Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Blanktista

We go pretty easy on the Jays front office around here, mostly because of apathy. I try not to get too caught up in the machinations of the business side of things, because it's so far beyond my control and so far removed from the actual enjoyment I receive from watching the game. While my fandom remains liberated, my ire has been raised by the Jays agreeing to a one year contract with Jose Bautista worth $2.4 million American dollars! Legal tender! It won't have JP's face on it or anything. Honestly, what the fucking fuck is this?

Never mind the number of players hanging around at discount prices. Actually, fuck that, let's mind the shit out of them. Ignoring the fact that a player like Adam Dunn, however unlikely he is to sign in Toronto, is sitting out there facing the harsh reality of signing a one year deal in the neighborhood of $5 million. There are some REALLY shitty players out there that are still WAY better than Bautista. Looking for a right handed utility guy to cover Overbay against tough lefties? Rich Aurilla would come cheaper and be just as shitty. I may not like Ty Wigginton, but if he's around for the same price, you have to go get his 3 wins, don't you? Jeff Kent was worth 0.7 wins last year, he lived in Canada once! Richie Sexson, Kevin Millar, All right handed guys that can play first base. Is Jose Bautista's ability to spell Scott Rolen that valuable, on a team teeming with white guys that will play anywhere on the diamond?

Even if we set aside all the alternatives, be they cheaper, better or both. This deal sucks because the Jays are now OVERPAYING JOSE BATISTA! Only one non-BONILLA projection system puts him above average offensively. Defensively, he only saw noteworthy time at 3B, where he posted a negative UZR. His time at first base, the first of his career, was brief but below average. The only real value Jose Bautista offers is as a utility guy, on a team full of utility guys. Fuck. Overall in 2008, Jose's slide rule and abacus calculated value was $2.5 million bucks, despite being below average defensively and offensively.

The rational part of my brain buys that, but another part of my mind screams "his ceiling is nil. He brings next to nothing to the table, and won't even be a full time player!" If a team is cutting costs, parring down its roster and slamming the door on external roster development, how the fuck can it afford to pay a bench guy $2.4 million dollars? Are all the doomsayers correct, is this team being primed for a sale? Is this just clearing the cupboard so a new president and/or GM can start fresh? If you are lying down, fine. I'll find something to cheer about. But don't do it half-assed. Run the damn kids out there, you know they're cheap so it doesn't matter if they only play once a week. Christ, now I know why I don't bother getting involved in the drama side of the game. This shit is aging me quickly.

Angry barfly gesture of thanks in the general direction of the Drunk Jays Fans for the heads up on the story and the conspiratorial comments.

4 comments:

  1. The Jays had to decide months ago to tender him a contract. This is crying over spilled milk. Overbay needs a platoon partner and Rolen needs a back up if he takes a DL vacation.
    There is value in him.
    -brent in Korea

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  2. You are right on both counts. That doesn't mean it isn't horseshit to pay 2.4 million for a 0.5 win player when a player worth 3 times that is on the market for only twice the price. Bautista has played all of 27 career innings at first, he'll have to provide some serious offence or learn to be a good first baseman in a hurry to justify it.

    Have a dol sot bibimbab for me Brent. Or start a fight at Hodgepodge.

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  3. Wow...that is kinda eerie. I swear to god I will never read your blog again so we can avoid any sniff of impropriety. :)

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