NAPLES, Fla. – It has so far been a tremendous offseason to be an agent, old or an Asian star.
The GM Meetings are traditionally the groundbreaking to the offseason. But what has been broken so far is not ground as much as restraint. The theme for this winter has been established and it starts with a dollar sign. As executives began returning home yesterday here are the messages they were sending to their franchises:
RBI PLUS ERA = AARP – At the rate we’re going, no one should be surprised to hear the Mets gave Julio Franco a five-year extension or that Bob Feller came out of retirement.
After all the well-researched data about how risky it is to invest in older players, many teams removed all age restrictions. Jamie Moyer (44), Orlando Hernandez (41) and Mike Mussina (38) have received two-year contracts. Greg Maddux (40) wants a two-year contract, and the Dodgers or Padres are likely to relent. Tom Glavine (40) is asking for just a one-year contract, but he could clearly get more. Teams are wondering if Roger Clemens (44) and David Wells (43) are retiring, and not for sentimental reasons.
And this is not limited to pitchers. Frank Thomas (38), who can draw walks, but can barely run due to devastated feet, received a two-year, $20 million-plus contract after being guaranteed just $500,000 last year. Barry Bonds (42), who has a lot more than age working against him, is being courted by multiple teams. The Tigers gave Gary Sheffield (38) a two-year, $28 million extension beyond the $15 million he is making this season to try and make a man who is never happy, happy. And there is a market for Luis Gonzalez (39) and Moises Alou (40).
IT IS NOT JUST OLD PLAYERS – The residents of the majors’ oldest stadiums, the Red Sox and Cubs, have broken out as the most aggressive teams, and in this market you spell that this way: aggre$$ive.
Remember when Boston president Larry Lucchino called the Yankees “the Evil Empire” after they signed Jose Contreras? Remember when Sox GM Theo Epstein, amid the Yanks sweeping five games last August in Fenway, stated Boston could not play in the same financial environment as their bitter Rival? Well, forget all of that. Boston did not make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and Red Sox Nation – apparently including a large push from the team’s network, NESN – has spurred the team to pay for that mistake. And pay and pay.
At $51.1 million, the Sox won the bidding rights to Daisuke Matsuzaka and now they have to sign him. The total outlay could exceed $100 million. Boston also is pursuing J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo and a closer while again contemplating whether to deal Manny Ramirez. The Cubs have reacted to the NL’s worst record by hiring Lou Piniella, re-signing Aramis Ramirez, Henry Blanco and Kerry Wood, and signing Mark DeRosa while weighing in on several more free agents, including Alfonso Soriano.