I also received an ipad2, which is largely what distracted me from updating this blog sooner. On the flip side though, I'm glad I didn't update sooner than today. Why? Because it would've deprived me of talking about A's closer Andrew Bailey being traded (with Ryan Sweeney) to the Red Sox.
As I've said before, I haven't exactly been watching the A's religiously during the past few years. No longer having Dan Haren and Huston Street made them much less worth my time. However, I do like Andrew Bailey and his recent departure marks the end of a cuteness era (if you will) for the A's. On the other hand, Bailey's presence with the Red Sox will serve as a much-needed aesthetic upgrade for their pitching staff. Off the top of my head, the only semi-cute pitcher they have is Josh Beckett, and that's entirely dependent on what facial hair he's sporting. Bailey's financial security will also increase and it's always nice to see the younger guys get that. Plus, Bailey serves as a nice transition into talking about one of my very favorites.
Madison Bumgarner would normally be someone who wouldn't be anywhere on my radar, and I admit, if he weren't with the Giants, he may very well have fallen out of my sight completely. Nonetheless, there's something I really like about Bumgarner. Okay, so part of my fondness comes from the fact that I made $50 off my dad in game four of the 2010 World Series because Madison pitched six scoreless innings. That was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen, hands down. But despite that, it's his demeanor that I find so endearing. He hasn't been in the majors very long, but you wouldn't know it. It's the same reason I like Matt Cain so much (but sorry Madison, Matt is cuter).
Now I don't just bring him up because it's fun, but because Madison is part of the Giants golden starting rotation, and one that the team is trying to "lock up", as it were. The fact that I would prefer Matt Cain over Tim Lincecum is proof that aesthetics is a top priority for me (excluding Lance Berkman). Baseball insiders name Bumgarner as one of the only pitchers of his caliber to not have signed an extension with his current team yet. If the Giants are smart, they will fork over more cash, even if his extension is short-term. I certainly hope so. It's all speculation right now, of course, but for Giants fans it's something to think about. Do I think the Giants will keep all three starters? Not really. As fantastic as Lincecum has been, I would be the least sad to see him go of those three pitchers. Lincecum is the most expensive, which means he's least likely to sign an extension and more likely to get a better offer elsewhere. I have to say though, that it seems Cain is finally getting the attention he deserves and is slated to make quite a bit more money in the future. But I could talk about Matt Cain all day, obviously. Nevertheless, that's not why I'm here.
Speaking of pitchers (and not Giants pitchers), Edwin Jackson has not signed a deal with any team yet, which I find a bit surprising. Initially he was seen as a lower-tiered free agent pitcher. Once the dust settled on deals for guys like CJ Wilson, Mark Buerhle and John Danks though, opinions on him appeared to change. I was rather impressed with his postseason performances with the Cardinals this year. While his numbers aren't stellar, I think he should be able to find the deal he wants and not have to settle too much. I'm curious to see where he lands, if somewhere else other than St. Louis.
I really didn't mean for this post to be mostly Giants-related, but it is what it is. The Giants did a great thing (I think) by signing Emmanuel Burriss to a one-year contract. I was awfully sad when I heard he was sent down to the minors earlier this season. Any guy who can play most infield positions well is worth hanging on to, or at least worth giving another chance. He is young, fast and versatile (and, I won't lie, pretty damn cute). I hope Burriss gets plenty of chances to play in 2012.
As much as I'm not caught up in the speculation surrounding Prince Fielder, I feel I should weigh in and say I'm equally as surprised as everyone else that he hasn't signed a deal with any team yet. I agree with most baseball insiders who assumed that once Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, Fielder's signing would be pretty immediate. It seems we were all wrong. This situation reminds me, if nothing else, how complex the process of signing with a team is. Of course it's not all about money, but a lot of the decision rests on how a player "fits" in with a team. It's easy enough for a team to say, "We need a solid first baseman". However, it is a much less simplistic matter to say, "We need a solid first baseman who is a good fit for our team, our players and our clubhouse". Prince Fielder, I would think, fits all of the former categories of most any team out there. And it doesn't appear that a real bidding war is going on for him.
His ideal offer is apparently somewhere around $254 million for ten years, a full $1 million more than Pujols received. There are plenty of arguments to be made that Fielder is worth at least $1 million more, especially given his younger age. But the former team a player was with leaves a lot to consider too. Pujols has two World Series titles, multiple MVP and Gold Glove awards, and was a huge reason why the Cardinals consistently made the playoffs each year. Fielder doesn't have this kind of experience. He has some of the award recognition, but virtually (except this season) none of the postseason experience. Granted, part of how you get to have Pujols' experience is consistent excellence through the passage of the time, like with most things. But $254 million is a lot of money to take that chance on. I feel as if there are things going on behind the scenes with Fielder that the public doesn't know about. Despite Fielder's more-than-steep asking price, Pujols' signing should have made for a very swift signing for him as well. Though who can predict the free agent market? I certainly can't.
Now there were some additional points I wanted to hit tonight, but I think they were less important - such as the Rockies' possible interest in Cody Ross (an in-limbo Giant) and Yorvit Torrealba's 66 game suspension from the Venezuelan Winter League (a former Giant). However, I think I've covered more than enough for one entry. So I digress.
No comments:
Post a Comment