If I was a hot dog vendor in Shea Stadium, I’d be asking for a raise right now.
A flat salary of $100,000. Nothing more, nothing less.
After all, the New York Mets have taken the rubber band off their checkbook and bought a pen with multiple ink refills.
Anybody and anyone who works for the Mets could get a million dollars right now.
Ask Carlos Beltran and the $130 million ($11 million in signing bonuses) the
Mets have just guaranteed him for the next seven years.
I don’t know what the Mets are doing.
Normally, when the sports world
talks about uncontrolled spending and free agents in baseball, they are talking about the OTHER team from New York.
So, did George Steinbrenner suddenly have an attack of consciousness?
Seriously, what is an extra $17 million a year in addition to the $205 million that is already slated for the Yankees in 2005?
What’s up, George? Feeling a little pinched in the pocketbook?
Does anybody else find this odd? The
Yankees not willing to pay a player an
ungodly amount of money to play baseball.
I find this extremely interesting.
I think the Yankees know something.
I think they know Carlos Beltran is not worth $119 million.
I think they know Carlos Beltran
is an unproven filly in the stable of $100 million horses.
What will follow is the only positive thing I will ever say on the Yankees’ behalf: You did the right thing.
The Mets just paid an extra $40-or-so
million for a great two-week run by Beltran during last year’s playoffs.
Sorry Mets, the joke’s on you.
I know what the Mets are trying to do. They are trying to become the mirror of
the New York Yankees — and rightly so — but I think they are looking at it from
more of an entertainment standpoint. A
revenue generator.
After all, when you are launching
your own cable network, you better field a team that’s more interesting to watch
than Anna Benson sitting in the stands
eating a hot dog.
In terms of baseball ability, Beltran
is a five-tool player. I can’t take that away from him. He hits with power, drives in runs, plays a great center field and steals a lot of bases.
However, only twice has Beltran hit over .300 for the season. Last year, he hit .267. Give me three seasons of .300 and above and I will give you $100 million.
In this day and age, that’s all
you need.
That and the phone number to BALCO. (Kidding. Mostly.)
Just remember that not all free agents do well in New York.
Mo Vaughn, anyone?
Danny Tartabull?
Hideki Irabu?
Bobby Bonilla?
Jose Contreras?
If Beltran can push the Mets
past the Atlanta Braves for the first time in God knows how long, he will be worth it.
But with the Braves getting
Tim Hudson and putting John Smoltz back in the rotation, they went from rebuilding to repeating (again).
But then, I guess that’s why the Mets threw another $50 million at Pedro Martinez.
And now, they are looking to throw even more at Carlos Delgado and the possible Sammy Sosa deal isn’t even dead.
Could you imagine Sammy Sosa dealing with the New York media day in and day out?
I don’t know what the Mets
are doing.
Hey Omar Minaya, could I get
a job?