Dominance, Thy Name Is Randy Johnson

• Randy Johnson retires:

Is Randy Johnson the greatest pitcher ever?

People often wonder what it was like watching some of the greats like Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver to name some off the top of my head, but no one----no one----had the full complement of tools that the now-retired Randy Johnson had. Combining the era with the way he blew people away year-after-year very possibly makes Johnson the best pitcher ever. Let's take a look at the reasons why:

Dominance despite the era:

Dealing with juiced up players for the majority of his career and still blowing them away puts Johnson ahead of the pitcher of yesteryear. One can only imagine what he would've done had he been pitching in the 1960s with the higher mounds, generous strike zones and cavernous ballparks.

The game transformed into something similar to slow-pitch softball while Johnson was in his prime with the Mariners and Diamondbacks and he was still unhittable when he was on his game. Very few pitchers have been able to have that appellation applied to them----big league hitters are big league hitters for a reason; they pounce on mistakes, but Johnson's stuff was so vicious that he got away with not being on his game and still leaving a path of destruction in his wake like Godzilla.

Durability and longevity:

Sandy Koufax is the only comparable pitcher over a short period of time that had any kind of argument to say that he was as devastating as Johnson; Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton had similar records of putting up the innings and starts every year; but none had the combination of durability, longevity and dominance as Randy Johnson.

Koufax, for a five-year period was the best pitcher ever. Ryan racked up the strikeouts and it was a waste of time even going up to the plate with a bat when he was dealing. Seaver lasted because of flawless mechanics; dedication to his craft; and ability to adapt. Carlton pitched the same way for his entire career with little change in his strategy----power breaking stuff----the hitters knew the slider was coming and still couldn't hit it.

The differences between these pitchers and Johnson are clear.

Koufax endured great pain in his elbow because of his over-the-top motion----Johnson was more durable.

Ryan's control was spotty and despite all the broken records, he just missed being legitimately placed in a class with his contemporaries Seaver and Carlton; that can't be blamed on the quality of his teams because when Carlton started to establish himself as one of the greats with the Phillies, the Phillies were a horrible team; and Seaver was with the offensively-challenged Mets for much of the 70s.

Carlton was a Cy Young Award contender into his late-30s, but as his stuff declined, he held on, bounced from team-to-team in what became a somewhat embarrassing display of not knowing when to quit and was unable to maintain his greatness despite a dedication to physical conditioning that was second-to-none.

Seaver was able to get hitters out into his 40s not because of his great stuff, but because of his brains. As he aged, he became a different type of pitcher; one who relied on his defense, knowledge and precision.

Johnson never became anything different; he didn't hang on when he should've retired; and he still blew people away. His body broke down last year, but that had more to do with the fact that he's 45-years-old and his knees and back were going rather than his arm. If you look at his numbers from 2009, he still struck out close to a batter an inning and was hard to hit. He maintained his intimidation.

There's no doubt that if he decided to keep pitching in 2010, he could help someone as a back-of-the-rotation starter who could re-discover his greatness at any time.

He got his big league start late; he learned to pitch late; he was mean and scary:

Johnson didn't establish himself in the big leagues until he was 26.

He didn't start to evolve as a pitcher until he was 29.

One can only wonder what his production would've been like had he been able to bridle his talent; hone his mechanics; and learn to stop walking everyone when he was 22 rather than 29.

Part of Johnson's fear-factor was his lack of control, but even when he learned to throw strikes, he was still wild enough and mean enough that no hitter----righty or lefty----could feel entirely comfortable facing him. Lefties had almost no chance against him at all.

With a release point slightly above sidearm, a body like a lever and his 6'10" height making it appear as if he was standing in front of the plate by the time he released the ball, even the sturdiest batters had reason to be afraid.

And he was mean.

As great as Greg Maddux was; as willing as he was to throw at people; there was an unsaid, "Yeah? So?" at the threat of a Maddux brushback pitch. It's a bit different when a Greg Maddux fastball is coming at a batter's head and he has to get out of the way or sustain a nasty bruise and potential headache for a day or two and if a pitch got away from Randy Johnson. Johnson's fastball literally could have killed someone. He knew it and used it to his advantage.

He came up big and was gutty in the post-season:

There were times when he didn't pitch well in the playoffs, but moments that are unforgettable in the post-season career of Randy Johnson came when he entered penultimate games in relief. Anyone who saw the 1995 ALDS series between the Mariners and Yankees; or the 2001 World Series in which Johnson emerged from the bullpen with Guns-N-Roses's "Welcome to the Jungle" blasting across the stadium should get chills from the mere memory regardless of team allegiance.

Johnson won five Cy Young Awards; had three second place finishes in the voting; one third place finish; a World Series MVP; two no-hitters (including a perfect game); a wide swath of wreckage left in his wake; and he did it without the help of PEDs during a time that a massive chunk of players couldn't function or keep a job without them.

Forever known as a mercurial personality, Johnson was difficult with teammates; umpires; media and fans; but looking at his entire career, comparing it with other greats from his and the bygone eras and realizing his pure brilliance makes Randy Johnson perhaps the greatest pitcher in the history of the game.

There'll likely never be another like him.

Ever.

• Hilarity, thy name is Twitter:

Here are a few examples of the trending topic on Twitter entitled #FakeJasonBayQuotes and other snideness goofing on yesterday's introductory press conference as Bay joins the New York Mets.

"A big factor in my decision to become a Met was the Mariners not offering enough money"

"As a kid in Canada nothing drew me to baseball more than the Mets of the early 80s lead by the great George Bamberger"

"Well, it's not ALL about the money. Omar said I can shack up at his house. He has a hot tub."

"I was sick of Papelbon following me into the shower"

"I'm looking forward to learning the ins and outs of LF in Citi Field from Dan Murphy"

"Breaking News: Jason Bay tripped over a wire at his press conference and tore his ACL. He's out for the season."

Har, har, har, de, har har.

Unfortunately, I wasn't around the offer my laser-precise retorts to the above comments. And they mysteriously ceased when I arrived. At the very least, the originators of such comments were bright enough not to test my control of the Dark Side.

All (half) kidding aside, did Bay truly prefer to be a Met? I don't think anyone can argue that he did, but so what? C.C. Sabathia wanted to remain on the West Coast last year and joined the Yankees for the exact same reason that Bay is joining the Mets----they offered the most money.

This is not new.

Neither Bay nor Sabathia nor any other player has anything to apologize for for going to take the best financial deal out there. In the end, the Mets got the player they wanted and needed and Bay got his money. The jokes are tolerable because of that fact and the Mets are now better than they were a week ago because they have Jason Bay in the middle of their lineup.

• Viewer Mail 1.6.2009:

Joe at Statistician Magician writes RE the Red Sox:

See this argument is entirely to your advantage. If the Red Sox don't win it all, then you will say you were right, but the odds are that they don't win it all. I would take "the field" over any team in baseball to win it all this year. Who wouldn't? The Red Sox improved drastically their very poor defense from a year ago, where they finished close to last in total D. Sure, it would be nice to have a Miguel Cabrera, but do you know what one of those bats would have cost? Not just a few decent prospects, multiple *good* prospects. They signed two stopgaps, Beltre and Cameron, until they can make a play in a better free agent market and/or until players such as Josh Reddick, Lars Anderson, and a few others are ready.

You've read me for how long, Joe?

Do you actually think I'm hedging my bets in the hopes that I'm right? I calls 'em as I sees 'em. And we'll see how long they hold onto those blue chip prospects as they're eight games behind the Yankees and are in a dogfight for a playoff spot in July/August and they need that bat so desperately that the fans and media are in such an uproar that the club panics.

No one's going to want to hear the spin doctoring if Bay is raking and playing decent enough defense for the resurgent Mets. You'll see how fast those top prospects (and Anderson had a rotten year in 2009) are included in a deal for a basher.

Jeff (Acting Boss) at Red State Blue State writes RE Adrian Beltre:

Adrian Beltre remains as the greatest thief of all time, snagging that mega-deal from the Mariners after his one and only epic season (2004, as noted here). Like you, Prince, I'm wondering what was going on behind the scenes for Beltre that year. At the time, I lived in L.A. and saw a lot of that season... he was an animal. An absolute animal. Then *POOF*... back to his quietly modest self. If I were the Mariners I'd be outraged.

The Beltre free agency period when he left the Dodgers was one of the few documented smart moves from the wasteland known as Paul DePodesta's tenure as their GM. He was right about not paying Beltre.

The guy can field; he's a leader in the clubhouse; and by all accounts, a good guy, but does he answer the Red Sox problem for a bat? No.

And this idea that they're clinging to that it's a 1-year deal and it's cheap has no meaning to me. Why is everyone so obsessed with the money the Red Sox spend? They're big market, big money and they've screwed up this winter---accept it.

Jane Heller at Confessions of a She-Fan writes RE the Yankees and Red Sox:

The Yankees are better than the Red Sox? That's all I need to hear.

They're not just better. They're a lot better.

Anonymous writes RE the Red Sox:

The Red Sox were scrambling to make excuses after a guy they already replaced signed elsewhere? I must be missing something.

Ah muck beasts, will you never learn?

Coming onto my site and leaving anonymous comments is a sure way to get a nice backhand. Take a lesson from those that attack me elsewhere----do it elsewhere unless you'd like to leave your name!!!

As for the "scrambling for excuses", the fans and media are just as frightened at this new tack on pitching and defense with an aging and declining offense and some remaining contracts that can only be described as "prohibitive". And if you consider Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro as suitable replacements for Bay's offense then I admittedly can't help you----anonymous.

And yes, you are missing something----a pair of balls to leave your name. You choose to comment here? You leave your name.

John Seal writes:

Apologies Prince, but the mantra bears repeating: A's...basement...NL West...NL West...NL (NATIONAL LEAGUE)West...you call me pedant, I call me maize!

By the way, I can't tell you how relieved I am that the A's did not dump a bunch of money on Beltre. The fan-base is currently wailing and gnashing their teeth (spurned again! oh woe is us!), but I'm not a Beltre believer and would much prefer to see Dallas McPherson get one last shot.

I think they should cast Woody Harrelson as the grizzled scout/zombie killer in Moneyball.

You're a tough grader John!!! I didn't even notice I'd written NL West. Then again, a couple years ago, I suggested a dissolution of the American and National Leagues into separate conferences to have the natural rivals all in the same divisions; so my error could bemanifesting that desire subconsciously. (Uh, yah.)

The A's would be better off in the NL West anyway; at least there they'd have a chance of finishing ahead of the Padres. A chance...

I thought my response regarding the utter absurdity of Billy Beane keeping Geren when he dispatched both Art Howe and Ken Macha for no reason other than just feeling like it was worthy of props anyway. Seriously, what happened to "objective analysis"? And I don't think Geren is a bad manager; but the same standard that led Beane to get rid of Howe and Macha should apply to Geren, best friend or not.

Woody Harrelson does the borderline psychotic quite well; he'd fit into my zombie-hunting crew very neatly.

Maybe The Red Sox DON'T Realize They Need A Bat

• Red Sox sign Adrian Beltre:
  

It's strangely convenient that on the day Jason Bay passes his Mets physical, the Red Sox let leak the exhilarating signing of...Adrian Beltre to play third base.

Amid the anger coming out of Boston for the club refusing to budge on their initial offer to Bay of $60 million over four years and losing him to the Mets when he desperately wanted to return, the club spin-doctoring suggested that Bay's condition made his Mets physical far from fait accompli.

The jokes regarding the Mets medical staff can be inserted HERE or on Twitter, but for all intents and purposes, the Mets will know what to expect from Bay over the next four and probably five years----a solid citizen; a player who hustles, plays every day and leads by example; hits the ball out of the park (even Citi Field); and has handled the heavy spotlight of Boston without fear.

The Bay press conference is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:00 AM----story. One would assume David Wright (who should be named captain of the team sooner rather than later) and a couple other players will be there to welcome Bay to the Mets.

That left the Red Sox to make their "counter-move" to the bad press that awaited them for Bay passing his physical seemingly without difficulty. That "counter-move" turned out to be Adrian Beltre.

Beltre is a great fielder and the Red Sox pitchers are predominately of the ground ball variety, so his defense will be a great help after Mike Lowell's injuries and lost range contributed to the club's desperate desire to be rid of him; but does Beltre provide the bat that the Red Sox desperately need?

Adrian Beltre got his giant contract from the Mariners in one magical (some would say *suspicious*) season of 2004 in which he hit 48 homers and drove in 121 for the Dodgers while batting .334 and finishing second in the MVP voting to Barry Bonds. Beltre has never hit more than 26 in any season before or since; he hit 8 in 111 games in 2009.

He's never hit well at Fenway (.179 career with no homers in 16 games); nor has he hit well against the rest of the AL East, not even in Camden Yards----Beltre Splits. For those that think Beltre's going to take advantage of the Green Monster in Fenway, well, he's a back-up-the-middle hitter. He'll get his hits off and over the wall, but not enough to expect more than maybe 20 or so homers on the season in total; and he doesn't get on base.

The Red Sox are up-to-date on all the metrics, so I'm sure they'll come out with a series of numbers as to why Beltre's and Mike Cameron's presence and the number of runs they save over the course of a season will equate to what they'd get if they acquired a pure basher along the lines of Miguel Cabrera and kept Bay. We'll see the calculations on FanGraphs, explained by Rob Neyer and the other stat zombies looking for ways to justify the deal based on it being inexpensive among the other things Beltre brings to the table. We'll hear it over and over again...

And it's not going to change the simple fact that there's something awry about the Red Sox going back to the three-game ALDS sweep at the hands of the Angels.

And the decisions they've made to "improve" the club after they were bounced and watched the Yankees regain their glory have done nothing to alter that palpable perception.

For all the appellations of Theo Epstein as a "genius", it's been conveniently glossed over that he's made some ghastly mistakes in talent recognition and team-building. They're a stat zombie team backed up by money to cover for mistakes. There's nothing wrong with that, but they've been remarkably adamant in repeatedly trying various stat zombie tenets such as the bullpen-by-committee and watched as it failed only to try it again.

Had they gone forward with their intention of moving Jonathan Papelbon into the starting rotation in 2007, not only would they not have won the World Series that year, the clubhouse would've exploded in insubordination and in-fighting as Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling went ballistic by the end of April over the number of blown games because of the absence of a viable closer.

There's always some floating explanation for a front office decision that's criticized. In 2003, the bullpen by committee blew 23 games they should've won.

23.

While Grady Little was a convenient scapegoat for that team's fall in that year's ALCS, how is the front office absolved of responsibility? That they turned around and addressed the issue by signing Keith Foulke that winter should've been a clear indication that they realized they couldn't move forward with the idea of not having one guy who could handle the duties not just physically (plenty of guys can handle the job physically), but mentally. If the 2003 Red Sox had someone, anyone who could close a game with any consistency in 2003, there's every possibility that they could've avoided the Yankees entirely that post-season.

Could it be that Epstein and his crew in the Red Sox front office aren't as savvy about everything as they're portrayed?

There's something missing on this Red Sox roster and they don't see it.

Those that are so immersed in numbers that they forget what a human being is will scoff at this "feeling" I often refer to, and that's fine. Whether it's some mental calculation in my brain that I'm unaware of that sends me the signal of something being askew like it's one of those antiquated Univac Computers from the 1950s that took up entire building floors is irrelevant; what's relevant is that I'm rarely wrong about these things.

Epstein may be willing to move forward into the season with what he currently has and see what comes available at mid-season, but the American League is no longer the cakewalk into the playoffs for both the Red Sox and Yankees as it once was. The Yankees aren't just better than the Red Sox now, they're a lot better; in the AL East, the Rays are dangerous; the Orioles are going to be okay; the Blue Jays have a load of young pitching; as for the rest of the league, the White Sox are going to be very, very good; and the Angels, Mariners and Rangers all have arguments to be pre-season playoff picks.

The "feeling" of something being wrong with the Red Sox is real.

I can recognize it.

And I should.

I'm a Mets fan.

This current Red Sox roster is not making the playoffs.

Whether or not Epstein realizes this is the question. Maybe he doesn't. If that's the case, the Red Sox are in more trouble than they and their fans realize.

• Viewer Mail 1.5.2010:

Jane Heller at Confessions of a She-Fan writes RE Doug Mientkiewicz:

Never diss Doug Mientkiewicz! He can catch any ball hit to him at first and doesn't mind getting his uniform dirty - and he doesn't come with a big price tag.

Mientkiewicz has certainly proven the value of schmoozing and being accommodating with people; sometimes that enough to keep a job when there are probably better options available.

Jeff at Red State Blue State writes RE the growing enthusiasm of a Moneyball zombie movie sequel:

Bring on the crazy lunatic with no fear! And by "crazy lunatic with no fear" I refer to the Capo's role -- not Michael Lewis.

Ah, Michael Lewis. I can almost picture some insignificant reader of Moneyball/would-be baseball expert tied to a chair similarly to the scene in the Dark Knight with the Joker. Here's a rough draft of a script idea:

Insignificant Stat Zombie: Moneyball's a...a...symbol... that we don't have to be afraid of scum like you.

Your Anti-Hero, the anarchic Prince of New York (Boss of the Zombie Hunters): Uh, yeah; you do my clueless friend. You really, really do....

John Seal writes RE Athletics manager Bob Geren:

I dunno, Prince...I have a feeling if Bob Geren leads the A's to the basement of the 'tough NL West', he'll have pulled off the kind of baseball miracle that warrants a multi-year contract extension!

Aw, come on John. Don't be sarcastic. So what if Beane fired Ken Macha and dumped Art Howe after each led the A's to the playoffs multiple times? Keeping Geren is easily explained despite the Steinbrenner-esque way in which Beane used to dispatch successful managers----the man needs friends now!

Managers Beginning 2010 On The Hotseat

• Keep some moving boxes next to your desk:

There's been little action over the last couple of days, so let's have a look at the managers who will begin the season on the hotseat and some possible replacements for said managers. (They're in no particular order.)

Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

I don't like the way he manages strategically; I don't like the way he handles the clubhouse; and frankly I don't know why they've kept him this long. He zones out during games----see his absurd decisions during the 2008 post-season and the gaffe of accidentally submitting different lineup cards in a game last season forcing pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat third. Plus the inmates are running the asylum. It's dangerous to have a young team so seemingly out of control and things could spiral fast right out of the gate. Maddon's not helped by a disappointing 2009 in which the club at times looked as if they'd quit.

His contract is good through 2012, but if things get off badly, they can't mess around in the AL East. If there was ever a perfect job for Bobby Valentine to re-emerge, it's in Tampa. Larry Bowa would be a good idea as well.

Cito Gaston, Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays gave up in August, something I find reprehensible; Gaston spoke of retirement. I'd have fired him if I were the Blue Jays. There's a lot of young talent on the club especially on the mound, I don't like Brad Arnsberg as pitching coach, and if they're going to bring in someone else to manage the club and handle the pitchers when they turn the corner, they might as well do it now. Joey Cora would be perfect for that job. Per-fect.

Dave Trembley, Baltimore Orioles:

I was stunned when the Orioles exercised Trembley's contract option and kept him on. This was the second straight year that the Orioles played respectably into the summer and collapsed. In an ideal world, Trembley's lack of professional playing experience wouldn't be held against him, but I'd never hire a manager who had no professional playing experience; it's too easy for the players to tune him out.

The expectations for the Orioles will be higher with their acquisitions of Kevin Millwood, Mike Gonzalez and Garrett Atkins, joining the young nucleus Andy MacPhail's built. I'd bring Davey Johnson back. Larry Bowa would be a great idea too.

Trey Hillman, Kansas City Royals

Hillman might be one of the worst managers I've ever seen in my life. I had a man-crush on the guy when he got the job, for which I am endlessly ashamed, but his resume----managing and winning a championship in Japan; scouting; running the Rangers minor league system----was impeccable.

Who knew?

Hillman doesn't know what he's doing, but then neither does GM Dayton Moore, so Hillman's not getting fired even though they have a built-in replacement for whom I have great respect as a manager----coach John Gibbons.

Bob Geren, Oakland Athletics

The only reason Geren's lasted this long is because he's one of GM Billy Beane's best friends; but Beane's under fire and he's not going to go down without doing something to try and save his own ass.

Michael Corleone clipped Fredo in The Godfather Part II; and Billy Beane will clip Bob Geren if (when) the A's get off to a bad start and fall to the basement of the tough NL West. Beane might go the veteran manager route----Clint Hurdle for example----to save himself. Phillies coach Pete Mackanin is a good man too.

Fredi Gonzalez, Florida Marlins

I did not understand the vacillation over Fredi Gonzalez's job with the Marlins after the job he's done as manager since 2007. From watching him, he handles the players well and does a fine job strategically. The Marlins made a very public show of thinking about replacing Gonzalez with Bobby Valentine and I don't understand it.

Getting fired wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Gonzalez because he'd be the replacement for Bobby Cox in Atlanta after 2010.

Jerry Manuel, New York Mets

Manuel and his returning coaches (specifically pitching coach Dan Warthen) survived by their fingertips only because of the ridiculous number of injuries that befell the Mets. Manuel's strategies were strange to say the least and with the Mets trying to overcome the disaster that 2009 was and spending money to improve drastically, they'd better get off to a good start. Bobby Valentine would love to return; and Jim Fregosi is the calm, veteran-type who'd settle things down.

Ken Macha, Milwaukee Brewers

Macha almost got fired after the 2009 season, he's in the last year of his contract and the players don't like him all that much. Macha has no chance unless the Brewers get off to a hot start; if not, he's getting fired and fast. Willie Randolph will be managing the Brewers by May.

John Russell, Pittsburgh Pirates

Another man who had a solid minor league managing resume and was a well-respected mind as a player who hung around the big leagues with limited skills; but he's not a good manager. The Pirates as an organization don't have the faintest clue what they're doing, so I doubt they'll fire Russell. Pete Mackanin or Gary Varsho would be good replacements.

Bud Black, San Diego Padres

Black's a rotten manager on a rotten team. I have no idea why his contract was extended when owner Jeff Moorad intended to fire GM Kevin Towers. On some level, I understand it. Black's contract is only guaranteed through 2010 and the Padres are going to be horrific one way or the other, so why pay someone else to manage the team? But one would think Jed Hoyer would want to bring in his own person (Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell?) to run things.

The problem with the Padres is that they have some young talent now and need a manager to steer the club and teach the youngsters. Everyone has nothing but nice things to say about Black personally, but that doesn't matter to me. It's business.

I'd hesitate to hire a former pitcher as manager which would make me reluctant to hire Farrell regardless of how respected he is. Black was respected as well when he got the job.

Glenn Hoffman's on the Padres staff and has managing experience with the Dodgers. Tim Flannery is a lifelong Padre now coaching with the Giants and would be a popular choice. Bob Melvin worked for Moorad with the Diamondbacks and is a solid manager all around.

• Viewer Mail 1.4.2010:

Gabriel (Capo) writes RE a potential Moneyball zombie movie and sequel:

I want to be a John McClane-type of character in the Zombie Hunter movie. My favourite xmas movie are Die Hard and Die Harder.

You can be the crazy lunatic with no fear. I, the calm, ruthless leader; and Jeff the brains with the lethal skills in martial arts and weaponry. Other roles are pending...

The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger writes:

The collective bargaining agreement is almost up. PED testing, Salary Caps, Player Contract Terms, Arbitration are just some of the things we're going to see a knock-out, drag-down brawl over. Selig will be gone. Fehr is out. And guys like Boras, there's more dents in his armor today than just 3 years ago. I digress. I think this has everything to do with so many players still unsigned, and the number of 1 and 2 year deals being offered. I think times-are-a-changin' in a big way pretty soon; as dramatic an upheaval as when Marvin Miller won the right to put this whole system into effect in the first place.

be well...happy new year

There's not going to be a salary cap, but with the economy in the state it's in and ownerships suddenly refusing to spend ridiculous amounts of money, there's a salary cap without there being a salary cap and the players and agents are beginning to panic. Things are changing----drastically.

Jeff (Acting Boss) at Red State Blue State writes RE the remaining free agents:

Wow. LOTS of names on the list. You think come February we're just gonna have a fire storm of short one year, low money signings for these guys? It'll be confusing for the fan to figure out who's with who now... but I'm preparing for just that.

It's a nuisance for me personally because I can't start writing my book until all the chips have fallen.

Well, technically I could start writing it, but I find it more entertaining when I write the whole thing over a 2-3 week period; am more wired Robbie Williams in the midst of his über-healthy diet of Red Bull, coffee and cigarettes; and look back at what I've written after the fact with almost no recollection of having written 75% of it.

My Tweets will be something to see during that time. I'm not saying that's good or bad. It just "is". Like a hurricane.

Ric Nunez writes RE the still available free agents:

a lot the names available, most of this guys are only good for bad teams...

LMAO the funny review about Mike Jacobs.

I can't wait to see the money some of the still available and very useful players get.

With Jacobs, he's another of the Rick Ankiel, Eric Bruntlett, Brian Anderson and Doug Mientkiewicz-types who I have to ask what it is they do exactly to keep big a big league job. It's one of the unanswerable questions of life.

Sunday Lightning 1.3.2010

• The still-available free agent pitchers:

Yesterday I speculated on possible destinations for the "name" hordes of still-floating free agent position players; now I'll move onto the pitchers.

There's a lot of them.

Note: I used MLBTradeRumors.com for the list. It's funny how they place Scott Boras clients in boldface. That, my friends, is when you know you've made it. Boldface!!!!

Starting pitchers

Miguel Batista: I find it hard to believe that there's no team that could have use for Batista. He can start or relieve; he's fearless and will throw inside to anyone; and he's had more comebacks than Aerosmith----the main difference being that Batista's comebacks have been of the welcome variety. He'll get a big league contract to be a reliever/spot starter with a contender around the start of spring training. The Rays could use him.

Erik Bedard: Bedard is the ultimate short-term/low-risk/massive reward free agent. He's injury-prone; he's not well-liked by his teammates or the media; but when he's healthy, he's brilliant. Don't be surprised to see him end up with the Marlins.

Aroldis Chapman: Now this guy's an interesting case. A Cuban defector who's listed at 22-years-old (you can guess at his real age; I'm not even bothering), he's has been auditioning for teams in individual workouts. The 6'4" lefty has been dazzling and teams that normally wouldn't enter into the bidding with the Yankees and Red Sox are going after him, the Blue Jays and Marlins among them. It's going to be interesting to see where he ends up; he's asking for $25 million, so obviously the first teams you look at are the Yankees and Red Sox, but if he's that good, a team that is generally reticent to fling around that kind of cash might ante up. Again, maybe the Marlins.

Daniel Cabrera: Cabrera was hideous with the Nationals and Diamondbacks last year, but he's always had wicked stuff and he's mean. Joe Torre expressed admiration for Cabrera when he was managing the Yankees and Cabrera pitched for the Orioles; and I've always seen Cabrera as a perfect reclamation project for Dave Duncan with the Cardinals.

Doug Davis: Davis's left-handed junk isn't impressive; his control isn't very good; he doesn't strike many hitters out; but no matter what he finds a way to win as many games as he loses and gobbles innings every year; and he's got guts. He must go to a team with a relatively large ballpark and a good defense, but any team signing him would know exactly what they're getting. If the Dodgers ever do anything this winter, Davis would be a good fit.

Jon Garland: Garland's the same kind of pitcher as Davis. The Rangers were after Garland for some reason and Garland in that ballpark would be an utter disaster. He wants a 3-year deal, which he's not going to get. Garland could return to the Diamondbacks or Angels.

Jarrod Washburn: Washburn, represented by Boras, had pitched excellently with the Mariners in the first half of 2009 before he was traded to the Tigers, where he was horrific. I've never been a big fan of his stuff----he's a back-end starter----and he's going to be 36 in August. If Boras thinks he's getting Washburn a 3-year deal, he really is insane. Perhaps Washburn will go back to the Mariners for a 2-year deal, maybe.

Randy Johnson: Johnson hasn't retired and seems to be intent on pitching. On a short-term deal, he's be a big win cheaply. There was talk of him returning to the Mariners, but the Dodgers or Marlins are also possibilities. Johnson would be a good mentor for Andrew Miller in Florida.

Braden Looper: Looper gives up a lot of home runs and didn't pitch very well last year, but he did pitch well at times when he was first converted into a starter by the Cardinals. He's a cheap, back-of-the-rotation option who can also relieve. As a last resort, teams could do worse than Looper.

Pedro Martinez: Pedro will be best-served to do as he did last year and sit out the first half of the season to save his bullets and sign with a contender. He can still pitch and appears willing to go anywhere. The Twins have popped into my head repeatedly with Pedro; possibly the White Sox.

Mark Mulder: Is he healthy? It's stunning what happened to Mulder. With the Athletics, his free and easy motion had him pegged as a long-term winner, but his body broke down completely. Someone will roll the dice on him, but would be unwise to count on him at all.

Brett Myers: Myers can start or relieve and pitched poorly for the Phillies last year as he recovered from hip surgery. Myers seems to want to relieve, and I see him as more of a reliever. He'd be a good option for the Mets as a feisty reliever/spot starter and he'd love to shove it to the Phillies.

Vicente Padilla: Padilla was brilliant with the Dodgers after being released by the Rangers (at least until he blew up in his last start in the NLCS). If he's looking to cash in on that hot month-and-a-half, he can forget it given his bad reputation off the field and flighty career on the field. Returning to the Dodgers is the smart move for Padilla.

Joel Pineiro: Pineiro was asking for 4-years, $40 million. It'd be stunning if some team gave him that amount of money. The question with Pineiro is whether he's a product of Dave Duncan/Tony La Russa or he's really figured it out and will continue pitching as well as he did for the Cardinals. I'm of the belief that it's the latter and if he's in a big ballpark on a team with a good defensive infield, he'd continue his good work. I think Pineiro's going to the Mets.

Mark Prior: Did he retire? Anyone up for ridiculing the Twins for taking Joe Mauer ahead of Prior now? Coming out of college, he was poised and polished; now he's battered and finished----and don't blame Dusty Baker because it would've happened whether the Cubs had employed the Joba Rules or if they'd done what they did and let him pitch trying to win a title.

Horacio Ramirez: I'm halfway expecting Dayton Moore to re-sign Ramirez to a 5-year contract to remain with the Royals. Hell, I might contemplate a comeback from my sandlot days and give the Royals a call; how much worse could I be than Ramirez and Kyle Farnsworth?

Ben Sheets: Sheets is supposedly asking for $12 million for one year and if he was guaranteed to be healthy, he'd absolutely be worth it. The thing that concerns me about Sheets isn't just his injury history, but that he seemed willing to sign last winter with someone as he insisted he was healthy and then, after no one wanted to take a chance on him, he decided to have surgery as if he was saying, "Oh, alright, I'll have surgery if you really want me to." Sheets will have to take an incentive-laden deal, but he'll end up with a contender and could be a massive win if he's healthy. I'm picturing him with the Cardinals, Dodgers or Angels.

John Smoltz: Smoltz can still pitch and the Nationals are pursuing him. Why he'd want to subject himself to that is beyond me. That he can start or relieve should get him a decent NL job with a contender like the Dodgers or Giants.

Chien-Ming Wang: Wang's evidently not going to be ready to go until June, but if he's healthy then he'd be a big-time mid-season acquisition for a team with a good infield defense and big ballpark like the Mets or Giants. The Mariners and Angels are also possibilities.

Relief pitchers

Kevin Gregg: Gregg isn't any good. He's wild and gives up too many homers and the only place he could get a closing job and not make the team worse than they currently are is the Pirates. It's a match made in heaven.

Mike MacDougal: MacDougal will always have a job because of that 100-mph fastball. He's wild, but always shows flashes of being thisclose to putting it all together. As a low-cost flier, I'd take a chance on MacDougal and that fastball. The Marlins are a good spot for him.

Jose Valverde: He throws very, very hard and has had some excellent years as a closer. A team that needs set-up help like the Yankees might want to seriously look at Valverde.

Doug Brocail: Brocail's not young (he'll be 43 in May), but he's always been a leader in the clubhouse and can still pitch out of the bullpen. The Mets should think about him.

Kiko Calero: Calero's a workhorse and was a key to the Marlins staying in contention. Any number of teams can use Calero. I see him going to the Giants.

Octavio Dotel: Dotel gives up too many homers, but he still racks up the strikeouts. Possibly the Cardinals are a good place for him on a short-term deal.

Russ Springer: The veteran Springer can still pitch and would bolster any bullpen. He should return to the Rays.

Chan Ho Park: The Phillies have moved on from Park with their signing of Danys Baez and Park still harbors thoughts of being a starter when he should focus on staying in the bullpen. The Giants were looking at Park, but the Mariners are an option also.

Joe Beimel: Beimel will always have a job because he's lefty and he's breathing (and the breathing part isn't all that necessary for someone to sign him). He'll have his pick of teams on a low-cost, short-term deal once the dust settles.

Scott Eyre: Eyre was a key component to the Phillies pennant in 2009 and has shown that he can get out lefties and righties. He spoke of retirement, but I think he'll come back with the Phillies.

Ron Mahay: Mahay can still pitch and I'd expect him to eventually return to the Twins; if not, the Angels or White Sox are options.

• Phillies sign Danys Baez...to a 2-year contract (?):

The Phillies are aware that there's such a thing as 1-year contracts, right?

Signing Baez is a good idea to bolster the bullpen, no doubt, but for 2-years?

Why?

This is a continuing strange trend from the Phillies. For a club that has all these rules (no contracts longer than 3-years for pitchers, for example), they take that to the extreme by signing the likes of Adam Eaton for three years or extending Jamie Moyer for two years (punch-drunk from the exhilaration of the 2008 World Series win maybe) for no reason whatsoever.

Was Moyer going to reject a one-year deal? Was Baez?

Baez has been up-and-down in his career; as a set-up man he could be very good for the Phillies; but if Brad Lidge's head and body aren't straight and they're expecting to contend if he Baez to replace Lidge as closer, they're deluding themselves.

From the Placido Polanco signing; to the trade of Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay; to the exercising of Jimmy Rollins's contract option for 2011 despite his decline, the 2-year deal for Baez is another bizarre decision in a what's going to be seen as a gaffe-filled winter of 2009-10 for the Phillies.

• Ah, Edwin Encarnacion...

I'm glad Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion wasn't seriously injured when his face was burned by fireworks during a New Year's celebration in the Dominican Republic----ESPN Story----but given Encarnacion's history as a supremely talented space cadet, why do I have a different image as to what happened that what's been reported?

According to the story, one of Encarnacion's brothers lit a rocket firecracker and it moved laterally instead of upwards and it hit the infielder in the face. The thing with Encarnacion is that I can picture him having had too many beers and leaning over the rocket to see why it didn't go off and having it hit him in the face. It just seems like something he'd do.

The Number Of Remaining Free Agents Is Stunning

• Players options are becoming limited by the day:

With the Yankees not flinging more and more money after players they don't need; the Mets not panicking; the Red Sox insisting they have budgetary concerns; the Angels laying low; the Phillies done with their big shopping; and the Dodgers having disappeared into the morass of the McCourt's divorce, there aren't any big money teams ready to spend to fill their holes.

In case anyone hadn't noticed, it's January, 2010 and there are still dozens of "name" free agents who should be worried that they're not going to get the big money deals they anticipated a few months ago. Of all the "names", the one player who's definitely going to get paid (although not as lucratively as he thought) is Matt Holliday and I discussed him the other day.

Aside from that, it's a frenzy. Teams can upgrade drastically for comparative pennies if they're smart. (That eliminates the Pirates from any discussion.)

Pitchers and catchers reporting dates will be here before we can blink, so let's take a look at the remaining free agents bats worth mentioning and speculate where they'll end up. (Pitchers will be discussed tomorrow.):

Catchers

Rod Barajas: The Mets are considering Barajas if Bengie Molina continues his hard-line negotiating. He doesn't hit for average, but he does hit the ball out of the park; handle pitchers well; and most importantly, can throw. Surprisingly, he doesn't strike out much either. My guess is he ends up with the Giants.

Michael (The Right Hook) Barrett: Who knows? I just like saying Michael (The Right Hook) Barrett.

Bengie Molina: The Mets aren't giving Molina a third year; in fact, he'll be lucky to get the second year guaranteed. He's in no position to be taking such a stand. There are other options out there like Barajas and Ryan Doumit via trade. I'm getting the feeling the Mets are about to move on after they finish up the Jason Bay deal and press conference, so if this doesn't get done by the middle of the week, Molina's going to regret these demands if he has to settle for a one year deal elsewhere as he did in 2006. He might have to go back to the Giants on a one year deal or possibly the Mariners.

Yorvit Torrealba: It looks like the Rockies are about to sign Miguel Olivo after the Torrealba negotiations broke down. Olivo's a better hitter and thrower than Torrealba, whose main attributes are that he's a good guy, handles the pitchers and gets big hits in the playoffs. The Giants or Astros are a possible landing spots.

First Basemen

Russell Branyan: Branyan is a stat zombie's dream coming off his career year, so he has every right to try and cash in. He's also been a journeyman with injury problems and a history of streakiness and slumps that have gotten him shipped to the minors or outright released. I'd bet he ends up back with the Mariners or with the Athletics to replace Jack Cust.

Carlos Delgado: Delgado has yet to play a game in winter ball because of lingering injury issues. He'd better come out blistering if he wants a guaranteed contract and playing time wherever he signs. The Athletics or Mariners are a possibilities with Delgado to DH; maybe the Diamondbacks if they think he can play the field. I'm not sure the Mets are going to go down the Delgado road again.

Ryan Garko: Garko didn't hit after being traded to the Giants, so he might have to settle for a bad situation like the Pirates. Garko's fiery and has pop, so he might be a part-time option for the Mets if they don't completely trust Daniel Murphy, but want to give him a legit chance to play every day.

Mike Jacobs: Jacobs has "Pirates" written all over him. He fits in there perfectly because he doesn't do much of anything useful but hit the occasional homer, strut around looking like a big leaguer with the huge chaw in his cheek, and act like a hard guy when a bench clearing shoving match breaks out.

Adam LaRoche: LaRoche is a perfect guy for the Mets, Giants and Mariners, but he supposedly wants a three-year deal which, for him, isn't an outlandish request. I think he ultimately falls to the Giants and would be a great pickup for a bat the Giants need.

Second basemen

Orlando Hudson: For a good, well-liked player, Hudson sits out waiting for a deal every year. I'm not all that enamored of him for the Mets, but if they want him, they should sign him and worry about what to do with Luis Castillo later. He might fall to a team like the Twins, Cardinals, Tigers or Marlins on a short-term deal.

Ronnie Belliard: Belliard is an underrated player with pop. Joe Torre benched Hudson in the 2009 playoffs in favor of Belliard. Even going back to his days with the Nationals, Belliard was in the middle of all their spoiler rallies. The Tigers are a good idea for Belliard, short-term.

Felipe Lopez: Lopez might be a guy who's learned how to hit mid-career. The Cardinals are kicking the tires and Lopez is a good choice for them.

Third basemen

Adrian Beltre: He's represented by Scott Boras; the stat zombies love him for some reason; and he wants a lot of money. Beltre's a good guy and a great fielder and his power would return to a certain extent in a more reasonable ballpark. The Red Sox are talking to him, but they need a better bat than Beltre. Beltre may end up with the Cardinals.

Hank Blalock: Blalock's been injury-prone in recent years, but he can still hit a bit. He's another guy who may have to settle for the Pirates or some other dregs of society.

Melvin Mora: Mora can still play and would be a solid utility player who could fill in at third base, first base and the outfield----he's a very good outfielder. Mora would be a solid citizen option for the Mets to replace Fernando Tatis.

Shortstops

Orlando Cabrera: The Twins wanted him to shift to second base and he might not have a choice. The Tigers could use him in that capacity too.

Miguel Tejada: Tejada has expressed a willingness to shift to third base, but the 3-year contract signed by Placido Polanco has him requesting similar dollars (with good reason). Tejada would slide in neatly with the Cardinals or Brewers.

Left fielders

Johnny Damon: Damon goes too far with the "I'll let my agent handle the negotiations" in his dealings with Scott Boras. He priced himself out of Boston (where he didn't want to leave) and the Yankees (where he doesn't want to leave). As much as Yankee fans hold out hope that Damon comes to his senses and accepts a short-term deal to stay, it's not happening. If the Cardinals re-up with Holliday, Damon may have to go to San Francisco or Atlanta and he's not getting the money he expected or was promised by Boras. It's his own fault for not dictating to his agent rather than having his agent dictate to him.

Center fielders

Rick Ankiel: I don't know who'd want Ankiel after the rotten year he had with the Cardinals. He doesn't get on base and isn't all that great a center fielder. The pitchers appeared to have figured him out at the plate too. He can't do much of anything worthwhile, so he's a fit for the Pirates or Royals.

Right field

Ryan Church: As a part-timer on a short-term deal, Church is useful to have around. He's got a great arm and some pop. The Yankees might want to consider him for left field, but he supposedly wasn't all that thrilled with New York when he was with the Mets. Whether that was the Mets themselves that made him feel that way or the city is unknown. In fairness, the Mets weren't particularly happy with Church in his last days with the club. The Indians would be a good place for Church.

Jermaine Dye: Dye is a great guy and can still hit, but he's not getting a big money deal. If he wants to return to the Braves, he'll have to take short money; he's also expressed a willingness to play first base. The Giants have been linked with Dye.

Xavier Nady: Nady will get an incentive-laden deal and would be a good player for the Mets as a platoon first baseman/backup outfielder. The Braves have been considering him too. The Giants need a more guaranteed bat than Nady.

Designated Hitters:

Vladimir Guerrero: Guerrero can't play the field aside from maybe----maybe----25 games with a ground ball pitcher on the mound. He can still hit and hitters like Guerrero could have a resurgence late in their careers, invigorated by a new uniform. The White Sox and Guerrero look like a match.

Jason Giambi: It's hard to picture a contender in the American League signing Giambi to be a semi-regular DH, but as a power bat who can walk coming off the bench, he'd be a Matt Stairs-type for a National League contender. The Dodgers have done absolutely nothing up to now, but a reunion with Joe Torre is something to consider for Giambi.

Aubrey Huff: Huff can hit and play first, third and the outfield. He's flown under the radar, but a team like the Mariners might want to consider him for first base on a cheap deal.

Jack Cust: The Mariners need a first baseman, but Cust is a rotten fielder and the Mariners have Ken Griffey Jr clogging up the DH spot. Cust might head back to Oakland on a cheaper deal than he would've gotten in arbitration. The "genius" Billy Beane should've traded Cust two years ago.

Jim Thome: Thome can still hit. The Angels would've been a good place before they signed Hideki Matsui; Matsui's talking about playing the outfield again, so maybe the Angels will look at Thome. He could end up back with the White Sox. Maybe the Twins are a good idea for a power DH.

• Viewer Mail 1.2.2010:

Joe at Statistican Magician writes RE Dave Cameron's comment about Jason Bay, Marlon Byrd and the Mets:

I felt the same way about Cameron's comment (found in the comment section of his post at Fangraphs). If the Mets *only* had $16 million to spend, they could have better used that money to address multiple issues. But they can sign Jason Bay AND a pitcher, and maybe a few other small pieces as well. Plus, Byrd would be playing left, not center, meaning that his value would decrease (more easily replaceable, doesn't have the opportunity to field as many balls, impacts the game a little less, etc)

This one comment has placed you back into my good graces, Joe. Why don't you sign onto Twitter?

It's as if the hard core stat zombies are trying to find ways to rip on anything and everything the Mets do. This wouldn't be that bad if Cameron and his brethren did that with everyone and without bias. Instead, they formulate ways to move the Moneyball goalposts and defend Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta, Theo Epstein and anyone and everyone who advances their agenda in some fashion.

To equate Marlon Byrd as anywhere close to an impact player on a level with Jason Bay is a farce.

Brandon Knight writes RE the Red Sox, the Mets and Jason Bay:

The Red Sox will spend that money on pitching or a comparable player in free agency. I think Bay's stats will decline for the Mets because of their ballpark doesnt yield as many home runs.

The Red Sox shopping for pitching is just about done. They're desperate for a bat. Whether they'll be willing to move forward with what they have now or wait until mid-season to make a trade is the question.

Bay won't hit 36 homers for the Mets, but the implication that Citi Field is such a disaster for the power hitter is based on David Wright's struggles with the place; and that has more to do with the way he hits. His power was to right and right center much of the time----splits. Wright will either have to accept that he's not going to hit as many homers as he did earlier in his career, or change his hitting style to try and pull the ball more; the ballpark was in his head in 2009 no matter how much he denies it; also the absence of the entire starting lineup affected him in that regard as well.

Objectively, Citi Field was around the bottom for homers hit in total, but was ahead of Turner Field, AT&T Park, Busch Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Petco Park----scroll to the very bottom of the linked page for the ballpark stats.

Before he got hurt, Carlos Delgado had no problem getting the ball out; nor did Jeff Francoeur; Chase Utley and Mark Reynolds. Bay will hit his homers there, no problem.

John Seal writes RE Coco Crisp and the Moneyball movie:

Prince, I'm as puzzled by the Covelli Crisp signing as you are. Hopefully the A's will flip him to a contender in June once they decide to start Michael Taylor's arbitration clock. And I'm stoked about Moneyball--I love zombie movies!

John, I burst out laughing when I read this comment, thereby making it the funniest comment I've ever received.

It's pretty lame if that's their intention with Crisp, and truthfully I'd have no problem with the signing if there weren't so many people exhibiting such zeal to find ways to justify it as if it's the last piece in Beane's long awaited A's championship puzzle. Crisp is useful if he's healthy, but not as the one maneuver made by a team with the issues of the A's.

The zombie movie line is classic!!!

I love zombie films too, but even I might not be able to handle the horrible carnage of such an event as the Moneyball movie. The calculators? Laptops? Spock-ears and pocket protectors would be too much for my admittedly calloused sensibilities. It'd make 28 Days Later look like the Muppets.

Then again, maybe I and my troops could get a role in the sequel as the Zombie Hunters. I'm more of a masculine sex symbol than that pretty boy dingus Robert Pattinson could ever be, anyway.

The Cubs Crash Will Get Ugly

• Cubs sign Marlon Byrd:

One can only speculate as to what the Cubs are going to look like in three years time as 2/3 of their outfield will consist of a 37-year-old Alfonso Soriano (who'll still have a guaranteed $36 million coming to him) and a 35-year-old Marlon Byrd. Byrd agreed to a 3-year, $15 million deal with the Cubs on Thursday that is said to be heavily backloaded, so you can figure that he'll be a nice financial albatross in the third year of the deal and, just like Soriano, unmovable.

Nice work.

Marlon Byrd is a good player; he had a solid couple of years with the Rangers and his hitting splits weren't bolstered to a massive degree by the hitter's haven of Rangers Ballpark at Arlington; but they were improved by the bandbox especially in the power department. He's never hit particularly well at Wrigley Field, but he hasn't been a National Leaguer since 2006. He's useful. He'd help any team he joined, but as the landmark move for a club with the holes that permeate the fading Cubs? Is Marlon Byrd the answer to their problems?

Can Byrd play center field every day as he enters his mid-30s?

Does he have the range to cover for the disinterested and declining Alfonso Soriano as he grows slower in left?

You can bank on Byrd's high-power year of 20 homers dropping back to around 10 or so as he leaves Texas and while he can man center field and hold a place at the bottom of the Cubs lineup, does he fix the problems----the in-fighting, injuries, bullpen failures, and age----that led to the Cubs flameout and fade in 2009? No.

The 2010 Cubs are a disaster in the making. They're trying desperately to brighten a crumbling foundation by spackling the cracks with Mighty Putty, but it's not going to work. They're old; their bullpen is horrific; their starting rotation is short; their lineup is one-dimensional; their guaranteed contract-situations are disgusting and will haunt them for the next four years at least; and they continue to make the same mistakes that got them into this mess in the first place.

2010 is the final year that they can even entertain the fantasy of making a playoff run with the current group; all the pieces are in place for a crash that will result in the new ownership embarking on a necessary bloodletting that will spell the end for both GM Jim Hendry and manager Lou Piniella. (Hendry's going to get fired; Piniella will simply resign.)

The housecleaning will begin at mid-season for this group. Their time has passed. If they were going to finally contend for a championship, the time was in 2008 and they blew it. It's over. And the signing of Byrd is the last desperate and wild swing to cling to whatever remains from that lost year and take one final stab at glory.

And it won't work.

Cover your eyes, because this approaching horror show is not for the squeamish----not for the squeamish at all.

• A lesson the Mets should take from the Red Sox:

We'll ignore all the garbage coming out of Boston about Jason Bay and how his shoulders make the chances of him passing the Mets physical iffy; after three days, it's clear there's no coherent response to my query as to why the Red Sox----so disturbed by Bay's condition---offered him $60 million to stay. Maybe they wanted his final few seasons to be comfortable despite his debilitating injuries; the organization is so benevolent.

Never mind that.

One thing the Red Sox are doing to which a team like the Mets should take heed is the way they cut their losses when they need an upgrade at a certain position. The Red Sox apparently have no intention whatsoever to go into the 2010 season with Mike Lowell as part of their lineup in any capacity despite the $12 million he's still owed.

First, they negotiated a trade that sent Lowell to the Rangers (along with $9 million to cover three-quarters of his contract) for journeyman backup catcher Max Ramirez, but Lowell's injured thumb nixed the deal for now. (He's gotten it repaired and is expected to be ready for spring training.) Even with that, the Red Sox have explored a deal for Adrian Gonzalez, which would necessitate the shifting of Kevin Youkilis to third; and are talking to Adrian Beltre.

That $12 million owed to Lowell is already a sunk cost, so the Red Sox aren't messing around. They want a better hitting third baseman with more range, or a power hitting first baseman. The money for Lowell is secondary to that end.

The Mets have been desperately trying to unload second baseman Luis Castillo and the $12 million he's owed over the next two years so they can sign Orlando Hudson, who seems to be waiting around for the Mets. If they're so enamored of Hudson and vice versa, the Mets need to make the move, sign Hudson, and worry about dealing Castillo later----even at mid-season if need be.

No one knows what kind of injuries or holes are going to open up around the majors to make Castillo a viable option for a desperate team willing to take the contract; the Mets would give him away at this point, so the smart move would be to get the player they really want to man the position and worry about later, later. Just like the Red Sox are doing with Lowell.

• Viewer Mail 1.1.2010:

Jane Heller at Confessions of a She-Fan writes RE Jason Bay and the Red Sox:

Excellent point. Why would the Red Sox offer Bay that much money if they thought so poorly of his skills and his health?

It's typical whining coming out of Boston, but they have no answer for it; and they're conveniently glossing over the fact that it was they----the Red Sox----who walked away from Bay!!

If they'd waited, there's every chance he would've taken the shorter money to stay; and it's not as if they were under a deadline to get Albert Pujols to replace Bay----they signed Mike Cameron!! Where was he going?

If they'd told Cameron that they were waiting to see whether Bay took the deal and were still interested in Cameron either way, I think he would've waited a reasonable amount of time. And if Cameron went to the Cubs, so what? These are the Red Sox; one would assume they'd figure something else out. It's insanity.

Issac at A Baseball Thing writes RE Jason Bay:

I agree with the Bay signing, and I'm not all that worried about his defense, but I wouldn't trust the Mets to have solid fundamentals. I do think beltran can help, though.
---And thanks for the support.

The Mets had to make a bold statement and signing Bay is it. I don't know what the critics want; under the same logic they're currently throwing out there against Bay, the Red Sox (a darling organization of the stat zombies) would've made almost an identical mistake had he chosen to stay with them. This one move opens the floodgates for the Mets and was a no-brainer.

Joe at Statistician Magician writes RE Jason Bay:

"Also, just throwing this out there – this deal should make Mets fans want to throw something. Realistically, Jason Bay is about +1 win better than Marlon Byrd, maybe +1.5 if you think UZR is just way off on his defense. Byrd signed for $5 million per year, while Bay gets $16.5 million per year.

Given the relative costs, the Mets would have been far better off with Byrd and $10 million to spend on a pitcher than with Bay."

- Dave Cameron

Here is something for you to hate. :)

Joe, there's no hate here. It's not personal with me. It's strictly business.

As for the Cameron comment, yeah, I'm a Mets fan; and yeah, I'd like to throw something----something heavy at Dave Cameron's head.

Cameron's solution to the Mets problem of needing a basher was Marlon Byrd?

Marlon Byrd, whose numbers----as mentioned earlier----were helped by playing in a bandbox ballpark that has turned slightly above-average hitters and worse (remember Kevin Elster?) into 20-homer men? The litany of players who got paid based on playing in Texas is massive.

Byrd for the Mets?

In Citi Field?

Byrd might---might----reach ten homers based on the games in Philadelphia and a couple of other bandboxes in the National League; he'd be a disaster in Citi Field and nowhere close to what the Mets needed on and off the field. Would the club be able to hold a press conference and sell a dubious fan base that Marlon Byrd would cure the ills of the Mets from 2009? Even without the ludicrous litany of injuries that demolished the season, Marlon Byrd wouldn't inspire one fan to buy a ticket to see the Mets. Not one. Jason Bay does.

Marlon Byrd?

If the Bay signing had caused the Mets to exhaust their resources for subsequent moves, then maybe there's a basis for the stat zombie concern over money; but the Bay signing is the first move of the winter with others to come. They're going to spend $10 million on a pitcher.

What possible difference could the money make to the Dave Camerons of the world other than the stat zombie goal of implying they're smarter because they did it cheaper. Is he paying the Mets' bills?

It's that kind of thinking that led to the Red Sox missing the playoffs in 2006 and flinging money at every one of their problems to come back and win the World Series in 2007; and the Yankees missing the playoffs in 2008 and flinging money at every one of their problems to come back and win the World Series in 2009.

You can choose to listen to the Dave Camerons of the world with this brand of monolithic, dogmatic, self-righteous nonsense based on nothing other than advancing his shattered agenda, or you can listen to common sense.

If you want to buy into Cameron's absurd justifications, then you're beyond my help.

As much as I like to believe the opposite, my powers have limits. Unfortunately.

Even I can't save you.

I admit it.

I leave you to your fate.