The Phillies signed former Giant 3b Pedro Feliz today to a 2 year $8.5 million contract. The deal, if all options and bonus are picked up, could be worth $15 mil over 3 years.
Am I alone in thinking that is insane????
This is the same Pedro Feliz who is 33 yo right? The same one who hasn't hit more than 22 hrs in a year? The career .252 hitter with an OBA of .288??? The guy with the 1.5 to 5 BB to K ration??? What is going on here??? $8.5 million. 2 years. what? Is this where we have arrived in the MLB?
Remind me to let my kid be a slick-fielding, extra-hacky 3b so I can retire comfortably to a life of golf channel and cold Michelob Lights. (maybe around my kids 33rd b-day if Pat Gillick still has a job then)
In his defense Pedro should top 22 HRs this year in the bandbox that the Phils play in. He may even help them out with his solid defense but lets consider this investment for a second. Where there no better options either in-house or on the free agent market?
There aren't a ton of other 3b free agents at the moment. Other 3b free agent luminaries include - Morgan Ensberg, Jeff Cirillo, Russell "the Muscle" Branyan, and most intriguing Dallas McPherson. So maybe the Phils got the best of the lot in Feliz. If not the best, well at least he can pick it over at the hot corner. I mean do the Phils need more offense anyway?
In house options include Wes Helms (last years Pedro Feliz moment in Philly) who is just a platoon guy these days and by these days I mean his whole career, and a few younger guys in the minors that aren't ready yet. So there is no help there either.
Maybe this Feliz deal isn't so bad is what you may be thinking.
I know I'm wondering how it came to this for the Phils. Pedro Feliz representing the lesser of many evils right now...amazing.
What about trades.... I mean this seems to be the right way for the Phils to approach this. There are myriad 3b available in trades. Joe Crede, Brandon Inge, Chad Tracy, Nomar, Freddy Sanchez just to name a few. I like the guys on this list more than Feliz but it begs the question of what is $8.5 million worth in the MLB in 2008. Is it worth less than the value of JA Happ or Carlos Ruiz? Is it easier to blow $8.5 million than trade marginal talent? The answer would seem to be yes.
I don't mean to hate on Pedro Feliz but I know Giants fans are happy to see him go and I would imagine come 2010 Phils fans will be pleased by Pedro disappearance.
Maybe it was the right move for the Phils although I doubt it. What we can be sure about is that $$$ in MLB these days are seemingly fake. It's toy money to these GMs, not the same $$$ I spend on cold 6-packs and MLB Extra Innings. It almost seems that $$$ is the bail out option for GMs who aren't inventive enough to come up with nice trades.
Well consider yourself bailed out temporarily Pat Gillick. And it only cost you $8.5 million, which in todays MLB climate is roughly 1/2 of Carlos Silva. What a steal....
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