Best signings so far this off-season

by mtalken on Jan 16, 2008 5:03 PM EST

Seeing another bargain pitcher sign a one year deal (Jon Lieber with the Cubs for 3.5M), I thought "Wow! What a good deal, I'd have been stoked if the Cards got Lieber for 3.5M!" and thought to myself about what other signings so far this off season have just been really good signings.

So here's my list of the great signings (no trades, someone else can do that one, or you can just talk about that in the comments). Order is alphabetically, not based on any type of ranking. However, I did cut it off at what I thought were the 10 best deals that I remembered or found easily.

Milton Bradley - Rangers - 1yr/5.0M

A VEB favorite. We all would have loved to see Bradley, even as dysfunctional as he is, to be manning one of the corner outfield spots for 5M a year. Bradley adds a switch-hitting who had over a .900 OPS in 2007. He's a very good bat at this stage in his career and in hitter-friendly Texas, he could have another very good year with the bat. He would make more, but a combination of injuries and personality conflicts have kept him from ever achieving his financial potential.

Michael Barrett - Padres - 1yr/3.5M

Barrett had a crappy year last year, but 3.5M is a good amount to pay him hoping for him to rebound to his career average OPS of .748. .748 may not sound that great either, and it wouldn't be--if it were coming from a corner outfield position or 1st base. From the catcher spot, it's pretty solid.

Mike Cameron - Brewers - 1yr/7.0M

This is both a reasonable signing for dollars (afterall, fellow center fielders Rowand and Hunter cashed in for 5 year deals for being only marginally better by most stats) and it helps the Brewers. They can now move players all around the diamond, putting Hall back into the infield and getting Braun's abysmal glove into left. Good signing for the Crew.

Matt Clement - Cardinals - 1yr/1.5M

A bargain bin purchase and at 1.5M base, it's a very good deal. If he ends up sucking, they'll pay him very little. If he turns out to be better, he'll still end up with a bargain-type deal.

In my mind, Clement has always been underrated, going back to his time with the Cubs. Prior to his injury-riddled 2007, where he posted an ERA over 6 in about 60 innings, his career high in ERA was 5.14. In his three years in Chicago, he pitched like #2 guy, posting ERAs of 3.60, 4.11 and 3.68 and averaging over 190 innings over those three years.

Adam Everett - Twins - 1yr/2.8M

Another name mentioned a lot on VEB. At first glance, I saw this and thought, "Wow! Another bargain!" but I have to say I'm thinking more and more that this is about what Everett's worth. He's an excellent glove, but his career high in OPS is .702 and his average is .656. That's pretty bad. I'm leaving this on my list just for kicks, but I think I must have only seen games where Everett was good, because I thought he'd be a .700 average OPS kinda guy, and then, with his glove, this deal would be excellent.

Kosuke Fukudome - Cubs - 4yrs/48M

This signing may turn out to suck, but right now, I like it. I believe there was a posting fee on top of this contract, if I remember, but it's still a good deal. The Cubs will sell more jerseys in Japan, will probably sell more MLB-TV subscriptions to Japanese fans, and he's a left-handed bat who is supposedly at least decent defensively. Kosuke could be a great signing.

Jon Lieber - Cubs - 1rs/3.5M

God, I hate putting the Cubs on this list twice (of course, as a Cardinals fan, I've always hated them, but living near Rockford, IL and being exposed to them as much as I am, oh my god are they obnoxious!), however this was a great deal. Lieber's injury last season was a tendon in one of his legs and was a non-pitching related injury, so he should be fine to go. If he's league average, the Cubs win big on this deal, and speculation is that it opens up the possibility for the CUbs to trade Marshall in a deal for Brian Roberts, so it could have a domino effect for the Cubs.

Alex Rodriguez - Yankees - 10yrs/275M

The Yankees needed A-Rod and A-Rod needed the Yankees. They're the only ones who can afford him, but can you argue with what the Yankees are getting? Probably the overall best player in baseball and at worst, the 2nd best hitter in the game right now (arguably behind our own El Hombre), and he plays a tough position. In addition, this deal should keep him in Yankee pinstripes long enough for him to not only break Bonds' record (assuming he remains healthy), but for him to break a LOT of records and probably post 800+ homers

Carlos Silva - Mariners - 4yrs/48M

A sinker-baller with a low 4 career ERA in the AL going to Seattle. With another pitcher friendly park, Silva should continue being a better than league average pitcher. We all drool over Burnett at 11M a year now, I think Silva could be the same way in a few years. Oh yeah, he's also only 28 right now, so he's still got a chance to get better.

Josh Towers - Rockies - 1yr/400k

Not a great pitcher by any means. While his name was mentioned at lot here on VEB, he's actually pretty bad. A career ERA of 4.96 and last season at 5.38 are not really what you want to add to your rotation. However, he's only 2 years removed from a 3.71 ERA (in the AL East, no less), and at 400,000 a year, this is a no-risk, high-reward move. Even if he makes your rotation and sucks, he's the #5 guy, and everyone outside about 4 teams in baseball have crappy #5 starters. And oh yeah, those 4 teams pay their #5 guys a LOT MORE than 400k a year.

Anyway, there they are, in my opinion. The 10 best signings so far this season. Banter away, fellow VEBers :)

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Comments

Adam Everett

is something like a 4-5 win player after positional adjustments and defense. Yes he loses about 5-10 runs with the bat but he's that good of a defender at shortstop. That's my favorite contract of the entire offseason because the Twins got him for like 30 cents on the dollar.

by azruavatar on Jan 16, 2008 5:57 PM EST reply actions

I think the Padres belong on that list......

Randy Wolf for whatever it was and Mark Prior for $1 million plus incentitives.

I also think the Nats potentially came out on top with trades for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes.....they got loads of potential, and they gave up nothing they really needed for them. And they have had success getting something out of players that didn't previously perform.

I'm calling it right now, that the Mets will rue the day they ran Milledge out of town......

She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.

by jillsinmo on Jan 16, 2008 6:27 PM EST reply actions

Yes

Their signing Prior was a much better deal than Barrett, in my opinion. At best, Barrett is a good hitting catcher. At best, Prior is lights out.

On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Jan 16, 2008 9:59 PM EST up reply actions

I'm sorry,

but did you actually say that Sliva for 4/48 is a GOOD contract? Last time I checked, Carlos Silva is the epitomy of mediocrity.

sign someone GOOD this time!

by dunc4life on Jan 16, 2008 6:33 PM EST reply actions

Silva

Reasons why Silva for 4/48 is a good signing:

As a 28-year-old, he's at a better than .500 rating. We all drooled over the idea of Burnett several years back and he was straight .500 at the time. Silva is 55-46
He has a career ERA of 4.31 in the AL. When you correct for the change of leagues (I've done the math on this personally, the change in leagues is about a .42 ERA change), Silva would actually be a 3.89 ERA pitcher.
He eats innings. 180+ innings in 05 and 06, 200+ innings in 04 and 07. This combined with the ERA make him valuable.
He walks NO ONE. His average season he walks 30 batters, has ranked in the top 5 in BB/9 every year with the Twins, and in 2005 had the impressive total of 9 walks in close to 190 innings.
Once again, he's only 28 so far. He's about the enter, what for most pitchers it usually is, the prime years of his career.

Now, to be fair: I missed Andruw Jones and Mark Prior. While I think the Silva deal is a good deal, especially for a Mariners team that lacks rotation depth, the Silva deal probably doesn't make this list when Jones and Prior go on the list.

by mtalken on Jan 16, 2008 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

rebuttal

W/L record is meaningless when determining a pitcher's future performance or worth.
Last I checked Seattle and Minnesota are in the AL, so he is not changing leagues.
yes he can eat innings, it is his really only asset.
while he does have good control, he also doesn't miss bats either
I think i read a really good posting on USS mariner which discuss how his pitching style goes AGAINST the strength of the park he will be playing in. That blog is firmly AGAINST the signing of Silva.

by FunkeeC on Jan 17, 2008 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

Sort of...

People drooled all over Burnett b/c his stuff is absolutely devastating when he's healthy. There was NEVER a question about his talent.
Ok...So he's a mid-rotation starter. For 12 million per. For 4 more years.
See #2. Overpaying for "innings eating" isn't a very sound strategy. If you're going to overpay, you should do it for talented amateur players (where the absolute cost is less), or for elite-level talent, not fill-in "glue" players.
That is true, he's got great control. That is the major reason he's been successful over the course of his career IMO.
I would agree that the fact that he's entering his prime is generally an argument in his favor. However, he's basically reliant on throwing strikes and hoping it doesn't get smashed. This isn't something that tends to improve with age, it is just something you do. So he won't get THAT much better, prime or no. Given that he's completely reliant on his ability to spot his sinker where he wants it, anything that causes a loss of command will be the death knell of his career as an effective pitcher. He'll be a very VERY expensive version of Brad Thompson.

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 17, 2008 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

Rebuttal to both posts

1) W-L may not be as important as other stats, but I refuse to discount it. There is some level of psychology involved in being on the mound and knowing who's on the mound for the other team. You think a top-tier pitcher doesn't maybe push himself a little harder and try to focus a little harder when Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez is up against them, knowing they'd have to be perfect?

When that happens, one of two aspects come up, either they get better because they're more focused, or they get worse because they overthrow and it takes their movement off/they put balls in the middle of the plate. W-L on some level is a good stat. I do concede it's not as good as others, but what stats say he's a bad pitcher?

I acknowledge that he's not changing leagues. I was simply using that as an example since most of us, as Cardinals fans, are probably used to thinking of ERAs a little over 4 as not that great, but ERAs below 4 as being pretty good. I'm sorry I was unclear on that, but that was my intention.
I don't think he's just an innings-eater. He's an innings-eater that puts up better than league-average ERAs every year and doesn't walk anyone. He may pitch to contact, but the Cardinals with TLR and Duncan proved that if you have a good defense behind the pitchers (as they did have, especially from 2000-04) that pitching to contact can be very good. I believe Jeff Suppan is a similar pitcher, although an older and less talented version, and he got 4/44 or something like that last year, didn't he?
we seem to be in agreement here, so moving on.
very expensive version of Brad Thompson short-changes his ability. He's a better version of Brad Thompson who is getting paid at least somewhat proportionate to his abilities in comparison. As for your theory that he won't improve with age, I personally don't have the time or motivation to look up comparisons, but my guess is if you looked at control pitchers in their age 28-32 years (the years this contract will cover), I would bet they do improve, although I would also bet that, as you're implying, a power pitcher would probably have a greater improvement.

If either of you want to prove me wrong(and I say this sincerely--not trying to be a jerk at all) by looking up either numbers of control pitchers entering the middle part of their career, I'd be happy to read it. I just happen to have a grad class in an hour and am just home for a little bit between work and class to grab a bite and relax a moment. Sadly, there's no time to waste looking up stats.

by mtalken on Jan 17, 2008 5:16 PM EST up reply actions

Andruw Jones

This guy would have looked great in a Cards uniform and and the contract he got was very manageable. 2yr/36 mil. This guy had a terrible year last year but look at his prior seasons. His average season is about a .342 OBP 35 hrs and over 100 rbi's. Plus he plays a gold glove center field. He is exactly what the dodgers needed.

by stl3bagger on Jan 16, 2008 6:50 PM EST reply actions

Agreed

The shortness of this deal makes this a good deal for the Dodgers. 18 mil per is quite a bit, but he is an immediate boost to their team for next season.

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 16, 2008 8:24 PM EST up reply actions

Josh Fogg

Whoever signs Josh Fogg will be getting a great deal. He's the damn Dragonslayer! His presence intimidates NL aces to the point that they "lose" when he pitches. The man is so great that Joe Morgan once said "He's consistently consistent."

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 16, 2008 8:27 PM EST reply actions

'specially

if he signs with a team that has a serious dragon problem. He will slay them all.

Fame was like a drug, but what was even more like a drug were the drugs

by Alxfritz on Jan 16, 2008 8:31 PM EST up reply actions

LOL

Now that is funny.

by cardsgirl95 on Jan 17, 2008 12:18 AM EST up reply actions

Some More

Don't forget that Billy Beane wrote Moneyball, Derek Jeter is very clutch, Gary Sheffield's injury was the reason the Tigers didn't win the division, Dusty Baker is a great manager, and if you can't concetrate and be consistent you can't ever be good at baseball...ever.

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 17, 2008 8:51 AM EST up reply actions

Best signings

How about Jason Jennings signing with the Rangers for 1yr/4M thats a sweet deal for the Rangers I think....

by Calhoun on Jan 17, 2008 1:51 AM EST reply actions

Fukudome

No posting fee for him.

by mikedallas23 @ Viva El Birdos on Jan 17, 2008 4:52 AM EST reply actions

I know this is

the best signings but how about the worst deal of the offseason, Miguel Tejada. Kind of hard to play in the majors when congress takes away your green card and doesn't let back in the great USA. Maybe Toronto can use him for home games or Houston can move to Mexico. Talk about a gamble blowing up in your face BEFORE spring training, thats bad.

by That's a Winner on Jan 17, 2008 11:55 AM EST reply actions

Did I just post

Houston can move to Mexico, damm I trying to restart the Mexican/American war. That should have said the Astros can move to Mexico.
The Tijuana Astros, makes San Diego a 2 team market.

by That's a Winner on Jan 17, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

hah

Last year I taught a US HIstory class and when teaching the students about the Mexican/American War the kids seemed to be very amused when I pointed out that one of the major social issues to be dealt with now is massive amounts of people crossing the borders to look for greener pastures and the local authorities fear of those foreigners and resultant actions of arresting/deporting them, whereas one of the causal factors of the Mexican/American war was massive amounts of people crossing the borders to look for greener pastures and the local authories fear of those foreigners and resultant actions of arresting/deporting them.

Sometimes history repeats itself, but just decides to swap the names.

by mtalken on Jan 17, 2008 5:20 PM EST up reply actions