A stupid, stupid thought has taken root in my brain and found the soil fertile and rich. It has grown and flourished, this thought, to the point where I am actually typing it out to post on my blog, where anywhere from 60 to 120 people per day will be able to ascertain how much of an idiot I am.
I'm warning you, it's really dumb. I am in no way suggesting that I think it should happen, but I'm entertaining the notion that it could happen.
The Philadelphia Phillies have a 3rd baseman in David Bell who made 4.7 million in 2005 to hit a crappy .248/.310/.361 and play acceptable defense at 3rd base.
The San Francisco Giants have a 3rd baseman in Edgardo Alfonzo who made about 7 million in 2005 to hit a crappy .277/.327/.345 and play acceptable defense at 3rd base.
No, no, NO! I'm not suggesting a swap. What I'm suggesting is that both players are paid a large amount of money to suck a lot, and thus have initiated an extreme desire on the part of the ball clubs that pay them to get rid of them in any way they can.
The Phillies have another contract on their hands that is large, has turned horrible, and probably makes the Phillies want to get rid of it -- Jim Thome's contract. He was paid 13 million + to be injured most of the year, and suck something fierce when he did play.
Do you think that Brian Sabean would gamble and trade Alfonzo for Thome? I don't know if this could be done straight up, but I actually think it could be, given that Thome's a larger waste of money at this point than Fonzie is, although he has obviously had a much better career -- in other words, Thome's a much larger risk/gamble to take, which makes me think that a straight-up trade involving those two could be done.
Thome's old, old, but his dropoff in production this year is nothing short of astounding. No middle ground, no gradual loss of skill -- it all hit rock bottom, baby. Which may lead somebody like Sabes to think that it was a fluke (even I think there's got to be some fluke in that big of a dropoff), and perhaps want to give Thome a whirl -- with the caveat that he could get rid of one of his problem children in Alfonzo.
Like I said, it's pretty stupid from about eleventy-seven angles, but for some reason the thought that it would be an alluring option for Sabes has grabbed ahold of my imagination. Just remember, if something like that happens, you heard it here first. If it comes nowhere close to even being a smidgen in the general vicinity of eventually gravitating towards the miniscule germ of an intention, then you've never heard of me, and in fact, my name is Mortimer Bartholomew, and I run a horticulture blog, not a baseball blog.
3 comments:
You know, Joe, I didn't compare any defensive stats for Bell and Fonzie, but I know early in the year a Phillie blogger who was heavily into sabermetrics was pretty down on Bell -- I don't think he was doing well early on, but I'd have to check to be sure.
But shame that it is, I'd rather have Feliz than Fonzie or Bell, given age/salary/offensive production, and that is a horrible thing, really.
Thome's contract has 3yrs and $43.5M remaining guaranteed. $12.5M, $14M, $14, and a $13M option with a $3M buyout.
Fonzie has $7M left for next year. So essentially Thome would increase payroll by $5.5M next year and $36.5M over the life of his contract. With his back injuries that's a huge gamble. It's the type of gamble that if it pays off could get the Giants a shot at a World Series title next year and then screw them up financially for awhile. And if it doesn't pay off it just screws them up. I'd want as much medical information as possible before I made a decision, but without more information I wouldn't do it.
Well, Nick, I can't help but say I agree with you, but given Sabean track record as far as sacrificing the future for the present, I can't rule out him making a play for Thome.
The only players I see Sabean trying to acquire are a pitcher or two, a 4th outfielder, and a 1st baseman (even though 3rd base is a problem as well, he's already screwed himself there).
I'm sure it would depend on how much of Thome's salary the Phillies would pay if it were to happen at all -- if the Phillies won't at least pay all of Thome's 2006 salary, the deal can't be done. The Giants could go after Konerko w/ all the money they'd have to pay Thome for a much larger risk.
Post a Comment