Turning back the clock
Nothing stimulates a baseball fanbase like an impact signing or blockbuster trade (see: Toronto Blue Jays/Miami Marlins). Conversely, nothing can anger or disenchant a fanbase like a crappy signing or team-gutting trade (see again: Toronto Blue Jays/Miami Marlins). It’s an exhilarating feeling, knowing that there’s a new player ready to wear your team’s jersey, adding to the belief that hey, maybe this is the year we win the last game of the season. On the flip side, knowing your team just spent $65 million on Chan Ho Park will more likely result in your driving off a cliff than buying season tickets. The risk is great and the reward rarely worth it, but the original thrill is always high.
The Winter Meetings usually represent the first big bang of the off-season. This year, of course, there was a premature bang courtesy of Alex Anthopoulos, but I swear that almost never happens. The first big moves usually occur in whatever hotel Major League Baseball feels like occupying in early December, and most of the big deals that happen after had the original groundwork laid at said meetings.
In the hours since the 2012 meetings kicked off, we’ve seen some minor, franchise tune-up deals that get lost a day or two later. Angel Pagan re-upped with the defending champion Giants with a four-year deal. Mike Napoli traded his blue-jersey-in-a-red-state for a red-jersey-in-a-blue state, signing a three-year deal with Boston. In probably the best move of meetings so far, Dan Haren, paid $3.5 million to not pitch with the Angels in 2013, will instead get paid $13 million to play a year in Washington.
But it’s unfair to label these signings boom or bust just yet; as Bane told Dr. Pavel, “that comes later.” However, later is now for the 2011 Winter Meetings, and it’s a good enough time as ever to check up on the big moves from last winter and see if each team has gotten their money’s worth.
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The Blockbusters
Angels sign Albert Pujols, $240 million for 10 years
The biggest name got the biggest contract and because of it, the Angels had the biggest expectations. LA came out of nowhere for this contract, looking to make a big splash after missing the big-ticket name in previous offseasons. Pujols was coming off a career in St. Louis that would make him the surest of sure first-ballot Hall of Famers, and LA paid him thusly.
At the plate, his numbers suffered. His 30 home runs were the least he had ever hit in a single season. Ditto was his .285/.343/.516 slash line. He struck out 76 times, which tied for second-highest in his career, behind the 93 times he whiffed in his rookie season. His 607 at-bats was the highest of his career, which probably came because he only walked 52 times, the lowest number of his career (more than double less than his MVP year in 2009, when he walked 115 times).
It was an ugly year for Pujols, and the lack of a playoff spot for the Angels, which seemed like an inevitability after the signing, was a black mark as well. A lot of Pujols’s poor numbers can be traced back an absolutely horrid start to the season, which was eventually evened out. There’s still nine years left on this deal, so nine more tries for Pujols to get back to what he was signed for and bring a title back to Los Ange-heim. Until then, this is an incomplete if not unfortunate contract for LA.
Angels sign CJ Wilson, $77.5 million for five years
These guys again. Wilson signed with Los Ange-heim the same day as Pujols did, raising the expectations for the team just a tad. CJ was coming off an All-Star year with division-rival Texas, finishing sixth in Cy Young voting and putting up career highs in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched, plus the second-best ERA of his career. He was pursued heavily by both LA and Miami, meaning his signing with the Angels made sad the Toronto chapter of the CJ Wilson fan club, even if they didn’t know it yet.
As an Angel, Wilson was pretty good, but not as spectacular as his contract. His wins dipped, his ERA rose almost a full point, his strikeouts fell by 30 and his ERA+ fell from 150 to 99. It wasn’t a free-fall from his days in Texas, but he clearly wasn’t the same pitcher. Still, four years left on the deal gives him plenty of time to win back any fans he may have lost. It’s another incomplete for the Angels.
Marlins sign Mark Buehrle, $58 million for four years
These guys, amiright? The future Blue Jay thought he would be trading crummy winters in Chicago for sunny skies in Miami for at least four years, but after just one season playing in the baseball black hole known as Miami, Buehrle was shipped out along with everyone else, making more than spare change up to Toronto for parts and prospects.
Buehrle wasn’t terrible for Miami, he was average, which pretty much is exactly what anyone should expect from the veteran. He posted a 13-13 record, 3.74 ERA, 202 innings pitched and 197 strikeouts; that’s the default setting for average pitcher in most baseball video games. Nothing spectacular, nothing fantastic, nothing devastating. Mark Buehrle ladies and gentleman. As for the actual move by the Marlins? I’m convinced this deal was predicated on the full belief that a bad season by the team would mean the top earnings would be shipped out (classic Jeffrey Loria). It was, as the kids say, an epic fail of a deal.
Minor Deals
Tigers sign Octavio Dotel, $3 million for one year
One of the journey-ist of journeymen, Dotel is the George Clooney-in-Up In The Air of relievers; talented but always on the move. He spent all of 2012 with Detroit, playing a solid part in a bullpen that eventually reached the World Series. Like the majority of deals, it was the small ones that made the strongest impacts. A win for Detroit.
Dodgers sign Aaron Harang, $12 million for two years
A reclamation project born in the vast canvas of PETCO Park, Harang used his solid season in San Diego to land a two-year deal with the rival Dodgers. His time in Dodger blue went as expected. 10 wins, a 3.61 ERA, almost 200 innings and 165+ strikeouts. He also allowed the least amount of home runs he’s ever given up in a season. He’s not expected to do more than that, and for $6 million, you could do a lot worse. A winning contract for Los Angeles.
Padres trade for Huston Street from Colorado, send minor leaguer Nick Schmidt in return
The Padres were without a closer after Heath Bell spurned them for Miami (who sucked so much they sent him to Arizona, so who’s laughing now?), so they looked within their division to find another. Street, no longer wanted/needed in Colorado, was sent to So Cal for a former first round pick.
As a Padre, Street was fantastic. However, he was a frequent guest on the Padres disabled list, so his value wasn’t fully exposed. Still, when he was playing, he played well, saving 23 games with a 1.85 ERA in 40 appearances. It was enough to warrant a two-year extension from the team, meaning it’s kind of hard to argue anything but a win for San Diego.
Prince Fielder didn’t sign with anyone during the meetings, but groundwork was laid for his eventual signing with Detroit. The fact that Prince was an integral part of the Tigers World Series run makes the contract a success. St. Louis’s decision to not sign Pujols, instead using the time and cash to sign Carlos Beltran, was a win as well.
Will Dan Haren be on the naughty or nice list next year? Will we be talking about how dumb it was for Texas to spend $175 million on Zack Greinke, or praise the Dodgers for doing the same? Ditto for Josh Hamilton, or whoever the Marlins decide to trade away. The only certainty is that some fans are happy, some are sad, and there’s a 100 percent chance of not knowing whether or not those emotions will be the same 365 days from now.
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