Griffin: Ash’s ideas a solid start to fixing flaws

We’re not selling GordAsh jeans here!

One of the big proponents of draft change, dating back to when he was GM of the Jays, is Milwaukee Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash, who lists three prime areas to address to salvage the draft long-term:

Reduction from 50 rounds to 25

“I can see where maybe you might want to graduate to that, cut it to 40, then to 30, then to 25,” Ash said. “I know other sports don’t have the minor-league systems that we have, but God Almighty, 50 rounds? It just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Draft to include internationals

“Even though the last couple of big international signings have been by smaller-market clubs, traditionally speaking we have not been available to avail ourselves of that level of talent,” Ash said. “The Brewers have focused pretty solely on the draft and have done pretty well. We don’t even look at Chapman because we can’t even go there (financially).

“Some people talk about having a parallel international draft, but then you’re creating two No. 1 overall picks and I’m not sure you want to be doing that. The side benefit (with a universal draft) to me is that some of the players that get over-drafted in the U.S. and Canada might go down a little bit.

“By and large, most of the Latin-American guys are moderately priced guys. I don’t think that’s an issue there. There’s all kinds of abuse and it’s getting worse. They are now into the point of doing DNA testing. It’s more because they just can’t prove identity and age. Even official records are available for a price and they’re starting to find that out now.”

ALOMAR ELECTED TO HOF….

...Of Canada.

Keith Law: Top 100 prospects

NO.  PLAYER
1 Jason Heyward, OF, ATL
2 Stephen Strasburg, RHP, WAS
3 Carlos Santana, C, CLE
4 Buster Posey, C, SFO
5 Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
6 Desmond Jennings, OF, TAM
7 Martin Perez, LHP, TEX
8 Dustin Ackley, CF, SEA
9 Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX
10 Jesus Montero, C, NYY
11 Brian Matusz, LHP, BAL
12 Starlin Castro, SS, CHC
13 Neftali Feliz, RHP, TEX
14 Domonic Brown, RF, PHI
15 Wade Davis, RHP, TAM
16 Aroldis Chapman, LHP, CIN
17 Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, TAM
18 Casey Kelly, RHP, BOS
19 Aaron Hicks, RHP, MIN
20 Brett Wallace, 1B, TOR
21 Logan Morrison, 1B, FLA
22 Tyler Matzek, LHP, COL
23 Jenrry Mejia, RHP, NYM
24 Michael Taylor, OF, OAK
25 Zach Britton, LHP, BAL

Scouting reports for the top 25 should be free, I think.

Anthopoulos initiates plan to revive Jays

Ten years ago, a 23-year-old from Montreal approached veteran scout Mike Toomey at an Expos game at Olympic Stadium. “Mr. Toomey,’’ the 23-year-old said, “my name is Alex Anthopoulos. I want to learn everything I can about scouting. Can you please help me?’’ Anthopoulos watched a few games with Toomey, who bought him a book on scouting called “Dollar Sign on the Muscle” and signed it, knowing, “There is something about this kid.’’

Now, Anthopoulos, 32, is the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. And, with the support of club president Paul Beeston and assistant GM Tony LaCava, Anthopoulos is attempting to rebuild the Blue Jays through scouting and player development, a plan many teams claim to employ but on which they rarely follow through. The Blue Jays are completely committed, much like they are committed to Anthopoulos.

Globe & Mail: Writer Paul Quarrington dies of cancer

The death of eminent Canadian sport novelist Paul Quarrington may be of (sad) interest to Primate fans of baseball fiction.  (And The Continental Drift and The Mudwrestlers will certainly be of interest to Repoz.) Quarrington’s latest band was Pork Belly Futures.  I was lucky enough to hear him read and sing last summer in London, Ontario.  He was a very engaging performer, and a very prolific writer.

Before he started writing novels, he toured as a guitarist and vocalist with Joe Hall and The Continental Drift.

For a brief time in the early 1990s he also fronted another band, The Mudwrestlers [...] It was while he was touring with Hall, staying in hotel rooms that, he later recalled, “cost about a quarter a night,” that Quarrington started writing seriously, on an old second-hand portable typewriter. His second novel, Home Game, about baseball, published in 1983, was written on that machine.

Griffin: New Jays GM playing hardball - thestar.com

It’s now or we’re going to say some real mean things about your clients and hurt their feelings.

The Jays have decided to play hardball with six players who accepted arbitration. Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos insists his team, for the first time in club history, is not prepared to negotiate with its arb-eligible players beyond the MLB dictated deadline of Tuesday.
...
That Jays list includes starter Shaun Marcum and relievers Jason Frasor, Brian Tallet, Casey Janssen, Shawn Camp and Jeremy Accardo.

“In the past, I’ve noticed that some agents don’t want to do serious negotiating until closer to the date of the hearing (in February),” Anthopoulos said. “There’s a certain amount of cost certainty involved, but we’re just letting them know that let’s get them done now.”

Update: link fixed.

Griffin: Jays overcame some tough odds

The Glanville Waiters points out the REAL Halladay deals.

Culled from major-league sources, here is a list of some of the real offers against which the Phillies were ultimately competing:

The Angels offered lefty Joe Saunders and catcher Mike Napoli, a low-ball, short-term bandage.

The Yankees offered catcher Jesus Montero – that’s it, that’s all. Dealing within the division one-for-one for the greatest player in franchise history would be a fan disaster.

The Red Sox, who left behind a nice multi-player offer in the summer, were now not even willing to make a one-for-one with Clay Buchholz. They were saving their financial bullets for one stud hitter, John Lackey, and/or Aroldis Chapman.

The one reported deal within the AL East that would have made sense was with the Rays, for young starter Wade Davis and centre fielder B.J. Upton.

Unfortunately, according to sources, that offer was never made.

Report: Blue Jays closing in on deal for Aroldis Chapman

Americans once again losing out on Cuban exports due to an antiquated embargo!

El Nuevo Herald is reporting that the Blue Jays are closing in on a deal with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman in the range of five years and 23 million dollars.

The Spanish-language version of the Miami Herald says that a deal is very close; I tend to stay away from reports from these type of reports, but the Nuevo Herald has not been as inconsistent as others. (Regardless, proceed with caution)

The Athletics are believed to be involved in negotiations, but it is possible the Blue Jays view him as a starter and are guaranteeing him something other teams won’t.

Red Sox all but out of bidding for Cuban left-hander

Kannengieser: Starting Early—The John Olerud Hall Of Fame Case

As Lois, my old crotchtankerous Brooklyn Dodger/Mets luvin’ barmaid used to say..."This Olerud kid reminds me of Kenny Singleton...THEY BOTH SUCK!”

Olerud finished his 17-year career with a slash line of .295/.398/.465, 255 home runs and 1230 RBI. What he lacked in home run power he made up for with patience at the plate, in the form of a career 14.4% BB%, and doubles power. His OPS+ was 128, meaning his OPS was 28% better than league average for his career. This beats writer-elected Hall of Fame first basemen Tony Perez and George Sisler. Olerud’s performance at the plate is not enough to make a reasonable Hall case. Factoring only hitting, he’s basically Tim Salmon (not that there’s anything shameful about hitting as well as Salmon did). However, offense is not the only variable for player evaluation.

Defense must also be considered, and Olerud excelled at it. He was famously a part of the “Best Infield Ever” and won three Gold Gloves, while probably deserving a bunch more. Despite a lack of speed, Olerud was nimble at first base and adept at picking throws in the dirt. The perception that he was a standout with the glove is supported by Sean Smith’s TotalZone statistic. Including double play runs, Olerud saved 97 runs above average with his glove, 3rd all-time behind Keith Hernandez’s 120 and Albert Pujols’s 116. He saved more runs than Mark Grace, George Scott and Todd Helton, three other highly regarded defensive first basemen.

Richard Griffin:  Hall-of-Fame: Dawson In; Alomar Must Wait

It’s good news all around on Hall-of-Fame announcement day. Even though Dawson was the only player selected for Cooperstown in 2010, Alomar, in his first attempt, is so close he can smell it and Blyleven is five votes shy. Each should be a mortal lock for baseball immortality in 2011.

However, there are those in the local T.O. media and fandom who lament the fact Alomar did not enter in the first year he was eligible. That’s a wrongheaded look at Wednesday’s results.

The fact of the matter is that once you are enshrined as a Hall-of-Famer, whether it’s on the first, second or 15th ballot, you are a Hall-of-Famer, equal with the Babe, Willie and the rest. It’s a process and with the rules the way they are currently and into the foreseeable future. The only right or wrong is if a player fails to get in after his 15-year eligibility expires.

I defy anyone off the top of his or her head to take a list of players voted into the Hall-of-Fame in the decade of the ‘90s and tell me what year of their candidacy they made it.

Whatever happened to reasonable discussion on baseball issues and the ability to disagree without writers being vilified as a group of village idiots? I’m tired of the stats arguments as be-all-and-end-all without personal issues being considered. If you want a Fantasy Baseball Hall-of-Fame, then start one.

And to suggest that writers make their Hall-of-Fame decision and fill out their ballot in five minutes is ridiculous and insulting. I have been a member of the association for 15 years and have been involved in more sensible and well thought out discussions about Hall-of-Fame status at World Series, winter meetings and on road trips than anything else.

Top Catching Talent Under 26yo in AL East

Short Read.

They place both Montero and Romine in the top three for under 26yo catchers in the East.  Is Montero really considered a catcher by anyone these days?

Jesus Montero / New York Yankees (AAA/Scranton)
Height/Weight - 6-4/225 / Born - 11/28/1989 / Bats/Throws - R/R
Stats - Fangraphs / Baseball-Reference / MinorLeagueSplits

As with Wieters, Montero is considered a very advanced offensive prospect, garnering comparisons to some of the game’s best sluggers and drawing raves for his natural power and ability to square up on the baseball. Some scouts have even graded him as an 80 on the 20-80 scale for hitting and power. After destroying advanced A-level ball to the tune of .356/.406/.583, Montero was well on his way to similarly dominating AA pitching (.317/.370/.539) before breaking his middle finger and being shelved for the remainder of the season.

Ron Fairly for the Hall of Fame!

OK, so it’s the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame...but I got a chuckle out of this.

Here’s a description of the campaign, taken directly from the Facebook group page:

“No one in the history of baseball has done what Ron Fairly has done in Canadian Baseball. You could look it up! Canadian Amatuer Champion Team member(1958 Edmonton), Montreal Expos All Star, Original Toronto Blue Jay and All Star, only one ever to be an All Star on both teams,and long time broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners which includes several radio and tv outlets in western Canada. Ron Fairly has had a profound influence on and has brought pride to many many Canadian baseball fans. He should be a member of this hall and it is incomplete without him. Stand up for a great ballplayer, teacher of the game, teammate and broadcaster.”

Edwin Encarnacion has firework blow up in face

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Edwin Encarnacion was released Saturday from a Miami hospital after being treated for minor facial injuries caused by fireworks during the New Year’s festivities in his native Dominican Republic.

Encarnacion suffered first- and second-degree burns in the forehead and the right side of his face when a rocket firecracker hit him in the jaw and exploded near his mouth while celebrating with family in his home of La Romana.

“Thank God everything is OK with my face. I don’t have any fractures or serious injuries and I won’t need any kind of surgery,” Encarnacion told ESPNdeportes.com on the phone while leaving Jackson Memorial Hospital.

According to Encarnacion, one of his brothers lit a rocket firecracker and instead of flying upwards it moved laterally, hitting Encarnacion.

“The doctors say that I’ll have to spend one week out of the sun, but that I’ll be able to work out without any problems in two weeks,” Encarnacion said.

This could be the work of only one man.......

Griffin: Roberto Alomar, Andre Dawson belong among all-time greats

In addition to Alomar and Dawson, the ballot I handed in as an eligible 10-year member of the BBWAA included right-handers Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris; shortstop Barry Larkin and outfielder Tim Raines.

Blyleven’s is an interesting case. I have never voted for him before, but have been convinced in recent years by logical arguments submitted by his supporters. The numbers he posted in innings, complete games and strikeouts may never be matched again in the game’s changing dynamics.

Larkin in his prime, combined speed and power, highlighted by a 30-30 season (homers and steals) in ‘96, following up on an MVP campaign in ‘95. He also is a hall-of-fame person.

Morris is a throwback to the kind of fierce competitor that populated the game in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. He likely won’t earn a spot at Cooperstown, having never garnered more than 44 per cent of the ballots. Raines’ problems with cocaine as a 22-year-old are well-documented, but he overcame them to forge a terrific career as a switch-hitting left fielder and leadoff man.

I left great players like Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell off my ballot. Let the debates begin. Hey, nobody ever said it was easy.

Funny...could have sworn Griffin dunne voted for Blyleven in 2007.

Ryan Divish: Where did the Mariners go wrong with Morrow?

To sit and wonder where it all went wrong for Brandon Morrow and the Seattle Mariners is an exercise in frustration and a walk into the world of bad baseball decision-making.

Perhaps the first thing that went wrong was that the two were even paired together.

Of all the bad decisions made under Bill Bavasi – the Erik Bedard trade, the signing of Carlos Silva, the signing of Richie Sexson, the trade of Rafael Soriano for Horacio Ramirez, the Kenji Johjima contract extension, Scott Spiezio, Carl Everett, Rich Aurilia ... well, you get the idea – the decision to draft Morrow with the fifth pick of the 2006 draft instead of Tim Lincecum ranks near the top.

Nothing about the pick made sense to those who covered the team, or to fans and folks around baseball.

On the day Morrow was selected, News Tribune columnist John McGrath wrote: “Still, the comparisons between Lincecum and Morrow will be made today, and they’ll be made when they sign their contracts, and they’ll be made as long as they throw pitches for a living.”

It’s safe to say Johnny Mac never quite knew how prophetic those words would be.

For The Thrill Of It: One on one with Dirk Hayhurst

BTF’s favorite minor-leaguer-turned-blogger-turned-author with some comments about the book, life, and a few other things:

As for Jim Bouton, I should let it be known I never set out to write the next “Ball Four.” I just wanted to tell my story as best I could. In fact, while trading emails with Jim Bouton, I told him I was not trying to clone his book. I told him I didn’t want to be the next Jim Bouton, but the first Dirk Hayhurst and he respected that. I have too much regard for what he’s done through his book to try and rip it off. Any similarities we share can be chalked up to the fact we we’re writing about the same subject from similar stations. They are both very good reads, and very different- but lets be honest, his is still the benchmark of baseball books and I think it will be for quite some time.

Doc’s classy farewell: Pitcher thanks T.O. in full-page ad

Philadelphia is one lucky town.

It’s a rare display of public gratitude from a superstar athlete but it’s no surprise coming from former Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

The Cy Young Award-winning pitcher has taken out a full-page ad in today’s Toronto Sun in which he thanks his former team and the fans here.

“My wife Brandy, sons Braden and Ryan and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, its incredible fans, and the City of Toronto,” Halladay says in the ad.

Enjoy him, Phillies fans.  He’s both a great pitcher, and hell of a nice guy.

Mariners have reached tentative agreement to trade Brandon Morrow to Blue Jays for B. League

From Robo via Pinto.

Sources: Mariners have reached tentative agreement to trade Brandon Morrow to Blue Jays for B. League and prospect.

More from Robo…

The Mariners still are not finished.

In their latest move, they have reached a tentative agreement on a trade that would send right-hander Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays, according to major-league sources.

In return, the Jays would receive right-hander Brandon League, a reliever, and a prospect. The players must pass physicals before the trade can become official, sources said.

The Jays, who recently traded ace right-hander Roy Halladay to the Phillies, probably would make Morrow a candidate for their starting rotation. From the Mariners’ perspective, the prospect could be the key to the deal.

Heyman: Big teams still have moves to make

Just for BBC:

The Astros are telling teams Lance Berkman is unavailable. The Red Sox are one team to have inquired.

And for the Met fans:

Of Igarashi, the Japanese reliever who’s about to go to the Mets, one Japanese scout said, “I’ve seen him great but he wasn’t great last year.’’

Done: Phils get Doc; Lee to Mariners

A series of four deals was completed on Wednesday, bringing ace Roy Halladay to the Phillies, with Philadelphia sending prospects Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d’Arnaud to the Blue Jays after trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners for three prospects, right-handers Phillippe Aumont and JC Ramirez and outfielder Tyson Gillies.

Toronto flipped Taylor to Oakland for prospect Brett Wallace.

Finally.

BtBS: Blue Jays Trade Michael Taylor to Athletics for Brett Wallace

Michael Taylor will turn 24 on Saturday. Yesterday, he was part of a package sent to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for starting pitcher Roy Halladay. Hopefully none of his family or friends went out and bought Blue Jays gear for his celebration, because Taylor is no longer with organization. Instead, he will wear the green and gold of Oakland next season as Toronto swapped him out with “third” baseman Brett Wallace.

Turnaround deals like this involving Billy Beane invoke memories of Moneyball scenes from the past with him edging on Omar Minaya to land some fat third baseman named Youkilis before flipping him to Oakland. Either this swap had been discussed before hand or Toronto worked at rapid pace while Halladay went suit-shopping for his introductory press conference.

As mentioned, Taylor is currently 23 and formerly a Stanford attendee who stands around 6’6” and weighs 250 pounds. Baseball America describes him as “A physical specimen”, which is a kind way of saying he sticks out in a crowd of normal folk. The most endearing skill Taylor possesses is his power. In 128 Triple-A plate appearances - small sample, indeed - Taylor’s ISO was .209; in 363 Double-A plate appearances it was .236 and even before then, in High-A it was .230. The man has the ability to crush baseballs. Defensively he has a good arm but, like his offensive game, the finer things need developing.

By comparison, the 6’1”, 245 pound Wallace is small. Not many things human can make Wallace look small, but Taylor is one of them. Wallace’s position is listed at third base, but that seems rather unlikely to be the case. Wallace is supposedly more polished at the plate than Taylor, but I’m not sure how much of that is true. Wallace spent most of last season in Triple-A and had a .203 ISO once joining the Cardinals. Scouts seem to like his plate approach more than Taylor’s, but their walk and strikeout rates suggest Taylor does more of the former and less of the latter.

Thanks to Enaeb.

Fever Pitch: Trade Talks for Halladay Heating Up

The chance for Jays fans to complain about what they get for Halladay could come this week.

The Phillies’ pursuit of Toronto ace Roy Halladay appears to be reaching a boil.

Two baseball sources told CSNPhilly.com Monday that the team is actively talking about a contract extension with representatives for the 32-year-old righthander. It is likely that the Phillies would want to sign Halladay to an extension before they traded for him. Without an extension, Halladay would be eligible for free agency after the 2010 season.

One of the sources said that Halladay is likely to have a physical exam with Phillies’ medical personal this week.

EDIT: Rosenthal says a little more.

A three-team blockbuster that would send Halladay to the Phillies and Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee to another club is under discussion, sources say.

A straight trade between the Phillies and Jays also is possible. Either way, there are strong indications that the Halladay talks are approaching a critical juncture.

MLB: Jays agree to one-year deal with Buck

They mispelled Rangers..ha-ha!

The Blue Jays agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free-agent catcher John Buck on Sunday, according to an industry source. General manager Alex Anthopoulos declined comment.

Buck—non-tendered by the Royals on Saturday—has agreed to a contract believed to be worth $2 million for the upcoming season with the Blue Jays. Buck became expendable for Kansas City after the Royals signed veteran catcher Jason Kendall to a two-year contract on Friday.

Buck, 29, hit .247 with eight homers and 36 RBIs over 59 games with the Royals last season. Over six years with Kansas City, the catcher has hit .235 with 70 homers and 259 RBIs.

Earlier on Sunday, the Blue Jays signed catcher Raul Chavez to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Chavez had been non-tendered by the Blue Jays on Saturday, removing the catcher from the club’s 40-man roster.

Toronto Sun: SI salute stuns Shulman

From Barrie to broadcasting royalty.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Toronto native Dan Shulman, whose two-decade climb up the journalistic ladder was capped off yesterday when Sports Illustrated named him the Best National Play-by-Play Announcer of the decade.

Shulman beat out runner-up Al Michaels, the long-time voice of Monday Night Football and the current play-by-play man on NBC’s Sunday NFL telecasts. Michaels is perhaps best known for his “Do You Believe In Miracles? Yes!” call of the 1980 Miracle on Ice U.S. Olympic Hockey team victory, an event that took place while Shulman barely was a teenager.

Big League Stew: Roy Halladay dominates wish lists, stars in new Christmas song

Narvel Felts just threw up something.

Fans from all over the country currently have hopes of seeing Roy Halladay under their team’s Christmas tree, so it seems only appropriate that Toronto’s towering ace plays a prominent role in a new holiday song from Canadian country singer Gord Bamford. 

Goes the refrain in Bamford’s simply-named “Baseball Glove”:

“ ... a genuine cowhide/Rawlings Pro Special/one autographed by Roy Halladay.  if that’s all I’ve got ‘neath the tree Christmas morning/one gift will sure be enough/If I get a new baseball glove.”

Holy Buck! He’s Back!

The dulcet tones of Buck Martinez are returning to the Canadian airwaves.  Sportsnet.ca is reporting that the former Jays catcher/manager will be the team’s new play-by-play voice for Rogers Sportsnet in 2010.

Sandler: Will Gaston be a Hall of Fame candidate as a manager?

Dunno...I mean, Tex Rubinowitz isn’t in the dopey Rock and Roll HOF yet. So you just never know.

Gaston won two World Series and made the playoffs four times in his first 12 years. The 65-year-old currently sits 70th with 809 wins and will likely finish the 2010 season between 65th and 67th among the nearly 700 men to have managed in the big leagues. He is also trailblazer of sorts as the first, and only, African-American manager to win a World Series.

In terms of winning percentage, Herzog’s .532 mark is better than Gaston’s .516, but it is not as though that has been the measure of managers over the years. Connie Mack, the all-time wins leader among managers, was a sub-.500 manager and Casey Stengel, The Old Perfessor, barely won more games than he lost. Wilbert Robinson managed the Brooklyn Robins to two pennants and no titles in 18 years, finished with a record of 1,399-1,398 and gained election by the Veterans Committee in 1945.

Veterans Committee voting is historically an esoteric exercise and figuring which way the winds will blow for a particular candidate is nearly impossible.

However, based on some of the other managers already honoured at Cooperstown, Gaston’s credentials merit debate.

Angels now might include Erick Aybar in a trade—latimes.com

Some good stuff in this article. I don’t know how the Angels can be considered “front-runners” when they “have to find out what it’s going to take to make a deal, and we don’t have an indication right now.”

Toronto is believed to have targeted Angels left-hander Joe Saunders, catcher Mike Napoli and outfield prospect Peter Bourjos, but the Angels’ willingness to include Aybar could make them a far more attractive trade partner than the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies.

Aybar, 25, emerged as one of baseball’s best young shortstops in 2009, hitting .312 with five homers and 58 runs batted in and playing superb defense.

Would the Angels consider trading Aybar?

“You have to be open-minded, but it would have to be something that makes a lot of sense,” Reagins said. “It would take a significant package to move some players. Erick is very talented. We haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s still improving, and there’s a real good chance we’ll see that in an Angels uniform.”

TSN: Hill: A’S GM BEANE A FAN OF RICCIARDI

Too Tough to Die!

I just had a nice talk with Oakland G.M. Billy Beane, who I first met in 2003, the same year in which a book about him, Michael Lewis’ Moneyball, was causing a holy war in baseball.

Naturally our conversation leaned towards the person that first introduced us, our mutual friend and former Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi. When asked about Ricciardi’s future in baseball, Beane said, “He’ll land anywhere he wants to. You know he always has an open invitation here and he knows that. But I think this next year he’s going to relax and travel a little bit. But I know J. He’s a competitor and at some point he’s going to want to get back in. I’m not sure, given our conversations, that running a club again is something that’s necessarily part of his future. But I know being a major decision maker in a club is certainly part of his future because he’s so good at what he does”.

The 10 worst baseball contracts of the 2000s

Omar, you still have four weeks to make this list!

It wasn’t merely his five-tool ineptitude that sealed the title. No, the Dodgers — easily the most generous gifter of garbage contracts — somehow thought it was a good idea to give an $11 million-a-year deal to a 29-year-old who had a surgically repaired elbow and was coming off a season in which he allowed 31 home runs and walked 87 hitters. It was Dreifort’s best season as a starter, by the way, and his ERA was 4.16. In Dodger Stadium. To know that of the three things a pitcher truly, indubitably controls — home runs, walks and strikeouts — Dreifort was terrible in two categories should have told the Dodgers: run. Run! RUN!!!

They didn’t. They saw the Rockies’ offer of six years and $60 million (!) and upped the per-annum value. At the time, this wasn’t seen as a huge blunder, either. Dodgers GM Kevin Malone told Sports Illustrated: “You could say that Darren’s contract shows that pitching in baseball is at the point where you don’t need to show consistent performance to get a big, long-term payout. That’s not healthy. But you could also say the contract shows we’re an organization willing to take a chance to give our fans a winner. That’s healthy. If Darren does what we believe he can do — give us 220 innings, start 32 or 33 games, win half of them — we’re looking at a bargain.”