07 April 2008

Today's Links

Pedro Alvarez Has Some Demands

Kiley McDaniel of SaberScouting (easily becoming one of my favorite sources) says that Boras is saying that he wants 9.5MM for Pedro and that this is about 3MM too much. It is basically Boras being Boras.

Bill Ordine Has Ideas About Building a Franchise


I'm not sure this concept of a erecting a mast really works for a baseball team. I am not sure how hockey teams function. My knowledge of that sport is rooted in EA Sports NHL '94 and, to this day, I am confused as to why players do not skate diagonally and then cross back 5 ft from the goals and shoot high and out. I scored like 40 goals with 5 minute periods once.

Anyway, can anyone think as to when a baseball team signed a single All Star and then became relevant? Sounds like the Rangers with Arod and that didn't help them out much. The point is that most team sports (and I assume hockey is more like baseball and football than basketball) depend on more than one guy. We all tend to love the single man theory of history. We like to attribute everything to one person. It makes for a more gripping as well as convenient narrative, but it is often not true.

So how do I think a baseball team has to be made (in order of importance)?
1. Deep farm system
2. Average player development
3. Retention of key personal
4. Supplement roster with free agents and trades

I think it is pointless to do the latter if you cannot accomplish what is listed before. If you do . . . you will not sustain your ability to compete.

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