November 10, 200322 yr An article from Sports Weekly about some of the high priced vets who may be unloaded with everyone trying to get payroll flexibility. Another trend that the Marlins were at the head of - last offseason. This is good for baseball, and some quality guys could be had for just cash and little traded away. Also, will effect prices demanded by our own free agents. Read up! Take my high-priced veteran, please By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports Weekly The Boston Red Sox put Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers last week, begging anyone to take him and the remainder of his eight-year, $160 million contract for the asking price of $20,000. Sorry, no one's that stupid. But it got me thinking, and with help of a few baseball executives, Sports Weekly compiled the top players who would go unclaimed if placed on irrevocable waivers: STARTING PITCHERS Chan Ho Park, 30 next opening day, Rangers : $13 million in 2004; $14 million in 2005; $15 million in 2006. Say hello to perhaps the biggest free-agent bust in baseball history, winning just 10 games and pitching 176&frac_one_third; innings in the first two years of his five-year deal. Darren Dreifort, 31, Dodgers: $12 million in 2004; $13 million in 2005. Good guy, great makeup, bad arm. Denny Neagle, 35, Rockies: $9 million in 2004; $10 million in 2005; $12.5 million or $9 million buyout in 2006. Still wondering what pictures he had to convince the Rockies to sign him in the first place. Joe Mays, 28, Twins: $5.75 million in 2004; $7.25 million in 2005; $8.5 million or $500,000 buyout in 2006. The Twins panicked after Mays' one good season in 2001 and are paying the price now. Aaron Sele, 33, Angels: $8.5 million in 2004. If he has a poor spring, he could be released. Danny Graves, 30, Reds: $6 million in 2004; $6.25 million in 2005; $6.25 million or $100,000 buyout in 2006. Moving him back to the closer's role may be the only way to salvage this deal. Kevin Jarvis, 34, Padres: $4.25 million in 2004; $5.25 million or $500,000 buyout in 2005. He may be headed to Pittsburgh if the Padres take on Jason Kendall's contract. Jeff Weaver, 27, Yankees: $6.25 million in 2004; $9.25 million in 2005. He certainly has the talent but just is not for New York. Tom Glavine, 38, Mets: $10.5 million a year in 2004-05; $6.5 million option or $3 million buyout in 2006. The Braves no longer are crying about his loss. RELIEVERS Steve Karsay, 32, Yankees: $5 million a year in 2004-05; $6.5 million or $1.25 million buyout in 2006. This contract is so pathetic that we won't even bring up that he's still owed most of his $4 million signing bonus. Jeff Zimmerman, 31, Rangers: $4.3 million in 2004. He's already made $5.7 million the last two years without throwing a single pitch, and the Rangers fear he'll miss all of next season, too. Bob Wickman, 35, Indians: $5 million in 2004; $1 million buyout in 2005. He hasn't thrown a pitch in a year, and there's no guarantee he'll be healthy this year, either. Billy Koch, 29, White Sox: $6.375 million in 2004. Sorry, Oakland doesn't want him back. Chris Hammond, 38, Yankees: $2.4 million in 2004; $3 million or $200,000 buyout in 2005. And the Yankees wonder why the Braves laughed at this signing? OUTFIELDERS Bobby Higginson, 33, Tigers: $8.85 million in 2004; $8.5 million in 2005. Has any player in baseball faded more than this guy? Matt Lawton, 32, Indians: $7 million in 2004; $7.5 million in 2005. Hasn't been the same since leaving the Twins. Jermaine Dye, 30, A's: $11 million in 2004; $14 million or $1.5 million buyout in 2005. One of the few gaffes made by the A's front office. Rusty Greer, 35, Rangers: $7.4 million in 2004; $8.1 million or $600,000 buyout in 2005. His injuries should have been a red flag. Ken Griffey Jr., 34, Reds: $12.5 million a year in 2004-08; $16.5 million or $4 million buyout in 2009. Who would have thunk it three years ago? Admin Walker, 37, Rockies: $12.5 million a year in 2004-05; $15 million or $1 million buyout in 2006. Injuries have made him a shadow of himself. Roger Cedeno, 29, Mets: $5 million a year in 2004-05. Didn't the Mets have any scouts who watched him in Houston or L.A.? Danny Bautista, 31, Diamondbacks: $4 million in 2004. It's hardly what you want for a part-time outfielder who hit four homers with 23 extra-base hits in 2003. Moises Alou, 37, Cubs: $9.5 million in 2004; $11.5 million or $2 million buyout in 2005. Solid run-producer, but too much money for injury-plagued body. Pat Burrell, 27, Phillies: $4 million in 2004; $7 million in 2005; $9.5 million in 2006; $13 million in 2007; $14 million in 2008. He might be the highest-paid .200 hitter in baseball history. Phil Nevin, 33, Padres: $8 million in 2004; $9 million in 2005; $10 million in 2006. The Padres tried to trade him once last year and will keep trying this winter. FIRST BASEMEN Mo Vaughn, 36, Mets: $15 million in 2004; $14 million or $2 million buyout in 2005. We're still trying to figure out why the Mets were suckered into taking on the Angels' baggage. Paul Konerko, 28, White Sox: $8 million in 2004; $8.75 million in 2005. That's a whole lot of cash for a guy rotting on the bench the first half. David Segui, 37, Orioles: $7 million in 2004. It was a stupid deal at the time and keeps looking bad. Tino Martinez, 36, Cardinals: $7.5 million in 2004; $8 million or $1 million buyout in 2005. The Cardinals can only pray that the Devil Rays will take him and at least half his contract. Jason Giambi, 33, Yankees: $10 million in 2004; $11 million in 2005; $18 million in 2006; $21 million a year in 2007-08; $22 million or $5 million buyout in 2009. Scouts are alarmed at his slow bat, and the Yankees are terrified that five years remain on the deal. Frank Thomas, 35,White Sox: $6 million in 2004; $8 million in 2005; $10 million in 2006 or $3.5 million buyout. The White Sox were praying Thomas would declare free agency. Dmitri Young, 30, Tigers: $7.5 million in 2004; $8 million in 2005; $8 million vesting option in 2006. Too much money for a team trying to avoid 120 losses. SHORTSTOPS Alex Rodriguez, 28, Rangers: $21 million in 2004; $25 million in 2005; $21 million in 2006; $27 million a year in 2007-10. It may be unfair to include him in this group, but as Rodriguez has proven the last three years, no one player can turn around a franchise. Ricky Gutierrez, 33, Indians: $4 million in 2004; $750,00 buyout in 2005. Gutierrez must prove he can overcome his physical problems or he could be released. Alex Gonzalez, 30, Cubs: $4.5 million in 2004. Only Steve Bartman has prevented Gonzalez from becoming Chicago's version of Bill Buckner. THIRD BASEMEN Jeff Cirillo, 34, Mariners: $6.725 million in 2004; $7.025 million in 2005; $7.625 million or $1.25 million buyout in 2006. He just might be Pat Gillick's biggest mistake. David Bell, 31, Phillies: $4.2 million in 2004; $4.5 million a year in 2005-06. The Giants don't feel so bad about losing him now. Edgardo Alfonzo, 30, Giants: $5.5 million in 2004; $6.5 million in 2005; $7 million in 2006. He showed signs of life the second half, but still, the Giants are shopping him. CATCHERS Jason Kendall, 29, Pirates: $8 million in 2004; $10 million in 2005; $11 million in 2006; $13 million in 2007. The Padres might eat half of his contract, but no one else will touch him. Charles Johnson, 32, Rockies: $9 million in 2004; $10 million in 2005. Got old in a hurry. Todd Hundley, 34, Dodgers: $6.5 million in 2004. The Cubs still can't believe the Dodgers took him off their hands. Mike Piazza, 35, Mets: $15 million a year in 2004-05. The Mets will use him at first base, but there's no guarantee his 40-homer power will return.
November 10, 200322 yr Aside from a select few on the list (ie ARod, etc) this is pretty much an inventory of the veteran's graveyard. Can't really extrapolate any insight on this year's FA market from this, though. There will always be wash-ups and other assorted high-priced mistakes every year.
November 10, 200322 yr whether you like it or not, ARod is overpaid Agreed, a athlete with a contract worth over a quarter of a billion dollars is ridiculous.
November 10, 200322 yr I dont think A-Rod and Piazza deserve to be on that list. A-Rod is a great player...but no one is worth that much!!
November 10, 200322 yr HOLY s***!! I knew he was in the 20 range, but I had no idea A-rod's salary goes to $27M in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. Un frickin believable.
November 10, 200322 yr Author The biggest thing you will see from this list is packaging - what we did last year with P Dub and CJ. You want Wilson, you have to swallow CJ's contract too. We were criticized heavily for only getting back Spoon and Pierre, but now we look to have been ahead of the trend. I think you will see a lot more of this in this offseason. Mutliple teams sharing ARod's contract, for example. I think he may get dealt...
November 10, 200322 yr The biggest thing you will see from this list is packaging - what we did last year with P Dub and CJ. You want Wilson, you have to swallow CJ's contract too. We were criticized heavily for only getting back Spoon and Pierre, but now we look to have been ahead of the trend. I think you will see a lot more of this in this offseason. Mutliple teams sharing ARod's contract, for example. I think he may get dealt... i think people are forgetting that although we don't have a "dud" on that list, we're still paying out salary as if we had a dud signed. don't forget about how we picked up hampton from them, and then we decided to hook up our buddies over at atlanta. my god, he's a burden on our payroll.
November 10, 200322 yr two words....... Bobby Higginson --------------------------- 17 million going to this bum and no buy out's in the next two years... who the f*** was GM of the tigers that gave weaver a big a** contract 9 mil a year!!!!!! I mean there so lucky they got rid of Dean Palmers 11 million a year contract "anyone remember him?" i also agree that A.rod or Piazza shouldnt be on the list, Piazza can hit 40 bombs he was just injured all year..... and as for A.rod getting 27 million a year nobody was saying anything when Jordan was demnading 25 mil a year for 1 year... other names on this list that shouldnt be on there..... Glavine, Matt Lawton , Griff, Nevin, we alll know these 4 guys are healthy they can do alot f***ing damage..... Frank Thomas maybe a year ago didnt deserve that kinda $$$$$ but after last year he deserves what he gets..... i mean he was one the best baseball players in the game at a certin time in baseballl
November 10, 200322 yr and? as for? A.rod getting 27? million? a year? nobody? was saying anything when Jordan? was? demnading 25 mil a year? for 1? year... A-rod will never, ever be for baseball what MICHAEL JORDAN was for basketball. There is no comparison. NBA salaries are, by far, the highest in all of professoinal sports. MJ, the greatest basketball player of all time, asking 25mil for one season does not even compare to A-rod's long-term contract. Of course A-rod is phenomenal; he's probably the best or second best player in the game today. Hell, he might even become the greatest shortstop of all time. But you can't compare the guy to MJ! When you think basketball, only ONE name comes to mind more than any other. I don't think any baseball player warrants that kind of salary. That's over half our salary for last year. I don't care if you're the Yankees, it's in no team's best interests to sign a guy for that much.
November 11, 200322 yr Worst ever contract: Orioles sign Albert Belle for $13 million a season for 5 years. He plays one year and then retires. Baltimore then gets stuck paying him for the next four seasons to sit at home. All of these contracts are left over from the inflated prices in the late-'90's, which GM's regret signing now.
November 11, 200322 yr Worst ever contract: Orioles sign Albert Belle for $13 million a season for 5 years. He plays one year and then retires. Baltimore then gets stuck paying him for the next four seasons to sit at home. All of these contracts are left over from the inflated prices in the late-'90's, which GM's regret signing now. Yeah....Belle's contract was a lesson in stupidity. And it couldn't have happened to a bigger jerk.
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