The Ol' Ballfield

More Options than Springfield College; MLB News and Notes

Gooooooooooood morning!

-Red Sox Pick Up Wakefield's option

Wakefield's contract is structured so that every time the Sox pick up a team option, another one magically appears for the following year. Each is worth $4 million.

Wakefield 2006: 7-11, 4.63, 90 K, 51 BB, 1.33 WHIP, 100 ERA+, 14.6 VORP

The Red Sox know what they are getting for their money; Wakefield is by far the longest-tenured player on the team. Of course, he will be 40 next season, and 2006 was not a good year; he threw his fewest number of innings since he spent part of the year as a closer in 1999, and didn't impress. 2005 was an excellent season for Wakefield, but 2006 looks a lot like 2004, if you get my drift. Which seasons do you think are lying to us?

-Padres Decline Option on Piazza

At first, one may look at Piazza's not bad 120 OPS+ and his not bad 27.1 VORP and wonder why. Then when one sees that his .501 slugging pct. (his best since 2002) is holding up his .342 OBP (excluding 2005, his worst since his pre-rookie year of 1992), and one adds in that Piazza was a worse-than-replacement-level fielder this year (-2 FRAR), one might begin to understand... Guys that only slug and don't play a good defense become much less valuable in PETCO Park. Piazza's buyout price was $750,000.

-White Sox Pick Up Options on Dye, Buehrle and Iguchi

No surprises there. Dye got a few yells for MVP this season, putting up a 1.007 OPS, the highest of his career, and a 64.6 VORP, ninth in the AL. His option is worth $6.75 million, which could rise to $7 million based on MVP voting results. Buehrle, entering his prime, had by far the worst season of his career in 2006, and there is little reason to believe he won't return to form in 2007; his Achilles' heel in '06 was home runs; he gave up .8 or so more home runs per game in 2006 than he did in 2005. His line drive rate sunk, though, and I don't see any evidence that he didn't just have an off year. His option was worth $9.5 million. Iguchi's numbers went up in most categories except slugging pct. and line drive pct. His option was worth $3.25 million.

-Free Agency City

Here is a list of all the players that have filed for free agency. I'm working on a more detailed list that I'll get out before the bidding starts on November 12th.

-Alfonso Soriano Apparently Cuckoo

According to the Washington Post, Soriano "is seeking a deal similar to the seven-year, $119 million deal given to center fielder Carlos Beltran by the New York Mets before the 2005 season." Despite having the best season of his career (by far) in 2006, Soriano's numbers are still not as good as Beltran's were, plus he is three years older than Beltran was at the time of his deal. Add to the equation that Beltran is a better fielder... I don't know Alfons. Someone will probably pay it, though.


That's all for today. Boo!

posted by Carnival @ 10/31/2006