Tuesday, December 07, 2004
A Rant
Posted by Dave StudemanI keep reading that certain contracts, such as the Benson and Guzman deals, have been bad for baseball because they've "set the market." Poppycock.
I like to write about the free agent market as much as anyone, but the truth is that whatever market exists for baseball players, it is far from "perfect." Every contract is a unique negotiation between a General Manager and a player's agent, and it is up to the GM to cut the best deal for his team, regardless of other deals. This business of "setting the market" is simply agent positioning, and the baseball media and teams should ignore it.
Moreover, the potential value of a free agent Player to one Club may be different from the same Player's value to another Club. Given this, the amount that your Club is willing to pay a free agent may appropriately differ from the value range supplied above…
That's a quote from the much-maligned form that Major League Baseball uses to consult with its teams about salaries. It's an important disclaimer, and one that ballclubs should heed.
Stop the insanity. Bring salaries back to a reasonable level. You can do it, guys.
Dave was called a "national treasure" by Rob Neyer. Seriously. Comments about this article can be sent to him through the miracle of e-mail.