Best and Worst Free Agent Signings?

Here's the opinion of one LA sports writer. Before you read the article, write down the free agents the Pirates "just should have signed" and at what price. Would your deal be among the best or the worst? The Pirates are on the list - can you guess how?

* Are we there (spring training) yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

4 months ago Trogluddite 30 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

we so should've

signed Pena.

Hopefully Jones has a big year…

by FusilliJerry88 on Feb 4, 2012 8:48 PM EST reply actions

and That Wei-Yin Chen..

by taiwania on Feb 4, 2012 10:30 PM EST up reply actions

I did want Chen

and I still want Soler. If they don’t land Soler then I’m officially bummed about the offseason. Not because of who they did sign, but who they were unable to bring in to the fold.

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 10:51 AM EST up reply actions

I think it's not fair

to list Pena as the “best” FA 1B, especially since the writeup praises Tampa for being able to sign guys cheaply. Pena had a better offer from the Indians but decided to go to a better team. I just don’t think it’s accurate to praise a team for signing a player to a cheaper deal when they were able to get that deal because they’re better than the other teams making offers.

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

I also would mind

trying to work a deal for Kendrys Morales…

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions

i think we were lucky to get barajas.

we had a big hole, i think nh did good.

by karreemofwheat on Feb 5, 2012 12:20 AM EST reply actions

yeah, I wasn't impressed by their reasoning

$4 million for one year isn’t a lot of money — I thought Barmes was more likely to show up on the “worst signings” list, though obviously the author doesn’t like long big contracts. I’d rather have Hernandez and his contract, but as Marc Normandin said, “‘Ronny Paulino is one of the better catching options left on the market, now that Kelly Shoppach has signed,’ is a sentence that explains the current catching market more than any numbers could.”

Well, even Paulino might be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, and the only other catcher who signed for significant money was Doumit, so I guess I can’t argue with Barajas being the worst catcher contract by default. But it’s not like it’s terrible.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 12:55 AM EST up reply actions

Look at the other FA catchers

Major League Deals:
Rod Barajas 1 – $4
Henry Blanco 1 – $1.2
Ryan Doumit 1 – $3
Ramon Hernandez 2 – $6.4
Gerald Laird 1 – $1
Jose Molina 1 – $1.8
Brian Schneider 1 – $0.8
Kelly Shoppach 1 – $1.35
Matt Treanor 1 – $1
Eli Whiteside 1 – $0.6

Minor League Deals:
Josh Bard
Koyie Hill
Rob Johnson
Jose Morales
Dioner Navarro
Ronny Paulino

Really it’s tough to call any of those a bad deal since there’s only one two year deal and only 3 guys who got $2 million or more.

by ElDuce on Feb 5, 2012 1:15 AM EST up reply actions

right

Probably the worst acquisition is the Blue Jays getting Jeff Mathis as a backup, who’s going to make $1.5 M and who has never been any good, but that was a trade so it doesn’t count. He could’ve said something like “None of the free agent catchers was a big deal, here’s the one that looks worst.” But whatevs.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 9:31 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed

I don’t like Barajas and didn’t want to see him signed, but $4 million isn’t very much money (even when it’s somewhere around 8% of your MLB payroll) and it’s only this year. He’s certainly one of the best catcher options that was available via free agency this year and there’s no contract length to risk.

by SuperBaes on Feb 5, 2012 4:51 PM EST up reply actions

I would absolutely

rather have signed Ramon Hernandez after seeing how the FA market worked out. However, what doesn’t get addressed in the article is that Hernandez was signed after his Type A status was taken away. I can understand the Pirates not wanting him if they had to give up their 2nd round pick for him. Also, it’s quite possible the Bucs couldn’t (or at least thought they couldn’t) wait to see how the CBA worked out. Since catching market dropped off really fast after Barajas and Hernandez, I’d assume the Pirates targeted Barajas quickly because they felt like they had to get one of the two and they didn’t want to give up the comp. pick.

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 10:33 AM EST up reply actions

i love Vlads comment on the ron paul ino signing;

Poor bastards.
I almost feel sorry for them.

by Vlad on Jan 31, 2012 12:10 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

by karreemofwheat on Feb 5, 2012 1:42 AM EST reply actions

hey!

No politics.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 9:24 AM EST up reply actions

opps no edit feature

by karreemofwheat on Feb 5, 2012 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

he is born and raised in dormont

by karreemofwheat on Feb 5, 2012 11:50 AM EST up reply actions

eh

I was trying to make a joke, but I guess you’d already made that joke.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions

I think Barmes was a terrible signing. His only advantage over Cedeno was a couple home runs, and PNC Park zaps right-handed power. He’s not going to hit more than six home runs, and while his defense will be fine, so was Cedeno’s. He’s a 1 WAR guy, and the Pirates had better than that for cheaper.

Barajas seems “meh” to me, even though his power’s going to take a hit at PNC, too, and his OBP is likely to be putrid. He’s not better than Doumit (so in that sense, Huntington fouled up), but he is solid defensively, and that matters at catcher.

In both cases, it’s disappointing that the Pirates spent money to get mediocre veterans when they could have had solid young players for minimal cost. The Astros got Jed Lowrie for a generic reliever and a possible #5 starter. The Mariners got John Jaso for another generic reliever who also happens to have been accused of sexual assault. It’s not like these guys would have cost much to get, and they’d have been better, cheaper, and controlled for longer.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Feb 5, 2012 9:57 AM EST reply actions

im not a WAR guy, but Barmes has been better than a 1 for a while now

hes a 10 WAR for his career while Ronny was literally a 0.

that being said, a SS was needed and Barmes kinda was the best that this team could do until someone shows they are ready in the minors

by white angus on Feb 5, 2012 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

i do think SB has a point

in that this is the deal most likely to turn into a pumpkin, and “most likely” here is not being pedantic— it is, in fact, reasonably likely.

by BurgherKing on Feb 5, 2012 11:22 AM EST up reply actions

Well, Barmes spent his entire career until last year in Coors Field, and his career wRC+ is still 74. That’s really bad. His OBP last year was .312, and he’s going to be 33.

I have extremely little confidence that he’ll hit even a lick.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Feb 5, 2012 4:52 PM EST up reply actions

you may be right

but saying Cedeno is better is wrong. cheaper, yes.

by white angus on Feb 5, 2012 5:28 PM EST up reply actions

wRC+ is park-adjusted

So his time spent in Coors doesn’t inflate it. Cedeno’s wRC+ is 63.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 5:34 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, if you want to pick a stat that shows he isn't as good of a hitter as Coors makes him out to be

wRC+ is not exactly the stat one would pick, though it is possibly the best offensive stat that is available easily to people not employed by MLB franchises.

by Justin Mos on Feb 6, 2012 1:04 AM EST up reply actions

Even if PNC does sap some of his power

Barmes was a better player last year away from the friendly Crawford Boxes. He hit 7 of his 12 HRs on the road and posted a .732 road OPS. I don’t think it’s accurate to assume that he will be terrible because he plays half his games at PNC. He’s also a better defender than Cedeno and less of a baseball nitwit. Lowrie might be better if everything breaks right and he stays healthy but he never has.

Barajas is, arguably better than Doumit but I’m not convinced. He (like Lowrie) probably has a higher upside because he might put together a full season like he has last year. At the same time, haven’t we been hoping he’d do that since 2008? If he hits like he did in ‘09 or ’10 then he is not as valuable because he’s a lousy defender. Doumit might also not have been willing to sign with the Pirates for less than his option and even if Doumit is better, he’s not worth $7M.

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions

Barmes

i disagree with you on Barmes. He has aged nicely and has a very fit lean body type that should render him very effective for the next two years. I will be shocked if Barmes doesnt put up at least 4 WAR in his tenure with the bucs.

Barmes will be a noticeable upgrade

by Mingy on Feb 5, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

Did you mean to respond to me?

I also think think that Barmes was a solid signing. I think that Lowrie could be better if everything breaks right (high .700’s OPS) but I think that’s very unlikely.

by KentuckyPirate on Feb 5, 2012 11:15 AM EST up reply actions

Mark Melancon is more than a generic reliever

He’s a good reliever, and cost-controlled. OTOH, you have the #5 starter going the wrong way; the Sox got Lowrie and Wieland for Melancon. Anyway, if Lowrie is your plan at SS you better be confident in your backup.

I’d rather have got Scutaro, but I don’t know if you could’ve foreseen the Sox dumping him (and the Rox didn’t have to worry about leaving a hole at short).

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 11:40 AM EST up reply actions

Melancon is a generic reliever, as team’s eighth- and ninth-inning relievers go. He doesn’t strike out a ton of guys but not too few, doesn’t throw too hard or to soft, etc. If I put him up against every closer and set up man in the game, he’d come in right about the middle of the pack. That’s what I mean by “generic.”

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Feb 7, 2012 6:55 AM EST up reply actions

but then the Pirates can't do that deal

If what you mean is “average eighth- or ninth-inning reliever,” who could the Pirates have traded that Boston would’ve been interested in? Veras and Resop aren’t as valuable as Melancon; the only guy we could’ve given the Sox who would’ve filled their needs is Hanrahan.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 7, 2012 8:29 PM EST up reply actions

his second base judgments are pretty odd

Ellis has one good season out of the past two, which is one more than Hill. I mean, he cites that Ellis had the third-lowest WAR total for second basemen, but Hill didn’t make that total either of the last two years.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Feb 5, 2012 11:44 AM EST reply actions