Yanks get Mo's successor

Friedman was already working for Bear Stearns just out of college. He's a very bright guy who gave up a career in investment banking to help lead a brutal horseshit franchise.

If you have a personal axe to grind, understood. But you don't get named Executive of the Year at 32 because you're dim.

 

I'm unclear what this means for Joba. When he takes the mound, will the cheers for him still rise and roar like a yearning?

 

Andrew's a nice enough guy. I like him just fine.

Trust me, the people there that I have an axe to grind with are almost all gone.

Stuart was able to place both Matt & Andrew in the Rays front office before he took overall control. Andrew worked under Chuck.

But to act like Andrew's some "boy genius" as the Amazon product description describes him is a stretching of the truth.

And, they wouldn't need Jerry Hunsicker if it were true.

It's not some terrible criticism. A lot of smart people wouldn't be qualified to run the baseball opps of an MLB team. And, Andrew isn't either, and he wouldn't be except for his friendship with Matt.

 

You don't have to come down from an ivory tower to be GM of the Yankees and Red Sox and do any creative thinking, at least in regard to finance.

The Rays' financial distress and success in a hypercompetitive environment says enough. The 2008 payroll was a third of Boston's. The 2010 payroll was a third of the Yankees' payroll.

 

The Orioles and Pirates disagree

 

Pena is a junk bond originally brought in on a minor-league contract. Benoit a non-roster invitee. You can see that Scott Kazmir pretty much has nothing left. Crawford is one serious injury below the waist from losing most of his value.

They dumped these guys at the right time, or thanked them and told them they're free to go, knowing they have something better on the farm or in the draft.

The worst move this management group has made was Pat Burrell.

 

Lots of players are an injury away from losing most of their value. That is a very week argument. It's not like Crawford has been hurt a lot.

They lost their best outfielder, right there with Longoria as their best hitter. They lost an elite closer. They lost a first baseman who, for all his flaws, provided power and excellent defense. They are replacing all three with unproven commodities.

The difference between the Rays and teams like the Red Sox and Yankees is that Boston and New York would be able to work those unproven commodities in slowly while still winning with proven guys like Crawford, Soriano and Pena.

 

I know, every argument but your own is weak.

His value can be described as almost entirely speed-based, unless he's one of those mutations who goes from a speed guy to a power hitter in his 30s.

Without his wheels, his contract is more absurd than it already is.

He has a different body comp than Otis Nixon and Kenny Lofton, and a lower body injury could be more costly to a player like that. Once Griffey Jr. ripped his hammy, his value was halved.

 

This kills me in my fantasy keeper league.

Ha ha. Just kidding. <Crossthread>

... Really though. Damn it.

 

No, it is just your argument in this case that is a weak one. Sure, an injury or injuries could hurt his value. They could hurt any player's value. But he has been relatively durable, so there is no reason to assume that he will break down.

It is like saying the Phillies shouldn't have signed Cliff Lee because he could get hurt. Sure, it is possible, but there is a risk of injury in signing any player to a long-term deal.

Did the Red Sox pay too much for a guy whose game will diminish when he loses a step? Sure. But that doesn't mean that losing him now isn't a very real blow to the Rays.

 

I don't think you can look at it that way.

The Rays built their roster differently, not better.

The Yankees & Redsox are under pressure to win and/or compete for a championship every year. They are willing to spend more to do so and will take on expensive salaries in trades and will sign expensive free agents.

The Rays, built through the draft and from the scrap pile.

But, they didn't find and develop a ton of "diamonds in the rough". Most of their top players were also top draft choices that highly rated by all teams. And, they mostly drafted college players who were further developed than high school kids.

Their payroll was only low because their best players had yet to reach the free agency phase of their careers.

Pena is about the only major contributor who exceeded expectations. But this wasn't some genius signing. This was a scrap heap signing that they got lucky with. If anyone in the Rays organization tells you that they expected his production to be what it was, their lying.

He wasn't even a junk bond. Junk bonds promise a high yield of return. The risk is default. Pena was a far out of the money call option that far exceeded the strike price.

They got lucky.

When they start developing stars from deep in the draft, or from the rule 5 draft, or by signing minor league free agents that others didn't see the value in, then I'll give their front office a lot more credit.

Guys like Crawford, Longoria, Price, etc. were all predicted to be top players.