
A favorite hobby of The Blue Jays Doom and Gloom Squad seems to be lamenting Scott Rolen's contract. While I fail to see the point of magical rosterbation like this (if they weren't paying him X dollars, they could give it to fuckin MANNY!), I do understand why they complain about Rolen's contract. It's because they're idiots.
According to Cot's Contracts, Scott Rolen is due $11 million dollars per year through 2010. He is owed a $4 million dollar bonus at the end of the deal, which the St Louis Cardinals will graciously pay. While that is a lot of money, it's hardly unreasonable. Especially when you consider the previous third baseman is out for three months and wanted out of town blah blah blah.
Luckily for us, we can break down a player's value very easily thanks to sites like Fangraphs. And in 115 games last year, even after going 0 for July, Scott Rolen was worth just under 3 wins in 2008. Or $13 million bucks on the open market. But JP's an idiot! Some fool went so far to suggest that Jose Bautista @ $2.4M was better than Rolen @ $11M. Why? Because that person is an idiot.
In Bautista's best season (not the one in which he played for 4 teams) was worth 1 win above average. Why? Because he sucks. It's really that simple. Thankfully Parkes of Drunk Jays Fans noted last spring the Jays claimed they would keep both Reed and Shannon Stewart, only to unceremoniously dump Beardy Reed towards the end of camp. Parkes believes that Bautista will get the same treatment, an idea that is sounds great to me. Let him play some during Grapefruit league, see somebody wants to toss a left handed relief pitcher JP's way (you can never have enough!) or just eat the cost of releasing him. A move I wholeheartedly support.
So once again, I am forced to defend Scott Rolen with the same tenacity and skill of Scott Rolen defending the hot corner. Once again, I encourage Rolen haters to take a second to understand how valuable he is, from a baseball AND aesthetic standpoint. Leave my Rolen alone.
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