Maddux - I just don't get it!

[yagsy]

I just don't understand why any team would sign a guy who:

1) can't pitch well against them and considering the lack of offense (this upcoming season is going to be a joke), why not give your team a chance and face him? :duh:

2) sign a guy who is clearly at the end of his career, has been increasing his ERA considerably over the last few seasons for two more years?

3) pay a guy $10 mil plus for showing up to work every 5 days and pitch only 5 innings?

Isn't Alderson the guy that said "even though we have an extra $30mil to spend, we're not going to spend it foolishly. We're going to spend the money on good decisions, good baseball sense". Where the hell is the "good baseball sense" in giving a guy a two year deal worth in the neighborhood of $22mil when he only pitches 5 innings per start? :confused:

And people wonder why I hate Alderson! :duh:

[rockin500]

actually maddux should be fine in the NL west, in the pitching friendly ballparks. if you look at his second half numbers, you will see that he actually pitched well. (ERA under 4.00).

its what the market will bear, yagsy, you should know that by now after seeing all the crazy contracts out there that have been offered.

put him in a pitchers park with a good defensive combo behind him, and he can excel. his ERA has been higher for a variety of reasons over the past coupla years (home runs at times) and atrocious defense (cubs defensive middle over the past two seasons has been godawful bad)

also, a 5 inning pitcher isnt correct. he usually finishes 6, and gets teams into the 7th. He had 210 innings in 34 starts. thats not exactly bad. in 2005 he had 225 innings pitched.

[yagsy]

Ray, I agree with you that those numbers are decent and the Padres have a strong enough bullpen in the late innings if a starter can get through 6 innings. But I've seen far too many games where he's given up hit after hit after hit pitching in ballparks that aren't exactly "hitter's parks". If he gets out of the first inning, he does tend to get stronger and tougher to hit. The question is, can he get past the first two innings.

I realize the stupid money going around but I'm sorry, $22 mil for Maddux for two years is a dumb baseball decision. He is durable so, I don't question the two years vs the one but it's too high a price tag per year. Not when there are other reliable pitchers out there who could do the same job Maddux does for a lot less money. But Alderson is scrambling now. He has to sign a "big name" to make the fans of SD happy. This is just one of many deals that we're all questioning.

[rockin500]

actually its been reported that he signed a one year deal at ten million dollars with an option for year two that can go from 6 to 10 mil depending on innings pitched (relatively similar to the 2 year +option that he had with the cubs).

i agree that it IS too high for the padres as they dont have as much payroll flexibility as some teams. he is your average number 4 starter nowadays, thats about it. too much, true. but did you see what padilla got and what lilly may get? :eek:

[yagsy]

One year deal at $10 mil - okay then. I don't mind the option one bit, especially if it's based on IPs. That seems fair.

I know other pitchers are getting outrageous contracts, especially with less credentials, but KT has always been able to pull something out of his hat every year when it comes to savvy deals so I wouldn't mind on getting a no-name. The other thing that the Padres have that is nice is depth when it comes to young pitching. The Padres can look at a couple of different pitchers to take a spot in the rotation, although I would have been happy to have had Woody and Chan Ho come back.

The main problem here is that Alderson is getting loads and loads of criticism from everyone on his decisions because he keeps opening up his mouth on a local sports radio station making promises and not explaining moves that he does make where there is needs to be explanations...aka trading away Josh Barfield. I know the Padres management is feeling like they need to make a move. They better do SOMETHING!

[a_ndrew3000]

Think of it this way Yags, this is just Klesko's money going to someone who will pitch 200+ innings.

[imgreat95]

Greg mMaddux had an ERA of 3.73 over the first 3 innings last season. A WHIP of 1.08 in the first 3 innings.

I wouldnt complain too much about that...

[imgreat95]

also.. he pitched AT LEAST into the 6th inning in 29 of 34 starts.

At the current going rate for pitchers, the Padres actually may have gotten a bargain.

[yagsy]

Sorry guys, in what I've seen him pitch, he's given up runs in the first couple of innings and they end up being big innings. At any rate, it's official, Maddux agreed to a one year, $10mil deal with an option for a second year at $7mil that kicks in after a certain amt of innings pitched.

Peavy had some comments as well about Maddux:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20061206-9999-1s6padres.html

[yagsy]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20061207-9999-1s7padres.html

Maddux introduction expected on Monday

By Tom Krasovic
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 7, 2006

The Padres plan to give Greg Maddux a physical exam Monday. If the 40-year-old passes, as expected, the club will introduce the pitcher at a news conference later that day at Petco Park.

Padres General Manager Kevin Towers hasn't returned phone calls regarding Maddux in the last two days, but a Padres official said the deal is done, pending the exam.

Helping the Dodgers earn the wild-card berth, Maddux went 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 12 starts last season after Los Angeles acquired him from the Cubs.

“That guy means so much to a ballclub,” said Dodgers Manager Grady Little, addressing reporters yesterday at the winter meetings near Orlando, Fla. “Anyone would certainly love to have him on their staff. But I know (the Padres are) proud they got him down there. He means a lot to everyone else in the clubhouse, and not just what he does on the field. He meant a lot to our club last year.”

In other developments, the Padres, looking to strengthen a farm system that widely is regarded as below average, received another compensatory draft pick when the Oakland Athletics agreed to terms with reliever Alan Embree. The pick is the third supplemental pick between the first and second rounds of the June amateur draft that the Padres have received. The Padres also have received two second-round picks and retained all of their selections.

Although the Padres welcomed some $30 million in salary relief entering the offseason, they appeared to stick to their negotiating plan in the Maddux talks. The $10 million guarantee for 2007, plus an additional $6 million to $10 million for 2008, depending on how Maddux performs, is several million dollars less than the $22 million to $25 million guarantee reportedly sought by Maddux's agent, Scott Boras.


Piazza to Oakland?
The A's also appeared to be closing in on a one-year deal with former Padres catcher Mike Piazza. Oakland GM Billy Beane didn't expect anything to be finalized until later in the week.
Piazza, who would replace Frank Thomas as Oakland's designated hitter, was deciding between an offer from the A's and one from the Rangers, but Texas officials said yesterday they were out of the mix.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[a_ndrew3000]

I don't think this will make a top 10 list of bad Kevin Towers moves.

[yagsy]

Padres suit Maddux fine this time
Future Hall of Fame pitcher formally introduced to San Diego community

check out link:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20061214-9999-1s14padres.html