Ringolsby: Non-elite players are now big deal

Friday, November 24, 2006

The offseason headlines have gone to Boston's $51.1 million bid for the chance to try to sign Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka; the Cubs' eight-year, $136 million deal with outfielder Alfonso Soriano, and the pending free-agent frenzy for left-hander Barry Zito.

The offseason headaches, however, are going to come from the lesser lights, such as the Angels shelling out $18 million over four years for reliever Justin Speier, Baltimore giving lefty Jamie Walker $12 million for four years and the Cubs guaranteeing utility player Mark DeRosa $13 million over four years.

Elite players don't have an overall impact on the payrolls of all 30 teams. But when middle relievers and utility players start getting multiyear deals, and when Juan Pierre, one of the best people in the game but not an impact player by any means, gets $45 million for five years from the Dodgers, it creates payroll havoc throughout the game.

Matsuzaka is the best pitcher in Japan, only 26, and two years removed from being able to become an unrestricted free agent, and if the Red Sox don't sign him, they don't have to cough up the $51.1 million. Soriano and Zito have placed themselves at the top of the list of players at their positions and are in the prime of their careers.

But there's a reason a pitcher is not a closer or a starter. There's a reason a player is a utility player.

But when those players command multiyear deals, their salaries suddenly get thrown into the mix for mid- and small-market teams trying to do deals with their regulars, creating a major hangover that can't be avoided.

Win-win

Rockies lefty Jeff Francis won't finalize his four-year, $13.5 million deal until he passes a physical next week, but there already are agents complaining about Francis not getting enough. Francis, who isn't even arbitration-eligible for another year, isn't concerned.

He now has security to make plans for his family, and he knows that he is young enough - he turns 26 in January - that if he has the type of career that makes him seem like a bargain in 2011, when the Rockies can exercise their option, he'll benefit, too.

"If it comes to the point where I left a lot of money on the table, it means I've pitched well, and there are other things more exciting that will be happening," he said. "I'll still have security, and I will still have a chance to sign a major free-agent contract."

Overheard

• American League West rivals Texas and Los Angeles are both interested in Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez. There's speculation that a key to the Angels signing free-agent reliever Speier is that they can now put Scott Shields in a package with a starting pitcher or top prospect.

• Oakland is emerging as the main rival for San Francisco in pursuit of outfielder Barry Bonds. The A's need a designated hitter to replace Frank Thomas.

• The Mets declined the option on left-hander Tom Glavine but still want to re-sign him. Glavine remains interested in returning to Atlanta, where he lives in the offseason.

It's a fact

Billy Martin died on Christmas Day in 1989, but his legacy lives on. There are six current big-league managers who played for Martin during his managerial career. Bob Geren of Oakland, Willie Randolph of the Mets, Lou Piniella of the Cubs and Jerry Narron of Cincinnati played for Martin with the Yankees. Charlie Manuel of Philadelphia played for Martin in Minnesota, and Mike Hargrove of Seattle played for Martin in Texas.

There are nine former managers who played for Martin, including Don Baylor (Cubs, Rockies) and Bucky Dent (Yankees), who played for him with the Yankees; Davey Lopes (Milwaukee) and Jim Essian (Cubs), who played for him with Oakland; Jim Fregosi (Angels, White Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays) and Toby Harrah (Rangers), who played for him in Texas; Gene Lamont (Pirates, White Sox) and Frank Howard (Padres, Mets), who played for him in Detroit; and Frank Quilici (Twins), who played for him in Minnesota.

Got a question? E-mail it to -ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com.

Two cents' worth

Let's see, Keith Law is forced out as an adviser to Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi, and ESPN makes him an instant celebrity in his evaluation of everything from amateur draft choices to MVP voting.

Law runs his statistical analyses and gets personal with those with whom he disagrees.

Wonder if he is using the same analysis system that helped him in Toronto when the Blue Jays signed Eric Hinske to that four-year contract and proclaimed him the foundation for the Jays' future?

Was it the same approach to evaluation that led to the Jays using back-to-back first-round picks on Russ Adams and Aaron Hill, neither of whom emerged as the needed shortstop?

MILE-HIGH WATCH

• Former big-league pitcher Pat Dobson, the Rockies' original advance scout and one of the top men in the game at breaking down a pitcher, has died from leukemia, according to friends of the family.

Dobson had complained for several weeks about not feeling well. He finally was hospitalized earlier this week and was diagnosed with leukemia. He began treatment Wednesday and did not survive the night. He was 64.

Dobson was one of the four 20-game winners on the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, and also pitched for Detroit, San Diego, the Yankees and Cleveland during an 11-year big-league career. He was a big-league pitching coach for Milwaukee, San Diego, Kansas City and Baltimore, but more recently he had focused on scouting.

He spent the last nine years with San Francisco, where he was promoted a year ago to the role of special assistant to the general manager.

• Pittsburgh is looking for left-handed power and has Rockies RF Brad Hawpe on its wish list. The Pirates, however, are hesitant to give up any young starting pitcher other than Paul Maholm, and the Rockies would want a quality starting pitcher, and maybe a bit more, to trade Hawpe's power potential.

Teams are looking at the Rockies' outfield surplus - particularly with the September emergence of Jeff Baker - in efforts to fill needs for power hitters, but the Rockies are reluctant to give up Hawpe or Baker, feeling they both could fit into long-term plans.

• While Jim Leyland did walk away from the final two years and $4 million of his contract when he resigned as the Rockies manager after the 1999 season, what often is overlooked is the Rockies were stuck with the handful of coaches Leyland brought with him.

Leyland leveraged three-year contracts for each of the coaches, as well as himself, and the Rockies had to come up with $1.5 million to pay off the coaches, none of whom walked away from the final two years of a contract.

• Rockies second base prospect Cory Wimberly, a sixth-round draft choice in 2005, was the first player out of Alcorn State to be drafted by a big-league team since Kevi Campbell was a 12th-round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991.

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2843