Ok, I’ll admit I have been as hard as anybody on the Indians management over the past few years when it came to their free agent spending ways. Like many fans I wanted the Tribe to spend away on a few key areas which certainly included the bullpen and perhaps a right-handed stick for the middle of the line-up. I grew frustrated with the last off-season’s signings of “Old-berto” Hernandez, Aaron Fultz, Keith Foulke, and JoBo and wondered what it would be like to be a fan of a team that actually went out and spent big time money for a change.
Well, tonight the Indians will have a chance to eliminate one of those teams in the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox out spend every team not named the Yankees and what do they have to show for it? Well, let’s look at their biggest free agency moves of the last off-season and see how they have worked out so far.
Daisuke Matsuzaka – For $103 million a lot of people expected the master of the mysterious gyro ball to be a shoo-in for rookie of the year and possibly contend for the Cy Young award this season. Instead, Boston overpaid for a 15-12 guy who barely qualifies as a #3 starter in their rotation. Perhaps with the weakened American dollar, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein can talk Japan into somehow buying the guy back. At this point, I think they’d even take that currency in Yen.
Julio Lugo – Sure, the shortstop knocked in 73 runs and stole 33 bases in the regular season, but what also came with that was a batting average of .237 and OPS of .294. Indeed, that sounds like $8.2 million well spent this year. By comparison, the Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta makes $1 million this year with much better production. Judging by the way this guy has hit in the post season, I think the Fenway faithful would have rather seen the money spent on lap dances and a massive week long cocaine binge.
J.D. Drew – Ok, I don’t think anybody saw this one coming. The BoSox signed Drew to a $70 million deal and what do they get in return? The Red Sox got a .270 average and 11 homers from the underachieving injury-plagued outfielder. This guy spent nearly 100% of my fantasy season on the waiver wire for crying out loud! I know Boston, you got excuses for this one such as the rumor that agent Scott Boras forced Boston to sign him or else he wouldn’t let his other client Dice-K sign with you. Big deal, some of us in Cleveland still haven’t gotten over the Keith Hernandez signing. Point being, you shit the bed now it’s time to lay in it. Oh by the way, ol' J.D. has already been benched for tonight's must win game.
So what’s my point in all of this? Sometimes the best money spent is what you spend on both keeping your own stars (like Hafner, Westbrook this year, and hopefully Sabathia) as well as getting your draft picks signed (something the Tribe brass doesn’t get enough credit for I think) no matter where the price is “slotted” so you can keep your farm system stocked with talent.
The latter strategy especially came in handy this season as Hernandez, Fultz, and the since retired Foulke were all considered in some form free agent busts. No problem, Rafael Perez and Jenson Lewis to the rescue from the minors. Two other big stabilizing factors from the minors must also include Asdrubal “Pearl Necklace” Cabrera and Fausto Carmona.
On to tonight’s impending Armageddon. Josh Beckett and his nagging back take the hill vs. C.C. Sabathia. Something tells me Sabathia will not have a 3rd straight bad outing. I just can’t see the soon-to-be Cy Young winner taking that much of a bigger dive. Tonight we will celebrate at home.
Go Tribe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Read the complete post at http://kidcleveland.blogspot.com/2007/10/money-doesnt-talk-in-beantown.html