MY ANNUAL ALL-STAR GAME RANT
I’m not going to get into who should or should not have been named to the All-Star teams. However, if managers continue to pick their own players over more deserving ones, maybe the Commissioner’s Office should consider naming the substitutes instead. Case in point was Charlie Manual’s decision to pick Jayson Werth to replace the injured Carlos Beltran. Werth is having a solid season, but his .268 average hardly merits All-Star consideration. Carlos Lee and Matt Kemp are having better seasons. Now the entire Phillies outfield will be on the team after Shane Victorino was voted in by the fans as the “33rd” player.
And what about Ryan Howard? He’s hitting all of .253. How about Derrek Lee instead?
Joe Madden chose Nelson Cruz to replace the injured Torii Hunter. What about Jermaine Dye or Adam Lind both hitting much better than Cruz’ .262?
I have a hard time with endorsing .260 hitters as “All-Stars” especially when there are better players left off the team.
The biggest problem with the fans’ vote this year was choosing Josh Hamilton who has been out nearly two months.
It was good to see that they added another player to the rosters to make sure the teams do not run out of pitchers. But the player chosen should’ve have been a relief pitcher. With more and more dependence on the bullpens to determine outcomes of the games, those relief pitchers best able to hand a lead over to the closer deserve merit. There is even an official stat for this now – the hold. Under this idea, the two pitchers who should be named are the Giants Jeremy Affeldt and the Tigers Bobby Seay. Each have 18 holds, tops in either league. Affeldt has a sparkling 1.34 ERA while Seay is at a respectable 3.12.
This idea makes so much sense that it’s bound to be ignored for infinity.
Baseball still has the best All-Star game of all the major sports but it would be even better if more deserving players were named.
SOMETHING BREWING IN MILWAUKEE
Is now being a considered a legitimate pennant contender an excuse for the post Independence Day fireworks that have broken out in Milwaukee? Ryan Braun, self-proclaimed spokesman for the team called out the starting pitching during this weekend’s meltdown in Chicago and challenged General Manager Doug Melvin to do something about it.
“[The Cubs] starting pitching is a lot better than ours,” Braun said. “They threw the ball a lot better than our starters did. They certainly swung the bats better than we did. Clearly they were the better team. It’s nice to get the one win but they clearly outplayed us and outperformed us all series. No matter who is in there, we have to find a way to throw the ball better for us to have success,” Braun said Sunday. “I think when you’re constantly behind in games, it’s not easy and it’s not fun.”
Wow! This is being brutally honest. But a player criticizing teammates in this brunt fashion will not set well. Not in the clubhouse and not in Milwaukee.
Then he went further, he challenged Melvin. “We’re at the point right now where it would be important for us to go out there and acquire somebody,” Braun said.
So how did Milwaukee’s GM respond? Well, he didn’t exactly embrace Braun’s suggestion. “It was inappropriate for him to say what he said, and I’m not happy about it,” Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday. “To make the statements he made and also get on his teammates like that, it was irresponsible on his part. It just ticked me off.”
So what to make of this? It’s the rambling of a young star whose ego got in the way of logic. Yes it has been frustrating to watch the starters get pounded more often than not (save Giovani Gallardo). But as a Brewers fan and a partial season ticket holder, I have been observing Braun’s gradual migration toward cockiness and excuse making. Just last week he was complaining about the glass panels above the first base grandstand as being a hindrance to tracking fly balls. Could it be instead that he plays out of position?
If Braun is the self-anointed face of the franchise he best better think before he speaks lest he face the wrath of the fans. This may go over well in New York or Chicago but not in Milwaukee. No matter how good or as honest you are.
IT’S JUST MILTON BEING MILTON
I never thought that I would come to the defense of Milton Bradley but the recent euphoria over the return of Manny Ramirez has me doing just that.
The ridiculous fawning over Ramirez is a nauseating reflection on today’s baseball fans and the media who choose to idolize a self-centered sham. I guess now that they no longer have Barry Bonds to ingratiate themselves with, Ramirez will do.
What is it nowadays that makes a self-centered cheat so popular? What exactly has he done recently to deserve such allegiance?
Let’s review:
1. Last summer he quit on the Red Sox in the middle of the season because he was unhappy with the direction of contract negotiations. His bizarre behavior included spending time between Red Sox pitching changes inside the Green Monster doing God knows what.
2. As a going away present, Ramirez cuffed a front office lackey in Houston because he had the misfortune of telling him he could not get all of the comp passes he requested.
3. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, he was immediately greeted as some sort of matinee idol which, I suppose, is only logical seeing that the city is a vast fantasy land.
4. In the offseason he held out until he got a farcical contract.
5. In April, he was caught using a banned substance leading to a 50 game suspension. Then he wanted everyone to believe that he was unaware that the substance was forbidden.
His return last Friday bordered on the bizarre. The media frenzy was akin to the paparazzi following some celebrity icon. Every move was documented. Every swing, every at bat, every crotch scratching was photographed and reported on. “Here’s Manny picking his nose!”
What kind of example is being set for the kids that it’s OK to cheat?
Meanwhile Milton Bradley is also a target for the fans and media but for an entirely different reason. While Manny can’t do anything wrong, Bradley can’t to do anything right. I listened to Cubs’ fans constantly boo him this weekend. Why? He’s not living up to his lofty contract. Plus, he’s always expected to act like a Boy Scout because of his anger disorder. Any deviation from this results in a chorus of boos. Lose track of outs? Get booed. Pop out with runners on? Get booed. Question an umpire’s call? Get booed. Have a confrontation with the manager? Get sent home!
Bradley is guilty only of not being able to control his emotions. While I’m not making excuses for his past incidents, he should not be held to a higher standard than Ramirez.
He goes to anger management meetings. He recognizes this is an issue. He admitted he was wrong with his face-to-face with Lou Piniella. He is a man aware of his shortcomings and trying to do something about it. Yet the media vilifies him.
Ramirez fits the twisted logic of getting a pass on his actions because he has been chosen as a cultural celebrity. Meanwhile, Bradley is booed because he has an emotional problem that he has admitted and is trying to treat. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?
BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE A PIRATE!
I’m sure that’s what Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge are thinking despite the fact they play for a worse team.
What in the name of Forbes Field is going on in Pittsburgh?
Now on its way to a record setting 17th straight losing season, the Pirates are like a shelter for wandering vagrants. It seems that every season near July 1st they begin their annual drive to expel players for what it seems like whatever they will get for them.
What’s so surprising this year is that the team is actually competitive in a tight NL Central race. Going into tonight’s game against the Cubs, the Pirates are in last place but with a respectable 35-41 record.
Let’s take a look at who’s been in and out through the revolving door since last July and what they’ve gotten in return.
Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss for Jason Bay
Andy LaRoche part of 3 team deal in order for the Dodgers to get Manny Ramirez
Steven Jackson for waiver price.
Evan Meek Rule 5 draftee
Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady for Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and 2 minor leaguers
Nate McLouth for Charlie Morton and 3 minor leaguers
Ramon Vasquez Free agent
Two minor leaguers for Eric Hinske
Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge for Nyger Morgan and Sean Burnett
.
As their current record indicates, these moves have been moderately successful. But if you have been on this team for awhile like Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm or John Grabow, you can’t help but wonder if you’ll be next when the Grim Reaper comes calling. All indications are that Wilson will be gone before the trading deadline.
If you’ve been shown the door, you can’t help but be gleeful (Bay, Nady, McLouth, Hinske) with perhaps the exception of Morgan and Burnett who go from bad to worse.
But while trying to purge salary and “improve the team” these moves have sent dissension through the clubhouse and whatever die-hard Pirates fans are left have to be perplexed. The others have abandoned ship without much hope of ever returning despite the ambience of one of the best new stadiums. After all, who can they hope to see and follow for more than a few years without their loyalty being crushed.
It’s not easy to be either a player or a fan in the slough that is Pittsburgh.
SEND OUT AN SOS
As the season nears the All-Star break, I’m sure the Milwaukee Brewers are pondering what to do with their dreadful starting pitching. As I mentioned in my pre-season analysis, starting pitching will make or break this team and in the last month or so it has been downright ugly.
The stats for the past ten starts:
W-L/IP/IP per G/ERA/WHIP
Jeff Suppan 4-3/55.1/5.5/4.05/1.78
David Bush 2-4/55/ 5.5 /6.22/1.38
Braden Looper 3-4/55.2/5.5/6.35/1.37
Manny Parra 3-6/50.1/5.0/7.34/ 1.97
AND
Yovani Gallardo 4-3/55.1/5.5/3.09/1.37
I separated Gallardo because he has remained consistently better than the others and has respectable numbers, although his walks allowed could be lower. Further, he has been matched up with the opponents’ ace more often than the others and his holding his own. Over his past 10 starts, he has pitched against Paul Maholm (team won 7-4/ND), Wandy Rodriguez (team lost 6-4/ND), Chris Carpenter in perhaps the best pitched game in the majors this year (team lost 1-0 in 10 innings/ND), Jair Jurrgens (team won 3-0/ W/ 2 hitter), Aaron Cook (team lost 5-4/L) and Justin Verlander (team lost 3-2/L).
Parra was so bad he is now in Nashville. Bush declined rapidly from a stellar April and is now on the DL. Looper has no consistency and has been hammered of late. Suppan’s numbers over the past 10 games have been decent, but this followed a truly repugnant April. We should expect more from the $12.5 million man.
Note that the starters on average barely make it into the sixth inning, which is low even in this era of rare complete games. This puts additional stress on the bullpen.
So where should GM Doug Melvin turn for help? The farm system is not the answer. Indeed, the last three call-ups have been retreads from other teams, Chris Narveson (Cardinals), Chris Smith (Red Sox) and Mike Burns (Houston, Boston, Cincinnati).
Chris Cody, a lefthander at AAA Nashville has looked good enough to be considered and may get the call soon, especially if Melvin is unsuccessful in the trade market.
He has vowed not to trade his top prospects like last year when Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley were sent to Cleveland for CC Sabathia.
There is no CC on the blocks thus year as yet and the names that have been thrown out so far all carry baggage: Erik Bedard – injuries, Jarrod Washburn – age and salary, Jake Peavy – strict no trade clause, Mark Hendrickson – no way, Carl Pavano – the same, Gil Meche – big salary
There may be three possible options. The first is Arizona LP Doug Davis whom Melvin has mentioned regretted trading. The second possibility is Oakland LP Dallas Braden, who is putting up decent numbers on a team whose GM, Billy Beane, is always listening to offers. The third is Boston RP Brad Penny who may be expendable when Diasuke Matzuaka comes off the DL.
Any of the three will help bolster the rotation. If none of these scenarios play out, then Melvin might have to seek a blockbuster on the scale of the CC deal. It may mean having to sell the future for the present, which is why Melvin is probably wishing hard that this recent collapse is an aberration.
Don’t count in it.
I doubt that the team will do anything big, but you can bet that they will listen to all offers especially if the team continues to lose traction in the NL Central. The fans had a taste of winning last year and the team has been in first place longer than any other in the division this year. What a shame it would be to sit and hope things get better while watching other teams pass us in the standings. 
YOU GOTTA LOVE OZZIE GUILLEN
As I get ready to watch the first game of this weekend’s interleague series between the White Sox and the Brewers, I’m getting geared up to listen to Manager Ozzie Guillen. No other skipper is as frank and brutally honest about his team and players.
He must be a delight to the press, dishing out comments after each game that are provocative and emotional. His passion for the game and his team is evident.
Here are a few Observations from Ozzie :
“I wish whoever I put in the leadoff spot will do their job, because I’m tired of the same questions. I’ve been answering the same questions since spring training.”
April 9th , 2009 lost 2-1 to KC
“He’s (Jose Contreras) got to figure it out. It was a pretty bad game, walking people, not getting guys out. He walked the leadoff guy in like three different innings.”
April 21, 2009 lost 10-3 to Baltimore
“He (Bartolo Colon) was not throwing strikes. The ball was not moving. You got to throw strikes. Every time he put the ball in the middle of the plate, he got hit.”
April 23rd, 2009 lost 6-2 to Baltimore
“When you take your glove to the plate and you take the bat to the field, you are not going to have much success in this game. I don’t like what I (saw) today, not because of the error, I’m making it clear, I (didn’t) like his (Alexi Ramirez) attitude today. He was kind of head down and feeling sorry for himself.”
April 24th, 2009 lost 14-0 to Toronto
“Most of the time when you’re going to talk to the players, myself, I wait for them to do something good. Make sure they don’t take it the wrong way because they had a bad game. All of a sudden, (they’re) in the principal’s office.”
April 25th 2009 won 10-2 against Toronto
“It’s a pretty ugly 4-0. He’s always the same. It doesn’t matter whether he’s 8-0, he does the same job.” (on Mark Buerhle)
May 1, 2009 won 4-3 against Texas
“Some people on this team better check (themselves), They better think about the way we’re playing–I’m talking about everyone. They better be careful. I’m not afraid to move people. I’m not afraid to make changes.”
May 5th lost 8-7 to KC 11 innings
“He’s umpire (Barksdale) got a point. I don’t think he liked what he saw. If that guys score than I think I should be the worst manager in the game. I’m not that crazy.”
May 9th, 2009 commenting on Booby Jenks’ inside pitch to Texas outfielder David Murphy. White Sox 3, Texas 2
“In the big leagues, if you don’t throw a strike, I don’t care how good you are, you’re going to get killed. He (Gavin Floyd) couldn’t throw his curve for strikes because he couldn’t throw his fastball for strikes. You have to command your fastball to make the other pitches work.”
May 11th Cleveland 9, White Sox 4
“Offensively we’re really, really bad right now. We have to be better than that. How? It’s my job to figure out how. We’re going to make maybe a few changes in the lineup to see if that works. But when the manager changes the lineup every day, that’s not a good sign of a winning ballclub. I don’t think I’m doing my job,” My job is winning games and that’s the last thing we’re doing right now.”
May 15th Toronto 8, White Sox 3
“There’s so many different ways to lose, you can’t describe each of them.”
May 18th Toronto 3, White Sox 2
“We did everything wrong we could do. You name it, we did it wrong. I always think positive, Colon will be real fresh for his next start.”
May 21st Minnesota 20, White Sox 1
“It’s kind of hard for me, I have to play him (inf Wilson Betemit). It seems every time we play him he makes an error. “
June 2nd Oakland 5, White Sox 0 Betemit was released the next day.
“Really bad. He struck out, what am I going to say? He was good?” …on top rookie prospect Gordon Beckham’s debut.
June 4th Oakland 7, White Sox 0
“People are going to be struggling at the plate, but we got a man on third base and no outs and we can’t get him in. We swing at back-to-back changeups in the dirt, it’s just a lot of bad things happening right now. A lot of bad ugly things, embarrassing things happening now.”
June 5th Cleveland 6, White Sox 0
We don’t know what to do. Everything we try doesn’t work. Maybe if I go crazy with the media and (rip) my team … I might wake them up. But it’s wasting my time.”
June 7th Cleveland 7, White Sox 4
“”If this was the 1980s, (none) of these guys would be in the big leagues right now, because if you hit .210-.230 and you can’t execute, I don’t think you should be out here. When you can’t bunt, hit-and-run, squeeze and move the guy over, you better hit 40 home runs and drive in 140. Somebody has to change because if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do, I’ll take the blame because that’s my job.”
June 8th Detroit 5, White Sox 4
It’s the 7th inning of the opener and the Brewers lead 6-2 after a 3 run 6th and a 3 run 7th. There ought to be some interesting comments after the game. Come on, Ozzie, don’t disappoint me, I’ve waited all year for this.
THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
The Washington Nationals are expected to take highly-touted San Diego St. pitcher Stephen Strasberg with the first pick in tomorrow’s draft. That’s a bold move.
As everyone knows, he is represented by the notorious Scott Boras, who will use all of his tools to insult the Nationals for not being “forthright” in negotiations. It is said that record breaking dollars for a #1 draft pick will be necessary to sign him. How much? Over $10.1 million upfront plus an additional $40 million over the life of the contract. This for a pitcher, arguably the best prospect at that position ever, who has yet to throw a professional pitch. To put this in perspective, $50 million is more money than the entire payroll of three mlb teams and nearly as much as the Nationals 2009 $59 million payroll.
Now I know he won’t get this in one lump sum but it is still beyond comprehension. Say Strasberg signs and is in the Nationals’ rotation by September, which many are predicting. Does that justify the $1millon plus bonus, which is more than anyone else on the team makes? That will create animosity for sure.
Pitchers, by the nature of the position, are more prone to elbow and shoulder injuries. If Strasberg eventually faces the dreaded Tommy John surgery before the completion of the contract, the Nationals will be paying him star money for doing nothing but rehab.
The Nationals as an organization is revenue-challenged. This is because there is a certain level of fan apathy due to the dumb moves the team has made leading to the 74-141 record since the start of the 2008 season. So where are they going to come up with the money to pay him? A bank loan? Right.
Boras has already threatened to take Strasberg to the independent leagues or to Japan if the Nationals play hardball. Wait, doesn’t the client and his family have any say in this?
Give the team credit. They are not going to back away. Yes, there will be lengthy and acrimonious talks and it will be nearly impossible to sign Strasberg. But the Nationals’ fans should laud this move.
Will this madness ever end? Not as long as there are bloodsucking agents like Boras around, or as Nationals President Stan Kasten says, ” “I used to think [agents] were a necessary evil in sports. Now I just think of them as evil.”
Commissioner Bud Selig is urging owners to push back during the next labor negotiations in 2011. They will fight to reduce the bonus “slots” now being routine in the draft. But there is nothing routine about the audacity of Boras’ relentless pursuit to bankrupt the game which by then he will have enough money to form his own league using his own players. Let’s see how much he would pay them then.
Trust that the Nationals will do the right thing, which will be to tell Boras to take a hike. Nobody, no matter how talented, is worth bankrupting a franchise. Maybe after all of this drawn out drama ends, they will join other teams who won’t even consider signing any player represented by him.
Now, I know that there will be some who defend Boras’ for representing the best interests of his clients’ and to that end, they are correct. But he has taken this to a whole new fantasy land level.
Yes, this is the Land of Make Believe, ruled over by a King who pillages teams and shares the spoils with his faithful peons. What will he have to rule over when the teams’ are ravished and forced to disband?
GLAVINE SHOULD BE ONLY THE FIRST…
There was almost universal outrage when the Braves announced that they were releasing Tom Glavine rather than risking paying him up to $3 million if added to the roster.
The only outrage was the shoddy way the Braves handled this. They waited until Glavine reached Turner Field before yesterday’s game to tell him. Although I will never come close to the money he has made in his career, I do know the feeling of coming to work without having a clue that the ax was going to fall. Trust me, it’s not a good feeling.
Glavine was one of the stalwarts of an Atlanta rotation that was key in the team’s remarkable 14 straight division pennants. With John Smoltz both starting and saving games during this period and Greg Maddux’ dazzling array of pitches, this trio was the best in MLB history. The last time a rotation was so dominant was the Baltimore Orioles trio of Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cueller. In 1970, Palmer went 20-10, McNally 24-8 and Cueller 24-9. In 1952, the Indians’ trio of Bob Lemon (22-11), Mike Garcia (22-11) and Early Wynn (23-12) also accomplished this feat. But this was in only one year, certainly not at the sustained level as the Braves’ trio.
From 1993 when Maddux joined the Braves until 2003 when Glavine left via free agency, they won 498 games. In 2002, Smoltz went to the bullpen and saved 55 wins. In that 11-year span, the Braves won an incredible 1,245 games including the strike-shortened 1994 season. That means that the Glavine/Smoltz/Maddux combo won 40% of these games and would’ve won even more had Smoltz not missed a year and spent 2002 in the bullpen!
It was a dominant pitching performance like no other. All three will go to the Hall of Fame. Smoltz will certainly go in as a Brave, as will Glavine. Maddux has to choose between the Braves and the Cubs.
But the real subject of this piece is about when a player should leave the game. Many hang on way too long and go out not on their terms but on managements. Some great players who recently fall into this group include Frank Thomas, Pedro Martinez and Kenny Rogers.
Current players who are on the verge of falling into this sort of humiliation include Jamie Moyer, the aforementioned Smoltz, David Ortiz, Ken Griffey, Mike Sweeney, and, yes, Randy Johnson. Since Glavine stated that he has no intention of retiring, he will also join this team.
Now that Johnson has his 300 wins, maybe he will finally give in to Father Time and admit he’s lost much of his effectiveness.
Too many players hang on beyond their usefulness. That’s because there’s always a team willing to fork over money for marginal returns.
So I don’t blame the Braves for this decision. It was bold and unpopular. But it was the right choice. More teams need to let veterans know their time is up because most will never admit it.
WILL THE NATIONALS EVER GET IT RIGHT?
The chaos currently going on in Washington includes the
major league baseball team, possessors of the majors worst record and showing
little sign of changing.
The main culprit has been the bullpen, which stinks as much as
pen full of crowded hogs. It has the worst save ratio and the highest
bullpen ERA.
There has been more movement in and out of the Nationals
bullpen than crowds rushing to get in line for the next Wal-Mart sale.
Right now it is a hodgepodge of mostly inexperienced kids
and enough geezers to qualify for the senior meal at Denny’s. To wit, the pen
currently consists of Joe Beimel 32, Julian Tavarez 36, Ron Villone 39, Jesus
Colome 31 and Kip Wells 32.
That’s 5/7 of the bullpen over 30.
When fans shout “Warm Up the Bus”, these guys head for the
locker room to get good seats. Combined they would have 3 memberships to
AARP. They don’t run to the
mound they amble wishing they could climb aboard a golf cart instead. Their entrance theme is “Blame It on the Bossa Nova”.
I don’t know what the team’s
plan is but right now it is as clear as pea soup. Recently fired GM Jim Bowden was in his second round of incompetence, having
wrecked the Reds so much that they are now just starting to recover.
At least they have committed to a youth movement in the
rotation – Detwiler, Lannan, Scott Olsen, Shairon Martis and now Greg Stammen.
They can only get better and it’s not a bad idea to let them get some
meaningful exposure now.
It’s a shame, because offensively the team can hit as
evidenced by Ryan Zimmerman’s recent hitting streak and Adam Dunn’s tape
measure blasts.
With a spectacular new ballpark and a relatively small
payroll, the Nationals should be in a good position to get more competitive.
But the park is usually less than half full which puts a severe strain on
revenue. That’s par for the course in today’s Washington’s environment.
If they don’t get any better soon, look for yet another
government bailout.
IT’S ONLY FAIR TO COMPARE
In early April, I submitted an
article comparing some of the game’s best pitchers who were
making less money
than the $12,750,000 being paid to Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan.
Now, with the season seven weeks
old, it’s only fair to compare how he is actually stacking
up against them.
In general, it is not good as
the list below indicates. Of the
17 pitchers mentioned,
Suppan ranks second last in wins tied with Dempster,
Johnson, Maholm and Cook.
Only two
pitchers had a higher ERA than Suppan’s 4.71 (Scott Kazmir who just
went on the
DL with 6.75 and Josh Beckett at 5.01).
Finally, Suppan’s WHIP (Walks
and Hits per Innings Pitched) ranked second last
tied with Beckett at 1.53 and
ahead of only Kazmir’s 1.95.
John Lackey, Brandon Webb,
Hiroki Kuroda., and Daisuke Matzuaka were not included
because of injuries.
Here are the results, listed by
salary:
Pitcher Team Salary W L ERA WHIP
Jeff Suppan Milwaukee
Brewers $12,750,000 3 3 4.71 1.53
Hiroki Kuroda Los
Angeles Dodgers $12,400,000 injured
Gil Meche Kansas
City Royals $11,400,000 2 5 4.55 1.50
Josh Beckett Boston
Red Sox $11,166,666 4 2 5.01 1.53
Jake Peavy San
Diego Padres $11,000,000 4 5 3.48 1.10
John Lackey LA
Angels $10,000,000 injured
Aaron Cook Colorado
Rockies $9,375,000 3 1 4.68 1.44
Ryan Dempster Chicago
Cubs $9,000,000 3 3 4.47 1.29
Daisuke Matzuaka Boston
Red Sox $8,333,333
injured
Eric Bedard Seattle
Mariners $7,750,000 2 2 2.64 1.13
Rich Harden Chicago
Cubs $7,000,000 4 2 4.74 1.37
Brandon Webb Arizona
D’backs $6,500,000 injured
Scott Kazmir Tampa
Bay Rays $6,000,000 4 4 6.35 1.95
Cliff Lee Cleveland
Indians $6,000,000 2 5 3.04 1.37
Zach Greinke Kansas
City Royals $3,750,000 7 1 0.82 0.91
Matt Cain San
Francisco Giants $2,900,000 5 1 2.40 1.32
Paul Maholm Pittsburgh
Pirates $2,500,000 3 1 3.41 1.28
Josh Johnson Florida
Marlins $1,400,000 3 1 2.67 1.10
Remember, young phenoms like Lincecum, Price, Felix Hernandez and Cole Hamels
were not included because they have not been in the majors long enough.
The only thing one can look forward to is that his salary
comes off the books next year
and that there’s a real possibility that Jake
Peavy could be in Milwaukee still this year if
Trevor Hoffman is convincing
enough.
We can only hope.
Kenn Olson
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