It's the money. They can't afford right now to keep the players they produce, so they spin them out for more players.
When they get the new stadium, they will probably change a little because of the revenue they can generate by more luxury suites, advertising, and the other reasons why new stadiums are almost always better than old for a team.
They trade them now while they can get the most value. Dan Haren went to the Diamondbacks for 6 players, including some of the top from an organization that last year was considered one of the deeper ones.
They're building a smaller stadium because they can't fill the one their in. This is a team that gone to the playoffs 5 times since 2000, yet they still can't put people in the stands. You might say that's because they ship out all the players people like, which might true a certain extent, but in the end most people just care if the team is going well, which it almost always is.
Are you a former fan or something? If anything, the trade happy nature of the A's should make the rest of the league happy.
No, I'm a Sox fan. I just think it's disgraceful how they treat the organization and the fans.
Btw, for the Dan Haren trade, here's the thing. I believe they got him from the Mulder trade (it was Mulder, right? Not Hudson?), so now they get 6 guys for Haren. At what point do they stick with the guys they got and win some damn games? What happens when one of those 6 make it big, will they trade that guy for another 5-6 players? Where does it end?
Edit: I double checked, and yes, Haren was part of the Mulder trade.
joe blanton isn't particularly exciting, and i haven't seen much wrong with the A's moves so far this year - in fact I think they were pretty good, the Harden deal included.
No, I'm a Sox fan. I just think it's disgraceful how they treat the organization and the fans.
Btw, for the Dan Haren trade, here's the thing. I believe they got him from the Mulder trade (it was Mulder, right? Not Hudson?), so now they get 6 guys for Haren. At what point do they stick with the guys they got and win some damn games? What happens when one of those 6 make it big, will they trade that guy for another 5-6 players? Where does it end?
Edit: I double checked, and yes, Haren was part of the Mulder trade.
Along with Barton, who was actually the most highly touted part of that trade. He's in his first season now. That Haren exceeded all expectations and turned into an elite pitcher was icing at the time. Elite pitchers somehow make lots and lots of money, too. When they traded him, it was clear they were pretty far out of contention. The A's are a team that succeeds despite low revenues, and they do this by constantly building and buying talent by selling players that wont fit into future plans.
Did you even see how much Zito got payed in free agency? It's ridiculous to believe that the A's should have kept him, even though as a fan, he was my favorite out of the big three. If I'm going to be a fan of the A's for years to come, I want them to be competitive for the next 20 years, not the next three or four.
The new stadium is expected to generate a lot more revenue for the team so that they can be able to sign key players and lock them up through their prime years. That's why the team is stocking the farm with incredible prospects right now. When they're ready, the new stadium will be in full swing, and the ones that click will be able to stick around.
And the "smallness" of the stadium is not so much a reflection of the fanbase, though an argument could be made in that sense, but one of Lew Wolff's idea of a cozy ballpark village. He wants it to feel like Fenway or Wrigley, with a development and community built around it. It's a compelling idea, and I for one like the idea of a smaller, cozier stadium.
Hey, anybody remember that book? You know, the one that outlined a new way of thinking about baseball? Who was that about? And who is he the GM for?
Read Moneyball, and then see why what the A's are doing is a good thing, not a bad thing. Case in point - THE RAYS. You keep building your team with young talent that you get from your farm system and through trading off that talent when they get too expensive - because you get nothing (OK a couple draft picks) if you let them go as free agents. When you get that perfect storm of talent, you trade for a couple veterans to shore things up and you go from nobody to division leader like that.
Granted, what the Rays have done is not the strict Moneyball approach, but the A's show the shortcoming of that system - it's based on overall probability, which works well for winning your division and making it to the playoffs (5 times since 2000) but it doesn't get you very far when you HAVE to win games in a short series.
Sweet...four game sweep of the padres capped by a ninth inning Grand Salami today...last three games were all 'fight back from behind' wins too. Cards heating up? Sure hope so...big series against the Brewers coming up now...
Sucks about Gary. Wasn't doing too much this year though.
Yeah, that series was kinda disappointing from our side. Starting pitching is still solid, but we need Papi back sooner rather than later. Thankfully his rehab is going really well, or I'd be starting to worry.
But, no matter. We'll just have to smack you around in the ALDS like we always do. :P
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
Sucks about Gary. Wasn't doing too much this year though.
Yeah, that series was kinda disappointing from our side. Starting pitching is still solid, but we need Papi back sooner rather than later. Thankfully his rehab is going really well, or I'd be starting to worry.
But, no matter. We'll just have to smack you around in the ALDS like we always do. :P
First of all, we met twice in the last decade. Second, those last two times, our series was won by you and you had a better overall record, which is not the case this year. Of course, time will tell.
Speakeasy on
0
Options
ZimmydoomAccept no substitutesRegistered Userregular
edited July 2008
Ah, I'm just razzing you. I doubt we'd actually see each other in the ALDS this year anyway, unless Boston ends up taking the Wild Card.
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
0
Options
BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
edited July 2008
The collective asshole of the Kansas City Royals my be nothing more than a gaping wound after this evening's game.
19-4 was the wonderful score, after giving up 10 runs in the 8th (all picked up by Jimmy Gobble).
On the plus side, we now know that, if need be, reserve shortstop Tony Pena Jr. can work as a reliever. He pitched a perfect 9th, including a strikeout of Pudge.
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
The collective asshole of the Kansas City Royals my be nothing more than a gaping wound after this evening's game.
19-4 was the wonderful score, after giving up 10 runs in the 9th (all picked up by Jimmy Gobble).
On the plus side, we now know that, if need be, reserve shortstop Tony Pena Jr. can work as a reliever. He pitched a perfect 9th, including a strikeout of Pudge.
I just don't understand the As. They produce all these good-great pitchers (going back to Hudson/Zito/Mulder) and then they trade them all. It's like they don't want to win. It's pathetic.
It's also no wonder the new stadium is gonna be less than 40,000 seats. They can't draw for shit because they trade away all their talent.
I'm not really sure you want to bring up Hudson/Zito/Mulder when you're arguing FOR keeping your guys at market price. Zito signed for $126 million dollars over 7 years and has been horrible from the get-go - and they have 5 years left. Mulder didn't get a stupid contract, but only gave the Cardinal's one good year before sucking and getting injured. You think the Cards would have preferred Haren for those years? Hudson has been pretty damn good, but he's also getting $47 mil over 4 years. So 1/3 of "all these good-great pitchers" haven't completely blown up, and the one good one has a fair contract, and that's a reason to sign all your guys at market price?
What other star players have the A's traded/not resigned? I'm sure the Yankees love Giambi at 7 years/$120 million. The Astros are so glad to have Tejada at 6 years/$72 million. Swisher at 5 years/$27 million is surely lighting it up for the White Sox. The one star the A's did resign is Eric Chavez at 6 years/$66 million and I bet Beane regrets that deal every day. Discounting deals done this year, what talent should Oakland have resigned and at what price?
Beane has some stinkers obviously (wtf Kendall) but I would much rather have a GM who can properly evaluate players and finds value where it is available than a GM that will overpay based on recent success. Ask Seattle Mariners fans how much they like a GM who "will pay what is needed to win."
Anyway, this may just be a philosophy difference. Would you rather root for a team that goes 81-81, 81-81, 81-81 over 3 years or one that goes 62-100, 100-62 and wins the World Series, 62-100 over those same years? If you have limited resources you can't compete every year, so I'd prefer the rare thrill of late season baseball and lots of rebuilding over constant mediocrity.
PlushyCthulhu on
Steam/LoL: plushycthulhu
0
Options
ZimmydoomAccept no substitutesRegistered Userregular
I just don't understand the As. They produce all these good-great pitchers (going back to Hudson/Zito/Mulder) and then they trade them all. It's like they don't want to win. It's pathetic.
It's also no wonder the new stadium is gonna be less than 40,000 seats. They can't draw for shit because they trade away all their talent.
I'm not really sure you want to bring up Hudson/Zito/Mulder when you're arguing FOR keeping your guys at market price. Zito signed for $126 million dollars over 7 years and has been horrible from the get-go - and they have 5 years left. Mulder didn't get a stupid contract, but only gave the Cardinal's one good year before sucking and getting injured. You think the Cards would have preferred Haren for those years? Hudson has been pretty damn good, but he's also getting $47 mil over 4 years. So 1/3 of "all these good-great pitchers" haven't completely blown up, and the one good one has a fair contract, and that's a reason to sign all your guys at market price?
What other star players have the A's traded/not resigned? I'm sure the Yankees love Giambi at 7 years/$120 million. The Astros are so glad to have Tejada at 6 years/$72 million. Swisher at 5 years/$27 million is surely lighting it up for the White Sox. The one star the A's did resign is Eric Chavez at 6 years/$66 million and I bet Beane regrets that deal every day. Discounting deals done this year, what talent should Oakland have resigned and at what price?
Beane has some stinkers obviously (wtf Kendall) but I would much rather have a GM who can properly evaluate players and finds value where it is available than a GM that will overpay based on recent success. Ask Seattle Mariners fans how much they like a GM who "will pay what is needed to win."
Anyway, this may just be a philosophy difference. Would you rather root for a team that goes 81-81, 81-81, 81-81 over 3 years or one that goes 62-100, 100-62 and wins the World Series, 62-100 over those same years? If you have limited resources you can't compete every year, so I'd prefer the rare thrill of late season baseball and lots of rebuilding over constant mediocrity.
Not to mention the fact that Beane's supposed mastery of the draft only works when you have picks to draft with, which you get from (wait for it) letting free agents walk. Oakland is a team in a shitty baseball city with a shitty ballpark and a really tight budget, and yet manages to be in contention every year despite playing in a division with a team that regularly outspends them by $30M or more.
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
Swap the As and the Rays, and I guarantee you stupid Billy Beane trades Kazmir instead of paying him, like the Rays did.
I'm sorry, but Moneyball or not, I'd be pissed off if I was an As fan. Constantly shipping off good young players instead of paying them.
That's simply untrue. Kazmir signed a 3 year, $28.5 million extension, which is below market all things considered. In 2005, Harden signed a 4 year, $9 million contract with a club option for 2009 at $7 million.
If you analyze these deals in a vacuum, they're both great deals that the Rays' management and the A's management would do if switched with the other.
However, Harden was injured for much of his deal. Kazmir is still early in his so you can't evaluate it yet. Once Harden strung together 11 good starts for Oakland and regained some trade value, Beane received a significant amount of talent in return. You can read an outstanding analysis of the Harden deal at the Hardball Times:
To summarize the article, if Harden stays healthy for the length of his contract (the rest of this year and 2009, which is unlikely given his health record), the Cubs received around $30 million in surplus value (this includes Gaudin's contributions). Oakland received around $33 million in surplus value, with considerable upside from there (read the article for more details). So even in the best case scenario where Harden stays healthy, it's basically a wash. If the more realistic scenario happens, where Harden is hurt, then it clearly tilts to Oakland.
Billy Beane is much, much smarter than any of us, myself included. It may have seemed a bit lopsided on its face but upon further analysis, it's another smart move for Beane.
Now they just have to trade off Street and Duscherer, and they'll be set for 2009 and beyond.
I am here to bemoan the Indians. So many disappointing injuries and performances this year. And the bullpen...ugh. God knows why we had to keep Borowski for so damn long. He was terrible last year. He was terrible this year. And please get rid of Sowers. Forever. I still have hope though. Only 11 games below .500 o_O. At least the Indians did get to sweep the Rays.
I am here to bemoan the Indians. So many disappointing injuries and performances this year. And the bullpen...ugh. God knows why we had to keep Borowski for so damn long. He was terrible last year. He was terrible this year. And please get rid of Sowers. Forever. I still have hope though. Only 11 games below .500 o_O. At least the Indians did get to sweep the Rays.
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
0
Options
VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
edited July 2008
yay metsies for the come back tonight. Tuesday was fucking rough. I'm gonna be at shea friday so hopefully they stay strong.
yay metsies for the come back tonight. Tuesday was fucking rough. I'm gonna be at shea friday so hopefully they stay strong.
You have no idea how much stomach acid I had building up Tuesday night. No idea. But all things being equal, they bounced back great the last two games, so all is forgiven. 8-)
Huge weekend for your Yanks this week; I'll be tuning in to watch in between innings too.
Chamberlin vs. Beckett tomorrow promises to be intense.
Judas on
Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver.
Situation excellent. I am attacking.
- General Ferdinand Foch
0
Options
ZimmydoomAccept no substitutesRegistered Userregular
edited July 2008
Biggest series of the year so far for the AL East, no doubt about it. TB has everything to lose from this as well, since if they can't hold the line against KC and the Yankees play well then suddenly they have two teams to contend with for the division, as well as another major player for the Wild Card.
Which presents us with an interesting hypothetical: assume you are the Rays and are going to win two of your next three games to split the series with the Royals. Given that you have an uphill climb for the rest of the season (due to the Rays home/road split) would you rather have the Sox sweep the Yankees and find yourself a game back but well ahead of the Yankees, or have the Yankees sweep Boston and retain the division lead, but with two other division contenders instead of just one?
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
Four game sweep of the Padres in which they had to come from behind each game due to marginal starting pitching, very electrifying, awesome games and everyone was really excited about the team heating up and charging to the division lead with the Brew Crew coming to town.
Swept in four game series by the Brewers in which starting pitching was good or adequate, but the lead was lost in each game, three times by a home-run given up in the final two innings, thus deflating the team, stadium, and fan-base, all of whom are convinced we are no longer capable of closing out a game.
I am here to bemoan the Indians. So many disappointing injuries and performances this year. And the bullpen...ugh. God knows why we had to keep Borowski for so damn long. He was terrible last year. He was terrible this year. And please get rid of Sowers. Forever. I still have hope though. Only 11 games below .500 o_O. At least the Indians did get to sweep the Rays.
Hey, at least you don't have to deal with Casey Blake anymore! :P Glad he's the fuck out of the division.
Man, I guess the Cubs have forgotten how to consistently score runs.
See also: Detroit Tigers
When did the Tigers know how to consistently score runs? Besides 2006 which looks increasingly like a crazy fluke where everything went right.
That's my point exactly. What the fuck over the last two days? JV was due for a shit start but I can't believe the offense couldn't do SOMETHING.
They scored six runs, and yesterday was The Motherfucking Todd Jones Experience.
JV goes 4 IP to give up all seven of CHW's runs. The pen holds the next three innings with no runs allowed. The offense was patheticly anemic tonight after the fourth. Yesterday yes, Jones blew a save as he tends to do from time to time. However the offense produced one (1) run after the third. THE THIRD! Absolutely inexcusable.
This series is not the end of the season, however it probably alters the Tigers' trade deadline plans a bit. I'll take whatever I can get for Sheff and Renteria (blowjob from Joe Torre? SOLD). I'm scared shitless that the Tigers will move for Burnett or Sherill now as that will probably mean at least one of my favorite Mud Hens (CLETE, Joyce) leaving the system.
Man, I guess the Cubs have forgotten how to consistently score runs.
See also: Detroit Tigers
When did the Tigers know how to consistently score runs? Besides 2006 which looks increasingly like a crazy fluke where everything went right.
That's my point exactly. What the fuck over the last two days? JV was due for a shit start but I can't believe the offense couldn't do SOMETHING.
They scored six runs, and yesterday was The Motherfucking Todd Jones Experience.
JV goes 4 IP to give up all seven of CHW's runs. The pen holds the next three innings with no runs allowed. The offense was patheticly anemic tonight after the fourth. Yesterday yes, Jones blew a save as he tends to do from time to time. However the offense produced one (1) run after the third. THE THIRD! Absolutely inexcusable.
This series is not the end of the season, however it probably alters the Tigers' trade deadline plans a bit. I'll take whatever I can get for Sheff and Renteria (blowjob from Joe Torre? SOLD). I'm scared shitless that the Tigers will move for Burnett or Sherill now as that will probably mean at least one of my favorite Mud Hens (CLETE, Joyce) leaving the system.
I'd imagine Pudge is on the market as well.
enlightenedbum on
Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
0
Options
Idx86Long days and pleasant nights.Registered Userregular
edited July 2008
Thank you D-town for knocking the Sox down a peg. Now the ever-crucial 4 game series begins this week. Too bad none are afternoon games. I love cutting out early to head to a ballgame, even if it is indoors at a shithole stadium.
Idx86 on
2008, 2012, 2014 D&D "Rare With No Sauce" League Fantasy Football Champion!
When did the Tigers know how to consistently score runs? Besides 2006 which looks increasingly like a crazy fluke where everything went right.
That's my point exactly. What the fuck over the last two days? JV was due for a shit start but I can't believe the offense couldn't do SOMETHING.
They scored six runs, and yesterday was The Motherfucking Todd Jones Experience.
JV goes 4 IP to give up all seven of CHW's runs. The pen holds the next three innings with no runs allowed. The offense was patheticly anemic tonight after the fourth. Yesterday yes, Jones blew a save as he tends to do from time to time. However the offense produced one (1) run after the third. THE THIRD! Absolutely inexcusable.
This series is not the end of the season, however it probably alters the Tigers' trade deadline plans a bit. I'll take whatever I can get for Sheff and Renteria (blowjob from Joe Torre? SOLD). I'm scared shitless that the Tigers will move for Burnett or Sherill now as that will probably mean at least one of my favorite Mud Hens (CLETE, Joyce) leaving the system.
I'd imagine Pudge is on the market as well.
He's not. The Marlins asked and other teams have phoned in their interest, but each time the Tigers have shut the door. We need him this year. Inge isn't ready to go and our closest prospect (Dusty Ryan at AA Erie) is still at least a season out. The platoon of Pudge/Inge continues during this series according to Jim before the game. Pudge has his average up to .298 headed into tonight. We just can't replace him right now with a solid catcher. We'll see what happens this off-season. Several people, including Jon Paul Marosi of the Freep and Rod Allen, think that Pudge is due for a multi-year contract after this season. I don't know if the Tigers are ready to offer him something like a three-year deal. He'd be 40 by the end of it. It depends if he would be comfortable with easing into a backup role. He's said before that he wants to retire with Detroit, but the free agent market this year for catchers is pretty damn thin considering Tek will most likely not stray from Boston. If the Tigers are serious about keeping him, it'd be best to sign him before free agency hits.
EDIT: Oh, and DD has all the big front office staff on the trip with him to Cleveland. Apparently they were on the field for BP this afternoon so nothing major was going on, but it sounds like the Tigers are willing to deal if they must.
Posts
When they get the new stadium, they will probably change a little because of the revenue they can generate by more luxury suites, advertising, and the other reasons why new stadiums are almost always better than old for a team.
Please. Fuck that. They're cheapskates who are building a smaller stadium because no one's showing up.
Fuck. The. As.
They're building a smaller stadium because they can't fill the one their in. This is a team that gone to the playoffs 5 times since 2000, yet they still can't put people in the stands. You might say that's because they ship out all the players people like, which might true a certain extent, but in the end most people just care if the team is going well, which it almost always is.
Are you a former fan or something? If anything, the trade happy nature of the A's should make the rest of the league happy.
Btw, for the Dan Haren trade, here's the thing. I believe they got him from the Mulder trade (it was Mulder, right? Not Hudson?), so now they get 6 guys for Haren. At what point do they stick with the guys they got and win some damn games? What happens when one of those 6 make it big, will they trade that guy for another 5-6 players? Where does it end?
Edit: I double checked, and yes, Haren was part of the Mulder trade.
Along with Barton, who was actually the most highly touted part of that trade. He's in his first season now. That Haren exceeded all expectations and turned into an elite pitcher was icing at the time. Elite pitchers somehow make lots and lots of money, too. When they traded him, it was clear they were pretty far out of contention. The A's are a team that succeeds despite low revenues, and they do this by constantly building and buying talent by selling players that wont fit into future plans.
Did you even see how much Zito got payed in free agency? It's ridiculous to believe that the A's should have kept him, even though as a fan, he was my favorite out of the big three. If I'm going to be a fan of the A's for years to come, I want them to be competitive for the next 20 years, not the next three or four.
The new stadium is expected to generate a lot more revenue for the team so that they can be able to sign key players and lock them up through their prime years. That's why the team is stocking the farm with incredible prospects right now. When they're ready, the new stadium will be in full swing, and the ones that click will be able to stick around.
And the "smallness" of the stadium is not so much a reflection of the fanbase, though an argument could be made in that sense, but one of Lew Wolff's idea of a cozy ballpark village. He wants it to feel like Fenway or Wrigley, with a development and community built around it. It's a compelling idea, and I for one like the idea of a smaller, cozier stadium.
Read Moneyball, and then see why what the A's are doing is a good thing, not a bad thing. Case in point - THE RAYS. You keep building your team with young talent that you get from your farm system and through trading off that talent when they get too expensive - because you get nothing (OK a couple draft picks) if you let them go as free agents. When you get that perfect storm of talent, you trade for a couple veterans to shore things up and you go from nobody to division leader like that.
Granted, what the Rays have done is not the strict Moneyball approach, but the A's show the shortcoming of that system - it's based on overall probability, which works well for winning your division and making it to the playoffs (5 times since 2000) but it doesn't get you very far when you HAVE to win games in a short series.
I'm sorry, but Moneyball or not, I'd be pissed off if I was an As fan. Constantly shipping off good young players instead of paying them.
Best record in baseball?
Not bad.
Sucks about Gary. Wasn't doing too much this year though.
twit feed
Another day, another opportunity to run away with the division squandered by the Diamondbacks.
Yeah, that series was kinda disappointing from our side. Starting pitching is still solid, but we need Papi back sooner rather than later. Thankfully his rehab is going really well, or I'd be starting to worry.
But, no matter. We'll just have to smack you around in the ALDS like we always do. :P
First of all, we met twice in the last decade. Second, those last two times, our series was won by you and you had a better overall record, which is not the case this year. Of course, time will tell.
19-4 was the wonderful score, after giving up 10 runs in the 8th (all picked up by Jimmy Gobble).
On the plus side, we now know that, if need be, reserve shortstop Tony Pena Jr. can work as a reliever. He pitched a perfect 9th, including a strikeout of Pudge.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Sounds better than the other Tony Pena.
I'm not really sure you want to bring up Hudson/Zito/Mulder when you're arguing FOR keeping your guys at market price. Zito signed for $126 million dollars over 7 years and has been horrible from the get-go - and they have 5 years left. Mulder didn't get a stupid contract, but only gave the Cardinal's one good year before sucking and getting injured. You think the Cards would have preferred Haren for those years? Hudson has been pretty damn good, but he's also getting $47 mil over 4 years. So 1/3 of "all these good-great pitchers" haven't completely blown up, and the one good one has a fair contract, and that's a reason to sign all your guys at market price?
What other star players have the A's traded/not resigned? I'm sure the Yankees love Giambi at 7 years/$120 million. The Astros are so glad to have Tejada at 6 years/$72 million. Swisher at 5 years/$27 million is surely lighting it up for the White Sox. The one star the A's did resign is Eric Chavez at 6 years/$66 million and I bet Beane regrets that deal every day. Discounting deals done this year, what talent should Oakland have resigned and at what price?
Beane has some stinkers obviously (wtf Kendall) but I would much rather have a GM who can properly evaluate players and finds value where it is available than a GM that will overpay based on recent success. Ask Seattle Mariners fans how much they like a GM who "will pay what is needed to win."
Anyway, this may just be a philosophy difference. Would you rather root for a team that goes 81-81, 81-81, 81-81 over 3 years or one that goes 62-100, 100-62 and wins the World Series, 62-100 over those same years? If you have limited resources you can't compete every year, so I'd prefer the rare thrill of late season baseball and lots of rebuilding over constant mediocrity.
Not to mention the fact that Beane's supposed mastery of the draft only works when you have picks to draft with, which you get from (wait for it) letting free agents walk. Oakland is a team in a shitty baseball city with a shitty ballpark and a really tight budget, and yet manages to be in contention every year despite playing in a division with a team that regularly outspends them by $30M or more.
That's simply untrue. Kazmir signed a 3 year, $28.5 million extension, which is below market all things considered. In 2005, Harden signed a 4 year, $9 million contract with a club option for 2009 at $7 million.
If you analyze these deals in a vacuum, they're both great deals that the Rays' management and the A's management would do if switched with the other.
However, Harden was injured for much of his deal. Kazmir is still early in his so you can't evaluate it yet. Once Harden strung together 11 good starts for Oakland and regained some trade value, Beane received a significant amount of talent in return. You can read an outstanding analysis of the Harden deal at the Hardball Times:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/evaluating-the-rich-harden-trade/
To summarize the article, if Harden stays healthy for the length of his contract (the rest of this year and 2009, which is unlikely given his health record), the Cubs received around $30 million in surplus value (this includes Gaudin's contributions). Oakland received around $33 million in surplus value, with considerable upside from there (read the article for more details). So even in the best case scenario where Harden stays healthy, it's basically a wash. If the more realistic scenario happens, where Harden is hurt, then it clearly tilts to Oakland.
Billy Beane is much, much smarter than any of us, myself included. It may have seemed a bit lopsided on its face but upon further analysis, it's another smart move for Beane.
Now they just have to trade off Street and Duscherer, and they'll be set for 2009 and beyond.
Create your own animations at Fuzzwich!
Thanks for that, BTW. ;-)
twit feed
You have no idea how much stomach acid I had building up Tuesday night. No idea. But all things being equal, they bounced back great the last two games, so all is forgiven. 8-)
Huge weekend for your Yanks this week; I'll be tuning in to watch in between innings too.
Chamberlin vs. Beckett tomorrow promises to be intense.
Situation excellent. I am attacking.
- General Ferdinand Foch
Which presents us with an interesting hypothetical: assume you are the Rays and are going to win two of your next three games to split the series with the Royals. Given that you have an uphill climb for the rest of the season (due to the Rays home/road split) would you rather have the Sox sweep the Yankees and find yourself a game back but well ahead of the Yankees, or have the Yankees sweep Boston and retain the division lead, but with two other division contenders instead of just one?
Four game sweep of the Padres in which they had to come from behind each game due to marginal starting pitching, very electrifying, awesome games and everyone was really excited about the team heating up and charging to the division lead with the Brew Crew coming to town.
Swept in four game series by the Brewers in which starting pitching was good or adequate, but the lead was lost in each game, three times by a home-run given up in the final two innings, thus deflating the team, stadium, and fan-base, all of whom are convinced we are no longer capable of closing out a game.
I hate baseball.
Next up, Mets.
twit feed
Hey, at least you don't have to deal with Casey Blake anymore! :P Glad he's the fuck out of the division.
See also: Detroit Tigers
When did the Tigers know how to consistently score runs? Besides 2006 which looks increasingly like a crazy fluke where everything went right.
That's my point exactly. What the fuck over the last two days? JV was due for a shit start but I can't believe the offense couldn't do SOMETHING.
They scored six runs, and yesterday was The Motherfucking Todd Jones Experience.
JV goes 4 IP to give up all seven of CHW's runs. The pen holds the next three innings with no runs allowed. The offense was patheticly anemic tonight after the fourth. Yesterday yes, Jones blew a save as he tends to do from time to time. However the offense produced one (1) run after the third. THE THIRD! Absolutely inexcusable.
This series is not the end of the season, however it probably alters the Tigers' trade deadline plans a bit. I'll take whatever I can get for Sheff and Renteria (blowjob from Joe Torre? SOLD). I'm scared shitless that the Tigers will move for Burnett or Sherill now as that will probably mean at least one of my favorite Mud Hens (CLETE, Joyce) leaving the system.
I'd imagine Pudge is on the market as well.
2008, 2012, 2014 D&D "Rare With No Sauce" League Fantasy Football Champion!
He's not. The Marlins asked and other teams have phoned in their interest, but each time the Tigers have shut the door. We need him this year. Inge isn't ready to go and our closest prospect (Dusty Ryan at AA Erie) is still at least a season out. The platoon of Pudge/Inge continues during this series according to Jim before the game. Pudge has his average up to .298 headed into tonight. We just can't replace him right now with a solid catcher. We'll see what happens this off-season. Several people, including Jon Paul Marosi of the Freep and Rod Allen, think that Pudge is due for a multi-year contract after this season. I don't know if the Tigers are ready to offer him something like a three-year deal. He'd be 40 by the end of it. It depends if he would be comfortable with easing into a backup role. He's said before that he wants to retire with Detroit, but the free agent market this year for catchers is pretty damn thin considering Tek will most likely not stray from Boston. If the Tigers are serious about keeping him, it'd be best to sign him before free agency hits.
EDIT: Oh, and DD has all the big front office staff on the trip with him to Cleveland. Apparently they were on the field for BP this afternoon so nothing major was going on, but it sounds like the Tigers are willing to deal if they must.