've gotta say that I'm hanging them out to dry in this case. Any action that offends, frustrates, or angers Timothy Lincecum is the incorrect action, and they need to know that.
.
Now, to more important matters:
Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball.
Did my nose grow any longer? Did I go into convulsions like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar (see video below)?
This is because the above statement is true. Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball... and he's only 25.
Baseball's system of rookie deals, arbitration, team control, and absurd uncapped free agent deals, really makes for a screwy game of back and forth for players like Timmy.
His rookie deal out of U-Dub paid him a $2.025MM signing bonus, and he made $405k in '08 and $650k in '09. Yeah, that makes him a moderately rich man already, and we all wish we had that much in the bank. But he's the best pitcher alive who happens to be making Pauly Shore royalty money, when he really deserves something cooler. Like Horatio Caine money or better.
This system greatly benefits teams like the Giants and Brewers who have these type of players under control for six years at reasonable rates, arbitration raises notwithstanding. Guys like Lincecum and Prince Fielder are making peanuts in comparison to what they're worth, and it's just the nature of the beast. They'll get their chance to make their money, it's just a matter of time.
But, herein lies the issue.
When teams like the Giants play the whole "precedent" game and act like a bunch of stingy ass lawyers, the player becomes irked. If Timmy is a guy like Terrell Owens or Rickey Henderson and speaks in the third person, he becomes "disrespected" and begins holding a grudge against his team. Luckily Timmy is easygoing and probably wouldn't know how to spend $8-13MM if he tried. That doesn't mean that he is okay with being lowballed.
Timmy's position is: "I've been the best pitcher in baseball, and have carried this team for two years. I was better than CC Sabathia, Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, and Johan Santana, and you think that I deserve less than $13 mil? WTF do I have to do? Eliminate drug dealers in the Bayview? I'm only asking for $13 mil. I could've asked for $16!"
This is the Giants' case... "Uh, well. You're too young, and we've offered you a record... uh... so yeah."
I think this video will help illustrate Bobby Evans/Sabean's future hearing performance. Click here if you're on an Email Newsfeed or Facebook:
Take Fangraphs' numbers. You can say what you will about these nerds, but their stats are pretty damned accurate and their projections are extremely relevant.
In '09, Timmy was worth $37MM according to Fangraphs. Only Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke were worth more (somehow). And, if you go back, Timmy was worth $33.7MM in '08 and $13.2MM as a rookie in '07 when he threw less than 150 innings!
As I count it, Timmy's career so far has been worth $83.9MM. And he's only earned $2.675MM. Maybe they should take those numbers to the arbitrator.
The point in all this is to say that the Giants, with their lowball offer of $8MM, does more harm than good. Obviously, payroll flexibility is the most important thing for the Giants, and I get that. I've gotten that ad nauseum.
But what good does payroll flexibility do when the best player you've had since Barry Bonds, and the best pitcher since Juan Marichial is pissed off and feels slighted?
It's not that Timmy won't win the $13MM at arbitration, as the mediator will pick his submission, it's the fact that the Giants lowballed him pretty badly, and they know it.
What's strange about it is that it looks like the Giants never had any intention of trying to hammer out any middle ground before the hearing takes place in a few weeks, mentioned here by Andrew Baggarly.
It's as if the Giants are either resigned to losing the case, or really live in a fantasy world where their "record offer to a player with less than three years of service" is deserving of a win, and are so confident in that that they won't budge to a middle ground. Apparently they've barely even spoken to Lincey's agent, Rick Thurman.
It's just an example of poor management.
I've defended this front office as much or more than anyone out there, and I've gotta say that I'm hanging them out to dry in this case. Any action that offends, frustrates, or angers Timothy Lincecum is the incorrect action, and they need to know that.
.
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