The topic of player salaries is one of the most talked about around the bar, in the kitchen, at Thanksgiving and any other place baseball is discussed. I realized that I, like most, argue the merits of the moment for the player du jour who was overpaid or signed the "home team discount". What I have never done is taken the time to look at player salaries by team or even the top 25 from last season. There are the obvious A-Rod, Bonds and Manny pulling in over $20 mil/season followed by Jeter at $19.6 mil. Those are all players that make me do a "no big whoop" shrug when I hear about their salaries, because they at least "earn" it. Are they high? Sure, but it's not like their owners are hurting or complaining about paying them.
After that there are a lot of guys who may or may not deserve the money, but most are at the tail end of their contracts which they signed years ago (Mussina at $19 mil last year. Wow!). What I am interested in is arguing the value of younger players who are earning their keep against players of similar age/experience who I don't think hold a candle to them. Well in this case, it's players earning their keep versus a player who I think has gone off the deep end with his salary demand.
In my opinion, as far as Top 25 salaries are concerned, the benchmark is set by Andruw Jones ($13 mil) and Vlad Guerrero ($12.5 mil). One probably should have been the NL MVP last year while the other won the AL MVP in 2004. They are two of the most exciting players in baseball to watch and I'm happy to see that Jones made the leap last year. Hopefully it carries over to this season, although it's a shame he plays for a team that isn't appreciated by their fans. That fact can be justified by the obvious lack of sellouts during their playoff games. Do you think Red Sox fans would live with themselves if they didn't sell out 200 playoff games, which is what it feels like the Braves have played since the 90's? What we wouldn't do for that consistency. Heck, even the bandwagoners from the Bronx wouldn't allow that to happen. Vlad, on the other hand, is one player I never understood why "we" never went after. For that kind of money the Sox could have trumped the Angels bid and traded Trot Nixon (Only after trying to trade Manny of course). It's one of those questions I would love to ask Theo. Regardless, since he hit that grand slam off of Timlin in the 2004 ALDS I fear him every plate appearance; not to mention the bio-mechanical right arm that he purchased from John Connor.
I don't need to go Rob Neyer or Jason Stark on you and break down a plethora of stats for you to know that these guys are the cream of the crop. So what in the name of Arn Tellum (Nomar's agent for those missing the joke) does Alfonso Soriano get off asking for $12 mil in arbitration? Although arbitrators always look at stats and never real player value, which includes such important characteristics as "loves to parade around naked" and "has a wife with homicidal tendencies (See Kris Benson)" I'm still shocked that he was awared $10 mil, which is the highest salary awarded to date via arbitration. Soriano has put up nice numbers throughout his career, but none of them seem important. If there were an Inconsequential Home Run Derby he and A-Rod would be the first two players asked to participate. When I think of impact player that I fear Soriano never comes to mind. Jones and Guerrero are capable of putting teams on their back for weeks at a time. Teams plan their pitching strategy around them. They don't with Soriano. He's one of those "get ahead in the pitch count and strike him out with a change-up" kind of guy. Do you remember Pedro doing this to him while he was on the Yankees? Aside from when he was on base did you ever worry about him when he was a Yankee? Does the term MVP ever come into consideration when thinking about him? Maybe he'll carry the Nationals, who were a frisky team last year. He may be the answer for them, but he's got to earn Jones/Guerrero status as far as money is concerned. Of course, the chances of him playing for the Nationals this season seemed remote from the day they acquired him.
Speaking of guys who aren't worth what they received I cannot let this one go since I heard it this morning. Shea Hillenbrand, the newly minted DH of the Blue Jays, signed a 1 year deal for $5.8 mil. Is it me or has David Ortiz and his $5.25 mil officially become the biggest bargain of the decade? Don't tell me Shea brings defensive skills to the table. Losing your job to Troy Glaus and his bad back says a lot. If anything, Shea is to third baseman as Ortiz is to first basemen. Now I am convinced that J.P. Riccardi has lost it. The deciples of Billy Beane all stop funcitoning correctly when handed keys to the car and Dad's Mobil gas card, which they discover pays for food at the MobilMart about 5 seconds before taking the first hit off of the bong. Microwaved White Castle Burgers anyone? These guys are the GM equivalent of Fembots. Watch their head explode after they find out that their budget is finally higher than most 4th world countries. That's when they are at their best.
Poor Shea. I know I pick on you a lot, but you have to admit that you earned it. I'm not sure you'll be earning your Loonies after the All-Star break when you go into your annual tank. If only Kevin Millar signed with Toronto, because that's about the time he gets going.
As salaries have leveled off a bit these past few years and guys are being paid what us fans earning an average of $50K/year consider normal, I'm glad somebody asked for money that had no correlation with what they bring to the table. It at least gives us something to talk about. Since Soriano got an above market settlement, do you think J.P. Riccardi is trying to trade for him now?
