Comments on: How Are the Stars Being Acquired? Starting Pitching

By: NYMDaWrightCHOICE

NYMDaWrightCHOICE — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:15:56 +0000

I don’t know if I’d include Billingsley in this category. Horrible pitcher.

By: WY

WY — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:34:08 +0000

Three different comments corrected R.J. about Wainwright, but he hasn’t made the change. Come on…

By: B

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:27:02 +0000

Wow Blanton’s career FIP = 4.19, Blanton’s career ERA = 4.19

Don’t see that often.

By: Davor

Davor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:17:10 +0000

Scott,
from that list, only Kevin Brown was an ace. Signing ace pitching usually ends well. Clemens, Maddux, Mussina, Randy,… It’s signing pitchers who are often injured (Dreifort, Pavano), or who are having career year, and aren’t really aces (Hampton, Pavano, Park, Neagle) or have started decline (Zito). Based on previous contracts, while CC’s contract is almost twice as large as AJ’s, it’s far more likely that Yankees get their money’s worth form CC and AJ to bomb than the other way around.
Generally big contracts for real stars were good, or at least, didn’t overpay too much. Slightly smaller contracts for non-elite players usually bombed.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:24:44 +0000

I remember looking up the top 20 largest pitching free agent contracts, and with the exception of Greg Maddux and Derek Lowe, every single contract is now considered a bomb. Mike Hampton, Kevin Brown, Denny Neagle, Barry Zito, Chan Ho Park, Darren Dreifort, Carl Pavano, the list just goes on and on.

Signing ace pitching in free agency is a fool’s errand, always has been, always will be.

By: Ivdown

Ivdown — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:02:13 +0000

I am fairly certain that Wainwright was traded by Atlanta for JD Drew.

By: Rob A from BBD

Rob A from BBD — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:54:31 +0000

It makes sense that hardly any of these guys were signed via free agency. Pitching is the premium position and if teams think they might lose a guy they’d much rather trade him and get something back for him. Sabathia was a free agent, but even he was involved in a trade just 2 months before he became a free agent.

It makes you wonder how Halladay will leave the Blue Jays.

By: Rob A from BBD

Rob A from BBD — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:52:35 +0000

That’s what I assumed he meant.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:35:53 +0000

Cool!

By: PhD Brian

PhD Brian — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:38:19 +0000

good point