Thoughts on the Bagwell dilemma

I would like see the Doctors compare Bagwell's effectiveness now to pre-surgery..then I'd think we can all get a better handle of this whole situation.

 

The Astros obviously made a decision to try to get $15 million of Bag's salary back. They could have chosen not to. I do not know if this is greed or a genuine effort to free up money to help the club.

Does not matter anyway. There is no way that an insurance company is going to declare someone who can hit a baseball like Bagwell can to be unfit to play major league baseball.

I said it in an earlier thread that we should bite the bullet for the good of the club and also to help Bags finish his career with pride and that would be to trade him to Boston for anything productive they can give us. He's got some real value as a DH both at the plate and at the bow office as the Prodigal son returned.

Bags can get as pissed as he wants as can the club. If they can't get him traded and they can't get the insurance to pay off then we take what Bags can give us this year and say our admiring good byes. Too bad Bags is letting this get stuck in his craw.

We could all see this coming when the club signed a 34 year old arthritic ballplaer to a contract inflated by the idiot contract that the Rangers signed ARod to.

Shame, it has come to this. Just when the 'stros should be basking in glory.........

 

This ending stinks...

 

The Astros "hired" Jeff Bagwell to play first base. If all he can do is hit, then he cannot perform his job. I suspect there is language in the insurance policy that stipulates that. If not, then the Astros should fire whoever helped write the policy.

If Bagwell cannot throw a ball effectively from first to second or third, then he is unfit to play first base on an MLB team. The Astros are not in the American league, thus Bagwell is of no use to them for the vast majority of the season unless he can play the field.

 

Bagwell has a physical limitation which is preventing him from making the basic plays that a first baseman is expected to make. This limitation is not specifically due to diminishing skills or advancing age. It is not due to mental problems (e.g. Knoblach/Sax). I suspect the insurance policy was purchased for problems that would happen due to unforeseen circumstances. At the time of the policy purchase I assume he underwent a thorough physical which did not identify his degenerative shoulder condition. There is probably language in the policy to cover physical limitations that prevent him from performing his duty for the Astros which is being paid millions of dollars to be a first baseman, not a pinch hitter.

We are not talking about Bagwell making bad throws or throws with less zip on them. We are talking about him 3 hopping throws to the plate or to second base. We are talking about him not getting the ball past the pitcher's mound on a throw to 3rd.

Bagell has NOT produced in the field since the surgery and the crux of this entire issue is whether or not he can produce in the field. This whole issue could have been avoided if the timing was different. There was probably a reason, but the policy SHOULD have had a date at the midpoint of spring training rather than 01/31.

Guys that just plain stink are the fault of the scouting department. These insurance policies are not standard for the everyday, lower level player.

 

I agree that attempting to recoup last year's salary is a reach, but if the policy is worded a particular way, then they should at least give it a try.

Rather than portraying Bagwell as a first baseman, change that to a fielder. The point I was trying to make is that in the NL he has to be able to play the field, otherwise he is a 17 million dollar pinch hitter. The situation would be drastically different in the AL because it could reasonably be argued that he could DH.

I would think that any position player in the NL, who is covered by insurance, is expected to be able to play in the field. First, Everett wouldn't be a good example, because his contract would not be insured. Berkman would be better. Had his flag football injury been career ending because all he could do was hit, and his contract was insured, the Astros should be able to collect something on it because he is no longer worth the money they are paying him.

A seemingly practical application in the real world (i.e. our lives) is disability insurance. My work policy states that I have to be able to do my job (or something similar) in order to not be eligible for disability. For instance, if I need my legs to do my job and they have to be amputated I cannot simply be put at another position in my company to avoid being paid disability. I have to be put in my same job or a comparable job. In that case, I would negotiate something, but the point is Bagwell (at this point in time) cannot do his job which is to hit and play the field.

 

Well, since it appears the insurance policy says that if they rule Bagwell unfit to play...then he cannot report to spring training. Therefore, my question is does that prevent Bagwell from signing and playing for another team? Like, could he go to Texas and be their DH or something? It's one thing to have a team of doctors say you can't play but we know Jeff can play through pain and has done so for many years. At the very least, we know he can still hit. I think he deserves a chance to play and, if he cannot get that with the Astros, then he should try another team who has nothing to lose and can probably sign him for a minimum amount. As much as I want Jeff to retire an Astro, I didn't foresee this situation occuring where he basically didn't have a say in the matter due to some insurance policy conditions. I think I will also forever hold a grudge if he is not allowed to try to play again for the Astros. It just doesn't seem right. The only real way to determine if he can play or not is to go through the process of trying to play real baseball...not listening to someone tell you what you can or cannot do because it's what they believe.

 

i would be surprised. ins companies don't want to set a precedent. they want to hold the line as - if you show up at spring training, no claim.

 

Bagwell has always been an upright kind of guy so, OK, let him come to spring training and WHEN he proves to himself that he cannot throw, will he step down and retire?. Hmmmmm. He says he JUST wants a chance to come to spring training to see if he can get back his throwing arm, (that he lost 4 years ago), back. OK let's talk the inurance company into letting him have his shot. Then will he do the right thing and step down instead of letting the entire baseball world watch a proud man make a fool of himself ala Mays and so many others. For the record, If Bags can be the whole package then we are a world series contender. If not then less so but only if he refuses the to do what's right and let the Astros use the money to improve the team. Then it becomes up to Drayton to put his money where his mouth is.

 

And we all know he just never does that....

I hope that the parties involved will get creative and find a solution or compromise that works for everyone. One that works, not the Dick Justice drivel from today's Comical.