Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- I've always said this song should be covered by an angry death metal band - it is THE stalker song
- This is awful news
- Doctor Who is coming to Amazon Prime
- Interesting perspective on the Adam LaRoche affair with the White Sox. I'll go out on a limb and speculate that Joe and Bethany Randa are excellent parents.
- Couldn't agree with this more!
- Fascinating! The Earth has lungs - watch them breathe
Chris Lynch's slanted view on sports, politics and entertainment. Please send thoughts or comments to chris.lynch@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Adam LaRoche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam LaRoche. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Sunday, August 02, 2009
The Pirates are Frauds
When you follow the money you find that the Pirates story of building for the future is all BS. They are all about cutting costs NOW. Let me explain and let me use former Pirate Adam LaRoche to illustrate the point.
First off keep in mind that Adam LaRoche is making $7.05 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. Most likely he'll be a Type B free agent meaning the team that loses him (assuming they offer arbitration) will get a draft pick between the 1st and 2nd round. That's a pretty high draft pick and the player selected will net themselves a pretty good signing bonus.
The Pirates saved about $3 million right now by trading Adam LaRoche to the Red Sox. In return they got back two players - AA Argenis Diaz and Single A Hunter Strickland - who were not in the Red Sox long term plans and who most likely will not ever be big league regulars (even for the Pirates).
The Red Sox were then able to turn around and trade LaRoche to Atlanta for Casey Kotchman who is arbitration eligible in 2010 and 2011 before he can test the waters as a free agent. This year Kotchman is making $2,885,000 which means he'll probably be in the $4-5 million range in 2010 and probably the $6-7 million range in 2011. If the Pirates really are building for 2011 like they claim to be - then Kotchman would be a better fit than the two scrubs they got from the Red Sox. The problem is the Pirates don't want to pay players that sort of money (money which is pocket change for the Red Sox).
You hear people suggesting that the Pirates should go the Tampa Bay route to success. The problem is the Rays built their team mainly through the draft and the Pirates don't seem to want to pay high draft picks the signing bonuses.
Consider that the Pirates traded six players in July. Those players included John Grabow - a Type A free agent, Jack Wilson - a Type B, Freddie Sanchez - a Type B, and LaRoche another Type B (probably). That's five (5) potential high draft picks! Instead of holding on to the players and netting the draft picks the Pirates traded them for mostly prospects who have been deemed expendable to the teams trading them.
The Pirates aren't building for 2011. They are just feeding into a cycle of suck.
When you follow the money you find that the Pirates story of building for the future is all BS. They are all about cutting costs NOW. Let me explain and let me use former Pirate Adam LaRoche to illustrate the point.
First off keep in mind that Adam LaRoche is making $7.05 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. Most likely he'll be a Type B free agent meaning the team that loses him (assuming they offer arbitration) will get a draft pick between the 1st and 2nd round. That's a pretty high draft pick and the player selected will net themselves a pretty good signing bonus.
The Pirates saved about $3 million right now by trading Adam LaRoche to the Red Sox. In return they got back two players - AA Argenis Diaz and Single A Hunter Strickland - who were not in the Red Sox long term plans and who most likely will not ever be big league regulars (even for the Pirates).
The Red Sox were then able to turn around and trade LaRoche to Atlanta for Casey Kotchman who is arbitration eligible in 2010 and 2011 before he can test the waters as a free agent. This year Kotchman is making $2,885,000 which means he'll probably be in the $4-5 million range in 2010 and probably the $6-7 million range in 2011. If the Pirates really are building for 2011 like they claim to be - then Kotchman would be a better fit than the two scrubs they got from the Red Sox. The problem is the Pirates don't want to pay players that sort of money (money which is pocket change for the Red Sox).
You hear people suggesting that the Pirates should go the Tampa Bay route to success. The problem is the Rays built their team mainly through the draft and the Pirates don't seem to want to pay high draft picks the signing bonuses.
Consider that the Pirates traded six players in July. Those players included John Grabow - a Type A free agent, Jack Wilson - a Type B, Freddie Sanchez - a Type B, and LaRoche another Type B (probably). That's five (5) potential high draft picks! Instead of holding on to the players and netting the draft picks the Pirates traded them for mostly prospects who have been deemed expendable to the teams trading them.
The Pirates aren't building for 2011. They are just feeding into a cycle of suck.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Cool - check out Chipper's ride to the ballpark. Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche seem pretty close. Maybe signing LaRoche this offseason would make up to Chipper for losing friends Smoltzy and Tommy.. Quote of the Day: "...if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future" - Winston Churchill... Catholics rarely say Grace. I think that is related to the Church stance on birth control and having large families around the dinner table. I know I was always more concerned about getting my share of the "good stuff" versus saying a prayer when eating as a kid with my 5 brothers and sisters... A new 6.25% alcohol tax went into effect in Massachusetts Saturday. A repeal referendum is already in the works. Taxing beer will prove to be the demise of Governor Deval Patrick... I saw a Massachusetts car with a Lakers sticker and a Blue Jays sticker on the bumper the other day. Strange. How does that happen? Toronto and LA? Strange...
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Cool - check out Chipper's ride to the ballpark. Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche seem pretty close. Maybe signing LaRoche this offseason would make up to Chipper for losing friends Smoltzy and Tommy.. Quote of the Day: "...if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future" - Winston Churchill... Catholics rarely say Grace. I think that is related to the Church stance on birth control and having large families around the dinner table. I know I was always more concerned about getting my share of the "good stuff" versus saying a prayer when eating as a kid with my 5 brothers and sisters... A new 6.25% alcohol tax went into effect in Massachusetts Saturday. A repeal referendum is already in the works. Taxing beer will prove to be the demise of Governor Deval Patrick... I saw a Massachusetts car with a Lakers sticker and a Blue Jays sticker on the bumper the other day. Strange. How does that happen? Toronto and LA? Strange...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Adam LaRoche II
Another thought on the Adam LaRoche trade in effect the Pirates traded closer Mike Gonzalez to Atlanta for 37 home runs and three prospects that will never make the big team.
Another thought on the Adam LaRoche trade in effect the Pirates traded closer Mike Gonzalez to Atlanta for 37 home runs and three prospects that will never make the big team.
Adam LaRoche
The Adam LaRoche trade when looked from the Red Sox point of view was the opportunity to pick up a player who can A: help the Red Sox against right-handed pitching and B: give them additional depth to rest Mike Lowell. The cost was basically nothing from the Red Sox point of view. They gave up two prospects who never were going to sniff the grass at Fenway as players and the $3 million remaining on LaRoche's 2009 contract is pocket change to Boston. In fact - with LaRoche a free agent at the end of the year - the draft pick they get if he signs elsewhere may yield a much better prospect than either the Red Sox gave up (combined).
From the Pirates point of view - this was a salary dump. That $3 million to them is a very big number.
The Adam LaRoche trade when looked from the Red Sox point of view was the opportunity to pick up a player who can A: help the Red Sox against right-handed pitching and B: give them additional depth to rest Mike Lowell. The cost was basically nothing from the Red Sox point of view. They gave up two prospects who never were going to sniff the grass at Fenway as players and the $3 million remaining on LaRoche's 2009 contract is pocket change to Boston. In fact - with LaRoche a free agent at the end of the year - the draft pick they get if he signs elsewhere may yield a much better prospect than either the Red Sox gave up (combined).
From the Pirates point of view - this was a salary dump. That $3 million to them is a very big number.
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