Edmonds signs $19 million contract with Cards

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

It's not a bad deal. All that matters is that they get production out of him next season.

..and the year after.

Why not simply exercise your option and pay him $10M next season? Why committ the second year at this time, especially to player that, while still productive, is clearly becoming something of an injury liability?

I assume the second year is simply the payoff for the continuing Cards plan of salary deferral.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

..and the year after.

Why not simply exercise your option and pay him $10M next season? Why committ the second year at this time, especially to player that, while still productive, is clearly becoming something of an injury liability?

I assume the second year is simply the payoff for the continuing Cards plan of salary deferral.

I don't know. It seems they're only gambling this season--if he performs this season he's tradeable. If not, then yeah, they're overpaying for him; but he had, by measures other than his own career, a pretty damn good season last year--every bit the season Kearns had, and consider all the handwringing over losing him.

I think Edmonds is a pretty safe bet to duplicate this year's numbers next year.

[TC81190]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

It's not a bad deal. All that matters is that they get production out of him next season.

You are a Cards fan, aren't you?

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

I don't know. It seems they're only gambling this season--if he performs this season he's tradeable. If not, then yeah, they're overpaying for him;

That's the nature of the gamble; that he can't duplicate reasonable production in year 2.

The Cards already had him signed for 1 year; they could simply had gone year to year with a player who indicated he wanted to play for the Cards very badly.

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

I don't know. It seems they're only gambling this season--if he performs this season he's tradeable.

Edmonds has 10/5 rights. Can't be traded.

But I agree with you that this is a whole lotta hang-wringing over nothing. Unless he falls off the cliff completely, he's a great player.

[New Fever]

Edmonds batted .156 versus lefties this year with an ops. of .479 but in 2005 he batted .296 and he has an ops. of .969. Was this an injury problem or an age problem? If it is an age problem than this definitely was a bad deal because you can only bat him against righties.

[11BarryLarkin11]

Originally Posted by mth123

I think this is ok. Who else do they have? So Taguchi? There is no one on the FA market that I would want to play CF (except Drew but this deal was done before he was available). Edmonds hasn't slipped anywhere close to as much as Griffey has and comparing them is not accurate. These 2 years will keep St. L respectable until the next CF (Rasmus?) is ready.

Edmonds would be the Reds 3rd best player (EE, Dunn) and I'd take him in a heartbeat for a couple years. He isn't as bad as Griffey on defense or offense. It isn't even close IMO.

I know I'm likely in a minority of one with this take, but I'd take Darin Erstand in center on a contract with a low base salary (~$1M) and some incentives. I think Erstad is still a top five defensive centerfielder, which is something we haven't had in Cincy for quite some time.

Plugging Erstad into centerfield would save us a tremendous amount of the runs that Griffey allows. And, moving Griffey to left would likely keep him healthier and perhaps even more productive on offense.

If Erstad gets the bump in offensive production that so many players get when they come to GABP (Hatteberg, Ross, Aurilia, Randa, etc), then he could likely better his career stats (.286/.341/.416).

If we could get it for ~$1-2M, then I'd take elite defense in center and offensive production of .285/.341/.425 any day.

I think he'd be a very good risk/reward pickup. Even if he didn't pan out as a starter, he could be a solid bat off the bench and provide gold glove caliber defense in lf, cf, rf, and 1b.

[mth123]

Originally Posted by 11BarryLarkin11

I know I'm likely in a minority of one with this take, but I'd take Darin Erstand in center on a contract with a low base salary (~$1M) and some incentives. I think Erstad is still a top five defensive centerfielder, which is something we haven't had in Cincy for quite some time.

Plugging Erstad into centerfield would save us a tremendous amount of the runs that Griffey allows. And, moving Griffey to left would likely keep him healthier and perhaps even more productive on offense.

If Erstad gets the bump in offensive production that so many players get when they come to GABP (Hatteberg, Ross, Aurilia, Randa, etc), then he could likely better his career stats (.286/.341/.416).

If we could get it for ~$1-2M, then I'd take elite defense in center and offensive production of .285/.341/.425 any day.

I think he'd be a very good risk/reward pickup. Even if he didn't pan out as a starter, he could be a solid bat off the bench and provide gold glove caliber defense in lf, cf, rf, and 1b.

Erstad at $1 Million would be ok. But he isn't an answer to rely on. He has "Chronic" type help issues like Griffey but times 100.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

Do they expect his injuries to carry over? If not, then this is a good deal. He was an elite center fielder 2 years ago, 3 years ago, etc.

They made it sound like he was at death's door with that concussion thing. Now, all of a sudden he's fit enough to give a multi-year deal? I'm guessing they put more stock on his post-season performance before signing him to that deal than they did his regular season performance. Cause it sounded like he was pretty peeved they were even hesitating about re-signing him during the season.

[Ron Madden]

Every MLB Club must face decisions just like this sooner or later.

There are as many or more reasons to just say no as to say yes.

We must remember the fanbase of any team tends to be very fickle.

The key to success for any organization depends on smart management that will stay the course in their quest to be the best, not to sway in the wind of the bad ideas of popular belief.

[Redsland]

Originally Posted by Chip R

They made it sound like he was at death's door with that concussion thing. Now, all of a sudden he's fit enough to give a multi-year deal?

Maybe Jim gave them an overly dramatic initial report?

Nah, not his style.

[Rojo]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

Why not simply exercise your option and pay him $10M next season? Why committ the second year at this time, especially to player that, while still productive, is clearly becoming something of an injury liability?

My thoughts as well. Seems like they were in the perfect place to keep a popular but aging player one year after a Championship.