This Stuff Qualifies as Noteworthy These Days
Comments Off - Sean McAdam reports today that the Red Sox have conducted trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks regarding the services of one Randy Johnson. The Big Unit would not come cheaply according to McAdam however, as he reports that any deal would have to include Bronson Arroyo, Jon Lester and another top prospect. Until the story gets some more legs, I don’t really feel like devoting much time to the matter.
- The Giants penned Armando Benitez to a 3-year, $21 million dollar contract. Benitez is excellent, make no mistake, but $7 million seems like a lot of hay to be handing out for what? 65 innings of work? Was anyone else’s offer even in the same galaxy as Sabean’s? I can’t tell you how terrible a job I think Brian Sabean has done the last bunch of seasons, postseason appearances or not. When you look at the deals he has handed out to Tucker, Alfonzo, Nen, Snow, Vizquel and now Benitez, I don’t think you can conclude anything other than Brian Sabean’s chief attribute he is seeking out in a ballplayer is service time. Not cheap talent, not undervalued talent, not projectable future ability but service time. Did you know that Marvin Benard made $4.2 million in both 2002 and 2003? Or that Kirk Rueter made over $6 million this past season? Where would that franchise be without the deity that has roamed left field for the last 10 years?
