Signing with a "contender"

by rxmeister on Dec 15, 2008 7:09 AM PST Comment 38 comments

I always cringe when I see on this board some comment that says, "Player A won't sign with us because he wants to sign with a contender." To me, that is the biggest crock of crap in the world. I'll bet there's not a dozen players in all of baseball who would actually make this an important criteria when they sign a contract. They say it's important, but it isn't. If all things are equal it may be a factor, but almost all players are going to where the most money is, or to a city that they feel comfortable in, like a hometown or a place they have played before. When CC and AJ hold their press conferences in NY, they're going to say they signed with the Yankees because they're always a contender, but every fan knows that they signed with the Yankees because they offered them the most money, and most fans know that if the dollars were even close, CC would have spurned those NY contenders for those SF losers just to be near his home.

That brings us to the Giants. No free agent is going to spurn the Giants because they're not a "contender." Beautiful city, beautiful ballpark, owners that are willing to spend money, and now a top tier farm system. They know that even if the team is not that good, that's just going to be a temporary situation. Randy Johnson's agent referred to the Giants as a contender, even though they're not one, because he know they could be one, and he wants their money, and this is true of all free agents.

This post was really put in my mind when i read the Ty Wigginton fanshot where people said he would prefer the Twins over the Giants because they're a contender. Are you kidding?? Minnesota?? Yeah, they may be a better team next year than the Giants, but that climate, that cheapskate owner, that dreary stadium with the hefty bags on the outfield wall, and that unenthusiastic fanbase?? What player wants to play there because they're a contender?? Yeah, they're a contender until Mauer and Morneau reach their FA years and run the hell out of there. Where are they going?? To whoever offers them the most money.

In short, the Giants will NEVER lose out on a player because they're not a contender. FA's are always going to mark it down as a preferred destination, just short of NY and LA.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

0 recs | Comment 38 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I love you rx, but paragraphs please!

/deer head
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Dec 15, 2008 7:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

For real

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Dec 15, 2008 7:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

you tongue pluckin grammarians are doomed.

texting has ruin’d yer art forevah!

"ever so cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Dec 15, 2008 4:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

AHHHHHHH

Paragraphs! I like text blocks!!!!!

The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."

by WalrusMan on Dec 15, 2008 5:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nah

i adopt brian sabean... take that dramatic irony!

by Headhunter Rollins on Dec 15, 2008 8:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm still trying to figure out...

who AJ is.

Leading the Pro-Aaron Rowand contingent on the McC!
You can ridicule me in 2009 if you like...

by ThrillisGone22 on Dec 15, 2008 8:04 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Burnett?

My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman

by Goofus on Dec 15, 2008 9:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

I got stuck on a certain other AJ, and couldn’t get past it.

Leading the Pro-Aaron Rowand contingent on the McC!
You can ridicule me in 2009 if you like...

by ThrillisGone22 on Dec 15, 2008 1:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Soprano?

by Giant Voodoo on Dec 15, 2008 9:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

OK, but why’d you get a picture of Jared Weaver?

comics | art | Nattowear | McFAQ I & II

by Natto on Dec 15, 2008 10:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

HAHAHAHA classic.

If God had intended us not to rosterbate, he would've made our arms shorter.

Padre renuente de Luis Perdomo, porque él es todo el que se deja hasta junio.

by Mike Hawk on Dec 15, 2008 10:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice

by Giant Voodoo on Dec 15, 2008 10:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He Who Must Not Be Named?

..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.

by Cookyman on Dec 15, 2008 11:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Only one season of hefty bags left.

And really, Twins fans are pretty good baseball fans. Like most anywhere else (most decidedly including the Giants), the most knowledgeable and passionate fans are a decided minority of the fanbase, but to state uniformly that their fans are “unenthusiastic” is just not right. A little East Coast bias showing, perhaps, Rx?

But otherwise, I agree totally. Players leave contenders and take the money from second division clubs all the time. In fact our roster has plenty of proof — Zito announced he was only going to go to a club that was set up for “multiple World Series appearances.” Mr. Gamer Rowand can’t stop talking about how important winning is to him while walking away from an annual title contender to come to a doormat. Frankly, anything an athlete ever says in front of microphone is most likely an expedient lie and should be treated as such.

Get the hell out the way Bengie, Pablito's hit the show!

by Roger on Dec 15, 2008 8:05 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

also coaches, GMs, owners, agents, university athletic directors, university presidents, … really pretty much anybody in front of a microphone.

Get the hell out the way Bengie, Pablito's hit the show!

by Roger on Dec 15, 2008 8:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m not sure it’s “east coast bias” to say a player would rather play in San Francisco than Minnesota. All you really need to do is look at the numbers. The Twins were contenders, played in a hotly contented playoff run decided on the last day of the season and were 21st in attendance. The Giants were out of it by May and finished 11th. I think I’m correct to say the Twin fans were “unenthusiastic.” I don’t really blame them, because they’re probably tired of their team trading their best players because they don’t spend money, but the fact remains that the enthusiasm is not there.

Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season

by rxmeister on Dec 15, 2008 9:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't underestimate the effect of a shiny new (relatively) stadium on attendance.

Casual fans will flock to places like AT&T Park before they will the Metrodome, driving up attendance figures.

by Streams Of Whiskey on Dec 15, 2008 3:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Coaches, GM, owners, agents...etc

You forgot Brides

Leading the Pro-Aaron Rowand contingent on the McC!
You can ridicule me in 2009 if you like...

by ThrillisGone22 on Dec 15, 2008 1:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Huge block of text FTW!!

Good post though.

by Lars The Wanderer on Dec 15, 2008 8:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Paragraphs?? I Don't Need No Stinking Paragraphs!!

Sorry about that. Once I get going, I usually don’t stop and think.about proper structure. You’re lucky it wasn’t all one sentence!!

Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season

by rxmeister on Dec 15, 2008 8:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

You’re lucky it wasn’t all one sentence!!

RxHemingway!

I agree with you and Roger, players often go where the money is.

/deer head
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Dec 15, 2008 8:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

RxFaulkner you mean!

Get the hell out the way Bengie, Pablito's hit the show!

by Roger on Dec 15, 2008 8:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch...

Brain cramp -_-

/deer head
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Dec 15, 2008 8:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think you’re right; players go where the money is. If they sign with a good team it’s because “they want to win”. If they sign with a not-so-good team it’s because (pick your favorite cliche they “like the direction the team is headed”…or…“are convinced that the team is committed to winning”…or…“want to help bring a winning attitutude to the team”…o…all of the above.

As far as SF goes, I think the city and ballpark isn’t that big an attraction to players. In my experience with ballplayers here and there, they’re not ones to get all excited about the ttheatre scene, fine dining and beautiful architecture. Most went from high school to the minors and never were really refined at any point. If anything, the high cost of living here is a turnoff (even though they’re making big bucks) and other parts of SF culture might not be their cup of tea.

the park probably plays against getting hitters because of its reputation (especially for LHHs) of being keeping HRs in the park.

My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman

by Goofus on Dec 15, 2008 9:30 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Many a fine point...

In my experience with ballplayers here and there, they’re not ones to get all excited about the ttheatre scene, fine dining and beautiful architecture.

But by the time players are free agents, they usually have a consultant to help them make decisions…and the wife may dig all those things.

They say some players get out of bed hitting; Pablo Sandoval doesn't wait that long

by bgunn on Dec 15, 2008 11:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

…or… They have a ranch in Texas.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 15, 2008 11:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

excellent point about the stadium, which brings me to another thing that drives me nuts. Giants’ fans complain when we sign a hitter to “too many dollars and too many years,” but what else can they do to persuade a hitter to forego parks like the ones they have in Colorado, Arizona, Philly etc?? Alot of these guys are already thinking ahead to their next FA pact when they sign their present one, and they know playing at ATT is going to hurt that next contract. That partially explains why the two FA pitchers we signed this offseason were very reasonable signings, and the dollars given to the one offensive player was a bit more than others thought he was worth. Pitchers like Affeldt and Howry know that they can come here put up great numbers and then get a better contract next time around, while someone like Renteria gets way more bucks than he would’ve gotten elsewhere. The Giants’ can’t really be criticized for this.

Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season

by rxmeister on Dec 16, 2008 6:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

They know they can come here and put up great numbers? Have they been looking at our bullpen numbers the last few years? That park ain’t gonna pitch all by itself, you know.

Get the hell out the way Bengie, Pablito's hit the show!

by Roger on Dec 17, 2008 6:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

SF does kinda smell like hobo pee.

The Denker bus is now bound for San Diego. Those who were passengers on it are now angrily stranded at a gas station in Modesto, CA. Not much about baseball here .

by oldjacket on Dec 15, 2008 9:55 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets…

They say some players get out of bed hitting; Pablo Sandoval doesn't wait that long

by bgunn on Dec 15, 2008 10:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is this that kind of rain?

If God had intended us not to rosterbate, he would've made our arms shorter.

Padre renuente de Luis Perdomo, porque él es todo el que se deja hasta junio.

by Mike Hawk on Dec 15, 2008 10:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

My personal favorite example of going where the money is: Mr. Alex Rodriguez!

When he was a free agent some tenish years ago, he declared that he wouldn’t go to the highest bidder, but wanted a team that would be a consistent contender. He chose the Rangers because they paid the most money, and the team had been in last place each year he was there. Good times there, A-Rod!

There are players who are willing to eschew the most money in order to play for a team that’s a winner, but these guys are the exception to the rule.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 15, 2008 11:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I those rare exceptions are typically guys near the end and want the chance to get a ring.

My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman

by Goofus on Dec 15, 2008 12:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Really good fanpost

I like what I read. Couldnt agree more.

by kvdp12 on Dec 15, 2008 12:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Another point...

…that can help your case is how rarely you hear of players taking pay-cuts to help their team develop in to a “contender”. Roy Oswalt, who for years has been my favorite non-Giant, just offered Houston’s front office an opportunity to help restructure the remaining 4 years on his contract to give them some additional financial wiggle room. That’s the kind of behavior MLB needs.

by InTimmyWeTrust on Dec 15, 2008 12:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs