Blue Jays, Wells agree on $126M deal

[Texsox]

Check your atlas. Toronto is located north of the border. It must suck to be geographically challenged.

 

I think it was a weak attempt at Candians humor.

[jackie hayes]

Check your atlas. Toronto is located north of the border. It must suck to be geographically challenged.

Uh oh. That's 5 minutes in the penalty box for you.

[BobDylan]

Baseball needs a salary cap. These contracts are getting out of hand. The Twins's, White Sox's, Royals's, Athletics's, etc., will never be able to throw out that much money to a SINGLE player and get away with it. Sure, Toronto will likely regret this deal (when they can't afford any body that's worth a damn) if he accepts, but for teams like the Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox, they can take the hit and they can take it well.

 

Maybe it's one thing when GOOD players are getting contracts like this, but when Ted Lilly and Gil Meche are cracking the 10 mil/year barrier, something needs to be addressed. Sadly, it may take a lockout for anything like a salary cap to happen. But if it means compettitive balance, I'd support it. But, sadly, it's the dumbass owners that are giving out these contracts.

 

Any way you look at it, if/when Selig steps down, I really hope this is something the new commish will address and fix.

Edited December 14, 2006 by BobDylan

[Felix]

The Twins's, White Sox's, Royals's, Athletics's, etc., will never be able to throw out that much money to a SINGLE player and get away with it.

I stopped reading after this. Look at each of these teams payrolls, and tell me which doesn't belong.

 

I see now that Tony already covered that, but still

Edited December 14, 2006 by Felix

[BobDylan]

Didn't the our Sox have the 4th highest payroll last season?? You're probably right, the Sox will never give out a deal like a Soriano got, but that doesn't mean the Sox can't compete. The Sox spent a ton of money last season, and I will be shocked if the payroll isn't about 100 million this year.

 

Clumping the Sox in with the A's, Royals and Twins is a bit of stretch. Just because the Sox don't spend there money like idiots doesn't mean we can't compete in the todays market. It just means Williams and Co. have to plan in another way.

 

Suppose you are right on the front of the Sox. But as you said, they'll never give out a deal like Soriano got. It the market continues to go up as it has this year, the Sox likely will be like the Twins, A's and Royals. I guess they can "afford" to overpay some players, but certainly not 18 mil/year, and if they do overpay, the money had better be well spent on a worth while talent.

 

I stopped reading after this. Look at each of these teams payrolls, and tell me which doesn't belong.

 

I see now that Tony already covered that, but still

 

Nothing against you, but the face doesn't make what you said any better. Either read the entire post or don't respond at all. I've had this discussion with Tony before, but here, he questioned mixing the Sox in with the small markets of small markets, and then continued on to what the actual point of my post was.

Edited December 14, 2006 by BobDylan

[jackie hayes]

Suppose you are right on the front of the Sox. But as you said, they'll never give out a deal like Soriano got. It the market continues to go up as it has this year, the Sox likely will be like the Twins, A's and Royals. I guess they can "afford" to overpay some players, but certainly not 18 mil/year, and if they do overpay, the money had better be well spent on a worth while talent.

So when the salaries of players are going up all over the league, and payrolls are thus increasing at the same rate, the Sox will be the one team that doesn't increase its payroll? Why? We've obviously kept pace so far, why are we going to suddenly stop?

 

Soriano's deal was idiotic. That's why the Sox'll never give out a deal like that -- to a player like Soriano.

[BobDylan]

So when the salaries of players are going up all over the league, and payrolls are thus increasing at the same rate, the Sox will be the one team that doesn't increase its payroll? Why? We've obviously kept pace so far, why are we going to suddenly stop?

 

Soriano's deal was idiotic. That's why the Sox'll never give out a deal like that -- to a player like Soriano.

 

Where have we kept pace? The payroll will be down from last year and they refused to overpay for anything despite obvious needs on the team? In a few years most of the high paid players on the team won't be here anymore, so at that point are the White Sox going to have to bite the bullet and pay 10 million to get a #4 starter and 20 million to get a front line starter? If there's one observation that I've made from this off-season, it's that I think Kenny Williams is starting to make moves in the Billy Beane mentality. Sure, he's only made one move, but it's hard to accept that he couldn't have gotten at least 1 above average experienced MLB player in return.

[jackie hayes]

Where have we kept pace? The payroll will be down from last year and they refused to overpay for anything despite obvious needs on the team? In a few years most of the high paid players on the team won't be here anymore, so at that point are the White Sox going to have to bite the bullet and pay 10 million to get a #4 starter and 20 million to get a front line starter? If there's one observation that I've made from this off-season, it's that I think Kenny Williams is starting to make moves in the Billy Beane mentality. Sure, he's only made one move, but it's hard to accept that he couldn't have gotten at least 1 above average experienced MLB player in return.

As Tony said, we had the 4th highest payroll in the league. I don't believe that's much different than we've been before. If we weren't keeping pace, we'd fall in the payroll order.

[BobDylan]

1st off, I was infact correcthttp://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-cubs-headlines

 

2nd off, just because the Sox don't like to go the 6,7 year route with players doesn't mean they are going down the Twins or A's route, unless that means running a smart organization.

 

The market seems to always be in flux. Sure money is always going to go up, but I have a hunch when a bunch of these deals that have been thrown around(Meche, Lilly,Sorriano,Matthews) get to the 4th and 5th year, teams are going to be trying and dump these guys for whatever they can get. In turn, you might see the long years start to go away, but bigger money for shorter length of time. I could be dead wrong, but it's very possible.

 

Anyway, I'm still very confused with you lumping the Sox in the same class as the Royals. In 2006, we had a payroll more than twice the size of KC, won 90 games, and had outstanding attendance.

 

If your basing your whole opinion on the Freddy Garcia trade and the fact we haven't given out a 7/130 dollar deal, then I think you need to take a step back and look at the Sox as whole. We are in pretty good shape.

 

Flux or not, you said it yourself, it's always on the up. Unless the Sox keep the attendence high, where are they going to get money to pay ridiculous salaries?

 

And even if teams want to dump players for next to nothing, if the Sox payroll is near max capacity, can they really afford to take on the last 2-3 years of a players contract?

 

But this is all beside my point. My point was baseball needs a salary cap. I was hoping to start a debate about baseball and a salary cap.

[witesoxfan]

But as you said, they'll never give out a deal like Soriano got.

 

I guess I'll just beg to differ. I think they will, but only to certain players, and I'm not sure they've ever had the opportunity to give it out to players they are willing to.

 

Two examples of this would be Konerko and Crede. Had Konerko been a free agent this year, I'm not sure they would have had any problem going 6/$90 on him simply because he is worth it. However, Crede won't get 5 or 6 years from the Sox simply because the health of his back is uncertain.

 

If the market continues to go up as it has this year, the Sox likely will be like the Twins, A's and Royals.

 

If history's proven anything, the market will go down in time. Manny and ARod got ridiculous contracts, and mediocre pitchers, such as Darren Dreifort, were getting 5/$55. This year, it's the same s***, different players.

 

I guess they can "afford" to overpay some players, but certainly not 18 mil/year, and if they do overpay, the money had better be well spent on a worth while talent.

 

Precisely.

 

If you see the Sox overpay on someone in this market, I'd imagine it will be with a low scale move, such as a bench player or a long reliever. With the prices middle relievers are getting, I doubt you'll see KW hand out a contract to any of them, and there's almost no chance he'd bring a positional player or starter into the fold in free agency.

 

The one exception to that last part I posted might be Buehrle. I made mention to it on another post a while back ago, but he is probably the one pitcher the Sox brass feels will be able to stay healthy out of all the starters while being better than a league average starter (for the most part). If they tried to hammer out a 5/$65 deal, or even a 6/$78 deal, I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

[redandwhite]

I'm going to give Dayton Moore some time before I write him and his Royals off entirely. He's done a nice job thus far in Kansas City and while a salary cap may be needed for there sake, it won't ever happen.. So to better baseball, I'm pulling for those pesky Royals.

[YASNY]

I'm going to give Dayton Moore some time before I write him and his Royals off entirely. He's done a nice job thus far in Kansas City and while a salary cap may be needed for there sake, it won't ever happen.. So to better baseball, I'm pulling for those pesky Royals.

 

I'd rather pull for those pesky Devil Rays.

[Kalapse]

Well according to Ken Rosenthal Vernon Wells is going to end up accepting the $126M contract extension the Blue Jays offered him. He'll get an opt out clause and a no-trade as well. This certainly is an interesting turn of events.

[CWSGuy406]

BobDylan, you seem to be under the impression that salaries are going to keep escalating at the pace that we've seen this offseason. That $17 million this offseason for Soriano will mean $20 million per season for Wells and $25 for Andruw Jones.

 

It simply cannot keep escalating at that pace, however, unless MLB is somehow becoming one of the top five enterprises or businesses in America. Sometime in the next few years, the market will correct itself. Yes, salaries will always be 'rising' at the normal rate of how currency 'rises', but they simply cannot going up as rapidly as it has this winter.

[Rowand44]

Well according to Ken Rosenthal Vernon Wells is going to end up accepting the $126M contract extension the Blue Jays offered him. He'll get an opt out clause and a no-trade as well. This certainly is an interesting turn of events.

Very interesting.

[klaus kinski]

Well according to Ken Rosenthal Vernon Wells is going to end up accepting the $126M contract extension the Blue Jays offered him. He'll get an opt out clause and a no-trade as well. This certainly is an interesting turn of events.

 

And supposedly they will trade Alex Rios for "a proven starter"

[whitesoxfan101]

Bye Javy.....

 

Yep, and hello Alex Rios. As for Wells taking this deal, I think he realizes that he, like all of us, can live with 7/126 million in a place he might not like. As diverse as the Blue Jays TEAM is not, Toronto is a VERY diverse city (I've been there a few times) and a pretty cool place, so yeah.

[fathom]

Bye Javy.....

 

That would be fantastic!

[RockRaines]

That would be fantastic!

"Where would he play?"

 

It looks like he has almost split time between #1 and #2 in the order, but I am worried about whether last season was just a mirage.

 

As a #1 hitter last year he hit .286 .354 .883

#2 .368 .399 1.073

[YASNY]

Yep, and hello Alex Rios. As for Wells taking this deal, I think he realizes that he, like all of us, can live with 7/126 million in a place he might not like. As diverse as the Blue Jays TEAM is not, Toronto is a VERY diverse city (I've been there a few times) and a pretty cool place, so yeah.

 

The Jays adding Frank Thomas may have eased that diversity sitution somewhat.

[hammerhead johnson]

I'm surprised that Jesse Jackson isn't on K-Dub's ass seeing as how we only have like one black dude on the 40 man roster.

 

What a guy that Vernon Wells is. Way to isolate yourself from the vast majority of your teammates.

 

Chris Dudley never pulled anything like this....

 

Don't sleep on Dudley.

[YASNY]

I'm surprised that Jesse Jackson isn't on K-Dub's ass seeing as how we only have like one black dude on the 40 man roster.

 

What a guy that Vernon Wells is. Way to isolate yourself from the vast majority of your teammates.

 

Chris Dudley never pulled anything like this....

 

Don't sleep on Dudley.

 

If K-Dub was white ... Jackson would be on his ass.

[hammerhead johnson]

If K-Dub was white ... Jackson would be on his ass.

 

Or on his ass for being an uncle tom.

[YASNY]

Or on his ass for being an uncle tom.

 

When push comes to shove, there are not that many blacks electing to play baseball these days. Most focus on football or hoops.

[Balta1701]

When push comes to shove, there are not that many blacks electing to play baseball these days. Most focus on football or hoops.

Which is baseball's loss, IMO.