He's from Chicago (well South Holland) maybe we can get a hometown discount??

The point is that you can sign a potential All-Star at a much discounted price. And how is it directly delay the development of a young pitcher if he isn't even ready until mid-year? That would allow an arm to be traded mid-season if Mulder is pitching great, or for Mulder to step in if the young guys are not doing well.

 

What are the odds he ends up pitching at his old level? Who knows. But IMO, it is worth the 2 year investment.

Well, if the Sox trade another starter, they should buy low on Mulder and take a risk. Just in case Coop can't fix Floyd.

 

Well we've traded another starter, I do like the idea in having him come here.

It depends on whether our doctors think Mulder will be healthy. If we think Mulder can come back and be 90% of what he once was than he'd be a great guy to hopefully use to replace Buehrle. Mulder is a southsider at heart and is a very good pitcher when healthy (which is the key).

 

I understand he probably won't be ready for half of the season but I'm not opposed to this move if the money is right. 1yr deal worth a few mill guarantee (another couple in incentives) and than 2nd 3rd and 4th year options that would pay him pretty good (say 7 mill a year, 8 mill a year and 9 mill a year). Its not a bad idea for Mark since he has a chance to prove himself and the Sox get the potential to get him at a bit of a discount in future years (but obviously have some clauses that could even boost those options to higher dollar value or even give the player an out clause somewhere in there.

It depends on whether our doctors think Mulder will be healthy. If we think Mulder can come back and be 90% of what he once was than he'd be a great guy to hopefully use to replace Buehrle. Mulder is a southsider at heart and is a very good pitcher when healthy (which is the key).

 

I understand he probably won't be ready for half of the season but I'm not opposed to this move if the money is right. 1yr deal worth a few mill guarantee (another couple in incentives) and than 2nd 3rd and 4th year options that would pay him pretty good (say 7 mill a year, 8 mill a year and 9 mill a year). Its not a bad idea for Mark since he has a chance to prove himself and the Sox get the potential to get him at a bit of a discount in future years (but obviously have some clauses that could even boost those options to higher dollar value or even give the player an out clause somewhere in there.

You know that is at least an idea...if he could pitch at all, just as a stop-gap, it could give us more flexibility to trade Buehrle.

I'd love to have Mulder. He may even take a bit less cash than market to come here and his market value will be down due to the injuries. Sure, it would be a gamble. If he were to return to form in July, then the Sox could move him into the 5th spot in the rotation if our youngster of choice needs more time in AAA. Or, if our youngster is 10-0 with a 1.29 era, then KW could move a different pitcher in the right deal. Mulder could also be brought in mid season to give JC a rest or heal something. He's good injury insurance for any of our starters. If Mark goes to the Cards next year, Mulder could be an option to replace him. I see many positives. The only negative is that he may suck and the money is wasted. At least he wouldn't cost any prospects to acquire. KW would be smart to work out an incentive laden, mutual option, win - win contract. Now if the Royals want to give him 5 years 10 million....nevermind. I'm a gambler but that would be crazy.

unfortunately, someone is going to give him a 5-year deal bc everyone's a f***ing idiot.

Why haven't we been hearing anything about Mulder this offseason? I know he is going through surgery and won't be able to pitch for the beginning of the season, but it seems like someone would have signed him by now or we would have heard of talks at least.

Nobody is giving Mulder a 4 or 5 year guaranteed contract - that is absurd even in this current market...

Nobody is giving Mulder a 4 or 5 year guaranteed contract - that is absurd even in this current market...

 

 

never doubt Jim Hendry

i don't think it would be a bad idea. i wouldn't want him on anything other than the incentive based contract with team options. maybe if it gets late enough in the winter, he would be willing to do something like that. i guess with the way the market has been this year i wouldn't be surprised to see someone offer him a guarenteed two year deal.

Id give him a Leiber style contract (back when he was coming off arm troubles), but I just think that Mulder is a huge risk to ever pitch successfully in the majors again.

What surgery did Mulder end up having? Was it successful?

I wouldn't touch him until he shows that he's at least close to healthy, and even then it's unlikely that he'll be his old self. He was starting to decline even before the injury, I don't want to think about what he'll look like afterwards.

I wouldn't touch him until he shows that he's at least close to healthy, and even then it's unlikely that he'll be his old self. He was starting to decline even before the injury, I don't want to think about what he'll look like afterwards.

 

If you wait until he's healthy then every team is after him and he becomes expensive. The whole point of this would be to take a low risk / high return chance.

id love it, i just doubt it happens.

If I am not mistaken, Mulder only wants a 2 year deal. I think he is fairly confident he can rebound and command a more lucrative deal then.

If you wait until he's healthy then every team is after him and he becomes expensive. The whole point of this would be to take a low risk / high return chance.

 

There's a difference between being healthy and being good.

 

No one really knows if he'll ever even reach the latter again. It's highly unlikely that he ever reaches the All-star/Cy Young level that he once had, his velocity was down well before he really got hurt.

 

To get him we'd have to throw at least a few million at him and he might not pitch with any efficiency ever again. At best that's a moderate risk, and his odds of recapturing his old form are slim.

The point is that you can sign a potential All-Star at a much discounted price. And how is it directly delay the development of a young pitcher if he isn't even ready until mid-year? That would allow an arm to be traded mid-season if Mulder is pitching great, or for Mulder to step in if the young guys are not doing well.

 

What are the odds he ends up pitching at his old level? Who knows. But IMO, it is worth the 2 year investment.

 

I completely agree. I think a contract that is like $5 mil next season, $9 mil in 2008 with $12 mil team options for 09-10 would be a good contract for the Sox, if he returns to form he earns some money if not the Sox invest some in him and use him as the long reliever is for a couple years.

Its a moderate/high risk if we expect him to win 15-17 games for us.

 

Is it risky to expect him to compete and have a chance to return to prominence for a price well below the Ted Lilly range? IMO - No.

Its a moderate/high risk if we expect him to win 15-17 games for us.

 

Is it risky to expect him to compete and have a chance to return to prominence for a price well below the Ted Lilly range? IMO - No.

 

You're still going to have to throw probably at least $5 mil at a guy that won't pitch until June at the earliest, and the best you can reasonably expect from him IF he is healthy again is what he did with St. Louis 2 years ago, which probably translates to an ERA in the low 4's in the AL.

 

Seriously, Jason Marquis out-pitched Mulder over the last 3 years statistically, and now there's the surgery to worry about. He's been on the decline for about 2 1/2 years, and now he's hurt. I don't like that as an investment.

 

I just think there are better ways to invest that kind of money, especially when we have some younger arms already on the roster that have about as good a chance of being a major asset as he does (and probably better for Danks).

Edited December 27, 200619 yr by ZoomSlowik

I disagree

nope hes washed up

It is not certain that he is washed up at all - who knows how he will come back...

It is not certain that he is washed up at all - who knows how he will come back...

 

And who's to say that his decline has been due to the injury, I know that he was out this year with the injury, but he may have been battling it for a while. With almost a year off to recover he could be back into his Oakland form, or he might stink, buts its a gamble that is worth taking.