Yum, waffles.
Anyways, Arte did some waffling last Friday. After starting off the offseason with some feisty-ness, losing out on CC has gotten the FO backpeddling.
I love that Arte is the Angels' owner. I've always thought of him as a top-5 owner in baseball. I love that he's an everyday, approachable guy. I love that he cares about the common fan, building the fanbase, and creating a fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark. I love that he's a genuine baseball fan and doesn't use the Angels as a cash cow, a side project, or a status symbol. And I love that he cares about the long-term health and stability of the franchise.
But even I had to shake my head when I read his comments in the LATimes on Saturday morning. It's not that I necessarily disagree with him that outrageous contracts in baseball can hurt the long-term interests of a club. But there are several things I take issue with.
First, the overall assertion that there is a limit on the amount of money that he will spend and a limit on the payroll. I understand that the Angels do not have endless revenue streams. But I wonder how this will change perceptions in the baseball world. There have been reports that CC chose Boston partially because they have a fearsome lineup. It's understandable that players want to go to a team that can win or a franchise that is motivated to win. The Angels are in that category, but what happens when there are doubts on whether the owner will spend? It's not only FA that may think twice about the Halos. Would Weave or Kendry question staying if it's clear that the FO can't improve the club because of a restricted budget? It's all about perception. It's possible that this is simply strategy in the Beltre negotiations. I certainly hope so because voicing the deficiencies of the club may have opened a can of PR worms.
20 December 2010
14 December 2010
musings on the FO and FAs
Incredible.
This has been an offseason of surprises and jaw-dropping splashes. And I'm not talking about Hisanori Takahashi.
Jayson Werth for $126M/7Yrs to the Washington Nationals. Carl Crawford to the BoSux at the last minute for $142M/7Yrs. Now Cliff Lee to the Phillies for $120M/5Yrs.
Who would've predicted that Cliff Lee would get less than Werth and Crawford? Who would've predicted that he wouldn't go to the Yankees but back to the Phillies?
It's been mind boggling.
-------------------------
It's been a busy week finishing finals and settling at home for winter break. But I've come to terms that CC is a RedSox.
There is no question that I am disappointed that the FO wasn't able to bring him into the Angels fold. In the immediate aftermath of the news breaking, there was considerable fury and debate in the halosphere over why the FO didn't put up the money to sign him and if it would've been a good idea to even offer more money. Personally, I thought that paying CC the tenth largest contract in baseball history would be a significant risk. I think the Angels FO and a lot of Halo fans are aware of the financial limitations of the club and generally follow a cautious approach in making FA decisions. This is especially evident in big-ticket signings. The FO has generally been good in signing mid-level FA (think Pineiro and the first Abreu contract) and semi-stars (think Torii). The FO in the past have also signed some stars (Vlad, Guillen, Colon), but that was before the high-stakes of $100+M men. If the Halos are going to play in this new FA market, is this cautious approach effective? So far, it has not been. I'm not advocating a wild, irresponsible spending spree, but that the Angels may need to re-evaluate their risk-adverse caution. Sometimes I get the sense that the Halos FO is half-in-half-out, closing their eyes and holding their breath because they can't fully commit on a high-risk-high-reward FA. (Which is somewhat ironic since that has been their drafting strategy for quite some time now, as was pointed out at Halosheaven.) Assessing risk is a tricky business, but I agree with some in the halosphere - the FO needs to learn to take a leap of faith once in a while.
This has been an offseason of surprises and jaw-dropping splashes. And I'm not talking about Hisanori Takahashi.
Jayson Werth for $126M/7Yrs to the Washington Nationals. Carl Crawford to the BoSux at the last minute for $142M/7Yrs. Now Cliff Lee to the Phillies for $120M/5Yrs.
Who would've predicted that Cliff Lee would get less than Werth and Crawford? Who would've predicted that he wouldn't go to the Yankees but back to the Phillies?
It's been mind boggling.
-------------------------
It's been a busy week finishing finals and settling at home for winter break. But I've come to terms that CC is a RedSox.
There is no question that I am disappointed that the FO wasn't able to bring him into the Angels fold. In the immediate aftermath of the news breaking, there was considerable fury and debate in the halosphere over why the FO didn't put up the money to sign him and if it would've been a good idea to even offer more money. Personally, I thought that paying CC the tenth largest contract in baseball history would be a significant risk. I think the Angels FO and a lot of Halo fans are aware of the financial limitations of the club and generally follow a cautious approach in making FA decisions. This is especially evident in big-ticket signings. The FO has generally been good in signing mid-level FA (think Pineiro and the first Abreu contract) and semi-stars (think Torii). The FO in the past have also signed some stars (Vlad, Guillen, Colon), but that was before the high-stakes of $100+M men. If the Halos are going to play in this new FA market, is this cautious approach effective? So far, it has not been. I'm not advocating a wild, irresponsible spending spree, but that the Angels may need to re-evaluate their risk-adverse caution. Sometimes I get the sense that the Halos FO is half-in-half-out, closing their eyes and holding their breath because they can't fully commit on a high-risk-high-reward FA. (Which is somewhat ironic since that has been their drafting strategy for quite some time now, as was pointed out at Halosheaven.) Assessing risk is a tricky business, but I agree with some in the halosphere - the FO needs to learn to take a leap of faith once in a while.
08 December 2010
CC is a boSox
Wow. Just Wow.
I had HardballTalk open on my laptop for most of the afternoon/night waiting for news that the Halos had signed Beltre. Since you know, they were closing in on him.
Geez, I should know better than to trust the wild rumors of the offseason.
But back to CC. I'm still struggling to absorb the news that the BoSux swooped in, when it seemed so certain (to everyone!) that the Halos were going to get him. Also that the BoSux were willing and able to spend that kind of money. It seemed like they were concerned about passing the luxury tax (last year, with Beckett's extension, and this year with AGon's extension). Well so much for that. This is a monster contract, to go along with some of their other monster contracts (Beckett, Dice-K, Lackey). If I was a BoSux fan, I think I'd be even more conflicted about this contract than I am as a Halo fan. Boston, if they do indeed extend AGon, have some long, hefty contracts for aging stars.
As a Halo fan, its a missed opportunity. The Halos may not have a lot of financial flexibility this season, but there are very few long term contracts and very few contracts past 2012. The Angels can afford to put a long term contract on their books. I'm not so sure that giving a >$20M per year is smart spending per se, but it's pretty mind-boggling that a team in the Red Sox's position can and does so.
I'm just perplexed.
I had HardballTalk open on my laptop for most of the afternoon/night waiting for news that the Halos had signed Beltre. Since you know, they were closing in on him.
Geez, I should know better than to trust the wild rumors of the offseason.
But back to CC. I'm still struggling to absorb the news that the BoSux swooped in, when it seemed so certain (to everyone!) that the Halos were going to get him. Also that the BoSux were willing and able to spend that kind of money. It seemed like they were concerned about passing the luxury tax (last year, with Beckett's extension, and this year with AGon's extension). Well so much for that. This is a monster contract, to go along with some of their other monster contracts (Beckett, Dice-K, Lackey). If I was a BoSux fan, I think I'd be even more conflicted about this contract than I am as a Halo fan. Boston, if they do indeed extend AGon, have some long, hefty contracts for aging stars.
As a Halo fan, its a missed opportunity. The Halos may not have a lot of financial flexibility this season, but there are very few long term contracts and very few contracts past 2012. The Angels can afford to put a long term contract on their books. I'm not so sure that giving a >$20M per year is smart spending per se, but it's pretty mind-boggling that a team in the Red Sox's position can and does so.
I'm just perplexed.
