07-16-2010, 03:44 PM
I think Scarey and BT's assertion that most big FA contracts are going to be bad deals, and that the teams<i> know</i> that going in, is a side effect of being a Cub fan in the Hendry era, not a rational take on the FA industry.
An easy way to look at it: look at all the "milestone" marker contracts in recent baseball history.
The first FA deal for a half-million: Reggie
1 mil-Nolan Ryan
3- Rickey, before his peak
5-?Maddux to Braves
6-Boby Bonilla (bad deal)
7-Bonds to SF
etc.
Manny's 160M deal paid off, the Yanks haven't complained about Jeter's 189M deal, and A-Rod certainly had a magnificent decade after signing his 10-year deal. Those are the 3 biggest deals ever.
I'd say that history has shown that a big contract <i>doesn't</i> mean catastrophe, as long as you don't do something blatantly stupid (Zito, Soriano).
An easy way to look at it: look at all the "milestone" marker contracts in recent baseball history.
The first FA deal for a half-million: Reggie
1 mil-Nolan Ryan
3- Rickey, before his peak
5-?Maddux to Braves
6-Boby Bonilla (bad deal)
7-Bonds to SF
etc.
Manny's 160M deal paid off, the Yanks haven't complained about Jeter's 189M deal, and A-Rod certainly had a magnificent decade after signing his 10-year deal. Those are the 3 biggest deals ever.
I'd say that history has shown that a big contract <i>doesn't</i> mean catastrophe, as long as you don't do something blatantly stupid (Zito, Soriano).
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance