The Dodgers, on the other hand, are the likely favorite in the NL West. The Braves could intrigue Dunn; they have interest in him, but not on a long-term deal at his desired average salary of $12 million to $14 million, sources say.
Dunn obviously would prefer a contract longer than two years, but at the right salary such a deal would make sense.
He would be only 31 when he re-entered the market, presumably in a better economy. At that point, he might be sitting on 350 homers, giving his next team the chance to market his 500th and perhaps even his 600th.
Ramirez, of course, is chasing his own milestones, but his history suggests that he might become a distraction if he is unhappy with his contract. Who knows how he would conduct himself if the Dodgers failed to meet his goal of a four-year, $100 million contract?
Dunn strikes out more than Ramirez. His .899 career on-base/slugging percentage isn’t as gaudy as Ramirez’s 1.004 figure. And, unlike Ramirez, he has never played in the postseason.
Defense? Neither is a good left fielder, but Dunn ranked slightly higher at the position last season according to the plus-minus ratings on Bill James Online.
Repoz
Posted: January 07, 2009 at 01:20 PM |
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1. Harveys WallbangersRight now there is just too much uncertainty. That and it's a great excuse for ballclubs to try and "rightsize" their payrolls if only for a year.
Given the paucity of quality free agents next off-season and the combination of the economy and the talent supply driving this off-season's prices down, you wonder if players might not start thinking this way.
While they'd run the risk of a 2009 injury hurting their 2010 value, as time ticks on and prices are driven down all the more, perhaps we'll start seeing this. While Ramirez would want to hold fast and leverage his other-worldly stint in LA (to say nothing of saving face and bettering the tail end of the Boston deal that he opted out of), someone as consistent and perpetually healthy as Dunn may decide to roll the dice in being able to post yet another 130-140 OPS+ and try his luck again next year when conditions figure to be more favourable.
I don't know if Dunn's value is going to increase. What more can he do? He hits 40 HRs a year, he's going to suck in the field, he's going to strike out a lot. That's what he is. The economy is not going to be that much better next year, so teams will still use that as an excuse or reasoning.
I bet the supply of poor-fielding sluggers will be less ridiculous than this off-season at least.
Dunn didn't do much with those in 2008...
I wouldn't bet on that. There's always poor-fielding sluggers. It's the good-fielding sluggers that are in high demand.
Nah. Adam Dunn isn't a mythical or loved player, so his milestones aren't near as marketable as others. I don't think you're going to sell out numerous games (or seasons) for the average fan to see Adam Dunn hit 500 HR
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