2013-14 MLB Hot Stove thread

Agreed. But I read an analysis that pointed out that neither team's GM wants to be the guy who traded away "The Guy" if one of those two hits it big.

 

He got $16 million per year. The Pirates' response? Out of their price range. Maybe Byrd was a bad gamble given the history of PED use and his age, but it sure sounds like more of the same to hear the Pirates crying poor even on what is a relatively small contract by MLB standards.

 

What I've seen is it's $16M total, not per year.

That's a pretty low price. Don't know what the Pirates' other plans are for that spot, but if it really was a money thing, they're just never going to be serious about competing.

 

Damn. My bad. Was debating between writing it at $16 million total and $8 million per and out came a brain cramp. You are correct. It is $16 million total.

That was kind of my point. If they had come out and said they didn't want to invest in a 36-year-old outfielder coming off a career year, I could understand the thinking. But to claim they can't afford a guy who got $16 million for two years? You said it. They just aren't serious about competing for a championship.

 

I can't blame the Pirates. They are going to get hit pretty good on arbitration cases so they might need to wait and see how much that will cost before spending eight million the nest two years for a guy in his late 30s

Morton, Jones, Walker, Melancon and Alvarez are going from $10.9 million to around $21 million depending on the ruling.

 

Where are all the people who insisted that $13 million over two years did not qualify as significant money for the Pirates? :

 

Ha ha, OOP still thinks Burnett was a bad risk to take for the Pirates.

If 13 million over 2 years is significant money for a profitable franchise they should fold up shop now. The Pirates are smart in not locking into a 36 year old outfielder. That money can be spent in much better ways.

 

Exactly. Just because they made the playoffs doesn't mean you go and spend that kind of money on a 36-year-old outfielder with a history of PED use. Byrd continually bounces from team to team. There's a reason. I'm betting the Pirates have better options than overpaying a 36-year-old.

 

IJAG just became an A's fan

According to Jon Morosi, Nick Punto signs with Oakland for a year, with an option for 2015.

 

Bodie weeps.

 

Learn to read, JC. I long ago agreed that Burnett worked out for the Pirates. Of course he did.

My point, the one you and far too many others were too dense or too lazy to understand, was that $13 million over two years is significant money to the Pirates. At the time they committed to spending it on Burnett, that constituted more money per season than they had paid anybody on the roster the previous season.

And it's not me saying that they passed on Byrd because of money. It is the Pirates. They said that Byrd, at two years for $16 million, was out of their price range. That is the Pirates saying that it was a financial decision, not a baseball one.

Please try to do a better job understanding other people's posts before you criticize next time.