Saturday, November 19, 2005
Bucs Score Big with Bay
While Colletti is busy giving Collins a pity interview, other teams are busy signing players. One really great recent signing was the Pirates deal with Jason Bay. For $18.25 the Bucs lock up Bay for 4 years. And the contract is really back loaded, so if the small-market team needs to trade Bay for prospects before the last year of the contract, they'll save a bundle.
Bay has now logged over 1000 major league ABs and can be considered the real deal. He was 10th in MLB in OPS last year (.961), has a career OPS of .940 and a career EQA of .314. He wouldn't be considered a frontline defensive CF (career Rate2 of 98), but he is a fine defensive corner outfielder (career Rate2 in LF of 104). At 27 he's just entering his prime and should perform at or above these levels for the duration of this four-year deal.
Obviously this contract replaces arbitration years and not free agency years, otherwise Bay would be asking for Matsui/Giles money. Still, I think the Pirates are saving money over what Bay could have received in arb and circumventing the hassle and ill will that goes along with annual arbitration hearings. Say what you may about Littlefield's taste in managers, but I agree with BP when they say that "it doesn't get any more canny than this".
Comments:
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Obviously a fire sale is worth going to to see if you can pick up some bargains, but I'm not too impressed with the value of Marlin's talent.
Sure Delgado is a fine player, but he is paid an arm and a leg. I'll pass on Pierre and his .680 OPS last year (even with 3 years in Colorado his career OPS is only .730). If the Marlins do pick up Blalock and then want to flip him I might be interested. If you get the Blalock of 2003 and 2004 (OPS .872 and .855 respectively) then sign me up, but it's not so goog if last years version (OPS .749) shows up. His salary is relatively low though, so I'd be intereted.
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Sure Delgado is a fine player, but he is paid an arm and a leg. I'll pass on Pierre and his .680 OPS last year (even with 3 years in Colorado his career OPS is only .730). If the Marlins do pick up Blalock and then want to flip him I might be interested. If you get the Blalock of 2003 and 2004 (OPS .872 and .855 respectively) then sign me up, but it's not so goog if last years version (OPS .749) shows up. His salary is relatively low though, so I'd be intereted.
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