Pedro, Thanks for the Memories
Oh well, it was great while it lasted. He gave us some pretty good years, and probably had the most dominating stretch of any pitcher in the game while wearing a Sox uniform. Of course THAT ended a few years ago, and now it’s time for all of it to end.
He claims his heart is still here and always will be, but for him it was all about respect (money), and we weren’t willing to show him the same kind of respect (money) that the Mets were.
I can't blame him for finding some sucker to give him 4 years guaranteed at that kind of money. But Theo was right to stick to his guns and not give him that fourth year or go up in price. It would have been too much.
Pedro is still a very good pitcher. He’ll probably be one of the top pitchers in the game for the next couple of years anyway, but he’s not worth that kind of money anymore.
He can no longer go more than 7 innings. Although his ERA will still probably be sub 4.00, it was on the higher side of 3.00 this season and I believe it would have continued to stay there had he stayed with us. The move to the NL should improve it, but still doesn’t make him worth that kind of money.
He has a tough time warming up in the cooler weather and that’s probably going to get worse as he gets older, not better. It could have become a problem in October, although he’s probably not going to be pitching much in October with that team.
He brings a lot of baggage along with him, as we know (see “Advice for Pedro” below) and we really don’t need to deal with that bullshit anymore.
I’ve said that I would accept it because I’m used to it, but the fact is, I’m actually relieved that we’re not the ones who are going to be stuck paying him all that money.
Of course, now we need to come up with a replacement for him. It won’t be easy, but it IS possible. We have plenty of money to spend now.
I still think the best solution will be to trade for Tim Hudson, as I have mentioned here before. He’s still young (29), and he’s a very good pitcher. Personally I think right now and for the near future, he’s a better pitcher than Pedro. He’s a free agent at the end of next season, and it won’t be easy to trade for him, but if there’s anyone who can find a way to make the trade AND sign him long-term, it’s Theo.
Matt Clement is another option. He seems to have come into his own over the last few years in Chicago, and although he’s only a couple of years younger than Pedro, he’s bigger (6’3” 210), stronger, and a lot more durable.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing both of those guys in the rotation along with Schill, Boomer, and Wake (Arroyo would probably end up being included in any deal involving Hudson), and I wouldn’t count out the possibility of that happening.
No matter what happens, Theo did the right thing by not budging on Pedro’s offer, and he’ll figure out some way to come up with a quality arm to replace him in the rotation.
He claims his heart is still here and always will be, but for him it was all about respect (money), and we weren’t willing to show him the same kind of respect (money) that the Mets were.
I can't blame him for finding some sucker to give him 4 years guaranteed at that kind of money. But Theo was right to stick to his guns and not give him that fourth year or go up in price. It would have been too much.
Pedro is still a very good pitcher. He’ll probably be one of the top pitchers in the game for the next couple of years anyway, but he’s not worth that kind of money anymore.
He can no longer go more than 7 innings. Although his ERA will still probably be sub 4.00, it was on the higher side of 3.00 this season and I believe it would have continued to stay there had he stayed with us. The move to the NL should improve it, but still doesn’t make him worth that kind of money.
He has a tough time warming up in the cooler weather and that’s probably going to get worse as he gets older, not better. It could have become a problem in October, although he’s probably not going to be pitching much in October with that team.
He brings a lot of baggage along with him, as we know (see “Advice for Pedro” below) and we really don’t need to deal with that bullshit anymore.
I’ve said that I would accept it because I’m used to it, but the fact is, I’m actually relieved that we’re not the ones who are going to be stuck paying him all that money.
Of course, now we need to come up with a replacement for him. It won’t be easy, but it IS possible. We have plenty of money to spend now.
I still think the best solution will be to trade for Tim Hudson, as I have mentioned here before. He’s still young (29), and he’s a very good pitcher. Personally I think right now and for the near future, he’s a better pitcher than Pedro. He’s a free agent at the end of next season, and it won’t be easy to trade for him, but if there’s anyone who can find a way to make the trade AND sign him long-term, it’s Theo.
Matt Clement is another option. He seems to have come into his own over the last few years in Chicago, and although he’s only a couple of years younger than Pedro, he’s bigger (6’3” 210), stronger, and a lot more durable.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing both of those guys in the rotation along with Schill, Boomer, and Wake (Arroyo would probably end up being included in any deal involving Hudson), and I wouldn’t count out the possibility of that happening.
No matter what happens, Theo did the right thing by not budging on Pedro’s offer, and he’ll figure out some way to come up with a quality arm to replace him in the rotation.
posted by Bob at 12/13/2004 09:19:00 PM
1 Comments:
I am curious to see if the nation can enjoy next season angst free or not.
We'll see.
Censy
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