Comments on: Rios != Wells

By: Me

Me — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:08:00 +0000

Not to mention he had a huge second half last season

By: AngMohClay

AngMohClay — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:49:32 +0000

To add to this, Toronto is a huge financial center. I’m not sure if it is the 2nd or 3rd largest financial market in North America (NY is obviously the largest, Chicago with it’s very large commodities market is the 2nd or third), but finance is a major part of the Toronto economy.

By: wobatus

wobatus — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:43:26 +0000

and apologies for overuse of the word massive.

By: wobatus

wobatus — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:42:29 +0000

Rios’s contract was signed in April 2008. The S&P 500 peaked on may 19, 2008 at 1426. It subsequently plunged to 666, losing 53% of its value by March 2009, one of the worst stock market crashes ever. The world financial system practically melted down, and some think only massive government support for financials prevented even worse. Money was flowing out of money market funds at a massive rate. even after a massive snap back rally the s&p is down 30% since it peaked, almost within a month of Rios’s contract signing.

Although the market wouldn’t be directly correlated, there would have to be some effect on salaries. Team owners are effected by financial meltdowns. The Wilpons may have lost 100s of millions in the Madoff scandal, for example.

I cannot help but think this effects Blue ja thinking and the value of contracts across baseball. Blue jay attendance this year is averaging 24,395. last year it averaged 29,626. That’s a HUGE falloff of 117.5%. TV advertising budgets are likely down, which won’t effect current contracts but maybe their next one.

This is a lot of speculation, but suffice it to say the financial picture looks VASTLY different than it did in April 2008, for the Jays and for the world.

By: God

God — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:49:33 +0000

The way ESPN reported it, they made the waiver claim seem horrible for the White Sox due to Rio’s contract.

By: Joe R

Joe R — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:11:41 +0000

And the fact that only AL teams with a worse record could block that move. Chicago is pretty much the worst team still in contention in the AL (albeit Minnesota is just 5 back of the Tigers).

By: Joe R

Joe R — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:38:08 +0000

I like what the White Sox did. Look at his BB%, K%, and all that. Same guy. He can also play center now, which I think will increase his value. Going forward, he’s probably a .280/.335/.490 guy or somethong of that nature, which for CF is fairly good. Don’t have to worry about his price skyrocketing Beltre-style after one good season, too.

2009 has pretty much been the low value of Rios, and he’s still pretty much an average player.

By: aj

aj — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:26:13 +0000

Keep in mind as well the possibility that other GM’s wanted Rios but simply could not afford to take on his contract. The fact that they didn’t place a waiver claim on him does not imply that no one thought he was good or worth the contract

By: Jurgen

Jurgen — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:28:01 +0000

“But it’s definitely weird that the folks who generally know best are in wide-spread agreement that he’s wrong.”

You’re talking about major league GMs? Have you been paying attention to baseball the past decade?

[/sarcasm]

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:24:56 +0000

Update: I just read that Rios had a no-trade clause. That changes the valuation thing a bit. There could have been other teams that were interested, and even willing to send talent in return, that were vetoed.