So after a night stewing over the latest, most recent O's disaster, I feel no better. Hard to feel better about this mess with the news I just read on Pete Schmuck's blog http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2010/04/is_gonzalez_hurt.html about Michael Gonzalez now being hurt. Just another dagger.
And I honestly don't care about this because it is such a loss to the team (which theoretically it is when you lose your closer), but because it's just another disastrous free-agent signing that really made no sense to begin with. Gonzo was 10-17 in save situations last year, which is terrible (I believe Jim Johnson was 10-16, I'd have to look that up, and by all accounts was not cut out for the closer role), and yet the O's go and give THIS guy $12 million and the keys to the 9th inning. Was he hurt when he was signed? Seems like something was going on, since as Schmuck pointed out on numerous occasions he seemed to be pitching hurt from day one of spring training.
It's just the continual stories like this that have dogged Baltimore for so many years now. For every small success through free agency or via a trade, you have massive failures in the draft, in free agency and even when signing our own to extensions (which I'm worried might happen with Brian Roberts).
Of course that Gonzalez contract was a mistake, injury or not.
ReplyDeleteOther than Mariano Rivera, there's not a relief pitcher out there who is worth $6M/year. They just don't pitch enough innings to be worth it.
You are better off reinvesting $4M per year in better starters or a slugger and going with a bullpen by committee.
You know what? I don't cry for Peter Angelos spending money. The payroll is still maybe 23rd in the league. It's just the ridiculous decisions I see the team make in the free agent market every year. And do relief pitcher free agents ever work out? And how about when they convert 10-17 save chances the prior year?
ReplyDeleteI'm not complaining about spending the money. I said to invest it elsewhere. We'd have been just as well off by committing to David Hernandez as our closer. He's got the heater and the secondary pitch to do it. Tillman or Arrieta would have been just fine in the 5th starter's spot. And then we could have used that money to get ourselves a much better option at 1B than Garret Atkins.
ReplyDeleteGood points.
ReplyDeleteI never like the idea of bringing a closer in anyway, unless it's Mariano.
Arrieta will be with the club by year's end, I don't think they'll rush him. Tillman will likely get the first call-up.