Mlb: More Deals Go Down as Meetings Close
Baseball’s second season continues to see strong activity even after the winter meetings came to a close on Thursday. Several relievers, a starter, and a well-known slugger cashed in on new contracts.
We’ll begin with the slugger. Barry Bonds finally came to an agreement with the San Francisco Giants on a one year contract worth $16 million. The price is high, but the Giants had to make this deal. Bonds is still the marquee player in the Giants organization, and he’s still beloved by San Francisco fans. Had the Giants not signed him, it would’ve been something of a slap in the face to what Bonds has done for the team over the past 14 seasons. Nonetheless, if his bum knee heals some over the break, Barry will remain a force at the plate. He will never be a great fielder again, but he can still hit the ball hard, and is almost certain to take over the lead in career home runs. Say what you want about him, but Bonds can still deliver.
The Yankees have tapped pitcher Andy Pettitte for return, to the tune of $16 million this season. The team has a 2008 option, also at $16 million. At first, the deal seemed laughable, but after further thought, it’s not that bad. Pettitte played hurt last season, and traded good outings and bad outings, ending with a 14-13 record and an ERA over 4.00 for the Astros. If he can rebound even modestly for the Yankees, their juggernaut offense should help him reach 15 wins. While the Yankees certainly overpaid, it’s only a one year deal, and if Pettitte pitches well, it can be considered money well spent.
Several relievers have signed deals, the most notable being Octavio Dotel reaching a preliminary agreement with the Kansas City Royals on a one year contract with a $2.5 million base and an additional $2.5 million available in bonuses based on how many games he finishes. The bonus pretty much reveals that Dotel will be the first choice as Royals closer, as they just recently traded reliever Ambiroix Burgos to the Mets. The deal is contingent on Dotel passing a physical, and while it’s not a bad signing in principle, it is for the Royals. They’re obviously not going to contend this year, so why pay for saves at this point? They would’ve been better off keeping that money for now (or addressing other needs), and seeing if Joe Nelson could handle the job full time.
Other relievers signed include the White Sox retaining Mike MacDougal to a nifty three year deal worth close to $6.5 million. The deal includes a $3.75 million option for 2010. This is a fine signing by the White Sox, as MacDougal is quickly becoming one of the best relievers in the American League.
Another good deal is the Giants bringing back Steve Kline for 2 years at $3.5 million. For as old as they are in the field, the Giants are putting together a decent pitching staff and should be able to contend in the NL West for at least the first half of the 2007 season.
The Colorado Rockies have signed LaTroy Hawkins to a one year deal worth $3.5 million, which includes a mutual option for 2008. This deal is not so good, as $3.5 million is very pricy for a reliever who has proven more than once that he cannot close. He’ll be decent as Brian Fuentes’ set up man, but he’s not worth this contract.
So far, the biggest prizes of the offseason, pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Barry Zito, remain on the market. As soon as news breaks on them or any other notable free agents, we’ll cover it, right here at To the Point and Back!
About the Author
Author Robert Griggs is an avid follower of baseball. He is a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan so you can be sure to see many articles like this one in the future. Mr. Griggs currently writes for the commentary website: http://www.tothepointandback.com. If you would like to check out more of his works, feel free to do so.
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