–Dodgers call Adam Dunn: The interpretation by some appears to be that the Dodgers aren’t going to just wait around for Manny, and they’re considering Dunn as an alternative. I think that’s non-sense. The Dodgers are not dumb enough to consider Adam Dunn as an alternative to Manny Ramirez. This is just a ploy to get the attention of Manny and Scott Boras, and I still fully expect Manny to be back in Dodger blue next year.
–Red Sox sign Brad Penny: This is the kind of move that shows why the Red Sox have been so successful this decade, and why they’re probably the best run team in baseball right now. Sure, they have the money to take a $5 million gamble on a pitcher with arm problems, and a player in Penny’s position is more likely to want to go to a winning team, but the Sox just picked up a guy who only two seasons ago had a Cy Young-caliber season, going 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA for the Dodgers. If AJ Burnett is worth $82 million, than I think $5 million for one year of Penny qualifies as a bargain.
-In a related story, the Sox signing of Penny would seem to make it less likely that they end up with Derek Lowe. It seems like Lowe may be destined for Queens, but it looks like it’s still up in the air.
–Nationals sign Daniel Cabrera: I like this signing. Another low-risk deal (1 year, $2.6 million) for a 27-year-old that has great stuff, and could end up being a good major league starter if he can figure out how to throw strikes. I’ll say this: the Nationals are much better off making signings like this, rather than handing $180 million to Mark Teixeira.
Doogan, I have to disagree with you one thing. I agree with you that the Brad Penny signing is a “good gamble” by the Sox this time, but I think that they have made some pretty “bad gambles” in the past, and I don’t think that this is why they so successful.
Mike Lowell was a good salvage-job, but they also took semi-expensive gambles on guys like Bartolo Colon and Eric Gagne, just to name a few.
All I think this shows is the real advantage of the big-market teams. I don’t think the big payroll teams win because they sign Sabathia or trade for Santana. I think they win because they can afford to take $5 million chances on Carl Pavano and Luis Castillo and not miss a beat. There are only about 3 or 4 teams that could really chance throwing $5 million at Penny (again, I think it’s smart, and I wish the Phillies were one of those teams)–and that’s why these teams succeed because if Penny helps, great, but if not, they just try again with next year’s Penny.
Well, “best run team in baseball” is certainly an over-statement on my part, if you’re not taking into account willingness to spend money, which some people would. (For example, the Twins owner is one of the richest men America, so you could argue that they’re poorly run because he’s not willing to shell out the cash to make a winner.) If you’re just talking about front-office moves, certainly Theo Epstein and company take a back seat to Minnesota, and some other teams.
That being said, among the ‘big budget’ teams out there, the Yankees, Mets, Angels, and the tier below that that includes the Dodgers, which team stepped up and grabbed Penny on the cheap? The same team that’s won two titles in the last four years. The Sox have made plenty of mistakes, but among the teams with tons of cash, they use it the best, for whatever that’s worth.
I absolutely agree with that.