Fire Lou

[BT]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->And therein lies the rub. You don't pay $12 Million a year (times 4 years !) for that kind of production, especially to a guy already 31, who's almost certainly going to start to decline from the moment the ink dries (because of age).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


You do if that's the going rate.

You are absolutely correct that this sort of production isn't "worth" 12 million a year. But, and I and don't think I'm exaggerating here, that logic applies to virtually EVERY major free agent signing by anyone. There is no way Holliday is going to be "worth" what he is being paid in 5 years. There is no way Arod is "worth" 30 million a year. There is no way Sabathia is "worth" 25 million a year. There is no way Pujols will be worth what he is going to be paid when he hits the market.

If the Cubs followed the adage that you don't pay (whatever the going rate is) for (whatever big name free agent you are signing), they would literally never sign a big name free agent. Almost invariably, when you sign an impact free agent, you pay a huge premium.