Lot to talk about with baseball.
I think Boston made some really good moves. Losing Pedro was tough, but they made a fair offer, and the Mets just made a better one. I think Pedro is still a great pitcher, but he is not the Pedro of '96-'03. I think the Mets took a big risk in 4 years. I would have front loaded it more. They replaced Pedro with Matt Clement, which is a downgrade, but not a huge downgrade. Clement has good stuff, but was snake bitten last year in Chicago. I think he will win 15 to 17 games. The better move for Boston was Wade Miller, at $1.5 for next year. He has had arm trouble, but he is a high quality pitcher when healthy. If he is healthy then Schilling/Clement/Miller is better than Schilling/Pedro/Lowe.
Boston added Edgar Rentaria, and they paid dearly, but he was worth it. He is a great player, and a huge upgrade over Cabrera (who is a good SS). Renteria is every bit as good as Nomar, if not better.
The Dodgers have been doing some odd things. I can understand the Beltre decision given that he has under achieved every year except last year, which of course he was MVP material. Is he worth $13 million a year for the next 5? If he plays like '04 then yes, but lets face it, he has been a huge disappointment in every other year. Before '04 Beltre averaged .266, with 18 HR, and 73 RBI for 5 years. Which one is the real Adrian Beltre???
They let him walk, but then they sign JD Drew. Now JD Drew was signed for $2,000,000 less per year than Beltre, and JD Drew had just about as good a year as Beltre. At the same time Drew is just like Beltre. He has had 5 disappointing years (.280/18/53), and then after 1 big year you give him a monster long term deal. Given that Beltre plays 3rd, which is a more difficult position, I think I would have signed him over Drew.
The big trade that didn't happen was interesting. It seemed to me that the logic for the Dodgers was as soon as you do the deal, you go all out for Carlos Beltran, and if that is how it turned out then it would have been a fabulous deal. It looks like Javier Vazquez may have a shoulder problem, but if he is healthy, then I take him over Brad Penny in a heartbeat. It is amazing, but Vazquez has 2 bad months, after being one of the best pitchers in baseball for 3 years, and everybody says the Dodgers were stupid for trying get him. At the same time Beltre and Drew had 5 medicore years, and then each has a monster year, and everybody is peeing down both legs to sign them. As far as Shawn Green, the sooner the Dodgers can get out from underneath him the better. He has has declined for 3 years, and the Dodgers are paying him $17 million a year. He is 32 now, so expect more of the same. He is a good player, but he is worth about $7,000,000 a year, not $17,000,000. That part of the deal made a lot of sense.
I am flabbergasted that Magglio Ordonez hasn't signed and no one is willing to step up with the guy. He is 1 year older than Drew, but compare the stats of Drew, Beltre and Ordonez for 1999-2003.
Beltre .266 BA, 18 HR, 73 RBI, .756 OPS
Drew .280 BA , 18 HR, 53 RBI, .867 OPS
Ordonez .312 BA , 32 HR, 118 RBI, .919 OPS
Ordonez is a flat out stud, but he hurt his knee last year, and now he is treated like a leper. Go figure? If Sexson and Glaus can get big deals after getting hurt why can Ordonez? If Drew, and Beltre can get monster long term deals after 5 mediocre seasons, why can't Ordonez get a big deal after 5 great years?
Beltran and Delgado are the 2 remaining big name FA. There is little doubt that Beltran will be a Yankee. Him making $16-17 million is reasonable. Oh the tax the Georgie Boy will be paying next year.
Talk is that the Sox are going after Delgado, and then moving Millar and Doug Mientkiewicz for additional pitching. That would be a very smart move.
