Talkin’ Baseball

Updating the crazy year in free agency thus far. Gil Meche signs with the Royals for 5 years, $55 million. The Cubs are filling out their rotation with relative bargain Jason Marquis for three years, $21 million. The Red Sox don’t look like they will be able to sign Matsuzaka (the deal needs to be done by tomorrow so that he can get here and take a physical and sign by the Thursday deadline). When you pay $51 million just to negotiate with him, you’re going to have to pay him more than $7 million a year (Gil freakin Meche is making $11 million! Come on!). The Yankees get Andy Pettitte for $16 million. Pettitte over Meche for an extra $5 mill? Yes please. As Peter Gammons points out, the Yankees are looking smart, setting up for next offseason when the likes of Carlos Zambrano, Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter, Mark Teixeira and Andruw Jones become free agents. Barry Zito and Roger Clemens still haven’t signed yet.
Speculation on the Nats starting rotation for 2007:
John Patterson
Joel Hanrahan
Matt Chico
Mike O’Connor
Shawn Hill
Ugh. It’s not looking like I will be filling up many pages of my Bob Carpenter scorebook. They’ve been shopping Ryan Church and Chad Cordero, but no takers thus far. While I like Chad, I’m not convinced of his “stuff,” and if they could get a couple of good young starting arms for him, I’m all for making that deal.
Last but not least, Hall-of-Famer Don Sutton looks to have the inside track on the Nats color job. Phew! No Steve Stone.