Pat Burrell near 2 year deal with Rays

2 years / $16MM

Goodbye, Pat. Thanks for everything.

5 months ago WholeCamels Comment 43 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Great move for the Rays.

Sounds like he’ll mostly DH rather than play the field as he prefers. I guess that’s the fig leaf for anyone who feels like defending Amaro on this one… as I certainly don’t.

At least it’ll be easy to root for Pat as he battles the Evil Empires of the AL East.

by dajafi on Jan 5, 2009 2:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Will this deal be a pay cut for him? Not a bad move by the rays. They will use him as a DH and maybe that will allow him to become a more consistent hitter.

by Ben16 on Jan 5, 2009 2:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Big pay cut. Pat got something like $14m last season.

by dajafi on Jan 5, 2009 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

At least I’ll have a reason to attend those On Deck games.

This just proves that the Phils bit way too early on Ibanez. Oh well….. I wish Pat all the best in TB.

by Capt Murdoch on Jan 5, 2009 2:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I suspect I’m not alone when I say that this development makes me very angry.

I’ve been very hesitant to join the Amaro bashing and have said that we need to give him a chance to succeed before we prematurely pile on…is it too soon to be losing patience?

Steve Jeltz
.210/.308/.268
"If you condensed everything I ever did in my career into one game, it looks decent"

by Steve Jeltz on Jan 5, 2009 2:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

“Is it too soon to start losing patience?”

No, not at all. Maybe Amaro will be vindicated when his team plays better on the field, thanks to things like intangibles, heart, hustle, etc. But by the numbers, we’ve spent twice as much money on a player who is four and a half years older and not an upgrade in any sense. And that, my friends, is no way to run a business.

by PhillyFriar on Jan 5, 2009 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe we should just hope he continues to make idiotic moves like this…The faster he is able to turn this championship team to complete shit, the sooner he is out of here.

by FuquaManuel on Jan 5, 2009 5:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ah, the Nader Theory.

Sadly, I’m very susceptible to it. And I voted for Ralph nine years ago, to my ongoing regret.

But yeah, part of me is hoping that if they decline in each of the next two years, Smuggles is gone after the 2010 season.

by dajafi on Jan 5, 2009 6:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For what its worth, I voted for Nader this time around and (had I been of age) would have voted for him proudly over Al Gore in 2000.

by FuquaManuel on Jan 5, 2009 9:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Don’t forget the draft pick.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Amaro may be vindicated, but his process was pretty bad. It’s not too soon to lose patience. He’ll have to earn trust back with good moves.

He overpaid for Moyer (offer arb, drop his price or get him on a 1 year deal), Ibanez (obvious), and Park (replacement level production = league minimum).

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on Jan 5, 2009 7:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

$8M per year for him; $11M per year for Ibanez

I don’t get it.

by David S. Cohen on Jan 5, 2009 2:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Why would you guys give Ibanez twice the gauranteed money that Burrell got?

Was Burrell that bad in the clubhouse?

by Brendan Scolari on Jan 5, 2009 3:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

actually....

by all accounts, i’ve heard that burrell was a real stand-up guy in the club house. I’ve not heard anything to indicate he was “bad in the clubhouse.” In fact, i’m pretty sure he was alway one of the first to speak out and “rally” the troops.

Utley has mentioned several times how Burrell took him “under his wing” when he came up to the big leagues.

Plain and simple, you guys just got a great deal.

by MikeD. on Jan 5, 2009 3:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I DON'T KNOW

Thanks for rubbing it in, though.

http://www.thegoodphight.com
WHY CAN'T US?

by WholeCamels on Jan 5, 2009 3:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Seems like every time i post something I find on this site it gets posted again by someone else a few minutes later.

The Corner outfield market has so many good options this year the Phils made a mistake setting the Market early. Think everyone has said this for a long time tho.

by Clyde Simmons on Jan 5, 2009 3:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Probably posted (almost) simultaneously, because I checked the FanPosts before I put this up and saw nothing.

http://www.thegoodphight.com
WHY CAN'T US?

by WholeCamels on Jan 5, 2009 4:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

Big paycut for Pat the Bat. I like the Ibanez signing, but maybe it came too early?

by ajay on Jan 5, 2009 3:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

does this mean the Phils didn't even try to sign Pat?

"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"

by Whodie126 on Jan 5, 2009 4:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They didn't offer arbitration, so that's the vibe I'm getting.

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on Jan 5, 2009 4:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It goes further than that. They went out of their way and actively took precautions to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to come back no matter how hard he tried.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 10:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I. Hate. Reuben. Amaro. Jr.

by FuquaManuel on Jan 5, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Reports indicate not only is pat taking a pay cut he’s donating a portion of his salary to a rays charity…

If it makes you feel better, the cubs just gave a guy 30 million over 3 years – sure it’s less than ibanez – but it’s more than pat

and he makes some great board games

by jemagee on Jan 5, 2009 5:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I would have taken Milton over Ibanez — injury history and all — in a heartbeat. Reuben really shat the bed on this one, all around.

by FuquaManuel on Jan 6, 2009 12:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And then you would have had to sign somebody else for the inevitable injury Bradley will suffers (injuries probably)

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 10:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

is his injury history THAT bad ...

I mean I don’t see a freak knee injury happening any time soon. He was also a great option at DH last year so that could have contributed to his non-injuries.

"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"

by Whodie126 on Jan 6, 2009 11:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6406/career;_ylt=AomRrDx5uqUoCzscVCcazyCFCLcF

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

looks like your right … I didn’t realize he hasn’t gone over 100 games but twice in his career (I’m not countin 2008 because he was a DH).

"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"

by Whodie126 on Jan 6, 2009 12:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is one of those times when I wish the Phillies really were as cheap as people say they were.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 10:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sadly it seems they’re only as stupid as people say they are

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 10:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One thing we need to be prepared for is that Ibanez could have a pretty decent year this year. He might even outperform Burrell. Ibanez isn’t a bad hitter, and while there’s a pretty good chance he’ll start his decline this year, there’s also a reasonable possibility that he won’t.

If that happens, the fans that have supported these moves this offseason (a majority, it seems like), will claim that the team was vindicated in making these decisions. That will be really annoying.

It’s important to maintain focus on precisely what was wrong with the moves. It’s not that Ibanez will necessarily be worse than Burrell in 2009. It’s the years, the money, and the picks.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 11:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well that’s the nice thing about hindsight :)

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 11:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

let's see...

Amaro gave an extra year, twice the money, and a first-round draft pick for a player who’s no better offensively, barely better (if at all) defensively, and 4 years older than Burrell. Oh, and he can’t hit lefties.

But yeah, when Ibanez looks better in the field because he looks more athletic, and when he hits .290 with less walks and less power than Burrell (and with a .700 OPS against lefties), everyone will looove the move.

by SethC on Jan 6, 2009 11:08 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

The guy over at sabrenomics.com believes that Pat took less than he could have gotten because he’ll play in an area he likes and fans won’t boo him even when he’s given solid performance (his backward shot at phillies fans) due to his salary. I wonder – would Pat have taken this ‘cushier’ deal in terms of pressure even if offered arbitration?

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 11:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think I heard that his wife is from that area.

by taco pal on Jan 6, 2009 11:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think if the Phils had offered arbitration, he would have jumped at it. Maybe even just accepted their figure. He wanted to come back. Loves the team, loves the town, and he became an institution here.

by dajafi on Jan 6, 2009 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Still having a hard time seeing how one year of pat (and draft picks still available) at 14 or even 16 million is worse than raul ibanez for 3 years, 30 million, and no picks.

Then again, Ruben Amaro must know better than me or he wouldn’t be GM – right?

by jemagee on Jan 6, 2009 1:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

just keep repeating that last line over and over… it’ll all be better… Rube promises…

But T.O. and his sideline histrionics wear on a quarterback. He's like the hot stripper you tried to clean up and convert into a real girlfriend. It's a lot of fun until the moment she has her second drink while out to eat with your parents. You unravel quicker than she does.

by foos05 on Jan 6, 2009 3:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point. I don’t think Pat took less than what he could’ve gotten, well, not MUCH less.

You open up a whole Pandora’s box here though.

Had the Phillies offered arbitration, do the Rays even make an offer to Pat? The dropoff between Pat and Bobby Abreu, especially on a 2 year deal, is not steep at all and isn’t worth the lost first rounder. Abreu won’t get much more than Pat; he’ll probably get less than Pat.

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on Jan 6, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey guys… It’s not so bad… Flags fly forever, right? RIGHT?!?!?!

Awww hell, who am I kidding? I threw up in my mouth a little bit when I saw this on ESPN last night. What a crock of shit. I agree with dajafi here… I think Pat would have accepted whatever offer they threw at him, but not even offering just said, “Thanks and bye…. we’re even going to overspend on some other guy to get our point across…” This is seriously turning into a trainwreck fast…

I wish this was like Survivor and we could just vote Rube off the god damn island… useless…

by foos05 on Jan 6, 2009 12:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I have the feeling that we’ll be saying “flags fly forever” a lot over the next two or three seasons, or however long it takes for the fanbase to threaten profitability enough that ownership reluctantly fires Smuggles.

by dajafi on Jan 6, 2009 3:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Kahrl on the Pat deal

Praise that rarely comes the Phillies’ way: “To be blunt, it would be hard to find a more perfect signing this winter—length, value, lineup balance, even warm-fuzzy considerations like a Florida resident coming home or the more pragmatic matter of taking a dubious defender and bringing him over to the DH league for a team that has an open DH slot—and there’s really no kink to this deal that shouldn’t leave you impressed.”

by David S. Cohen on Jan 6, 2009 4:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs