You’re the New York Yankees…
A lot of people hate you for what you represent. A lot of people hate you for what you are. But all of the sudden? Boston’s got your playbook, and they are becoming what you used to be.
GO SAWX!
So, you’re Hank Steinbrenner. You’re the new controlling partner of the New York Yankees. You’re losing ESPN’s love. There is only one thing to do.
PAY YOUR 37 YEAR OLD CLOSER 15 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR!!!
There are so many issues I have with the stupidity that doing something like this would entail.
First of all Fransisco Cordero, a top-notch closer, was only expecting 11 million dollars. Rivera’s still good, but 15 million for his 38th, 29th, and 40th year? Or Cordero entering his prime. I would take Cordero 10 out of 10 if I had unlimited resources.
Secondly, closers are easily replaceable. As your Dan Kolb’s and Jim Gott’s can tell you, anybody can close. Sure, there is a difference between the marginal and the superb. But you can manage a season with Joe Borowski real easily. You don’t need to break the bank for 75 IP.
Third, look at the cost benefit analysis. Say Mariano has an average season with recent work. (38 saves, 70 IP) He would be paid $71,428.57 per out. Sounds impressive. But let’s add context, shall we?
Alex Rodriguez, with all of his overpaid largesse? He was only paid $42,881.65 per at bat. Captain Closer would get 30k more per out next season. Yeah. Ridiculous.
But it gets even goofier when you extrapolate in out for a Mariano Rivera save next season. And for it, we will need rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain. He’s good at tossing the old bean across the plate. He is making around the rookie minimum of 380k.
For one save next season? Mariano Rivera would make $394,736.84.
Yep. 14k more than what Joba’s going to make this season. For a man in his 38th year on Earth. For one save.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Poor Joba.
So you’re saying the Yankees should just let one of the best players to ever play for them walk to another team, destroying what’s left of their relationship with the fans?
Sometimes, you get money for services rendered in the past. This is one of those times.
Comment by Steve Flack — November 14, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
frankly baseball slips every year a little bit thanks to the popularity of basketball and football, both of which have acrooss the board labor and pay scale agreements. Until baseball wakes up and adopts the same policies, were still going to see 35 year old players on steroids making 20 million dollars a year. The league will be the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels in the American league, and the Mets, Dodgers, in the national league.
Comment by edtajchman — November 14, 2007 @ 5:00 pm
Rivera is a main reason why the Yankees won from 1996-2000. He was the shut down closer from 1998-2000 in the postseason, and with that closed out 3 of the 4 Yankees titles during that run. Sure Rivera is 37 years old now, but you mean to tell me you’d rather have Cordero who isn’t a good closer, let alone great, over a guy who is considered to be one of the greatest closers in the game? Give me a break.
Comment by actionsportsx — November 14, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
Amen… someone had to say it.
Comment by Matt — November 14, 2007 @ 5:18 pm
[...] You’re the New York Yankees… A lot of people hate you for what you represent. A lot of people hate you for what you are. But all of the sudden? […] [...]
Pingback by Top Posts « WordPress.com — November 14, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
Steve: All I’m saying is, at the price they are offering. They aren’t exactly being smart about it. 11.5 million would be a raise and still make Mariano the highest paid closer of all time.
As a Green Bay Packer fan, I do understand loyalty to your legends.
Comment by Andrew — November 14, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
Actionsportsx: I’ll admit I may have been hyperbolic on Cordero. He’s a good pitcher, but he can get wild and lose the plate. Outside of the half-year before he became a Brewer, he’s been rather good.
I’m not saying I would rather the Yankees decide to let Rivera go. But they’re going to overpay him by a sound margin.
All I’m saying is that when there’s overpaying to be done, the Yankees have to be in the forefront.
Comment by Andrew — November 14, 2007 @ 7:23 pm
Come on man only one other ptcher in the last 10 years has done what Rivera has done…Trevor Hoffman. And he pitches in the NL in big ballparks. Mariano has done it in the regular season and postseason better than anyone. His BAD years are great years for other teams. he may not be as dominant as in the past but loyalty and consistency are HUGE. Look at the numbers, most closers come and go in a ball of fire.
Comment by JRU — November 15, 2007 @ 9:08 am
JRU: Indeed. Mariano is one of the few great closers that we’ve seen. However, we’re looking at 15 million dollars for roughly 210 outs. It does not make sense. Sure, if you want to go 3/36, Mariano Rivera would still be overpaid, but it wouldn’t be blowing the whole structure out of whack.
I mean, I am a Packer fan, I’m all about going Favre, WHOO!!! And I haven’t complained about his cap number when he was wandering through the wilderness. HOWEVER, you have a guy in Rivera whom only affects 5% of the game and you want to pay him 15 million dollars per?
That does not make sense.
Comment by Andrew — November 15, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
Outside of Rookies, who isn’t overpaid in the majors at this point? We’re looking at Barry Zito making $20 Million dollars a season. Should this contract be signed by Rivera, that will then make him the highest paid closer in the game by about $5 million. Billy Wagner is currently the highest paid per season at about $10.75 Million a year.
Comment by actionsportsx — November 16, 2007 @ 10:12 am
actionsports: At no point within this post did I say Rivera is at fault for taking the offer.
The fact that he didn’t take the offer, on the other hand…
Comment by Andrew — November 17, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Very interesting… as always! Cheers from Switzerland.
Comment by Dog training — November 22, 2007 @ 11:20 am