Monday, January 30, 2006
Bagwell vs. Astros
The year is 2001...
Astros: "Alright, Jeff, here's what we're going to offer you."
Jeff Bagwell: "Let's hear it, Astros."
Astros: "We're going to offer you a ridiculous contract. We want you as the face of this organization. So we're prepared to offer you a six-year extention, here in 2001, so you will continue to be the face of the Astros for hopefully the rest of your career.
Bagwell: "Great. Six years is not ridiculous at all. How much are we talking here?"
Astros: "We're prepared to offer you a contract for $64.5 million."
Bagwell: "Holy shit."
Astros: "Yeah, we know. We know. Anyways, you're a model player, and you've always been about the team...how would you feel about us backloading it? For example, the first year, you'll make the $6.5M that you've made the last couple of seasons. And it will ramp up from there, accumulating in a sweet $18 million in 2006. This way, we can keep much of your salary off the books over the next few years so we can build a contender for the World Series."
Bagwell: "I have no problem doing that. I know that you guys are honest, and will honor that contract. I think we have a deal."
Astros: [In Mr. Burns' voice] "Excellent."
2006:
Astros: "Jeff, we're calling you disabled so we can collect $16 million in insurance. Don't you fucking even think about trying to play baseball this year."
Bagwell: "But, I thought that you said you would honor..."
Astros: "Shut the fuck up, you malcontent. Now go retire. Mmuwaha ha ha ha!!!!"
Sweet organization, Mayfield.
Astros: "Alright, Jeff, here's what we're going to offer you."
Jeff Bagwell: "Let's hear it, Astros."
Astros: "We're going to offer you a ridiculous contract. We want you as the face of this organization. So we're prepared to offer you a six-year extention, here in 2001, so you will continue to be the face of the Astros for hopefully the rest of your career.
Bagwell: "Great. Six years is not ridiculous at all. How much are we talking here?"
Astros: "We're prepared to offer you a contract for $64.5 million."
Bagwell: "Holy shit."
Astros: "Yeah, we know. We know. Anyways, you're a model player, and you've always been about the team...how would you feel about us backloading it? For example, the first year, you'll make the $6.5M that you've made the last couple of seasons. And it will ramp up from there, accumulating in a sweet $18 million in 2006. This way, we can keep much of your salary off the books over the next few years so we can build a contender for the World Series."
Bagwell: "I have no problem doing that. I know that you guys are honest, and will honor that contract. I think we have a deal."
Astros: [In Mr. Burns' voice] "Excellent."
2006:
Astros: "Jeff, we're calling you disabled so we can collect $16 million in insurance. Don't you fucking even think about trying to play baseball this year."
Bagwell: "But, I thought that you said you would honor..."
Astros: "Shut the fuck up, you malcontent. Now go retire. Mmuwaha ha ha ha!!!!"
Sweet organization, Mayfield.
Comments:
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Well it is bad deal. It is really unlikely that Bagwell will play next year, that being said if he retires right now the Astros save $16 million dollars. Money which they can turn around and use toward the team. If he waits till spring training and then decides to retire the Astros can not collect on their insurance claim and they have to fork over 16 million.
Bagwell recently went to a specialist who told him he would never be able to throw a baseball. Bagwell however doesn't want to retire untill he knows for sure.
It's a shitty deal but if you think any other club would handle this different your insane. Of course the Astros asked him to retire, for a mid-market team 16 million is a lot of money. That is around 25% of their entire payroll for next year.
If he played for the Cubs this wouldn't even be an issue because the fans would have turned their back on Bagwell 3 years ago when his shoulder went out. He would be finishing his career up with the O's like every other player the Cub fans decide to turn on.
Bagwell recently went to a specialist who told him he would never be able to throw a baseball. Bagwell however doesn't want to retire untill he knows for sure.
It's a shitty deal but if you think any other club would handle this different your insane. Of course the Astros asked him to retire, for a mid-market team 16 million is a lot of money. That is around 25% of their entire payroll for next year.
If he played for the Cubs this wouldn't even be an issue because the fans would have turned their back on Bagwell 3 years ago when his shoulder went out. He would be finishing his career up with the O's like every other player the Cub fans decide to turn on.
"If he played for the Cubs this wouldn't even be an issue because the fans would have turned their back on Bagwell 3 years ago when his shoulder went out. He would be finishing his career up with the O's like every other player the Cub fans decide to turn on."
Nice try, asshole. The Astros are bending this guy over to cover their own dumb asses--they didn't have to agree to pay him $18 million when he was going to 38 years old when the season is only in its second month.
Nice try, asshole. The Astros are bending this guy over to cover their own dumb asses--they didn't have to agree to pay him $18 million when he was going to 38 years old when the season is only in its second month.
What? I have no idea what you are trying to say. They didn't just give him a contract for 18 million. This is the same contract from years ago.
You honestly don't think any other team in baseball would handle this the same way?
You honestly don't think any other team in baseball would handle this the same way?
No, I do not. They would either release or trade him if he wanted to play that badly. Simple as that.
And your contention that the Astros are a "mid-market" team is simply ridiculous. Houston is, what, the third or fourth biggest city in America? And the Astros played in the World Series? Right? Their payroll is at $76,800,000. That is good for the 12th-highest payroll in MLB...and only two spots behind the Chicago Cubs.
A true "mid-market" team is like the Reds, Twins, A's, Brewers, Pirates, etc. The highest payrolls of those teams is $56M. So your poor, little old Astros have a payroll of around $20M more than an actual "mid-market" team.
And your contention that the Astros are a "mid-market" team is simply ridiculous. Houston is, what, the third or fourth biggest city in America? And the Astros played in the World Series? Right? Their payroll is at $76,800,000. That is good for the 12th-highest payroll in MLB...and only two spots behind the Chicago Cubs.
A true "mid-market" team is like the Reds, Twins, A's, Brewers, Pirates, etc. The highest payrolls of those teams is $56M. So your poor, little old Astros have a payroll of around $20M more than an actual "mid-market" team.
There salary right now with Bagwell is 68 Million. Which is 15th in the majors. Seeing how there are 30 MLB teams I would say that being 15th does qualify as a mid market team.
Well, if you go ahead and throw in Roger Clemens' contract that he'll get, that brings them back up to the $85 million range.
No one in the world would consider the Astros a mid-market team. NO ONE. If they don't get Clemens back, and indeed end up having a $68 M payroll, that will be total joke. For being in a city with the metro populaion of almost 5 million people, to go along with World Series revenues...this would be an incredible failure by that front office. Because you cannot count Bagwell's production, you're telling me that the defending NL champs is going to have a $50 million payroll? I thought having the Tribune as an owner was bad. That is obscene.
So, again I say--nice organization, Mayfield.
No one in the world would consider the Astros a mid-market team. NO ONE. If they don't get Clemens back, and indeed end up having a $68 M payroll, that will be total joke. For being in a city with the metro populaion of almost 5 million people, to go along with World Series revenues...this would be an incredible failure by that front office. Because you cannot count Bagwell's production, you're telling me that the defending NL champs is going to have a $50 million payroll? I thought having the Tribune as an owner was bad. That is obscene.
So, again I say--nice organization, Mayfield.
Mike, I guess you have never noticed this but the south is not real big in baseball. The only team from the south that is in the top ten of salaries is the Braves at # 10. I guess that means every team from the south is inferior to the mighty cubs. I guess you bring this up cause you have no other argument. Keep saying the organization sucks, after all they did WIN the NATIONAL LEAGUE. Also if you are going to call out an organization pick someone else like a team the Cubs are better than. In the past ten years the Astros have been either first or second in their division for every year but one. During that same time the Cubs have made only one playoff appearance, that was 3 years ago when they edged the Astros by 1 game. The owner doesn’t spend a lot of money on the team…so what, they still win so whats your point? I like it that way, they bring players up and use them, they don’t go out and sign a big free agent every year. Look at their WS team. Bagwell, Biggio, Taveras, Ensberg, Berkman, Lane, Burke, Oswalt, Lidge, Backe, Qualls, Rodtiguez, Astacio, Bruntlett, and Everett are all players who played in the WS and have never played for any team other than the Astros. You can talk shit about this, and about how low there payroll is but its actually my favorite part about the team.
It’s a great post Man, you really are a good writer! I’m so glad someone like you have the time, efforts and dedication writing, for this kind of article… Helpful, Useful, and Charitable.. Very nice post!
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