I'll start off thus: Baltimore, five years, $70 million.

And I'll also say this: I'd prefer to see Carlos end up a Yankee rather than as an Oriole. Baltimore, for all its flaws, is on the rise; New York, for all its talent and resources, is on its way down.

Of course, I'd ideally prefer Delgado end up as a Met.

Arizona, 7 years and eight hundred million dollars.

Or maybe Seattle: four years, $45 million.

Seattle: 3 years, $39 million

Arizona, 7 years and eight hundred million dollars.

How much of that is deferred?

I'll say Seattle, 3 years $36 million.

Arizona, 7 years and eight hundred million dollars.

Nice one. :-)

Alas, the Yankees- 3 for 39, after somehow they don't end up responsible for all of the remainder of Giambi's contract (either through insurance payment or through a deal with the Giambino)

Now that he's not coming back, I would like to see Carlos with the Yanks, but I somehow don't think they really are interested. I absolutely detest both Anaheim and Baltimore (in the latter case due solely to Peter Angelos), so I really hope he doesn't end up in eithe of those places. All in all, I think Seattle is both the best and most likely team for Carlos. Particularly now that they've lost out on Glaus, and since from what I've read Sexson is leaning to the Mets, Seattle's going to be fairly desparate to sign ONE of the offensive players they were pursuing, and they have the money. Based on the market value set by the moronic Glaus contract, I don't see how Carlos is going to settle for less than $14 million per. Let's say Seattle signs him to a 4 year, $60 million contract.

Wow ! What numbers. But Troy Glaus is 28 and Carlos is 32. That's light years in baseball time. If there is any rationality in the marketplace (which there may not be if the interest in Steve Finley is any indication), Delgado will do well to get 3 years guaranteed and $30 MM, with Seattle the most likely suitor followed surprisingly by Texas.

Baltimore, for all its flaws, is on the rise; New York, for all its talent and resources, is on its way down.

I sure hope not Jordan. But with its inept management, I'm not to concerned about Baltimore rising back to the top anytime soon.

Texas is a dark-horse candidate; Delgado tears the cover off the ball in Arlington (as he does at Safeco). Like the idea of a Soriano-Young-Delgado-Teixeira-Blalock top of the order for the Rangers? I don't.

Wow ! What numbers. But Troy Glaus is 28 and Carlos is 32. That's light years in baseball time.

Honestly though, so what. Carlos has been a far more productive, consistent, efficient hitter throughout his career, and also proved last season that he had come back fully IMO from his knee problems, whereas with Glaus his shoulder is still a question as far as I'm concerned. Age is the only thing in Glaus' favor, and it is no where near significant enough that he should have as much value as Carlos on the open market. Besides, it's not as is Carlos has had a huge dropoff in recent years. He's still got many productive seasons left.

Like the idea of a Soriano-Young-Delgado-Teixeira-Blalock top of the order for the Rangers? I don't.

Neither do I but I sure bet the Rangers do ;-). That said, do you know how much they're planning to budget for FA signing this year? Do they have the money to get Carlos AND some badly-needed help for their starting rotation?

New York Mets ... 4 years/$52 million.

And top of the queue for the Anna Benson lottery.

I think it'll be Seattle, what with Gillick, Epy, doing the selling, Carlos sitting by the ocean sipping a latte, seems like a good fit to me. Now however, if the Yanks come a calling thats a different matter.Still I can't see military schooled Big Stein going after Delgado, but you never know.

I think that if the Rangers deal Soriano (as they're apparently trying to do, probably for pitching), they could likely afford a commitment to Delgado. I personally think they should send him back to the Yankees for Javier Vazquez and cash.

Who cares? He's gone, time to move on!

And I'll also say this: I'd prefer to see Carlos end up a Yankee rather than as an Oriole. Baltimore, for all its flaws, is on the rise; New York, for all its talent and resources, is on its way down.

What's with the hostility? Why do you want Carlos to sign with a losing team? I don't see why we shouldn't wish Delgado anything but the best. You know, if the Jays offered him a 3-year 30-35 million dollar contract and he refused to negotiate, I'd understnad. If he demanded a trade out of town like Clemens, I'd understand. But that simply isn't the case. Griffin is right: JP wanted Carlos gone from the first and the Jay's offer (whether it was 2/12 or 2/21) was a ridiculous joke. Personally, I wish Carlos nothing but the best and hope he signs with a winning frnachise, be that the Orioles, Yankees, Rangers, Mariners or whoever.

And top of the queue for the Anna Benson lottery.

LOL, that woman is insane. After those disgusting comments, I bet Kris is rethinking some things...

I think that if the Rangers deal Soriano (as they're apparently trying to do, probably for pitching), they could likely afford a commitment to Delgado. I personally think they should send him back to the Yankees for Javier Vazquez and cash.

That makes sense.

Robbie, it's not hostility so much as an assessment of where Carlos can do the least damage to the Jays' contention hopes. As a Yankee, he would be part of a rich but declining squad that will pose less and less of a threat each year. As an Oriole, however, teamed with stars like Tejada and Mora and a very intriguing pitching staff, he could form the core of an elite team that would seriously compete with the 2006-09 Jays.

My hope is that the Orioles undercut their own success with dumb trades and bad signings. Acquiring Carlos would be a smart signing, which is why I don't want them to do it.

As a Yankee, he would be part of a rich but declining squad that will pose less and less of a threat each year

The Yanks may have regressed a bit over the last few years, but don't you think that Steinbrenner reversing that trend is a more likely scenario than the team continuing to decline indefinitely while the Orioles somehow magically stop being horrible?

My hope is that the Orioles undercut their own success with dumb trades and bad signings. Acquiring Carlos would be a smart signing, which is why I don't want them to do it.

Right. And the Orioles have shown a tremendous, consistent propensity to make just those kind of dumb moves, which is why I hardly see them as a team on the rise.

Frankly, I don't want to see Delgado stay in the East. It would be nice to see him once or twice a year, but I don't want him playing against the Jays on a regular basis; I'd be too conflicted.

Better yet, he could move to the NL. I could root for him completely there.

Hmm, what would be the best oddball option? San Francisco for $30 over 3 years was my first thought but they exercised their option on JT Snow. Maybe LA for $36 million, moving Green back to RF, trading Choi, Kent to third base. But LA still isn't as odd as Arizona was earlier this week. Howsabout Detroit for 3 years at $39 million?

I'd like to see Carlos go to the NL and tear it up too....
a few people suggested 11-13 Mil/year.. I think that is reasonable..

When Jordan said 5 for 70. I have a physical reaction...
I guess its just $14Mil/yr but I don't think Carlos HAS 5 years in him... so that makes the first three/4 years worth 15-20 each... ugh

a few people suggested 11-13 Mil/year.. I think that is reasonable..

No I don't,... I meant, I think its a reasonable guess...

If Carlos went to the National League, I could happily buy one of those NATIONAL All-Star jerseys that look so nice.

Griffin is right: JP wanted Carlos gone from the first and the Jay's offer (whether it was 2/12 or 2/21) was a ridiculous joke.

J.P. has not made any secret of the fact that paying Delgado a lot of money was hampering the development of the team. I don't think that there was any personality conflict or animosity of that kind involved, they simply did not have the kind of money it would take to keep Carlos Delgado a Jay and move the team forwards at the same time. There's no conspiracy or evil intentions, no matter what Griffin implies.

Remember, Griffin wrote this:

“Usually sports fans perceive such a stay-put sentiment as a good thing, but the Jays turned it into the selfish act of a soft player who didn't want to win a title, preventing his team from getting any kind of compensation. Huh!”

Yet he has declined to reveal who exactly on the staff of the Toronto Blue Jays said "Carlos Delgado is a selfish, soft player who doesn't want to win a title." Whoever said that needs a boot to the face, but as far as I can tell the only people who did say that do not work for or represent the Toronto Blue Jays. To attribute the attitudes and writings of newspaper baseball columnists to the team itself is either carlessly negligent or malicious.

I'd like to see Carlos play for a team I like so I can cheer for him.

The Yanks are difficult to sort out. On the one hand, they still have oodles of money, they do have smart front-office people, and setting aside their salaries, they do have some extremely good players on the field. Most importantly, they have an owner who's committed to spending virtually whatever it takes to win, which a lot of teams' fans wish they had.

The first problem is that George's money, while it's helping to buy division titles and playoff appearances, hasn't recently been buying the only thing he wants, which is the championship. The second problem is that the farm system, while not empty, doesn't have the kind of impact prospects that other teams (like Arizona) are demanding for their stars (like the Big Unit). The third problem is that the first two problems tend to frustrate George so much that he starts listening to the wrong people in his organization. The more Yankee decisions are made in Tampa rather than in the Bronx, the happier I am as a Blue Jays fan. For instance, I'd love to see them dump Vazquez this off-season.

And consider New York in '05. They have gaping holes at 1B and 2B. If they don't sign Beltran, CF is a problem. The starting staff is riddled with question marks and the bullpen is aging rapidly. Jeter-Rodriguez-Matsui-Sheffield-Posada is as dangerous a sequence as you'll find, and Beltran would help tremendously, but right now, I think the Yanks are going to be aiming for a wild-card spot.

Regarding the Orioles: sure, nobody likes Angelos, and we all enjoy his faux-Steinbrenner meddling with his team. And if the O's keep trading top prospects for the likes of Jason Grimsley, the AL East has nothing to worry about. But Tejada turned out to be a great acquisition, Javy Lopez surprised me, and Mora is one of the AL's best third basemen. They have a lot of raw but powerful young arms (BJ Ryan first and foremost), and there are very promising players (Markakis, Majewski) and especially pitchers (Loewen, Maine, Penn) in the system. Getting Delgado would give instant credibility to the lineup; if they could pick up Tim Hudson as well, they'd be dangerous.

They won't be a factor in 2005, but I don't take Baltimore lightly for the balance of the decade.

Yet he has declined to reveal who exactly on the staff of the Toronto Blue Jays said "Carlos Delgado is a selfish, soft player who doesn't want to win a title."

Heck, Griffin himself was saying that six months ago. It's only since about the all-star break that the Star's been referring to him as the heart and soul of the team and a selfless leader and inspiration to his teammates.

It's actually kind of funny.

Baltimore's system doesn't do much for me. Loewen is a bit of a bust and the rest of the arms just don't excite me.

I've been saying Carlos to Washington all along, why change that tune now. 4 years/44MM.

I'll grant you that Griffin is a hypocrite in that regard. Wasn't Delgado refusing to speak to him for several years?

That being said, Griffin's accusation of the Jays twisting the situations stems from the fact that they made the no-trade demand public. Doing that, and making pathetic offers to Delgado, was undeniably a PR move to save face and make Delgado look like a villain. Bob Elliot also seems to agree with this. Frankly, I'm more inlclined to believe writers who are heavily involved with the team on a day-to-day basis, then a bunch of us who are just speculating.

Somewhere out of the division, please. Or, if it comes right down to it, anywhere but Baltimore.

That being said, Griffin's accusation of the Jays twisting the situations stems from the fact that they made the no-trade demand public.

Yes, when asked over and over if they were going to trade Delgado by the same people now giving him hell for answering, J.P. said no, he has a no trade clause. And since when was it a secret that he had a no trade clause? I knew about it.

Doing that, and making pathetic offers to Delgado, was undeniably a PR move to save face and make Delgado look like a villain.

I haven't seen or heard one thing from the Jays organization designed to make Delgado look like a villain. Why would they do that? Can you point me to something where a representative of the Jays is quoted saying something that tries to paint Delgado in a negative light regarding this whole situation?

Frankly, I'm more inlclined to believe writers who are heavily involved with the team on a day-to-day basis, then a bunch of us who are just speculating.

You have to take the history into account, or you're a sucker for believing everything you read. Griffin will write whatever he wants to get a reaction (and by reacting angrily I'm just making him smile), facts and reality be damned. How can you believe anything he writes?

The whole no-trade revelation seems overblown, and largely a media creation. Everyone was hounding Ricciardi, everyone wanted to know what he was going to do with Carlos. If he'd said "well, that's private business between myself and Carlos", would Griffin, Elliot et al. have accepted that?

Of course not. They'd have kept asking questions, and likely drawn inferences about his refusal to comment.

Granted, the lowball offer is offensive. I'll agree with Griffin and Elliot on that one.

If a $6 million dollar a year contract offer is offensive, the Jays should feel free to offend me any time.

It's not a question of whether it's an 'insult' or not; it's a question of what they can afford to pay the man. If it's enough, great. It wasn't enough.

I think it's obvious to most people that during the season and in the last few weeks, the Jays made a concerted effort to win a P.R. battle against Carlos.

In two very similar situations, in July, J.P. made it known to the public (when he didn't have to) that Carlos would not waive his no-trade clause. And last week, J.P. and Godfrey made it public that Carlos would not allow the Jays to offer arbitration and then promise to decline it. Who in their right mind would do that? What player has ever agreed to do this?

These two situations have only accentuated what I've believed since J.P. has come here. He's a skillful politician in that he takes credit for things that go well, and deflects blame when things go wrong.

_________________________________

Back to the original topic, I'd say Texas 3-33

It's not a question of whether it's an 'insult' or not; it's a question of what they can afford to pay the man.

And they can afford to pay him. They're choosing not to. Upping the payroll $5 million a year to keep one of the best hitters in the game - and a player who has no replacement within the organization - would hardly kill Rogers.

Perhaps it's not "offensive", but it's certainly ridiculous. If the organization thinks they can acquire and keep real talent for that sort of bargain-basement price, then it's got some serious problems.

I don't think it was meant to be offensive...

I think it was a statement, "this is what we think the best hitters are worth to us, and we are willing to give it to you"....

Now offering Carlos, 2/12 or 2/21 and then ponying up 2/20 for Steve Finely, THAT would have been offensive..

J.P. has not made any secret of the fact that paying Delgado a lot of money was hampering the development of the team. I don't think that there was any personality conflict or animosity of that kind involved, they simply did not have the kind of money it would take to keep Carlos Delgado a Jay and move the team forwards at the same time. There's no conspiracy or evil intentions, no matter what Griffin implies.

It always seemed to me that JP wanted Carlos gone at least in part just because he wasn't JP's "guy" but rather a star leftover from the previous administration.

The first problem is that George's money, while it's helping to buy division titles and playoff appearances, hasn't recently been buying the only thing he wants, which is the championship.

Yeah, but to me it's really only a matter patching up the pitching staff, which the Yanks made some mistakes on last season. One of their biggest problems last season was overworking a few guys in the pen and not having any lefty reliever to speak of; now they've got Mike Stanton, Felix Rodriguez, and a full season of Steve Karsay to go with Quantrill, Gordon, and Rivera, so I'd say the bullpen looks pretty good as of this moment. As long as they can do something about their rotation (something a hell of a lot better than signing Jaret Wright for $9M per), they'll be as strong as ever next season.

The more Yankee decisions are made in Tampa rather than in the Bronx, the happier I am as a Blue Jays fan. For instance, I'd love to see them dump Vazquez this off-season.

You're right, I think the Yanks would definitely be better off giving Vasquez another chance rather than dumping him. He is an extremely talented, relatively young pitcher, and I think the his performance before the All Star break was more indicative of his level than his what he did in the second half. Certainly, I think Vasquez is more talented and has more potential to be consistently great than this year's FA prize, Pavano. I also hope the Yanks keep El Duque around as he is perhaps my favorite player to watch and is still IMO a top starter.

Granted, the lowball offer is offensive. I'll agree with Griffin and Elliot on that one.

Me too.

I think it would have been better for JP to say "we can't afford to sign Carlos, and we won't insult him with a poor offer". But making an offer for the sake of making one, perhaps to look good for the media or baseball fans, was in bad taste in my opinion. (I don't know whether the blame should be assigned to JP, Godfrey, the media for speculating on potential offers, etc.)

I don't know where Carlos will end up, but he'll have a minimum 4-year deal, averaging about $14M/year or more (given recent signings).

Robbie used the line
offer (whether it was 2/12 or 2/21)
and I quoted it because I didn't "Get" it..

but I'm thinking that should have been 3/21.. right?

Ryan, while it's true that Ted Rogers could afford to jack up the payroll, it's also true that I could afford to sponsor several families in the Sudan with the money I spend on beer and movie rentals every year. While it's both easy and fun to spend other people's money, the fact remains that it's their money and they can spend it however they please.

We may not like the $53M payroll -- I don't, particularly -- but it could just as easily be $43M or $33M, if that was the minimum amount that would ensure a profitable operation for Rogers. And maybe it is -- we don't know how much of that $53M is actually above the bare minimum, and is available to the club only because of intense lobbying by Ricciardi and Godfrey. Remember that not so long ago, this team was owned by a brewery on another continent that gave the club not a second thought -- and had a payroll twice this amount for scarcely better returns. I'm not saying we should kiss Ted's Gucci shoes in gratitude, but I am saying that the payroll is what it is -- and it could always be worse.

In any event, the Blue Jays won't be contending down the road because of Corey Koskie or anyone else the team signs this week -- or even if the club had forged ahead to sign Carlos to an expensive extension. It will be because players like Dave Bush, Brandon League, Josh Banks, Francisco Rosario, Alex Rios, Aaron Hill and others make $6,000,000 contributions while earning $300,000 a year. If these guys don't pan out, then whether the payroll is $53M or $63M, and whether Carlos is a Jay or not, won't really matter.

Ryan, while it's true that Ted Rogers could afford to jack up the payroll, it's also true that I could afford to sponsor several families in the Sudan with the money I spend on beer and movie rentals every year.

I am skeptical that people in Sudan need support. I apparently have a relative in Sudan that just died and apparently is loaded. I got an e-mail saying that I was entitled to a large chuck of that money.

And because I am such a magnamimous person I will pledge 50% of any monies received to the 2005 Blue Jay payroll.

but I'm thinking that should have been 3/21.. right?

My Bad, Daryn. that should have been a 3. typo.

Ryan, while it's true that Ted Rogers could afford to jack up the payroll, it's also true that I could afford to sponsor several families in the Sudan with the money I spend on beer and movie rentals every year.

Yeah, but think of all the bartenders and Blockbuster employees you'd put out of work if you did that.

I'm personally supporting several Tim Horton's workers and their families. Last week I got a Christmas card from my bartender's parents, thanking me for putting their son through University. :)

It always seemed to me that JP wanted Carlos gone at least in part just because he wasn't JP's "guy" but rather a star leftover from the previous administration.

What did J.P. say that leads you to believe this? The three times I've been present for a Q&A with J.P. Ricciardi, he's emphasized that Carlos Delgado fits the ideal that the Jays have been looking for. I'll take that (coupled with the fact that he is exactly the kind of player that the Jays seem to be looking for) over some vague innuendo from a columnist with an obvious axe to grind.

And last week, J.P. and Godfrey made it public that Carlos would not allow the Jays to offer arbitration and then promise to decline it. Who in their right mind would do that?

I had read a report of this, but again I question it -- unless I see Godfrey or J.P. saying these things, how can I possibly believe that they are true? Are there any reports that directly attribute this to either of them, or is it one of those "unnamed AL executives" who contribute to these stories?

Unless you are also willing to believe that the Jays deliberately sign white players just because they are white, I can't understand how you can give creedence to this junk.

Remember, when called out on facts, the Star will tell you that Griffin is an "opinion" writer.

In any event, the Blue Jays won't be contending down the road because of Corey Koskie or anyone else the team signs this week -- or even if the club had forged ahead to sign Carlos to an expensive extension.

I don't see why not.

Jordan, that Soriano/Vazquez deal has been rumoured for some time but as I understand it, neither side will do it right now because (A) if the Yanks are still thinking about Unit, JV has to be part of the deal; (B) the Rangers have so sort our who would play short when Young slide back to 2B; Ian Kinsler isn't ready yet and Vizquel, who was talked about, signed four 43 times what he was worth in SF. Oh and (C) Soriano insists on playing 2B, and the Yankees just wast ...er, spent a bunch of dough on Womack. Besides, they've seen that Jeter/Soriano DP combo and while it might genuinely be the best offenive DP combo since Whitaker and Trammell, defensively it's ... lacking.

Ryan, while it's true that Ted Rogers could afford to jack up the payroll, it's also true that I could afford to sponsor several families in the Sudan with the money I spend on beer and movie rentals every year. While it's both easy and fun to spend other people's money, the fact remains that it's their money and they can spend it however they please.

As they say, you never buy beer, you only rent it. :-)

I was thinking about the current ownership situation, and I realized what the problem is. Toronto is suffering from a shortage of eccentric, sports-minded billionaires: the sort of people who could pay for three Carlos Delgados from their petty cash fund.

While I fervently wish that the Jays' payroll was higher, I kind of feel sorry for the Jays' ownership right now. They're trying to make rational business decisions in an environment in which irrational competitiveness is more of a market force than rational decision-making. How else can you explain the Arizona Diamondbacks, who appear to be spending money as if they were printing it themselves?

(Our eccentric billionaires either move to the States, or whine about taxes, or both.)

(Our eccentric billionaires either move to the States, or whine about taxes, or both.)

I can think of one, but he bought the Ottawa Senators already. Oh, and two more, but they bought the Argos. ;)

Actually, what's the market price for an MLB team vs. a CFL or NHL team?

(Our eccentric billionaires either move to the States, or whine about taxes, or both.)

I can think of one, but he bought the Ottawa Senators already. Oh, and two more, but they bought the Argos. ;)

I think both Cynamon and Sokolowski would have a good laugh at their being described as 'billionaires'. That said, I would gladly trade them bank accounts anytime!

We may not like the $53M payroll -- I don't, particularly -- but it could just as easily be $43M or $33M, if that was the minimum amount that would ensure a profitable operation for Rogers.

And that, ultimately, is my problem. I don't get the impression Rogers particularly cares about the team. I don't have faith that, when the time is right, Rogers will give the team that infusion of cash it needs to move from "contender" to "champion." I hear Godfrey talk about the benefits of the rising dollar, the rising attendance, ownership of Skydome and debt reduction, and yet I don't see benefits to anything other than Rogers' accountants.

It will be because players like Dave Bush, Brandon League, Josh Banks, Francisco Rosario, Alex Rios, Aaron Hill and others make $6,000,000 contributions while earning $300,000 a year. If these guys don't pan out, then whether the payroll is $53M or $63M, and whether Carlos is a Jay or not, won't really matter.

Again, sort of the problem: The team will be fine if absolutely everything works out according to plan. But we know it won't; if it did, the Jays wouldn't be looking to sign another third baseman, Dustin McGowan would be entering 2005 as a starter and Josh Phelps wouldn't be in Cleveland. A bit of stability would be nice, and I can't think of many players more stable than Carlos Delgado.

Yeah, everything could be worse... but I don't find that particularly comforting.

The Yankees will wiggle out of their commitment to Giambi... 4 years at 55 million.

Its his kind of town.

Prediction for Delgado: 4 years at 50 million for Seattle.

And last week, J.P. and Godfrey made it public that Carlos would not allow the Jays to offer arbitration and then promise to decline it. Who in their right mind would do that?

I had read a report of this, but again I question it -- unless I see Godfrey or J.P. saying these things, how can I possibly believe that they are true?

I'm not particularly convinced that the Jays were trying to portray Carlos as a villain, but it was indeed Godfrey that mentioned that Carlos refused to decline arbitration to extend the negotiating period; I saw the clip on The Score. I do think there was an awful lot of poorly executed P.R. manoeuvring on the part of the front office, but that was more to save face and to appear to be trying desperately to keep Delgado (Carlos said that he'd been open to negotiations for a while and the Jays weren't coming to the table, contributing to his decision not to decline arbitration. He could, of course, be lying or misinterpreting the actions of the front office, but it seems more likely that the 'discussions' were fairly superficial and the offers never likely to get it done) than it was to make Delgado look bad.

Baltimore gives Carlos 4/51 million.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Elliott/2004/12/10/776712.html
Elliot also quotes Godfrey in his column today:

"We were hoping to offer, have him agree to reject it and for a month we could negotiate with him and other free agents."

Okay, I'll believe that one. ;)

Importantly, here's what else Godfrey says in that same article, immediately following that:

"Look I like Carlos as a person, if there was ever an athlete, who could be the poster guy for baseball it would be Carlos.

"He gave us 10 great years. When he comes back I'll be the first to give him a standing ovation."

That doesn't sound like someone trying to paint Delgado as a villain.

http://www.torontobaseballguys.com
Dark Horse candidate: Anaheim: 4 years, $48 million. All they have to do is move Erstad back to CF. Long shot, but he'd be a good fit there.

And top of the queue for the Anna Benson lottery.

LOL, that woman is insane. After those disgusting comments, I bet Kris is rethinking some things...

I don't know...she sounds like my type of gal.

Grand Funk out.

I'm ambivalent about the team's payroll. On one hand ,imagine what J.P. could do with a $75 million largess , ( would you have a competetive team and get attendance back up to 3 million fans, paying for in large part, the increased salary?) , or on the other hand, considering Rogers has parcelled out about 275-300 million U.S. since 2001 to buy the team, purchase and renovate the skydome, cover operating losses, a conservative approach may be justified.

Dark Horse candidate: Anaheim: 4 years, $48 million. All they have to do is move Erstad back to CF. Long shot, but he'd be a good fit there.

Yeah, but once the Angels officially sign Steve Finley, they can't do that.

I'll take Seattle. They've got the money, they've got the positional need, and they really want to improve after tanking this year. Good combination for Carlos, if you assume that he won't mind moving to another basement team.

I suspect the Jays are less interested in making Carlos look bad than making themselves look good. They've made their token effort and suggested they did everything possible to benefit from the situation: Carlos didn't want to be traded, Carlos wouldn't agree to decline arbitration, Carlos declined the Jays contract.

It's funny, actually, because normally the media would pick up where the Jays left off: "Clearly, Delgado was more interested in big bucks than in repaying the loyalty of the organization that found and nurtured him. While he was overpaid and a burden on payroll for the past few years, he apparently had no interest in taking less than market value, even if it meant playing on a better team."

It's rare for baseball writers to find an angle they like more than "players are overpaid and spoiled babies", but they seem to dislike Ricciardi and co. just that much.

Re: Anna Benson.

I don't think this Kris is rethinking anything. He knew her personality when he married her, and furthermore, if you read all of her comments you saw that she was willing to add some spice to their love life that Kris might find enjoyable.

I'm laying my money down on Seattle. $38 million/3 years.

if you read all of her comments you saw that she was willing to add some spice to their love life that Kris might find enjoyable.

If I was Delgado, I'd sign with the Mets, and devote my time to getting Kris to fool around with another woman.

If I was Delgado, I'd sign with the Mets, and devote my time to getting Kris to fool around with another woman.

She also mentioned she'd sleep with every member of the organization, all the way down to the groundkeepers.
So, I think the appropriate question is, "how does Grand Funk go about getting a groundkeeper job at Shea"?
Daddy wants in on that action.

Grand Funk out.

Italics begone.

I suspect the Jays are less interested in making Carlos look bad than making themselves look good. They've made their token effort and suggested they did everything possible to benefit from the situation: Carlos didn't want to be traded, Carlos wouldn't agree to decline arbitration, Carlos declined the Jays contract.

It's funny, actually, because normally the media would pick up where the Jays left off: "Clearly, Delgado was more interested in big bucks than in repaying the loyalty of the organization that found and nurtured him. While he was overpaid and a burden on payroll for the past few years, he apparently had no interest in taking less than market value, even if it meant playing on a better team."

Thank you for saying so eloquently what I've been trying to say for the past three days.

It was pretty clear to me that if they could not get a deal done by the deadline, they were going to let him walk. From a budgetary point of view, it was just too risky to offer him arbitration and pray that he left anyways. And asking him to do that favour was pretty disingenious -- it would have cost him millions on the open market (teams would have used the draft picks argument to drive his price down during negotiations).

And Carlos should have been a little more honest when telling people why he's leaving -- it's for the money. Because nobody in his right mind who wants to go play for a winner should be considering Seattle or Texas. Besides, if he so desperately wanted to go to a winner, why didn't he green light a trade to one last July? He could have probably named the team.

He could have probably named the team.

Well, from a very, very short list.

Look, the man's not a dummy. He knew, probably two years ago, that when this contract ran out that he would be moving on. That it would be unlikely that the team could afford to bring him back.

Which I think explains why he had very little interest in leaving a city he liked for a two-month rent-a-player gig somewhere when he could pick and choose his situation at the end of the season.

By the way - one keeps hearing that Delgado declined to "waive" his no-trade clause. These clauses are negotiated for, generally in exchange for something - less money, shorter terms. They are not waived without getting something in return - generally, money.

Because nobody in his right mind who wants to go play for a winner should be considering Seattle or Texas.

Exactly why not?

I'd need a lot of persuading to believe Seattle is about to be a winner within the next three years, but Texas is already there. They won 89 games last year, three back of the division leader. Buck Showalter's resume impresses the hell out of me. Its a terrific place to hit, and Delgado has in fact hit very, very well there.

http://www.torontobaseballguys.com
"Dark Horse candidate: Anaheim: 4 years, $48 million. All they have to do is move Erstad back to CF. Long shot, but he'd be a good fit there."

"Yeah, but once the Angels officially sign Steve Finley, they can't do that."

Oh well, I guess the Angels really love Erstad at first. He's a gamer and knows how to win.

I'd hate to see it happen, but how about the White Sox, if they manage to trade Konerko? They've got a pile of right-handed hitters and he'd be a good fit. Just more speculating...

I like the Carlos in California theme -- it fits with the Angels' latino flavor -- but I suspect the Mariners, who are desperate to give the impression they're doing something, will sign Delgado for way too much money: 4 years/52 million. If the Giants hadn't wasted all that money on Omar Vizquel and Armando Benitez, perhaps they could have lured him to "protect" Bonds. That would have been a nice duo . . .

Oh well, I guess the Angels really love Erstad at first. He's a gamer and knows how to win.

And just think: if he defence was good at centerfield, imagine how much better it must be if you place him at first! He'll be able to cover everywhere from first base to the 11th row of the stands!