Loading ...Per ESPN.com, Scott Linebrink has signed with the White Sox for 4 years, $19M. Linebrink’s 31, hasn’t really been anything special since 2005 (113 ERA+ each of the past two years), and has strikeout rates trending the wrong way. No offense to Kenny Williams (who I’m sure is a reader), but this is a stupid contract. It may not be crippling for the White Sox, but they’re going to regret it, probably as soon as 2008.
I read somewhere this week that the Reds could/should sign Linebrink for 2 years, $6M or something. It sure sounded low at the time, and this is proof that the free agent market for relievers has picked up right where it left off last winter. Not a time to be shopping for bullpen help.
At least not “proven” bullpen help. I’d say that it’s time to shop the failed starter ranks to find someone like Linebrink was several years ago before he started relieving. -j
I saw the end of the Linebrink signing go by this morning on ESPN: “…Linebrink to a 4-year deal.” I was really afraid it’d be the Reds. It sounded very Krivsky — Giving too many years to an aging, formerly good reliever. I’m very relieved it wasn’t us!
Let’s look for somebody YOUNG (in the minors maybe) w/ strong K rates and unexpectedly bad BABIP this year (so that he was probably just unlucky).
Someone I’d love to get who fits this description is Jonathan Sanchez of SF. Don’t know how much it would take to get him… I’ve heard the Giants want to make a starter out of him.
I have no idea what 113+ ERA means. If you mean Linebrink’s WHIP over the past two years, it’s over 1.3, which is NOT want you want in a reliever, especially one who is not a strikeout guy.
I am not baseball savant – heck, I thought Saarloos would HELP the Reds last season – but I begin with the premise that there is probably someone way cheaper in a club’s organization who can do the same job a high-priced set-up man is doing. I am convinced the Padres have the same philosophy.
A 113 ERA+ means his ERA was 13% better (in this case, lower) than average. Over 100 is good, under 100 is bad. 100 is average. Similar to park factors and OPS+. See baseball-reference.com for more details.
Rosenthal reports that Reds are the front runner for Cordero. Now, I know I’m in the minority who like closers, I would welcome him with open arms. With Weathers and Burton to pitch the 7th and 8th innings, I think this would be a good move. Let the ridicule begin….
Preach…you would like this signing even at over 10M/year?
I don’t think it’s ridiculous at all. I LOVE Cordero’s high-K, low-HR numbers.
The problem would be if it’s too much $$$ and too many years. If it’s 4 years, that would be Cordero’s age 33, 34, 35, and 36 seasons. I bet he’d be good for a couple of those years, but chances are by age 35 and 36, we’ll be ready to dump him (and his humongous contract) for a bag of balls.
My impression of most free agent signings is that they work out well for a year or two, and then the guy gets old (and way overpaid), and the team is looking to dump him. Remember how happy the Yankees were to get Damon? He’s already dead weight.
How about looking at some young, cheap, improving options? I’d like to see us take a run at Jonathan Sanchez of SF — young, cheap, left-handed, good K numbers. Also could start or relieve.
This is another topic, I know, but I’d love to have a dominant guy who could be a 100 to 120-inning guy out of the bullpen. Remember when Scott Sullivan could do that every year? Get a guy w/ arm strength who you can lean on. Not every reliever has to throw just 1/3 or 2/3 of an inning per outing.
Good point, Bill. It doesn’t strike me as a smart way to spend money to commit $10 million out of, say, a $70 million budget on a guy who, even if great, will pitch about 70 out of 1440 innings. (That’s 162 games x 9 IP/game, for the math-impaired.)
Yeah, I’ll stick w/ that stance — focus on getting good, young guys who are still cheap, not guys in their mid-30’s for $10 million a year.
I’d rather Krivsky spend 10m/yr on Cordero than on Carlos Silva or Kyle Lohse type players. Obviously, he feels that he must make a splash, and this isn’t the worst one he could make.
It happened. As I said above, I’m not sure Cordero is really a “splash” to anyone, either the average fan or the stathead, but he’s definitely throwing around money.