Giants sign Howry

[leonardsipes]

Only one year 2.75 mil. Smells like collusion to me. Very few teams offer arb, because they know salaries are going down. This indicates salaries are going down.

[dk123]

I can't believe Sabean still has a job.

[Baron]

<!--quoteo(post=1156:date=Dec 3 2008, 11:01 PM:name=leonardsipes)-->QUOTE (leonardsipes @ Dec 3 2008, 11:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Only one year 2.75 mil. Smells like collusion to me. Very few teams offer arb, because they know salaries are going down. This indicates salaries are going down.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Collusion? Really? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

[dk123]

<!--quoteo(post=1159:date=Dec 3 2008, 11:21 PM:name=Baron)-->QUOTE (Baron @ Dec 3 2008, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1156:date=Dec 3 2008, 11:01 PM:name=leonardsipes)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (leonardsipes @ Dec 3 2008, 11:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Only one year 2.75 mil. Smells like collusion to me. Very few teams offer arb, because they know salaries are going down. This indicates salaries are going down.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Collusion? Really? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


So, you don't think MLB would collude over Howry? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

[leonardsipes]

Howry is just an example of a salary that went down (a lot if you consider total contract). What I think indicates collusion, is that so few players were offered arb.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=1169:date=Dec 4 2008, 03:26 AM:name=leonardsipes)-->QUOTE (leonardsipes @ Dec 4 2008, 03:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Howry is just an example of a salary that went down (a lot if you consider total contract). What I think indicates collusion, is that so few players were offered arb.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe suggested this in his article offering 5 reasons for teams not offering arb and the slow start to the offseason:

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->5. Collusion?
Agents rarely make this claim on the record, of course, but they always wonder: Are the owners conspiring? In most cases, accusations of the like are nothing more than paranoia. But given the past behavior of major league owners and the measures to which some will go to manage costs, there is always the possibility that something sinister is taking place.

Especially when the former chairman of the Fed speaks to them as a group.

For as much venom as is frequently directed at players for being selfish, egocentric and out of touch, the owners can be richer and more spoiled. ("Millionaires against billionaires," is how one agent puts it.) Owners are just as capable of greed and self-indulgence, though most of them don't lead nearly the public lives of their employees.

The ones that do -- like Mark Cuban, for instance -- draw our ire as easily as Manny Ramirez does.

The point? Let's not rule out the possibility that owners are being difficult and unreasonable, too. As always, it takes two to tango.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Link(A slow burn to the Hot Stove)

[CFOrfan]

His salary could have gone cause he f'ing sucks...???

[Andy]

Is it possible that salaries for FA's will go down because we're in a horrible economic downturn?? Just maybe teams don't have as much to spend??

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=1178:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:02 AM:name=Andy)-->QUOTE (Andy @ Dec 4 2008, 07:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Is it possible that salaries for FA's will go down because we're in a horrible economic downturn?? Just maybe teams don't have as much to spend??<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Or they could use the horrible economy has an excuse to collude against the players.

[Ace]

I've never understood the collusion argument in this context. If a team really wants a player, does anyone actually believe they'll pass on signing him because they've "agreed" not to outbid the lowball offer of another team? Please.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=1185:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've never understood the collusion argument in this context. If a team really wants a player, does anyone actually believe they'll pass on signing him because they've "agreed" not to outbid the lowball offer of another team? Please.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The entire league agreed not to offer Barry Bonds a contract last year, so I don't really think it's that far of a stretch. Hasn't the league been found guilty of collusion before?

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=1188:date=Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1185:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've never understood the collusion argument in this context. If a team really wants a player, does anyone actually believe they'll pass on signing him because they've "agreed" not to outbid the lowball offer of another team? Please.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The entire league agreed not to offer Barry Bonds a contract last year, so I don't really think it's that far of a stretch. Hasn't the league been found guilty of collusion before?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm sure they have -but it still makes no sense to me. Bonds is a perfect example - do you really believe a team that REALLY wanted Barry would say, damn, we could have him for chump change, but since we all agreed not to sign him, we won't get him for next to nothing. I just don't buy it.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=1189:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:18 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1188:date=Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1185:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've never understood the collusion argument in this context. If a team really wants a player, does anyone actually believe they'll pass on signing him because they've "agreed" not to outbid the lowball offer of another team? Please.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The entire league agreed not to offer Barry Bonds a contract last year, so I don't really think it's that far of a stretch. Hasn't the league been found guilty of collusion before?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm sure they have -but it still makes no sense to me. Bonds is a perfect example - do you really believe a team that REALLY wanted Barry would say, damn, we could have him for chump change, but since we all agreed not to sign him, we won't get him for next to nothing. I just don't buy it.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I absolutely believe there was an effort made to keep him out. He was colluded against, there's no doubt in my mind.

[Coldneck]

<!--quoteo(post=1204:date=Dec 4 2008, 09:08 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 4 2008, 09:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1189:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:18 AM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1188:date=Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Dec 4 2008, 08:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1185:date=Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 4 2008, 07:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I've never understood the collusion argument in this context. If a team really wants a player, does anyone actually believe they'll pass on signing him because they've "agreed" not to outbid the lowball offer of another team? Please.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The entire league agreed not to offer Barry Bonds a contract last year, so I don't really think it's that far of a stretch. Hasn't the league been found guilty of collusion before?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm sure they have -but it still makes no sense to me. Bonds is a perfect example - do you really believe a team that REALLY wanted Barry would say, damn, we could have him for chump change, but since we all agreed not to sign him, we won't get him for next to nothing. I just don't buy it.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I absolutely believe there was an effort made to keep him out. He was colluded against, there's no doubt in my mind.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ruby.gif[/img]

[Ace]

There's no doubt in my mind that teams simple decided he wasn't worth the headache at any price.