How could someone be "producing what [they] should have been producing", and be overpaid? And Carlos was far from a terrible LFer, especially with the short wall at MMP.
This is how Carlos Lee ranks in our history: (credit to Tim from the crawfishboxes) He's top 10 in Astros history in: batting average (.286); slugging percentage (.479); on-base plus slugging (.817); hits in a season (190, 2007); home runs (133); runs batted in (533); among others. This either shows he was a really good batter for us, or we have lack the great history in batting. I'd say he was worth the money he was getting before he got injured. In the season he got injured, he was on pace to hit 39 homeruns with 140 rbis. I've always liked El Caballo, but have fun at your ranch and thank you Miami for Dominguez!
I never painted him as a bad defensive left fielder. Far from great, but he got the job done and learned how to really play that wall out in left. What I meant be "producing what was expected" is that if you look at Lee's numbers prior to his 2007 season, he was putting up 30+ homers and 115+ RBI. That is worth $16.7 million per year and a bargain maybe. IF Lee continued to just produce below that, he would have done what he was expected to do and been paid appropriately. But, considering he was 31 when signing the contract, I don't think it was sensible to think he was going to put up numbers close to that for the remainder of the contract. SO if the Astros made this contract assuming that his numbers would decline after turning 31, then I think they were overpaying Carlos Lee to be 31+ Carlos Lee. Is that a sensible response? I hope I was more clear than just rambling. I think that you have to take into account that we played in the Dome and offensive numbers were lower as a result. That being said, I will be curious to see where Lee stands in 30 years once we have played in MMP for a longer stint and have more players that played under the same circumstances. Still, yes, he did finish highly in certain categories, and Lee was a good hitter. I am not taking away from that. I just didn't like the contract then and now and think that the front office shouldn't have made such a high offer for him.
I was annoyed by him not accepting the Dodgers' trade last year too, but, in retrospect, thank goodness he did not because Dominguez > Garrett Gould.
