Veterans Rock!
The Red Sox signed John Flaherty today. Flaherty is 38, and batted .165/.206/.252 last season for an OPS+ of…wait for it…wait for it…TWENTY!
There are probably 75 catchers making less than $50,000 per year in the Minor Leagues that would be better than Flaherty next year, but John will be able to make up to $750,000 for 2006. Nothing like being rewarded for service time. What a country.
December 23rd, 2005 at 8:57 pm
This is a pretty amazingly stupid move. I can’t imagine what it is that Flaherty does that we can’t Miguel Olivo to do on a minor-league contract. Olivo was amazingly bad last year, but he has some power and some upside and wouldn’t cost a dime more. And ‘amazingly bad’ is a boat that’s already sailed, given that line for Flaherty….
December 24th, 2005 at 12:10 pm
Looking for logic here…
Isn’t Flaherty a defensive whiz, at least in a former life? Maybe they hired him to serve as a coach to Shoppach. Or maybe its retaliation for the Yanks stealing away Damon. Tit for tat, y’know.
December 24th, 2005 at 4:18 pm
Well apparently none of his dough is guaranteed. That said, whatever time and resources were used to sign this deal were probably a waste. Plus they probably have to feed him during Spring Training or something.