One Man's Take on Recent High Dollar Free Agents

[Willrust]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20130507/free-agents-josh-hamilton-bj-upton/index.html

Don't know if I fully trust the opinion of Tom Verducci, but he does make some interesting points.

 

[justaChifan]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20130507/free-agents-josh-hamilton-bj-upton/index.html

Don't know if I fully trust the opinion of Tom Verducci, but he does make some interesting points.

So far they swung and missed. You have to wait for the contract to play out. At least they tried?

 

[Boobaby1]

So far they swung and missed. You have to wait for the contract to play out. At least they tried?

Agreed. Never fault a team for trying.

 

[CSF77]

Teams have to find that balance of cheaper farm grown talent and proven talent acquired via F/A or trade. The worst situation to be in is no financial flexablity. Cubs were locked into no trade clauses and no quality talent upwelling. They have gone on the flip side of the coin but right now they could spend to make a winner if they chose to (vs spending on trade chips). They are in a better situation or an easier way to put it, can toss cash to fix the problem now vs over extended by the Tribune company to upsale to Zell.

 

[Mr. Cub]

Same with the Angels. they are doing worse than we are right now.

 

[CSF77]

Same with the Angels. they are doing worse than we are right now.

They have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Their main problem is they dumped resource into the line up while sacrificing talent on the rotation. They could fix their short term problem by trading Mark Trumbo for a starter.

Long term they are going to be weighed down like the Yanks except they don't have the Yank's resources.

 

[Mr. Cub]

They have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Their main problem is they dumped resource into the line up while sacrificing talent on the rotation. They could fix their short term problem by trading Mark Trumbo for a starter.

Long term they are going to be weighed down like the Yanks except they don't have the Yank's resources.

Yeah, I don't know too much about their farm, even though I will probably hit up a few Bee's games this year. One in a few weeks even. Looking forward to when Iowa comes to town, closest I will probably ever get to a Cubs game haha

 

[KBisBack!]

They have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Their main problem is they dumped resource into the line up while sacrificing talent on the rotation. They could fix their short term problem by trading Mark Trumbo for a starter.

Long term they are going to be weighed down like the Yanks except they don't have the Yank's resources.

They currently have one of the 'worst' farm systems in baseball because they just produced Mike Trout.

They were about middle of the pack last year when Trout was still in the system. That is one reason that it is misleading to place too much faith in the 'rankings' of farm systems because it really is just guess work.

One of our 'experts' around here liked to puff out his chest about how 'bad' the Red Sox farm system was at the time Theo took over the Red Sox based on nothing more than the rankings. After the facts of all the prospects that were in the system at the time and you could see the true amount of quality that produced from that 'bad' farm system, we haven't heard another word about it.

And no the Angels don't have the Yankees resources. No team does, but they still have a considerable amount of resources and a considerable amount of talent in the organization.

Their current record might be worse than the Cubs, but I would trade places with them in a second and anyone who wouldn't is just plain dumb.

 

[Willrust]

Looking at the Angel's payroll and the production on the field... They could be in serious trouble. Their payroll (according to cots baseball contracts) is nearly 140M this year, is already over 130M for next year, has 96M tied into 5 players for 2015, has 96M tied into 4 players in 2016, will be pressured to extend contracts to Trumbo & Trout, not to mention the issues with the starting rotation and bullpen. I said it not long ago, Pujols is looking old! How many years are left on that contract?

KB, much like your theory of farm system rankings, there is also this perception that if a team has a high payroll, they are expected to win. And not just win, but win in the playoffs. It isn't always true that the highest payroll teams are guaranteed to win (in the playoffs), the Angels & Red Sox from last year are certainly proved that. However, if the Angels continue to lose out to their division rival Athletics, who's payroll is about a third of their own, heads will be rolling in the Angels organization.

So to answer your statement, if I were the Manager or GM of the Angels, I think I would rather be in the Cubs position.

 

[Chris J]

They currently have one of the 'worst' farm systems in baseball because they just produced Mike Trout.

They were about middle of the pack last year when Trout was still in the system. That is one reason that it is misleading to place too much faith in the 'rankings' of farm systems because it really is just guess work.

One of our 'experts' around here liked to puff out his chest about how 'bad' the Red Sox farm system was at the time Theo took over the Red Sox based on nothing more than the rankings. After the facts of all the prospects that were in the system at the time and you could see the true amount of quality that produced from that 'bad' farm system, we haven't heard another word about it.

And no the Angels don't have the Yankees resources. No team does, but they still have a considerable amount of resources and a considerable amount of talent in the organization.

Their current record might be worse than the Cubs, but I would trade places with them in a second and anyone who wouldn't is just plain dumb.

Guess im dumb. I dont really want 400 million locked up on two players for the next ten years. Two players doesnt win a championship

 

[KBisBack!]

So to answer your statement, if I were the Manager or GM of the Angels, I think I would rather be in the Cubs position.

LOL!!

Dumb.

You don't think if the Cubs continue to lose 100 games heads will roll?

Actually, probably not because having Theo and Co around is enough to fool the sheep that the Cubs are somehow trying and will allow Ricketts to make hundreds of millions more before having to actually do anything to field a decent team.

 

[KBisBack!]

Guess im dumb. I dont really want 400 million locked up on two players for the next ten years. Two players doesnt win a championship

A top 15 farm system doesn't win a championship either.

 

[KBisBack!]

What is this even supposed to mean? Angels had a middle of the pack farm system when Trout was in it...Trout enters the majors and becomes arguably the best player in the MLB, Angels farm system goes from middle of the pack to one of the worst....AND? What is misleading about it? Wouldn't it have been misleading if the Angles went from middle of the pack to one of the top farm systems after Trout left?

It would be more accurate statement of the Angels farm system being the 'worst' in the majors if they hadn't just produced, arguably one of the five best players in baseball.

This change in the rankings totally ignores the fact it just produced one of the best players in the game. Yes that matters and it matters a lot, but does not stop people who can only think in terms of ranking of saying the Angels are the worst farm system in the league.

No farm system that is the 'worst' produces a player the caliber of Mike Trout the previous season.

I will take the 'worst' farm system in baseball that just produced a Mike Trout over a #12 ranked farm system with three top #100 prospects who have done zip at the major league level.

 

[mountsalami]

Guess im dumb. I dont really want 400 million locked up on two players for the next ten years. Two players doesnt win a championship

No. You are much worse than dumb.

But gee whizz Private Pyle.....

I guess they couldn't get a thing for Albert, CJ Wilson, or Hamilton, if they wanted to receive prospects in a trade, because they are just too expensive. Right ?

 

[mountsalami]

Where's Hemmoriodys Vizcaino ?

 

[dabynsky]

Where's Hemmoriodys Vizcaino ?

Rehabbing in Mesa. Probably see him back around the same time as Baker, he actually had TJS a couple weeks before Baker did last year.

 

[mountsalami]

Rehabbing in Mesa. Probably see him back around the same time as Baker, he actually had TJS a couple weeks before Baker did last year.

Thanks Dab. I knew that my friend.

Was only demonstrating what "great" prospects are received for ML players. Some of the boys from CBS had their little peckers at full mast when the trade happened.

 

[nwfisch]

No. You are much worse than dumb.

But gee whizz Private Pyle.....

I guess they couldn't get a thing for Albert, CJ Wilson, or Hamilton, if they wanted to receive prospects in a trade, because they are just too expensive. Right ?

They wouldn't get diddly poo for those guys without paying more than 50% of their contract.

 

[dabynsky]

Thanks Dab. I knew that my friend.

Was only demonstarting what "great" prospects are received for ML players. Some of the boys from CBS had their little peckers at full mast when the trade happened.

I like Vizcaino a fair bit myself. We haven't had an arm as live as his in the system for the better part of a decade now. Huge question marks are attached to that live arm, and that is why the Cubs got him for Maholm.

I kind of thought that you might be trolling with the comment, but just a topic I like to talk about at this point.

 

[mountsalami]

They wouldn't get diddly poo for those guys without paying more than 50% of their contract.

You are more than likely correct. But I think you get my point that's it's not all over with because the team tried.

Someone will obviously pay dearly for each of those guys if they feel it gets them over the top. History shows just that and normally includes top prospects to obtain.