In Jeff's absence I figured the LL scrubs (just think of me as the LL Willie wannabe) should acknowledge this bit of Mariners good fortune: Zito to Giants. ESPN says 7 years, $18 million average, with an option for the 8th year at another $18 million. (As if whoever is holding the contract after the 2013 season is actually going to exercise that option.)
If you are a Mariners fan the only thing that would have been better is for an addled AL West rival to have saddled themselves with that contract.
Oh, and since the Giants are in the NL West, I guess this benefits our hated and despised interleague rivals the - uhhhh uhhh, oh yeah - the Padres.
0 recs | 81 comments
Welcome back to the blogosphere!
Do you think that when Jeff gets back you may start the Wheelhouse up again?Corco - December 28, 2006
And Willie's Slugging % just droped
even more for next yearScruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
Probably more like...
Sabean runs willingly into wheat combine, saves Mariners.IIRC, the Rangers line was like 70 million and the rumored Mets line was something like 75 million.
Sabean probably got itchy, heard about the M's and wanted to fold up Zito, so he threw a huge gob of money at him.
IcebreakerX - December 28, 2006
This made my day!
tmoney96 - December 28, 2006
Seems like 1 & 2 contradict one another.
Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
Not really
I think the post refers to the concept that Zito isn't bad (thus a weaker staff by a middling amount); just not worth that sort of ridiculous money. And definately not for that length in years.manifestus - December 28, 2006
You know what's really weird
I actually dreamed this happened last night. Exact details too, 7Y/18M perThen again, it may have been percolation from my radio which was on.
Matthew - December 28, 2006
I'm glad I get beat by someone
For sheer baseball nerdiness.Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
I was really happy too
alas, even if my dreams, the Ms aren't competent and they then went out and traded Feierabend, Broussard, and Reed for a middling relief pitcher.Matthew - December 28, 2006
Pokey Reese once stole my laptop
Scruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
and I have had dreams of just blogging
on this siteScruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
Are you sure you were dreaming?
Or was it just a drunken haze?Phil Hatzenbuehler - December 28, 2006
He called me a bitch once :(
I'm still sad about that, Scruffy...Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
Hehe
Sorry about that. I still think that was suppose to be directed to the guy you were replying to. Dam nested comments"I could go buck family is up and I need tosee them"
Anyone know what I was trying to say there?
Scruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
Translation:
You wanted to stay online posted drunken ramblings on LL, but you couldn't since your family was around and you had to hang out with them.Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
I think it was my family was up to visit
so I couldn't goto LL nightScruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
I think I remember
You telling us about that. Amusing.Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
With how much time I spend on this site
I feel like I need to invite you guys to my wedding when I get married. That or open up Game thread for my wedding.Scruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
Wedding invite
Does that invite include Corco, too??Steve Nelson - December 28, 2006
Imagine the pictures we'd come up with...
Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
Unfortuntley
for Corco there would be no alcoholScruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
I hope it doesn't have something to do with
a cockpunch :)Scruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
and by that I mean the pictures
Scruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
A Rally Bride would be hilarious
Your wife replaces the dinosaur, you switch for Carl (not that I mean anything bad by that). I'd laugh for at least 5 minutes over that.Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
I'm laughing now about that
The bride doing the Dino dance in the wedding dressScruffy Lefty - December 28, 2006
Rally Bride
Put it together and we can make it a present to Jeff when he returns.Steve Nelson - December 28, 2006
Before Jerry says it:
We didn't lose a draft pick either.This is a amazing contract. We might have to redo some of that GM ranking we just did and push the Giants a few slots lower.
Edgar for Pres - December 28, 2006
I'd really do things by tiers
Rather than rankings. There's not a hell of a lot that distinguishes the Sabeans and Hendrys of the world from one another, after all.Graham MacAree - December 28, 2006
Yeah tiers make more sense
because on any given day a bad GM can make a bad decision and you can't rank them because they are all roughly equally bad. I'd say 3 tiers: 25% in the top, 50% in the middle, and 25% in the bottom would probably work fine.Edgar for Pres - December 28, 2006
I agree
This off-season has driven many of us to tiers.Steve Nelson - December 28, 2006
Har har.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - December 28, 2006
*rimshot*
anyone........bueller?Christian - December 28, 2006
wow - i guess my xmas present came a few days late
but it sure as hell was worth it.switch11 - December 28, 2006
18 million per year
...for seven years? That's incredible. What is their overrall payroll? This contract would seem a bit much even after his Cy Young season. To me, anyways... :Dspittle8 - December 28, 2006
Thank you Brian Sabean
for proving that there are bigger idiots out there than Bill Bavasi.Goose - December 28, 2006
WHY!
Why couldn't this be the Rangers! I was soo hoping to see texas take on this contract.mark s @ Lookout Landing - December 28, 2006
Man, can you imagine how much dough it is gonna
take to sign Felix to a long term contract if he realizes his full potential?I can see it now.
December 9th, 2010
Mariners sign Ace to biggest contract in franchise history.
SEATTLE(AP)- The Seattle Mariners announced today the signing of the biggest contract in club history as they signed RHP Felix Hernandez to a 12 year, $286 million contract.
Goose - December 28, 2006
You got the terms right,
but the team wrong. It will more likely say, BoSox sign Mariner's Ace Felix Hernandez to a 12 year, $286 million contract. :(But we'll be happy because at least we didn't overspend and hogtie the organization. ;)
johnbai - December 28, 2006
Bah, don't even say that.
I refuse to acknowledge any scenario that has Felix playing for any team that isn't the Mariners.Besides, if he becomes the pitcher we all think he can be, then he is the type of player that you pay out the ass for.
Goose - December 28, 2006
But oh...
What if something happened and Felix weren't able to pitch at that level?!:P
IcebreakerX - December 28, 2006
But Brandon Morrow in 2010
gets a 5 year, $50 million extension with the M's after an 8-14, 5.17 ERA injury-plagued rookie season, since the organization knows he's probably not too far from putting it all together.Gomez - December 28, 2006
Morrow won't reach the majors for 4 years?
Mariner John - December 28, 2006
You never know :P
Gomez - December 28, 2006
Question
I'm wondering how bad can this possibly be?With no injurys, how many runs over replacement will Zito be in years 5,6,7?
mark s @ Lookout Landing - December 28, 2006
Good fit for Zito
and another display of fiscal and team-building stupidity by Sabean. Remember that he was willing to throw top dollar at Matthews Jr and Pierre before losing them.I assert that Zito's best shot at maintaining long term credibility is going to be in the weaker NL, and the Giants give him a chance to stay on the West Coast while letting him pitch home games in the balmy, sometimes blustery and cold conditions of the Bay Area that facilitates pitcher success. This is a good fit for him, and I'm just glad he didn't sign with a division rival.
Plus, it means instead of seeing him, we get to see some pile of crap like Chad Gaudin when the M's play the A's.
And best of all... the M's didn't waste a ton of payroll on a player who didn't justify it.
Gomez - December 28, 2006
I'm bored so...
Happy Birthday Richie Sexsonand
I was really bored and doing random internet stuff. I was looking at the Mariners Housewife blog and it isn't that bad. I was expecting garbage but its not bad. I won't read it often but I guess I was expecting much less.
Edgar for Pres - December 28, 2006
Did you expect
posts lauding Bloomquist and Dobbs?Mariner John - December 28, 2006
Yeah
I did.Edgar for Pres - December 28, 2006
Eh?
Moira doesn't write often, but she has a bazillion more readers than I do, which makes me wonder if I should have sold out to the P-I too and called my blog something like "Baseball Chick", rather than trying to write interesting and wacky stuff daily with less focus on the "look, I'm a girl who blogs about baseball" aspect.I'm really torn right now even, because I promised Jeff I'd try to write something here while he's gone, but there's just nothing in my writing queue that seems LL-appropriate. You guys don't want song lyrics or Japanese news translations or photos or book reviews here, right? Didn't think so.
Deanna - December 29, 2006
Not so.
Do it, Deanna :DGraham MacAree - December 29, 2006
Write what you want!
You are a guest writer. You have freedom. No expectations. If people don't like it they will just check back in 3 weeks.Peen - December 29, 2006
Guest writers
are like substitute teachers.So long as Graham and I don't get in a fight and burn the school down, you did a crack job!
johnbai - December 29, 2006
I should really stop letting you annoy me, huh?
Graham MacAree - December 29, 2006
I propose that from now on...
We be best friends.Unless Scruffy Lefty or Gomez is already your best friend. :(
johnbai - December 29, 2006
I haven't been bought ERRR befriended yet
Gomez - December 30, 2006
I called him a bitch once
on accident so I think I am on the outs with him :)Scruffy Lefty - December 30, 2006
I'm gonna go with Jeff
By the time he gets back he won't be able to find this post to dispute it. Mwahahahaha!Graham MacAree - December 30, 2006
playing the games
Its almost as if at the beginning of each series that the owners meet at the mound and compare each otherś P&L to see who's the winner.The roster is like a bag of elbows and doorknobs and its hard to see how they'll score more runs this year than last and the pitching is not better in either the rotation or the pen.
Why should anyone care that they didn´t execute a bad contract, when all it means is that Howard preserves his bonus and the team is again in last place? I'd rather have George Steinbrenner than these parasites.
When Bavasi and Hargrove are fired, do you honestly think that anyone that is not desparate, will try for or get one of those jobs?
TerryBenish - December 29, 2006
Wrong
Offense better, rotation better. Substantially so.Graham MacAree - December 29, 2006
Don't agree, but
seriously try and explain the bag of elbows and doorknobs analogy please.I am intrigued.
Christian - December 29, 2006
No offense to him
but that sounds like something Mike "HatGuy" Celizic would say.Mariner John - December 29, 2006
Bwahaha
Goose - December 29, 2006
Bag of elbows and doorknobs...
Worst. trick-or-treat night. Ever.pdb - December 29, 2006
elbows and doorknobs
For those who've not repaired or built homes, elbows are plumbing joints, door knobs are, well door knobs.A bag of them is large and noisy, but together, there is little that you can do with them that is useful.
Guillen is coming off of a signficant surgery, we'll see how he performs and if this team jumps from being second to last in runs scored in the league. I see the same damn team without the only guy who consistently could get on bag in Snelling.
Batista and Ramirez may not combine for as many innings as Meche and Pineiro as pathetic as that sounds. Back to our number two starter, does anyone think that he'd be in baseball still if Bavasi had not offered him his current deal?
TerryBenish - December 30, 2006
You're missing the point
Guillen > Reed, Vidro > Everett, Felix '07 > Felix '06, Batista > Meche, Ramirez > Pineiro.This is a better team than last year's.
Granted, we didn't have to -do- anything to make it better than last year's, but that's a whole other bag of kittens.
Graham MacAree - December 30, 2006
A bag of kittens
that sounds messy.Mariner John - December 30, 2006
Pineiro was so bad
We probably could have saved 15 runs over the course of the season if he would have gotten hurt. That probably would have made us finish 3rd in the AL West.Edgar for Pres - December 30, 2006
Agree
There is bad, there is terrible, and then there is Joel Pineiro. Other fans cannot fathom how truly awful he was. He makes Ken Cloude look like AJ Burnett.Gomez - December 30, 2006
Missing the Point
Guillen > Reed, Vidro > Everett, Felix '07 > Felix '06, Batista > Meche, Ramirez > PineiroGuillen > Reed...lets see if he can throw the ball to the second baseman first and even gets on the field.
Vidro>Everett...Difficult spot to be in to offer praise of Everett, so I won't. Jose Vidro has seen his offensive value decline six straight years. Seven homeruns in 504 plate appearances. He's hurt too, bad knees, can't run, can't drive the ball any more. You better hope they don't dump Broussard for another aging veteran to replace this latest version of Scott Speizio.
Felix '07 > Felix '06... Felix 06< Felix 05...Which is the current trend? We all know how hard he's working this off-season and the Ms do such a wonderful job teaching young pitchers correct mechanics. Yep, that's a sure thing.
Batista > Meche Meche was gutless and laden with bad mechanics too, but why do you think this guy is any good at all? He gives up a lot of hits, he walks a lot of guys. He's going to get lit up in the AL like an M-80. I believe his birth date, too.
Ramirez > Pineiro...maybe, but the likelihood of him getting 30 starts has got to miniscule. When he is in there he gives up a lot of hits and homeruns.
They're going to be behind in games a lot and they've got a very low team onbag, which doesn't do well for catching up in games. This is much more like the 04 team, than not. I would not make any post-season plans just yet.
TerryBenish - December 31, 2006
Like I said before
Pineiro was so bad that it doesn't matter if Ramirez gets hurt halfway through the season because a AAA starter could post a better ERA.Meche's best recent year was still a below average year for a SP. Batista has consistantly been a better pitcher. Meche has a much higher risk for injury in my
There is no doubt in my mind that Felix will improve next year if he stays healthy again. I think it would be exceedingly difficult to make a case otherwise.
Guillen>Reed because Reed can't hit. When Carl Everett is a better hitter than you, there is some soul searching that needs to be done. Guillen was a plus fielder when healthy. It might take him a little while to get healthy but by the ASB he should be back to 100%.
I don't know how you compare this team to 04. That is irrational. I will not respond to that.
Edgar for Pres - December 31, 2006
Wow
you really don't think that Felix will be any better this year? You think 2005 is as good as it gets and that 2006 won't be topped either?Mariner John - December 31, 2006
Because I am right
And you are wrong?Graham MacAree - January 1, 2007
LOL pessimism vs optimism
Honestly, the truth's probably somewhere in the middle.Gomez - January 1, 2007
Also
You've missed the point again."I would not make any post-season plans just yet."
Uh, I'm not sure how often you read LL, but it can't be very much if you're accusing me of calling the '07 Mariners a playoff team.
Graham MacAree - January 1, 2007
Missing the Point
Well jump over to USS Mariner and read Derek's remarks to see IF I've missed the point...TerryBenish - January 2, 2007
Meche bashing
I admit to bias, since I started liking Gil when I first heard his name and thought of Gilgamesh... but the M's would have been far worse last year without him. He just wasn't the consistent stud that we all wish he would be. I don't believe he was "below league average." I also dont think KC overpaid (given general market trends concerning the value of FA SPs.)I'll be VERY pleasantly surprised if Batista puts up better numbers than Gil next year.
johnbai - January 1, 2007
You need to remembe he is pitching
in safeco and it shouldn't be too hard if you are actually talented. Meche could be useful but for the price I'd rather have Batista. I think Batista has a good chance to do better than Meche next year.Edgar for Pres - January 1, 2007
Meche vs Batista
Adjusting for park effects and team defense, Meche and Batista have the following lines for the last three years: Batista has been the better pitcher for the last three years, and he'll probably be a better pitcher in 2007 as well. (Actually Batista was better in 2003 as well, but I throw that year out because that was Meche's first year back.)Replacing Meche with Batista is an upgrade in the rotation.
Steve Nelson - January 1, 2007
Batista is also more durable
Matthew - January 1, 2007
Numbers that matter
IP, GB%, K/G, BB/G (no park/league adjustments yet)Meche '06: 186.7, 43.1%, 7.4, 4.0
Batista '06: 206.3, 51.7%, 4.7, 3.6
They look reasonably comparable until you realise that Batista was playing in whather they're calling the Bandbox formerly known as Bank One Ballpark these days in front of a defense that wasn't exactly spectacular.
I suppose if you wanted to make an argument that Meche is somehow better than Batista you'd have to overvalue strikeouts and overstate a league translation, but otherwise... no.
Graham MacAree - January 2, 2007
Plus
I'd say the difference in Ks is nearly negated by GB%.Mariner John - January 2, 2007
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