A-Rod opts out

If there's one team that can definately afford him it's the Dodgers.

With Wolf, Gonzalez, Saenz, Hendrickson and Tomko off the payroll, they save about $25 million. And if Kent retires, that's another $9 million off the books for a combined total of roughly around $32-35 million.

And there are plenty of expiring contracts in 2008. Furcal, Lowe, Garciaparra, and Loaiza all are in the last year of their contracts. That's another $38 million off the books.

Seemingly, you would think signing A-Rod is a must for McCourt.

Only question is can Colletti negotiate with Boras?

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Originally Posted by Claw21

With Wolf, Gonzalez, Saenz, Hendrickson and Tomko off the payroll, they save about $25 million. And if Kent retires, that's another $9 million off the books for a combined total of roughly around $32-35 million.

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Well sure, but I think quite a few of those multiyear deals (Penny, Lowe, Pierre, Furcal, etc.) go up in annual salary next year, plus adding Loaiza to the mix--so that might take a big chunk of that money away. I'm curious on the actual numbers.

The Dodgers and A-Rod makes too much sense for it to actually happen.

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Originally Posted by jbruin152

Well sure, but I think quite a few of those multiyear deals (Penny, Lowe, Pierre, Furcal, etc.) go up in annual salary next year, plus adding Loaiza to the mix--so that might take a big chunk of that money away. I'm curious on the actual numbers.

The Dodgers and A-Rod makes too much sense for it to actually happen.

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Bruin, my numbers came from the website mlbcontracts.blogspot.com. It shows the Dodgers payroll in 2007 at $108 Million. It also breaks down the multiyear deals and what the players will actually make each year of their contract.

My numbers were based upon the numbers provided by that site. It's a pretty up to date site.

Signing A-Rod is a no-brainer for McCourt.

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Originally Posted by Claw21

Bruin, my numbers came from the website mlbcontracts.blogspot.com. It shows the Dodgers payroll in 2007 at $108 Million. It also breaks down the multiyear deals and what the players will actually make each year of their contract.

My numbers were based upon the numbers provided by that site. It's a pretty up to date site.

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Oh, I think you're misreading me. I wasn't calling you out.

My query is more on the escalating current contracts and how that mitigates the savings you mentioned.

Nomar goes up $1million.
Lowe goes up $500K.
Penny goes up $1million.
Pierre goes up $500K (then add'l. $2mil in '09).
Wolf buyout $500K.
Loaiza adds $7million.
Lieberthal goes up $250K.
Saito I'm sure gets a considerable raise to stick around.
Beimel is due for an arbitration raise.

I'm just not sure we have that $30+ million to play with, but I HOPE that we do.

Come on Bruin, I know you weren't calling me out. :) I didn't even take it that way.

My numbers came from looking at the salaries real quick. Gonzo, Wolf, and Tomko took up a decent amt of cash. The low $30's figure is based on Kent retiring.

I think we can both agree that the Dodgers can definately afford him. The attendance figures are there. The big name draw is there. It can be done.

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Originally Posted by jbruin152

LOL. Priceless. EVERYONE by the end of the year is banged up. Kirk Gibson hit a home run on one leg, remember?

A-Rod in the playoffs .279/.361/.483
Vlad in the playoffs .183/.258/.233

Not even a comparison. People that say A-Rod "can't handle pressure in NY" (read: stupid people) seem to conveniently forget that he tore up the '04 playoffs as a Yankee in both the ALDS and ALCS.

(And no, I don't think either A-Rod OR Vlad are unclutch, but I love watching this incredibly arbitrary definition of the word get tossed around.)


Or, you could look at it as that if an entire lineup isn't hitting pitching, maybe you should give some credit to the pitching staffs of the other teams? You can arbitrarily rationalize your way around this any way you want, but protection is just an excuse.

Fact of the matter is in a three or four-game series ANYONE can look like a choker.

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So Kirk Gibson puts on lucky swing on a meatball from Eckersly and suddenly becomes the benchmark for playoff performances while injured? You need I remind you that was his only at bat in that series? He got lucky. Finesse plays a huge role in a hitters productivity and when you are injured it's going to effect you negatively anyway that you look at it. If it didn't then why didn't Capt. Kirk play a few more at bats or at least make a few more appearances as pinch hitter?

My point, which you failed to address is that Arod was in tip top shape going into the playoffs each of his 3 seasons in New York and with the exception of his 2004 performance has sucked every time. His performance in 2004 was .320. Very good but not exactly tearing it up. When it comes to the playoffs true peformers step it was above that. After all, in a short series a truly great performace will often go into the .400 range.

Take away his performace in 2004 and what do you have? A mediocre .258 playoff batting average that's what. I'm not saying the guy sucks. What I am saying is that for the talent, health and protection that he has he should be doing much better especially when his is being paid $25million dollars a season.

Protection is an excuse? Are you kidding me? Protection is HUGE. Didn't you just finish seeing what it means to have protection after witnessing the two headed beast that is Ramirez and Ortiz?

What did Vlad have? He had injuries. He had half baked psycho Jose Guillen get kicked off the team in 04 days before the playoffs and he had the one-eyed Garret Anderson this past season. At least he was able to fight through it and still hit a game tying grand slam at Fenway Park in 04.

If the Angels get some bats in the lineup so that they don't have to keep cloning Chone Figgins (Macier Izturis, Reggie Willits) then you'll see something special I'm sure.

This is a bit of good news, not necessarily because I think The Dodgers can buy him but because of the other prospects that could come from this deal.

Guys like Crede, Aramis Ramirez (if the Cubs plan to re-sign D.Lee after next season), Lowell could possibly be made available which is better than anything we have. (Well, maybe the latter two).

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Originally Posted by OrangePuck

He got lucky. Finesse plays a huge role in a hitters productivity and when you are injured it's going to effect you negatively anyway that you look at it. If it didn't then why didn't Capt. Kirk play a few more at bats or at least make a few more appearances as pinch hitter?

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Because he was actually injured and unable to play. Vlad was healthy enough to play. Similarly, I'm going to label Guerrero's one postseason homer "lucky" just because it's convenient to my argument.

"Finesse plays a huge role in a hitters productivity." What does that nonsense even mean?

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Originally Posted by OrangePuck

My point, which you failed to address is that Arod was in tip top shape going into the playoffs each of his 3 seasons in New York and with the exception of his 2004 performance has sucked every time.

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I didn't fail to address it--I found it laughable. A-Rod was in tiptop shape? How do you figure? NOBODY is in tiptop shape after a 162-game season--EVERYBODY is playing with some ailment by that point. That's just B.S. Was Vlad just too hurt all three years (convenient!), or maybe he just had some bad series against some great pitching?

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Originally Posted by OrangePuck

His performance in 2004 was .320. Very good but not exactly tearing it up. When it comes to the playoffs true peformers step it was above that. After all, in a short series a truly great performace will often go into the .400 range.

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No, just to stubborn people who still use batting average as their benchmark for hitting. Almost anyone can figure out that batting average doesn't take into account walks or extra bases on hits, which are very important when it comes to power hitters.

A-Rod's splits (AVG/OBP/SLG) in 2004
ALDS .421/.476/.737
ALCS .258/.378/.516

That is "tearing it up."

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Originally Posted by OrangePuck

Take away his performace in 2004 and what do you have? A mediocre .258 playoff batting average that's what. I'm not saying the guy sucks. What I am saying is that for the talent, health and protection that he has he should be doing much better especially when his is being paid $25million dollars a season.

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Mighty convenient "if you toss this out, because it doesn't fit my argument"--considering it's a third of his career postseason ABs.

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Originally Posted by OrangePuck

Protection is an excuse? Are you kidding me? Protection is HUGE. Didn't you just finish seeing what it means to have protection after witnessing the two headed beast that is Ramirez and Ortiz?

What did Vlad have? He had injuries. He had half baked psycho Jose Guillen get kicked off the team in 04 days before the playoffs and he had the one-eyed Garret Anderson this past season. At least he was able to fight through it and still hit a game tying grand slam at Fenway Park in 04.

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Protection is great when it comes to team run production, but it really doesn't impact individual production nearly as much as you're making it out to be. If it did, why didn't it affect Vlad's numbers in the regular season? Protection or not, it doesn't change the fact that it was still Vlad who was standing at the plate making outs. And Ramirez and Ortiz are both great hitters regardless of who's hitting in front or behind them.

Again, Vlad's splits in the playoffs are .183/.258/.233. That's atrociously bad. A-Rod is far better career-wise (like 400 points higher in OPS). But keep spinning.

JBruin, you should just save your energy.......ARod's too polarizing, it's tough to convince folks that he can't come up big in a 5 game series like Captain Clutch Jeter.

As much as I'd love Bora$ to fail in these negotiations, I hate knowing some team's going to pay the price.

Option two for the Angels/Dodgers might be trading some prized prospects to Florida for Miguel Cabrera.

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Originally Posted by twenty-four

I dont think Frank Mcheap will go after him unfortunately.

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C'mon. Anyone who willingly gives over 40 million dollars to Juan Pierre is FAR from cheap.