Linebrink to the White Sox

[PeaveyFury]

Peavey, this is what I found linked from mlbtraderumors.com

 

Interesting, thanks much.

[recte44]

I'll take the picks. They are all higher than Thatcher, Inman, Garrison. The player I would have liked to have kept of the three was Thatcher, I think that's the one we'll regret for a long time.

[splitterpfj]

The guys at ESPN are calling the Linebrink deal the worst signing of the year thus far. Too much money, too many years, declining numbers, switching to a home run park.

[dadofandrew]

I'm no insider, but what Tom summarized sounds like Law is living in 2002. I'm the first to try and avoid giving guys an extra year and huge money, but market value is market value. Going cheap is an option, but not an easy one for contenders.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'm the first to try and avoid giving guys an extra year and huge money, but market value is market value. Going cheap is an option, but not an easy one for contenders.

 

Well it's a matter of scale Al. Regardless of the increase of salaries from 2002-2008, there has to be a "worst" signing each year. So far I would agree that Linebrink has the best chance of being the most disastrous. Cordero e.g. is going to be facing the same hitters for the most part, and doesn't show any sign of declining. Linebrink has had some very concerning numbers these last 2 years, and is going to be facing (I would expect) a higher caliber of guns in the AL central.

 

Now whether there was a better option for the Sox is up for debate -- however Linebrink makes enough money so that if he sucks, it will be egg on the face of the Sox. (as opposed to a Randy Choate signing).

[don1481]

I suggest it might take less than a few more years to consider Rogers or Jeffress as being successes rather than failures.

 

thing is, we can place a value on inman, thatcher, and garrison, but so can Melvin. Melvin probably has a better ability to do so than we do. The future will tell who was right.

I wasn't talking about Rogers and Jeffress being measured as successes/failures... I was referring to the 6 upcoming high picks in next year's draft. And look how long it took Manny Parra to get healthy and show that he could be a viable big-league option. Maybe Rogers actually gets healthy. Maybe Jeffress stops being a dope and stays away from the stuff.

 

Your last sentence, though, sums up my point exactly: The future will tell who was right in the valuation of those prospects.

 

I agree completely with FTJ's last point about Linebrink's signing with the Sox. There's been a ton of mileage on that arm over the past few years; he's also been getting less effective over the past 2-3 seasons as well. I'm glad the Brewers let him walk and gleefully took the draft picks.