You forgot about tactical nuclear warfare. Close counts there too. I find it humorous that anybody is really criticizing a 3 year/$10M deal. Yeah, he has overachieved from his career numbers. Even at his career averages, Myers is a solid back of the rotation guy. Most back of the rotation SPs will cost more than $3M a year.
Does your opinion change at 10 million a year? I like the signing though, good grief atleast its a starting pitcher and not a Matsui or Feliz signing. This offseason the Yank's would have given him $50 million+ if he continues to pitch this way.
Yeah, my opinion changes given that it is $10M per year. I really don't think he is worth more than $5-6M a year. Of course, we do not know what he could have gotten on the open market.
I'm not sure why that matters. The difference between even this year's career-year Myers and a mediocre pitcher is worth what, 3-4 games a year? And that mediocre pitcher probably cost about half what Myers got. Basically, the Astros gained potentially a few wins each year for an extra $10-15 mil. I say potentially because there's absolutely no indication that Myers will continue his performance given his peripherals and career history. $10-15 mil is basically overslotting 2-3 extra draft picks each year while still have the ability to outbid on some South American prospects. And this is the best case scenario. OTOH, the risk to the Astros is that Myers go back to his former self. In which case, he'd be overpaid and we'd basically be tying up salary in him rather than spending on more fruitful players... say, yet another Myers who's willing to pitch for $3 mil next year. So in the end, there's no reason to compare Myers to what he'd have gotten on the market. It's more important to ask how much he's worth to the Astros?
This makes me think they might not be ready to rebuild. They traded Oswalt because he asked for it and was unhappy. They traded Lance because they were going to decline his option. Neither was necessarily indicative of a coming rebuild.
Why is everybody whining about this, re-signing Myers doesn't cost us anything except Drayton's money. This signing means the Astros aren't gonna waste their time with washed up free agents like they have been. Who are these more fruitful players the Astros should be pursuing, good players cost draft picks, which the Astros don't want to give up. They are gonna suck for a year or two. Worst case scenario, Myers turns back into an average pitcher, which he has been for most of his career, average pitchers cost about 5-6 million a year. Thats means Drayton wasted a little more money, not gonna set the franchise back.
You're right. Who cares about Drayton's money? Although I have always wondered why the Astros never bothered to build the Yankees way. You know, the Yankees got a lot of all-star players by simply spending "Steinbrenner's money". I'm sure all we need is a little more of "Drayton's money", maybe another $100 mil or so per year, to contend again. Rebuilding and developing cheap minor league players is overrated. After all, prospects take time and effort to develop. MLB caliber players through FA or salary dump are ready-to-go the moment you acquire them. Why Ed Wade doesn't spend like Brian Cashman is indeed an enigma.
You totally missed the point of his post. If an average pitcher (ERA of say 4.50) would cost $5M to $6M, then it is not like we are overpaying him by much. If he pitches next year like he has this year, his salary will be about right. OTOH, if we had let Myers go and signed a cheaper FA, signing that FA may have cost us a draft pick or two. This would be more detrimental to the rebuilding of the team in the long run, as we all agree that the Astros need those draft picks to restock the farm and develop from within in the seasons to come. In that regard, this is really not a bad signing.
Actually close counts in pre-tactical nuclear warfare. Tactical nuclear warfare is when we started to use smaller bombs because we could place the weapons more accurately.
It's kind of sad that you're basically assuming Ed Wade is such a crappy GM that he can't find decent starters without having to resort to overpay for a Class A Free Agent. I guess in that sense, yes, it's a good signing. Because it prevents our GM from doing more idiotic moves. As much as I have my doubts about Wade, I still would like to assume he'll be making shrewd moves. You know, like giving $3 mil to another pitcher who might turn out to be the next Myers, rather than signing another Matsui for $16 mil.
Yankees built the 90's championship teams largely through the farm system; Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, Bernie, Paul O Neill, Girardi, etc. I would rather re-sign Myers for a few seasons than lose a first round pick signing a big name pitcher.
Paul O'Neill was an all-star with the Reds before he was a Yankee. Girardi was a mediocre catcher with the Cubs and Rockies before he was with the Yankees (and was fairly mediocre for the Yankees too). Though you missed Mariano Rivera.
Not that it matters anymore, but according to: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Myers would have been a type B free agent. Funny enough, so would Oswalt.
Keith Law: No. One step back. RT @thegame92797 @keithlaw can you explain why the astros signed myers?
I don't have a big problem with the extension, but why not just pay him the $8 million option that was already in his contract for next year? I guess he could have opted out because it's a mutual option, but then could we get draft picks as compensation? It seems like having him prove it for another year at a cheaper salary that is already in his contract would be safer than extending him in a career year. Can someone post the contract specifics again?
About the Myer signing: - maybe we overpaid, maybe we didn't. It only matters if the money that went to Myers prevents us from signing draft picks or young internat'l players, or hamstrings us in trades. On this point, I think Drayton wants us to stay competitive while rebuilding, and intends to spend some to do so. So- I don't know that the financial part hurts us much. - Are we much worse off if we win a couple of extra games? Does us picking a few slots later matter? I don't think it does, but someone enlighten me here. Unless you're talking Strasburg with the No 1 overall, it really boils down to scouting and you getting it right with what's available during your pick. There's plenty to chose from, as evidenced by the many late round successes in the league. - Myers isn't blocking some hot shot phenom pitcher b/c we dont' have enough of them. Lyles will get his shot in due time. Myers and Wandy are the only legit MLB starters. If Lyles can't beat out Norris and company, he's not as good as we need him to be. ---- My thinking is that this signing is a yawn. It's ok. Neither great nor horrible. It makes the present a little more bearable, with little impact on the future. (now, if this is the start to Drayton signing more FA vets to bloated contracts, then we're screwed).
I agree on most points. Wade put some value in a steady, veteran pitcher who has earned an extensions with his play this year. It's not a long contract, so the negatives to the deal are minimal. It's not like he's getting 4 or 5 years at $15MM per. The only thing I'd disagree with is that I think Happ is further along and gives us Myers, Wandy and Happ to start out with next year. Norris and Paulino still have some proving to do...and I'd put Lyles right behind them. I was thinking of all the trades in terms of how the new guys will be compared to Oswalt/Berkman next year: Will Happ out perform Oswalt, and will Wallace outperfrom Berkman. I think you could make a case that Happ/O could be a push, and that Wallace could outperform Berkman given Berkman's recent decline. Granted, Berkman has a steady OBP which will be tough to match, but will Wallace hit better than .240 and provide equal pop? Possibly. In those terms, the trades could work out OK.
