Derek Lee signs extention

[qwerty]

Usually, the rough %age that the stat guys tell us you have to hit in order to have your steals help a team instead of hurt it is about 75%.  DLee has only beaten that number 1 time in his career.  What year?  You guessed it.  Frank Stallone.

Wait, that's not right.  He did it in 2005.

 

Stolen bases suck...

 

He is a very smart base runner that can score from first on a double and from second on a single... the majority of the time. With konerko we do not have that luxury,..

[RME JICO]

That is a pretty fat contract for one breakout year. He was an awesome player last year, but that was one year after he had 7+ above average to average years. Last year was his first All-Star appearance and he had career highs in almost every statistical category.

 

So if he stays close to his 2005 form for the life of the deal it would be a good deal for the Cubs, but otherwise it is a lot of money to invest in a player who prior to 2005, never hit above .282 or hit more than 32 HRs in one season.

 

His career numbers are comparable to Konerko's, but Konerko has been much more consistent. So Paulie's deal looks better now.

[ZoomSlowik]

I didn't say that I thought Konerko was better or that Lee is overpayed, but I don't think Lee is THAT much better than Konerko and I don't think it's that big a bargain

 

They're roughly the same age and they had somewhat similar resumes before last season. Lee is faster and is a better defensive player, but Konerko has more power, and I'm not so sure that Lee is going to hit over .300 again. I personally wouldn't even think of giving him more than 5-75, and that's with another fairly good year (something like .290 and high 30's for homers, which IMO is probably what he'll produce) this year.

Edited April 11, 2006 by ZoomSlowik

[RockRaines]

DLEE>Konerko at bat and in the field. Good deal for the cubs. DLEE, with another year likes its already panning out to be, could of commanded 70-75 million in the FA market.

[CWSGuy406]

His career numbers are comparable to Konerko's, but Konerko has been much more consistent.  So Paulie's deal looks better now.

 

That makes really no sense. Konerko's career OPS is .837 to Lee's .864. Now, consider the fact that Lee has played all but two years in one of the worst hitters parks in baseball, while Konerko has been hitting in one of the best.

 

Again, you guys are severely underestimating his years in Florida. Lee's 2002 and 2003 seasons were very good -- he averaged in those years (approx) .270/.380/.500. That's very good production for playing in Florida.

 

Konerko more consistent? Again -- they seem like comparable consistent players, with one being slightly better (Lee).

 

Konerko's OPS+ the last four years -- 123, 85, 123, 136.

 

Lee's OPS+ the last four years -- 131, 135, 114, 177.

[Balta1701]

Konerko's OPS+ the last four years -- 123, 85, 123, 136.

 

Lee's OPS+ the last four years -- 131, 135, 114, 177.

Those numbers do include 1 abberation on the part of each of them...a sky high year by Lee, and the year that started off with Konerko recovering from a Broken foot.

[CWSGuy406]

Those numbers do include 1 abberation on the part of each of them...a sky high year by Lee, and the year that started off with Konerko recovering from a Broken foot.

 

That's all fine and dandy, but those years are still there, in a pretty significant amount of ABs. I doubt either returns to the levels they displayed in those years, but I still think Lee is going to settle into a 140-150 OPS+ range (for at least a year or two), something that Konerko has yet to reach.

 

Add in the fact that he's much better on the bases, and might even be better defensively -- I don't know how one can make a statement like this (and yes, I realize you, Balta, did not say this):

 

His career numbers are comparable to Konerko's, but Konerko has been much more consistent. So Paulie's deal looks better now.

[hammerhead johnson]

His career numbers are comparable to Konerko's, but Konerko has been much more consistent.  So Paulie's deal looks better now.

 

That makes really no sense. 

 

Yeah, really.

 

I mean, Derrek Lee blows Kong out of the f***ing water. You can make an argument that he is the best defensive first baseman in the majors. He's not just merely good with the glove. He is unbelievable.

 

And his bat? The guy is just a freakshow.

 

Over the past 10 years, has there been a better trade than Choi for Lee? That's what I want to know. Don't tell me Kong for Cameron.

[Phuck the Cubs]

I think it was a good deal. I would also take Lee over Konerko if I had to choose, b/c Lee has more balance than Konerko if you ask me.

[Soxfest]

Signed D.Lee cause Kid K is history at end of year, now they can claim no money for I am always hurt.

[RME JICO]

That makes really no sense.  Konerko's career OPS is .837 to Lee's  .864.  Now, consider the fact that Lee has played all but two years in one of the worst hitters parks in baseball, while Konerko has been hitting in one of the best.

 

Again, you guys are severely underestimating his years in Florida.  Lee's 2002 and 2003 seasons were very good -- he averaged in those years (approx) .270/.380/.500.  That's very good production for playing in Florida. 

 

Konerko more consistent?  Again -- they seem like comparable consistent players, with one being slightly better (Lee). 

 

Konerko's OPS+ the last four years -- 123, 85, 123, 136.

 

Lee's OPS+ the last four years -- 131, 135, 114, 177.

What doesn't make any sense?

 

I am not discounting what Lee did last year. He was one of the best players in the league. In terms of consistency though, Konerko has had a pretty consistent career from 1999-2005. Besides his injury year of 2003, he has batted between .277 and .298, hit between 21 and 41 HRs, and drove in between 81 and 117 runs.

 

Lee has been up and down. If you take away is 1998 where he batted .233 and his partial year of 1999 where he batted .206, he batted between .270 and .335, hit between 21 and 46 HRs, and drove in between 70 and 107 runs. 2005 was his first year above .282, above 32 HRs, and above 100 RBI. Konerko has had 100 RBI 3 times, hit above .282 4 times, and has had 100 RBI 3 times.

 

The bottom line is he got paid for his 2005 performance. If he stays near that level it was a good deal for the Cubs, if he drops off to pre-2005 levels it will be a bad deal. I would take the deal right now just like the Konerko deal, but the real assessment on the deals can't be made until later in the contracts.

Edited April 13, 2006 by RME JICO

[DBAHO]

What doesn't make any sense?

 

I am not discounting what Lee did last year.  He was one of the best players in the league.  In terms of consistency though, Konerko has had a pretty consistent career from 1999-2005.  Besides his injury year of 2003, he has batted between .277 and .298, hit between 21 and 41 HRs, and drove in between 81 and 117 runs.

 

Lee has been up and down.  If you take away is 1998 where he batted .233 and his partial year of 1999 where he batted .206, he batted between .270 and .335, hit between 21 and 46 HRs, and drove in between 70 and 107 runs.  2005 was his first year above .282, above 32 HRs, and above 100 RBI.  Konerko has had 100 RBI 3 times, hit above .282 4 times, and has had 100 RBI 3 times.

 

The bottom line is he got paid for his 2005 performance.  If he stays near that level it was a good deal for the Cubs, if he drops off to pre-2005 levels it will be a bad deal.  I would take the deal right now just like the Konerko deal, but the real assessment on the deals can't be made until later in the contracts.

You've got to remember though he moved from a notorious pitcher's park at Pro Player Stadium to a hitter's park at Wrigley Field. Kong's hit at U.S Cell for the vast majority of his major league career.

 

So I would tend to look at it from the point of view of what he's done for the Cubs compared to what he's done for his career. He's got a .980 OPS for the last 2 seasons, which is pretty damn good.

 

Also Lee is a much better hitter than Konerko with RISP. He hit .331 with RISP in 2005 compared to Kong's .248 last season. Of course Kong hit .314 in the same situation the season before that, so we'll have to wait and see how he does this season.

 

But what I'm trying to say, for an extra $5 million, I'd take Lee over Konerko any day of the week. He's more athletic and doesn't have any long - term injury problems, which you can always argue with Paulie that he's got that hip, even though we haven't heard anything negative about that for quite a while.

[TLAK]

If he thinks it's a good deal for him, then it is.

He must've wanted to stay there to insist on a full no-trade, and 65 million is ridiculous money, whether or not there was MORE ridiculous money out there.

He seems to want the security of knowing where he's going to play for the next 5 years, and now he has it.

Hasn't the no trade really evolved into 'no trade unless I get to renegotiate'? I don't know what's in Lee's mind, he may really want to stay with the Blue Vermin. But you see lots of movement of players with no trade clauses after they are compensated for waiving the clause.

[Phuck the Cubs]

Konerko will get a no-trade clause mi-way through the 08 season when he gets his 10-5 rights