Monday, March 29, 2010

The Most Expensive Bench, Ever.

In light of the Nationals deciding that Cristian Guzman would not be their starting shortstop (after losing out to the great Ian Desmond), I thought it be worth a look around the majors at the most expensive bench players. Thanks to injuries, poor play, or both, these guys will be starting year doing what many us do best, sitting on the bench:

Mike Lowell, Red Sox, $12 million: It's hard not to feel bad for Lowell. It was only two years ago that he was one of the Red Sox top players and an integral part of their 2007 World Series winning team. But with Adrian Beltre on board, the Red Sox unable to trade him, and Lowell struck by a variety of injuries, there are very few options for Lowell...other than the bench or the DL.

Cristian Guzman, Nationals, $8 million: Like Lowell, Guzman has been hampered by injuries this spring and has been the casualty of the improved play of Ian Desmond. Guzman has been on the decline defensively for years now and his inability to get on-base further diminishes his value.

Gary Matthews Jr., Mets, $11 million: The Angels opted to pick up all but $2 million of Matthews' salary just to get him off their roster. It looks doubtful that Matthews will beat out Angel Pagan to be the Mets' starting center fielder, so look for Matthews to play the role of expensive fourth outfielder until Carlos Beltran gets back.

Eric Chavez, A's, $11 million: I'm thrilled to see Chavez off the DL, but the odds of him being able to contribute as a first baseman are rather slim. Chavez has not been fully healthy since 2006 and expecting Chavez to be anything more than a bench player is a far fetched in my eyes.

Eric Byrnes, Mariners, $11 million: Sure the Mariners are only on the hook for the minimum with Byrnes, but it says something when the low budget Diamondbacks were willing to cut their losses with Byrnes by paying him to play elsewhere.

Chris Snyder, Diamondbacks, $4.75 million: The combination of Miguel Montero's emergence and Snyder's injury plagued 2009 season have Snyder on the outside looking in this season on the Diamondbacks' depth chart. I'd expect the Diamondbacks to continue to search for a landing spot for Snyder throughout the season, but then again, Snyder is a nice asset to hash away.

The total for those six players is $57.75 million dollars. To put that in perspective, that total is more than the Pirates, Marlins, and Padres individual payrolls.

Does this article actually mean anything constructive? Not really. The point is this, as much as we like to think that GMs are getting smarter and wiser with their spending, teams are still paying the price for bad contracts past.

David Ortiz: Tennis Star

It's been awhile since anything Rosenthal has written has made me laugh out loud. Well, this nugget did...in a good way:
"Look out, Roger Federer: David Ortiz said he played tennis for the first time in his life on Saturday, volleying with his wife, Tiffany. For what it’s worth, Ortiz said he exceeded his wife’s expectations, but needs work on his serve."
Any chance Papi spits on his hands before he serves?

Friday, March 26, 2010

Armando Benitez and Edgardo Alfonzo Back Together Again

Rejoice, fellow Mets fans! It's 2000 all over again....

...sort of...
"The Newark Bears announced today the signing of pitcher Armando Benitez and infielder Edgardo Alfonzo to the 2010 roster. Benitez and Alfonzo were teammates for the 2000 New York Mets. 


“I am excited to add to the Bears tradition. Two more established Major Leaguers, Edgardo and Armando were both key components to the Mets success in 2000,” said Manager Tim Raines. “They are both proven talents on the field and their leadership in the clubhouse is the perfect fit for our 2010 team.”

Edgardo enters his third season in the Atlantic League, having spent time with the Long Island Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish. He played last season in Japan as a member of the Yomiuri Giants. The 36-year-old and former Mets star returns to New York after spending eight seasons in Flushing and has spent time with three other clubs (Giants, Angels, Blue Jays).

---snip----

Benitez enters his second season in the Atlantic League as he spent 2009 with the Bears. He recorded a 1-0 record with a 2.86 ERA and 16 saves, which was third best in the league. The 37-year-old and former Met was signed by the Houston Astros’ AAA affiliate in Round Rock late in the season and went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a save in seven games."
It's hard to believe that both of them are still around, but the presence of Fonzie and Armando will absolutely give me a good excuse to check out the Bears this season. Ahhh, the good 'ole days.

Any chance the Bears can sign Jay Payton and Timo Perez as well? Let's make this a 2000 Mets reunion!

Make it happen!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Introducing MLBFreeagency.com


Friends,

After almost two years of blogging on Jorge Says No!, I have decided to start a new venture in the baseball blogging world.

Effective immediately, I will begin blogging anew at my new website, www.MLBfreeagency.com. Thanks to the wonderful people at the bloguin network, the new site has been developed very quickly, looks sharp (I think), and I believe we have a strong blueprint for success.

The purpose of this new site is simple: to cover free agency to the best of my ability and begin a discussion with baseball fans that will last throughout the season, into the winter, and hopefully into next year's free agency and beyond. I encourage you to check out the posts pages and let me know what you think of the site's organization, layout, etc.

Honestly, the more feedback, the better. Email me anytime!

************ ************

I'm happy to report that Jorge Says No! will remain. This site has blossomed into something that I never expected it to be and I am thrilled to watch the site continually grow. I am working on a fresh batch of content for Jorge Says No!, which will be up next week. I don't expect to post anything until then, but stranger things have happened.

Thank you for your continued support of Jorge Says No!

************ ************

And finally, here are some ways to keep in touch with MLBfreeagency.com!

TWITTER: @mlbfreeagency (FOLLOW US!)

FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MLBfreeagency/104863969546245?v=info&ref=ts (FRIEND US!)...search mlbfreeagency

EMAIL: mlbfreeagency@gmail.com

Please visit the site often and leave some comments! Once again, thank you for all your support.

All my best,

Jorge Says No!