The Associated Press reported Johan Santana's new contract with the Mets includes a $18.75 million option for 2014 with a $5.5 million buyout. The entire package could be worth $150.75 million over seven years.
Folks, you can argue all you want that whether or not the Twins got "fair market value" in return for Santana. But anyone who thinks the Twins could have (or should have) signed this guy is completely delusional.
By the way, those of you that know me realize I am a sports fan and a baseball fan. However, I will be the first to admit that this contract is bordering on immoral. Johan Santana will most likely earn $1.5 million dollars per win over the course of this contract if he wins 15-18 games a year.
It's a good gig if you can get it.
The Four Horseman are mounting up as we speak.
Goodnight. Sleep tight.
**Morning Update (and then I think that I am done with this topic). Here is an excellent article from Jayson Stark of espn.com. He touches on the implications this deal has on MLB for teams that are not located in New York or Boston:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3226745
Jeff
5 comments:
Jeff,
Who is the guy under Schultz?
Mike
Dools - that is Nick Coleman.
I think I'm going to take him off the Homepage pretty soon.
Yep, I removed his picture. I couldn't take it anymore.
if you think these contracts are ridiculous and you refuse to play that game then maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't own a major league baseball team. i mean, it's kind of like saying i want to conpete against the russians in the race to the moon but refuse to buy enough fuel to get there and just buy enough to get half way there because the market for fuel is out of control. if you don't like the business of baseball get the hell out of it! the goal (for those of you who have forgotten) is to win the flippin' world series not be competitive! run it like a hobby not a business and you won't believe the amount of money you will make anyways....i've put my twins stuff away for good and i am going out to buy a red sox hat this weekend. have fun watching a business, suckers, as I will be watching winners from now on.
That is an interesting take on the whole thing, Don. Oddly enough, the NFL, NHL and NBA have figured out that a salary cap is prudent for their respective sports. Baseball, however, has not figured that out. I blame the Players Union (the strongest in sports) and the few owners who drive up salaries by paying mediocre players immense gauranteed contracts. Obviously, I am not talking about Santana here. But Carlos Silva, a below-average starter, just signed a 4-year, $48 million dollar with Seattle for God's sake. That makes no sense on a business, entertainment, or moral ground. It's just stupid, even if it is "just somebody's hobby."
Some people don't like salary caps because that is not how things are done in a "free-market economy." Professional sports is not a true free-market business, however. In a true free-market economy, McDonalds tries, essentially, to put Burger King out of business. They often locate close to each other to compete with vertually the same customer base. Can the Twins move to Manhatten or suburban Boston to take advantage of extra millions of people and try to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets? No.
The NFL has figured out that teams actually need each other for a healthy league. The Packers and Vikings actually need each other. Healthy rivalries in which both teams have a shot each year.
But in baseball, we continue to have a few teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, etc. who triple the payrolls of majority of the other 28 or so teams. Sure, there is the occasional Florida Marlins, who win a World Series and then have to dismantle over the next two years.
I agree with you that, as a Twins fan, I have to live with that reality. But I'd rather stop watching baseball altogether, however, than become a fan of Boston or New York. There is nothing sadder or more insincere than a guy from St. Paul who claims he's a Yankees or Red Sox fan.
That's just my opinion. I appreciate your comments.
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