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Photo courtesy Bill Scheuerman The Nats face a tough decision with Chien-Ming Wang, who never pitched in 2010. |
By Thursday night, all MLB clubs must tender contract offers to all players not yet signed for 2011 but still under team control. For the most part, this applies to anyone with less than six years of big-league service time, unless the player has already signed a long-term deal (like Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper).
The majority of these decisions are simple, especially when it comes to players with less than three years of service time who still make close to the league minimum salary. The tougher decisions tend to come with players who have more than three years but less than six years of service time: the arbitration-eligible players, who tend to earn sizable raises through that process.
The Nationals have eight arbitration-eligible players this winter: Josh Willingham, Sean Burnett, Jesus Flores, Wil Nieves, John Lannan, Michael Morse, Alberto Gonzalez and Chien-Ming Wang. By Thursday night, the club must tender their contracts (essentially saying they're bringing them back in 2011 at higher salary levels) or else "non-tender" the players (immediately making them free agents).
Let's run through the case for each of those eight players...
JOSH WILLINGHAM
Arbitration year: 3rd
2010 salary: $4.6 million
Willingham stands to earn a raise up to somewhere in the $6 million range in 2011, but the Nationals have no problem paying him that. Mike Rizzo will listen to trade offers for the 31-year-old outfielder, who might be tempting enough to other GMs to bring a starting pitcher in return. If he's not dealt this winter, Willingham will remain a key member of the Nats' Opening Day lineup and could ultimately earn a long-term deal if he can sustain his production level over a full season and remain healthy in the process.
Verdict: Tender.
SEAN BURNETT
Arbitration year: 2nd
2010 salary: $775,000
Burnett is coming off a very nice season out of the bullpen, posting a 2.14 ERA and recording three saves over 74 games. He should get a nice bump in salary for 2011, probably close to doubling his number up to the $1.5 million range. He's absolutely a key piece to the back end of the Nats' bullpen moving forward.
Verdict: Tender.
JESUS FLORES
Arbitration year: 2nd
2010 salary: $750,000
Flores hasn't essentially missed two seasons now with a major shoulder injury, but he's been playing in Venezuela this winter and may finally be healthy again. The Nationals won't assume anything with the 26-year-old catcher, but they're not about to give up on him, either. Arbitration-eligible players are guaranteed to make at least 80 percent of their previous year's salary, so Flores could return for as little as $600,000, or the Nats could reward him for his tireless rehab work and give him a slight boost to $800,000 or so.
Verdict: Tender.
WIL NIEVES
Arbitration year: 2nd
2010 salary: $700,000
If Flores is healthy, and if Wilson Ramos is ready to play on a semi-regular basis in the majors, and if Ivan Rodriguez is back as the Opening Day catcher, the Nationals have little use anymore for Nieves. His production (or lack thereof) certainly doesn't merit a raise, and the Nats aren't going to pay him $750,000 to be their Class AAA catcher. Though the club could always tender him a contract now and then release him in spring training without having to pay his full salary, a more likely scenario would have the Nats non-tendering him now and then re-signing him to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.
Verdict: Non-tender.
JOHN LANNAN
Arbitration year: 1st
2010 salary: $458,000
Lannan is arbitration-eligible for the first time, and unfortunately for the left-hander, he reaches this point after his worst season in the majors. Still, Lannan's quality performances in both 2008 and 2009, as well as his resurgence during the second half of 2010, should land him a nice raise. This could prove to be a tricky arbitration case, with perhaps a large disparity between what the Nats ultimately offer and what agent Brodie Van Wagenen offers. Maybe the two sides will be able to find some common ground in between and come to terms on their own.
Verdict: Tender.
MICHAEL MORSE
Arbitration year: 1st
2010 salary: $410,000
Finally afforded the opportunity to play on a somewhat regular basis this year, Morse made the most of the opportunity and hit .289 with 15 homers, 41 RBI and an .870 OPS in 98 games. He picked a good time to break out, because he now stands to get a significant bump in salary in his first year of arbitration, probably over the $1 million mark.
Verdict: Tender.
ALBERTO GONZALEZ
Arbitration year: 1st
2010 salary: $415,500
Gonzalez is what he is: a slick-fielding infielder who can play three positions well but is never going to do much at the plate. He's still a valuable bench player, though, and his limited offensive production should keep his salary from rising to the point he's no longer worth the investment. The Nationals shouldn't have a problem paying him $750,000 next season.
Verdict: Tender.
CHIEN-MING WANG
Arbitration year: 4th
2010 salary: $2 million
Wang (who is actually eligible for arbitration for the fourth time because he was a "Super 2" player back in 2008 with the Yankees) presents the toughest tender/non-tender decision for the Nationals. They took a chance on the right-hander last spring, signing him for $2 million and hoping he could fully recover from major shoulder surgery. Wang never made it into an actual major-league or minor-league game, though he did finally pitch twice in the Florida instructional league. That doesn't provide much of a guarantee for success next year. When they signed the Taiwanese pitcher, though, the Nats made a point to say he was attractive because he'd still be under their control in 2011, understanding it may take time for him to fully recover. If they abandon him now, they will have completely wasted $2 million. Then again, if they really are serious about signing Brandon Webb (another formerly elite pitcher coming back from major shoulder surgery) can they afford to spend guaranteed money on two pitchers who may never actually appear in a game for them? If Rizzo and agent Alan Nero can come to some sort of pre-arranged deal that would ensure Wang re-signs for less money, the Nats could non-tender him and still bring him back. If not, they may just need to cut their losses here.
Verdict: Non-tender, then re-sign at a lower price.
UPDATE AT 3:35 P.M. -- I forgot to include Joel Peralta and Doug Slaten among the list of arbitration-eligible Nationals. Both should be tendered on Thursday, and both relievers should wind up making anywhere from $700,000 to $800,000 through arbitration next season. Thanks to reader "Kenz aFan" for pointing this out.
54 comments:
CHIEN-MING WANG
Verdict: Non-tender, then re-sign at a lower price.
then he couldn't pitch in ML till May
I'd definitely bring back Wang. The pre-arranged release-and-catch idea is interesting, and would save a bit of dough, but to be honest - I have no problem giving low-guarantee high-incentive deals to both Wang and Webb just to see which of them, or neither, or both, ends up helping the team.
No, I believe that rule was changed a few years ago. The Nats did this with Scott Olsen last winter. They non-tendered him in December, then re-signed him to a smaller deal and he was eligible to make the Opening Day roster.
Absolutely agree with all of Mark's verdicts. Nieves should then be available to sign to a Minor League deal.
Wang not being ready to pitch in March, April or May is not really a concern is it....he never pitches...He through 1 inning in the whole instructional league right?
Of course the Nats already made one of their tender/non-tender decisions a month or so ago when they released Scott Olsen. Somehow that early announcement of a non-tendering didn't generate quite the uproar that Jim Bowden's early announcement of Chad Cordero's did. Wonder why?
He threw 1 inning against other competition. He also pitched a couple of innings in Sunday squad games.
Never broke 87 with his fastball.
CHIEN-MING WANG
Verdict: Non-tender, then re-sign at a lower price.
Nah. Non-tender, then let some other team sign him and watch all the complaints roll in that the Nats let him get away. Of course these complaints will all be coming from the same people who would be complaining if the Nats did re-sign him. JayB, we're looking at you.
Agree with your verdicts, Mark but I wish Lannan was a non-tender!
Now that De la Rosa is off the market and let's face it Cliff Lee is not coming here, it is time to discuss the future of a litany of pitchers both on and off the 40-man roster as long-term solutions for 2011 and beyond.
Jordan Zimmerman, John Lannan, Jason Marquis and Livan Hernandez are pretty much locks for the 2011 rotation meaning there is only one spot as a starter remaining for lots of pitchers on the 40-man to compete for it, including: Craig Stammen, Ross Detweiler, Luis Atilano, Garrett Mock, Chien Ming Wang, JD Martin, Shairon Martis, Matt Chico, even Aaron Thompson. Then you have to look at the minors and see if any of the younger guys are in the cards for the future or should they be traded or are the just roster fillers in the minors, for something else the organization lacks. These guy include, Jack McGeary, Bradley Meyers, Erik Arnesen, Tom Millone, Brad Peacock, Trevor Holder, Tyler Hanks, Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole, and Robbie Ray.
Bottom line, that is a lot of pitching to spread out throughout an organization.
MarkFD, I like your analysis but you left off Maya who has to be in the mix for the 5th spot.
AJ Cole is the one arm in the Minors that has to be hands off and Solis is another that probably shouldn't be dealt away.
Going back to Stan's plan of building from within, it doesn't make a lot of sense to trade building blocks but clearly guys like Stammen, Martin, Martis, Mock, Chico and Thompson should be considered as trade bait.
The rotation is in flux for now. Maya is a #2, #3, #4 pitcher. Livo is the #5. Marquis and Lannan would be #4, #5 but I wonder if one or both could be traded? Zimmermann is #2, Detwiler is #3 unless one or both are traded. I think Maya and Livo are the two pitchers that will surely be there when they break spring training 2011.
Last year seemed like a worthwhile gamble on Wang as you had 2 years control. Now, you have 1 year of control and he becomes a Free Agent.
I'm not sure I would invest any money into him unless they are sure they will get a full season out of him otherwise you are paying him to rehab and off he goes next year to the highest bidder.
Pavano now is the last of these middle of the rotation non-reclamation pitchers unlike Bedard, Webb, etc. that are gamble reclamation projects. While Pavano's price has probably come down from $13 mill a year to $7 to $9 million, he will still require a multi-year deal.
Ok, what is the likelihood that Trevor Holder ever sees a major league baseball field that he doesn't have to pay admission to? Jack McGeary is looking that way too. The other guys are too early to tell, but scouts seem to think these guys are back end guys as well (AJ Cole and Robbie Ray are the exception).
As for the rest of the #4 or #5 starters listed, I think it is safe to say that the team knows who those pitchers are. I'm talking about Mock, Martin, Martis, Chico, Stammen, Atilano, and Detweiler. Detweiler still 'might' be a bit better than a 4 or 5, but he's looking more like the Nats version of Scott Olsen.
And as for the rotation, Livo is a 5 at this point in his career, Marquis is a 5 on a good squad, Lannan is a 4 or 5 on a good squad, and Zimmermann is a projectable 2, but should be a 4 or 5 right now to round out the rotation (He would be a passable 3, depending on his innings limitations and TJ injury concerns.) That, ladies and gentlemen, is the status of the Nationals rotation.
And the worst part is that this is not brand new information.
And no, you can't trade a bunch of these useful back-end guys for a legit 1 or 2, that's not how trades work. Teams will ask for a legit pitching prospect or two (Zimmermann and a guy the Nats do not have or Strasburg) and a close to ready 2-3 young players (Ramos, Desmond, Espinosa). Remember, Holliday took Drabeck, Travis D'Arnaud, and highly touted Michael Taylor. Zimmermann is not as good a prospect as Drabeck, so it is not unreasonable to expect more position players of better quality. And that's a lot of talent that the Nationals do not really have. And no, Willingham, Morgan, and Chris Marrero probably will not get it done. (Marrero has no glove, and defense is rated higher this year and more desirable.)
Anon at 12:13, not sure where some of your "intel" is coming from but AJ Cole is a hard thrower and 19 years old with a lot more time to develop. Way too early for a scout to call him a "back end guy".
Good thing I said AJ Cole is the exception anon @ 12:31.
Ok, what is the likelihood that Trevor Holder ever sees a major league baseball field that he doesn't have to pay admission to?
And one could say the same for lefty 1st round pick Aaron Thompson, Matt Chico. And the "starter" with the best stuff after Zimmermann is still Garret Mock. After that there's Marcos Frias. Then the high school kids Cole and Ray.
Holder will likely go to Harrisburg along with Rosenbaum and continue to make a case for himself. The jury is still out on Holder, far more so than the illustrious names listed above. Right?
Everyone, starting with Rizzo, knows that Nats have little in the way of top of the rotation starting pitching. Without it a team apprently must build a bullpen full of power arms and nasty stuff. That appears to be what the Nats are doing. What more can you do given the dearth of this type of starter currently?
I think the Nats will make a strong run for Cliff Lee. The will explore every trade avenue. And perhaps in the end it will be just like last spring where they hoped against hope that Garret Mock would finally get it.
Mock. plus Zimmermann and Strasburg might project into a pretty good top three. Throw in Detwiler.
It seems likely the Nats will continue to see if Wang can be rehabilitated. And seem likely to add Brandon Webb. Solis will begin working his way through the minor league system. Strasburg will be rehabbing. And another draft will occur in June. Surely, the Nats will again select mostly high end top arms in that draft attempting to overcome this glaring weakness in their farm system.
Its unfortunate, but its all going to take time.
Well, if Rizzo hadn't been such a cautious fraidy cat, we could have had rising star Daniel Hudson in the rotation but instead Dunn is probably gone and maybe we get two draft choice who will likely turn out to be duds as most draft choices usually turn out.
When will the Nats learn not to gamble with pitchers after major shoulder surgery. Shoulder surgery is lethal and very few come back from it. This past year, they gambled on Olsen and Wang and lost big time. This season, it could be Wang and Webb and I'll bet the results will be the same.
Anon @ 12:32, my apologies. I didn't read it that way the first time.
What is with the Trevor Holder fascination? He doesn't even make the Nationals top 40 prospects list. He has a 4.09 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP in high A ball. He is hittable as he gives up a little more than one hit per inning. And he is 23! Please show me another pitcher with comparable stats that gets this much attention on another team? I can't seem to find anyone. Seriously, it's like Trevor Holder's parents are on this blog. Granted, is it possible that he could magically figure things out and become a useful MLB pitcher? Sure, anything is possible. But does he deserve this much attention at this point in his career with his numbers?
It is time for an honest discussion about the Nationals minor league system. Mike Rizzo and the new guy can leave the room now. It seems unanimous that their best prospects are Harper, Cole, and Ray (Side note: Espinosa and Desmond are not prospects and are on the MLB club and are still not locks for stardom - Desmond probably has the higher ceiling due to his bat although his defense is not very good even w/o Dunn. People say you want a vacuum at SS but I think he is more of a wet mop, he gets to a lot, but sometimes just throws the dirt around. He could improve though). Anyway, because someone is going to say it, Solis is not on this list because Solis is not projected as a top of the rotation guy. Scouts are all over the place but some believe he will be a legit 3. He is sort of like what Detweiler was supposed to be. A safety pitcher who will get to the majors quickly. And that is it for the Nats minor league system (w/exception of Norris [although he projects as a low BA higher OBP guy with a below average glove] and some useful bench pieces or high motor guys).
So, in sum, the Nationals over the past few years (and it is not all Bowden's fault) have two can't miss guys, a surprise pitcher (Zim'nn), a super star 3rd baseman, two intriguing though no sure thing MI's, and a whole lot of sub-standard players. That Smoker/McGeary class really hurts. There is an argument that it was due to a lack of investment by the owners. And the team is reaping what it sows in what is supposed to be the break-out season for 'the plan.' But considering the dearth of talent at the MLB level, untouchable talent in the system, and lack of FA signings this offseason, I can see the point in the masses getting uneasy. However, it should be noted that with good pitching, this team could surprise in 2012, if Harper is on the roster at that time and Desmond improves his glove and bat.
Anon @ 12:40 wrote...And the "starter" with the best stuff after Zimmermann is still Garret Mock.,
Are you joking? Mock may have good stuff but every time he is given the opportunity in a MLB game he is totally inconsistent. That isn't a top of the rotation guy. His ERA was horrendous at 5.62 in 2009 but it is that Walk ratio that is awful at 4.3 per 9.
I find him to be somewhat of a "head case". He is another pitcher with stuff who won't make it until he gets his head in the game.
Reminds me of a guy named Joel Hanrahan who was supposed to be the guy 10 years ago when the Dodgers drafted him in the 2nd round. He had low 90's with movement but had mechanical issues and couldn't keep his head in the game. There are 100's of other pitchers on the scrap heap with "stuff" that never made it because they couldn't get it done.
What makes you think Mock can try again and succeed?
The Red Sox actually offered arbitration to Felipe Lopez.
And he actually declined.
That is all.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5864835
Tulowitzki was already signed through 2013 like Ryan Zimmerman is with the Nats but the Rockies decided to lock him up for the next ten years and basically to the age Derek Jeter is now.
Should the Nats do the same with Ryan Zimmerman? They wouldn't have to pay him quite as much as he is a 3rd baseman and not a SS like Tulo.
Mark
Joel Peralta (3rd time) and Doug Slaten (1st) are also arbitration eligible. Is their omission an oversight, or have they already signed, because they certainly haven't been released.
I am absolutely with Pay to Play on cutting all ties with one Mr. Garrett Mock. I think the guy is a head case, all right. He doesn't have one. Or use one. Seems to be the dumbest guy the Nats have ever had, and that's saying something, considering Mr. Nyjer Morgan is still due to patrol center field. I never once saw any inkling of improvement by Mock. Not only doesn't he know how to pitch, I think his so-called stuff is overrated too. A chump all around. Sever all ties.
When I think of this list of has-beens, never-wases and never-will-bes, I get more and more depressed:
Craig Stammen, Ross Detweiler, Luis Atilano, Garrett Mock, Chien Ming Wang, JD Martin, Shairon Martis, Matt Chico, Aaron Thompson.
I haven't seen Thompson, but if he's included in this group, that's not a positive. The rest? Bye-bye. Write if you get work. All these guys belong on that list Mark compiles every year of guys who played their last inning for the Nats, and that was it for big league service. IF you're going to keep any of these chumps, I'd just as soon see Ron Villone. At least he appears to give a hoot.
Kenz aFan said...
Joel Peralta (3rd time) and Doug Slaten (1st) are also arbitration eligible. Is their omission an oversight, or have they already signed, because they certainly haven't been released?
Thanks for pointing that out. I was using the list of contracts and statuses off baseball-reference.com, which for some reason left both Peralta and Slaten out. Both guys are indeed arbitration-eligible, both should be tendered on Thursday and both should wind up making anywhere from $700,000 to $800,000 next season.
I don't really care about De La Rosa, but like everyone else I am anxious to see some evidence that the 2011 team is going to be better than what is currently on the roster. But we need to bide our time to see how the rest of the offseason plays out. The worst thing we want them to do is make a panic move because some mediocre guys are signing early with other teams. If this (plus a 35 yr old 1B) is their 2011 team, well, I expect that I won't be the only one not buying tickets. But it might not be, so let's wait and see what Rizzo can do.
As for the quality of the farm system, of course it isn't deep. They have made progress and need to keep doing so every year. What I object to is the mantra that they should ignore the major league team until their farm system is brimming over with budding stars who all have the same service time. That is chasing a false pot of gold; young players develop at different rates, some 'can't miss' guys actually miss and injuries happen but can't be predicted. For every Tampa that got that right, there are AZ, Mil and Colorado that got a sniff and then fell back. The Nats need to have an attitude that they will always add good players so long as they don't hamstring the team's future finances unacceptably. A good team gets built opportunistically and with numerous pieces.
Right now, Lee, Werth, Crawford and Dunn are the quality players available on the FA market, and I think that each of them will be a quality player for the next 4 years. So I would love to see the Nats get 1 or 2 of them. And for everyone who thinks that this means they are abandoning their commitment to build through the draft, the difference between a mediocre draft and great one (measured by how much they spend on it) is about $3m, which is a rounding error. Meaning it should have no effect on the draft.
phil dunn said, "and maybe we get two draft choices who will likely turn out to be duds as most draft choices usually turn out."
How do players get to the major leagues if not through the draft? With the exception of foreign players, is there another way? There are lots of teams and even more players. Some (actually a lot) of those draft choices work.
I sad it in October and I'll say it again. Remember the name A.J. Morris (A.J. Cole will come later). Every scout involved in Fall Instructional League couldn't rave enough about him. He's going to turn some heads in Spring Training.
Sunshine Bobby - thanks for agreeing with me on Mock. On your list, I really like Detwiler as a lefty reliever.
As I say that, not sure Rizzo would agree to let him pitch from the 'pen.
The rest are low ceiling guys with possibly Martis or Martin able to grab the 5th spot or #1 in AAA.
"Dunn Seeks Four Years, $60MM
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 30 at 4:15pm CST]
The agent for Adam Dunn is telling teams that he expects the bidding for the free agent to start at four years and $60MM, according to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. Dunn settled for a two-year, $20MM deal the last time he was a free agent, but two years and 76 homers later, Greg Genske is looking for much more.
Dunn has been one of baseball’s most dangerous sluggers since breaking into the majors a decade ago. The 31-year-old, who has hit at least 38 homers in each of the past seven seasons, will likely decline the Nationals’ offer of arbitration later tonight. That will mean the team that signs him will have to surrender a top draft pick (assuming he leaves Washington)."
Good luck with that one, Adam. See you in a few months when you crawl back with your tail between your legs (and a new agent) to take that three year $36M+ deal the Nats have out there for you.
Feel Wood, thanks for the post as that is insane! Are they taking a page out of Casey Close's Derek Jeter playbook that has everyone laughing at Jeter?
What in the world is Casey Close smoking. These agents blow sunshine up their player's butts only to embarass the player.
Dunn should have thanked Lerner for 3 years and $40 million and asked for a 4th year mutual option.
I mean WTF? I see people struggling to make ends meet and these guys want what? Hey, its a free world but ask away but at the end of the day Jeter is being laughed at and maybe they will do the same at Dunn.
PATHETIC!
@Anon8: IIRC, the 'offer on the table' for Dunn at the trading deadline was around 3/$30M; Basically, a flatline from his 2008 contract of 2/$20M, and a reduction from his final year of $12M. If true, that was insulting. Even a 3yr/$36M offer should of (and apparently has) been tossed aside by his agent.
The "starting point" (per Greg Genske, via the Passan post) of a 4yr/$60M deal for Dunn is probably a reach, unless he's just going to 'follow the money' and become a DH in the American League. I could see teams like BOS, SEA, LAA, CWS, & possibly even NYY at least 'kicking the tires' at that rate.
That's just going to be one more immediate hole in the lineup for Rizzo to plug; All the best with that.
@Njack,
I enjoy your reports and respect your view but it strikes me that you are not paying thousands of dollars each of the past 7 years for season tickets and are not faced with the sad fact that your money is lining the pockets of Lerners year after year....I love baseball and will pay what it takes to watch it in person each summer but Nats have to be accountable for the product they put on the field. They have lied year after year and the latest mailing is just a howl....Excellence...expect it year after year.....Well what we know we should expect from our past experience is the worst defensive team in baseball for the 4th year running.....Nats must spend their profit to improve the MLB product and the Farm....Lots of teams do it every year....Nats should too....Your Boy AJ Morris....C+ in John Sickles latest rating...and he said it was likely high....come one...if all these "prospects" were any good then we could trade some for MLB ready guys....but that never happens because they are not any good. It gets old and I for one want some bold moves to change the status quo of Wang and Webb and pray for rain.
That doesn't rhyme.
"Wongin' & Webbin' and plannin' like Drebbin."
Webb or else Wang and hope Livo goes long...
Dunn's agent is delusional--$60 million for four years to watch a 300lb oaf strike out 200 times per season, hardly ever deliver in the clutch and not be able to bend over to dig a ball out of the dirt. Stop the world and let me off. This is getting ridiculous.
But srsly Jaybee, I enjoy yours etc, too, but you don't love baseball more than me or NatsJack just because you spend money indiscriminately to see it. I love it enough that I can't bear to watch this, or be treated so poorly at the park.
That's why my seats are where they are, yanno.
I love baseball at least as much as you guys, in fact I have been accused of loving it way too much. Wife says "it's unnatural".
sec3mysofa said...
Both very nice, but I favor the first one because of the Naked Gun reference. R.I.P., Enrico.
---
That doesn't rhyme.
"Wongin' & Webbin' and plannin' like Drebbin."
November 30, 2010 8:15 PM
s3ms said...
Webb or else Wang and hope Livo goes long...
November 30, 2010 8:18 PM
I don't know that Dunn's agent is delusional. If someone told you that De la Rosa wanted 3/$32M you'd call that delusional too, but that's basically what they're inking.
Juan Uribe is 6 months older than Dunn.
He's a portly 230 lbs. With a career .731 OPS. He's good for about 20 HR's a year, and an OBP of .300. He just got 3/$21M.
Dunn's good for a .360 OBP, a .900 OPS and 38 HR's. Being left handed helps too.
Yeah, they play different positions. Yeah, Uribe got glove (but he's sooooo slow, he's got no range beyond a good first step).
MLB contracts are bizarre, and Dunn's agent has picked a reasonable starting point. He's offering Dunn at $10M a year less than Texiera and Ryan Howard and what Pujols will ink for next year.
I don't think that Dunn will get it, but in the craziness of MLB contracts, it's not delusional.
Oh, and I like baseball too. But I quit giving MLB real money years ago.
And, for polling purposes, I love it, too, despite the fact that I don't spend thousands on it each year and my seat, when not on *my* sofa, tends to be in nosebleed section (ewww, that doesn't sound right). My husband doesn't say it's unnatural, but he does question my devotion to it at times. :-)
Crud, I can't even cut and paste right tonight.
I said this:
Both very nice, but I favor the first one because of the Naked Gun reference. R.I.P., Enrico.
sec3 said the rest of it...
I've got great seats and will never give them up - my wife constantly questions my sanity but then again she spent minutes of her life watching "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" last night so I guess we both have our issues :).
I've got a suggestion - instead of more conclusions about whether Dunn's ask is right, wrong, or indifferent, let's all place our bets on how much he'll sign for, how many years, who with, and bonus points for when it happens - then we can check back and see who wins when it happens. I'll throw in a special "fat screech" thingie I think I've got hanging around as a prize.
My money is on:
- 3 yrs/$36M/Nats/Jan. 15th
Despite the fact that I really don't want him here, I can't figure out who's going to take him now except for an AL club - and I just can't see Dunn following the money for that - he'll tell himself he always leave/be traded a couple of years from now if he figures out he just wants to be a DH.
Happy Holidays!
Natslifer
Thx, 1a. And you might prefer "Uecker Seats" instead.
There is some good news in all this. The Caps finally unloaded Flash.
And Natslifer--I love it!
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dx-S-eeInJVk&v=x-S-eeInJVk&gl=US
And happy Channukah, Zs, & all.
Derek Jeter as a Washington National. Here it is:
http://blogbeckett.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/totally-fake-baseball-cards-29-derek-jeters-you-wont-see-in-2011-and-one-you-just-might/jetercardnationals/
BinM, or anyone else who might know, what does the abbreviation "IIRC" mean?
I'm an old-timer and I've figured out most of the other ones, but have no idea what this one stands for.
Thanks!!
IIRC = If I recall correctly
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