Todd Helton, Vernon Wells, Alex Rodriguez and Barry Zito Free Agents?
by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 22, 2009 9:34 PM EDT
20 comments
Let me be the first to say this isn't true. However, Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes an interesting column where he derives a way to make it all happen.
Sherman suggests that Major League Baseball should institute a rule similar to the NBA in 2005 "Alan Houston Rule", where every team is allowed the opportunity to release one player from their contract. Of course this rule doesn't exist, but it certainly makes for some interesting conversation.
While Sherman makes it perfectly clear that MLB is far from struggling during these tough economic times, he does believe that some form of financial assistance is needed.
He may have a point. From everything we have been hearing, this is certainly shaping up to be the weakest trade market ever. Is it because of injuries? Maybe. Is it because of an over abundance of contending teams? Maybe, but I think most people would agree the central reason is the difficult economic conditions surrounding player contracts.
The fun part about this article is the speculation as to who would do what. So lets take a look at what Sherman thinks would happen in this wild scenario.
Here are a few names that could potentially be thrown in this group of 30 free agents.
- Toronto Blue Jays outfielder- Vernon Wells
- Colorado Rockies first baseman- Todd Helton
- San Francisco Giants pitcher- Barry Zito
- New York Yankees third baseman- Alex Rodriguez
- New York Mets pitcher- Oliver Perez
- Boston Red Sox outfielder- J.D. Drew
Once again this is all just fun speculation in the absence of a real hot stove this year, but I would love to hear from you the fans.
If you had a chance to get rid of one contract from your favorite team who would it be?
Remember you will be faced with the challenge of getting rid of the worst player vs. getting rid of the worst contract.
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Sure, getting Todd Helton's
contract off the books looks like a good thing on paper, but I seriously doubt the Monforts would do that with the intention of bringing in big-name FAs.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
The fans wouldn't let them.
There is enough animosity for the M&M boys right now. Releasing the face of the team would unleash a hue and cry the likes of which I’m not sure we’ve ever heard.
"I've had pretty good success with Stan Musial by throwing him my best pitch and backing up third." - Carl Erskine
Yeah, I'm happy with paying Drew $14million.
It’s better than Lugo’s contract.
OverTheMonster - ALLERGEN WARNING: May contain peanut butter.
As a braves fan i would like to get out of Kenshin Kawakami’s contract. This rule would be great for a situation like Mike Hamptons a couple years ago
by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jun 22, 2009 10:19 PM EDT reply actions
It's a fascinating exercise
Though in reality it rewards poor executive decision-making for the most part (with the occasional unlucky injury situation).
Oliver Perez would be out the door before the ink even dried on this rule.
Could the Mariners get about three of those?
Plenty of good choices for Seattle, but I think the dreadful Carlos Silva contract would be the big winner with $25 million owed to him after 2009 in addition to the $11 million he’s getting this year.
It still blows my mind he got that contract
It’s not as if it even made sense at the time – a la Helton/Hampton
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jun 27, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Im fine with Zito on the team as a 4th starter. But man, that was a terrible move.
The artist formerly known as Set-up man
Would never happen
The MLB Players Association is the strongest players union in pro sports, and there is no way in hell they would allow that to happen. If that happened, I’d expect another strike.
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
Exactly
There’s nothing in it for them.
"[Greg] Vaughn is in a funk so deep, George Clinton wearing a miner's helmet couldn't find him."
- Jim Baker, ESPN.com, May 2002
by achiappanza on Jun 24, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Cardinals -- Kyle Lohse
Way too much money and way too many years on a guy who’s not that good.
by Anonymous Communist on Jun 23, 2009 10:50 AM EDT reply actions
a's: eric chavez
no questions asked
"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball
Tigers--- Gary Sheffield
We are still paying him 13 M for this season to not play on this team.
If we can’t do that then Nate Robertson would be gone in the blink of an eye.
Tigers - Dontrelle Willis
the tigers also have 1st runner up Nate robertson and 2nd runner up Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield still gets his checks from Illitch so he is also on the board.
My only beef w/ releasing Willis
Is that at least he is still trying. Nate gets out there and looks like he wants them to hit it out.
Angels - Gary Matthews Jr.
Way too easy to answer
Damn you beat me to it.
That might be one of the top 5 worst signings this DECADE in all of baseball.
Phys: Well, Coon doesn't have a lot of power but he's a good bunter
Coon: F$%# That!
Thanks Zu
by halofan4life on Jun 24, 2009 2:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Huh?
I don’t really understand how the Alan Houston rule would have any affect on baseball. The point of the rule in the NBA is that you can release the player for salary cap purposes, but you still have to pay them. Baseball teams can already release players under contract as long as they pay them. For this hypothetical to be interesting we’d have to imagine an NFL style system of a salary cap and non-guaranteed contracts.
The Allan Houston rule provided luxury tax relief
Not salary cap relief. Sherman’s proposal would work to do the same thing it did with NBA franchises — provide financial flexibility. Say this proposal would somehow come to fruition, how would teams like Tampa, Florida and Pittsburgh, who don’t have bad contracts, be affected?
Also, note that part of the NBA’s luxury tax exception was a rule that the team could not resign the player they used the exception on.
by All Shook Down on Jun 23, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions
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