Well T_J I can see how you won "the andymoon Debate Challenge". Unfortunately just repeating the same point over and over isn't really a debate. The bottom line is Drayton and Tim offered what they thought (and was) fair market value for someone and they got beat out despite demonstrable evidence that Beltran may be costing himself money over the long run. By the way, just because Carlos signs with the Mets doesn't automatically guarantee him some gigantic contract with Nike or Gatorade. Banking on endorsements to make up any cost of living differences is as speculative as putting all your money into the stock market. And as to "clearing the decks", what would it look like if the Astros had offered a deal to Finley? It would look like they didn't really think they had a chance at Beltran and went looking somewhere else. Or what if Finley had agreed to a 2 year deal worth (for instance) $15 million, then Beltran turns around and says, "OK, 7 years $105 million works for me where's the contract?" What are they supposed to do, have 2 expensive CFs or tell him "Nope sorry, deal's off you were too slow." They had to wait for Beltran to make his decision and ended up getting nothing. Lastly, wanting an aboslute no-trade clause is an iffy proposition at best. Having $15 million a year for 7 YEARS tied up in one player can hamstring a team who has a limited operating budget. The Astros had to have a way out in case Beltran didn't live up to his contract (in their opinion) and someone offered them an out. Alex Rodriguez got traded, Ken Griffey Jr. got traded, Mark McGwire got traded, Randy Johnson got traded TWICE. Why should Beltran be any different? All in all, the Astros stuck to their guns, the Mets apparently caved, Beltran and Satan Boras got what they wanted, and we got screwed.
ditto ditto ditto He chose to go after ONE guy...he should have been prepared to pay over market value for him...there is nothing else that even comes into play here.
[Beltran} Ya'll knew this was coming... So I have this company that wants us to do a parody of a song currently on the Billboard charts. Frank and I decide to use American Idiot by Green Day and I write these reall witty lyrics about White trash America and I am super happy with it. And then last night The REAL Killer Bees (Boras and Beltran) drop that bomb on us. So this is what we came up with. Beltran's an Idiot Beltran turned out to be an idiot After engineering Astros Mania The he left us when we know he coulda stayed He epitomizes greedy America Chorus Welcome to a new realization All across the Astros Nation Bleep him we will be okay We'll dance with the ones that brung us And curse the agent Scott Boras It's enough to make you... The whole city stayed up 'til eleven Thinkin' Carlos would bring us to Heaven Instead he bent us over like a punk in prison Without the courtesy of a reach-around. Chorus +HURL! Beltran turned out to be an idiot To win without that Judas will be a little sweeter Only one killer Bee committed treason Clemens come back for one more season Welcome to my vision of elation It's a brand new Astros Nation Don't worry everything's okay The B's have been there from the beginning They always find a way to come up winning Scott Boras is the anti.....Christ! Download it and spread it. I figure it has a shelf life of a week, tops! Send it to your Astros fan friends. Let them know Apollo XVIII did it.
I apprecialize your inspreadification of our work. Frank is playing all the instruments. We did it in 3 hours. That rules.
Brilliant Chance! I'm sending it to a couple friends now. By the way, I was in Magnolia from December 20th to the 31st...I should have said something about it. I stayed with my dad off of Honea-Egypt(If you still remember me).
i'm not mad he signed with another team, im mad he didn't sign earlier and put the Astros in the situation they're in. I loved last October and the run the Astros had, but i don't think it can make up for the position he has put the Astros in with all the good free agents gone this "offseason".