Tigers Sign Damon - 1 yr, 8 mil; NTC

[SI1020]

I really don't know too much what you are talking about.

You mention my pessimism and burying our players.

When I think of these guys I have positive thoughts. Do you want me to praise them on here? I will:

I have positive thoughts of Lexi, Beckham, Paulie in the infield (I have negative thoughts about Teahen; I am neutral about Nix and Kotsay, leaning toward being negative toward Omar).

I have positive feelings about CQ in the outfield, negative thoughts about Rios and Pierre. I'm willing to wait and see on Rios and Pierre this season. It's not like I want them to suck.

I have positive feelings about AJP; negative about Castro.

I have positive feeligs toward Mark, Peavy, Danks Floyd and Freddy; positive feelings toward Bobby and Thornton and Hudson; negative toward Linebrink, Randy Williams and any ex Royals relievers still on the roster.

I like Oz and KW.

 

Yes, I love the guys who departed: Dye, Crede, Thome, Pods. I am not a big fan of Getz, Fields or Brian Anderson.

I like most of our players and am rooting for them all out of the gates this season.

I didn't read your sarcasm, sorry about that.

I read this and thought with an exception here and there I pretty much agree with Greg all the way down the line. Does that make me a pessimist too?

 

[chetkincaid]

I read this and thought with an exception here and there I pretty much agree with Greg all the way down the line. Does that make me a pessimist too?

 

 

POSITIVELY!!!

 

Okay I'm kidding...

 

Is it April yet?

[Kyyle23]

I read this and thought with an exception here and there I pretty much agree with Greg all the way down the line. Does that make me a pessimist too?

 

If it were only that simple

[WCSox]

I used to run an NFL football player's non-profit foundation in 1995 and 1996.

 

We put on a charity basketball game, golf tournament and dinner, so, as the Program Director, I was lucky enough to deal with Coach Landry, Ditka, Schottenheimer, Dan Reeves, Hootie and the Blowfish, Garrison Heart, Rodney Hampton, Robert Porcher, Shannon Sharpe, etc.

 

Well, Deion Sanders was a pain (we had to get first class tickets for his wife, Deion Jr and Deiondra, from Ft. Myers to Augusta, limo service, etc.). The basketball game was the NFL All-Stars against the Dallas Cowboys. And this was Michael Irvin's first public appearance after his drug problems, the event was early 1996, can't remember the exact date. But there must have been 50+ media requests.

 

The one individual I left that experience having a great amount of respect for was Herschel Walker. He volunteered his own time to be the keynote speaker and didn't even accept a free hotel room, if I remember correctly. I think he was still getting paid by the New Jersey Generals at the time, one of the best contracts ever for a professional athlete.

 

But Coach Landry, he had that sort of "gravelly" voice, like Vincent Price from the Thriller video, you just knew instantly who it was as soon as you picked up the phone.

 

The other interesting celebrity I met was almost a baby, lol. She would later go on to win American Idol, Jordan Sparks. I rode to a game in the Meadowlands with Jordan, her mom (Philippi Sparks, the former CB for the Giants, is her father) and my boss' wife.

 

Nice!

 

[southsider2k5]

I always thought about that. Like if I was Bill Gates, and was a big sports fan. I would be like "Here ya go, take this $2M and get this guy". I mean, Gates makes millions of dollars a week. I wonder if there are any rules against this.

 

It would be easy to do. Just pay him to be a pitchman for your product.

[RockRaines]

KW thinks Jason Botts will be our big LH bat. Book it.

[BigSqwert]

Who?

[ThunderBolt]

Who?

Spring Training Invitee. Switch-hitting power bat who couldn't cut it for the Rangers.

[SoxAce]

Spring Training Invitee. Switch-hitting power bat who couldn't cut it for the Rangers.

 

He was once a big time prospect. He was dicked around with the Rangers, though who knows how his "psyche" per say is.

[witesoxfan]

He was once a big time prospect. He was dicked around with the Rangers, though who knows how his "psyche" per say is.

 

I think using the phrase "big time" is a bit of a stretch, but he was a top 10 prospect in the Rangers system 2 years in a row (going into the 2006 and 2007 seasons).

[Dick Allen]

Well, I often hear about GMs not being able to find Latin American players in the offseason. Why do I hear that but not the same about American players? I swear, sometimes you think I get all my information from Entourage or something.

 

Believe it or not, Mr. Rongey, I also took Negotiations as well as Mediations. I also worked for the Mayor's Office as well as a very successful law firm, where I did take part in negotiations and mediations. I am very well aware that sometimes it is difficult to get parties to come to agreements. And if that would have been the case, then perhaps you are correct in saying that it would have been unrealistic. I tend to think that for a guy who already has made millions, has a guaranteed contract for another $75 million or so, that he would probably not have a huge problem with deferring $2-3 million over the course of a few years. But hey, that is just my opinion.

 

As for your side note, I don't really see where I have admitted that it would have been nearly impossible to do. And if you go back and read the original post I made, you'll see I didn't come out and say "LET'S GET ONE OF OUR VETERANS TO RENEGOTIATE!"

I said

 

I never said it was a simple process. I never said it was something that Kenny should pressured someone to do. I never said it was commonplace.

 

My implication was that if it really was about the availability of the money, and I truly don't believe it was, then I would hope we would get creative enough to make it happen.

 

What do you guys care more about, winning? Or doing something "awkward"? What do you think Kenny cares more about?

Your suggestion has occurred before. I never heard of it, but from cincinatti.com:

 

I’m writing about Scott Rolen for tomorrow’s paper. He’s an interesting guy to talk to. Here’s a little preview:

 

The restructuring of his contract was in the works since the last day of the season. Walt Jocketty approached him and told him that the Reds wanted him here long-term. Rolen got extended for two years — but his 2010 salary was reduced from $11 million to $6 million with other $5 million, deferred with no interest.

 

“You’ve got to be careful talking about money with an organization,” he said. “But they were looking to free up some money to go out and be more competitive, to become a better ballclub. I was certainly more than willing to do that, so pushed some money back. It’s a negotiation. They said, ‘we’ll extend you if you do this.’ It worked well for both of us.”

 

That $5 million allowed the Reds to add to Orlando Cabrera ($2.27 million), Jonny Gomes ($800,000) and Aroldis Chapman ($1 million) to this year’s payroll.

 

Of course he received an extension for his efforts, but if winning is the main thing and you have more money than you'll ever need..................................

Edited February 26, 2010 by Dick Allen

[Ranger]

Your suggestion has occurred before. I never heard of it, but from cincinatti.com:

 

I’m writing about Scott Rolen for tomorrow’s paper. He’s an interesting guy to talk to. Here’s a little preview:

 

The restructuring of his contract was in the works since the last day of the season. Walt Jocketty approached him and told him that the Reds wanted him here long-term. Rolen got extended for two years — but his 2010 salary was reduced from $11 million to $6 million with other $5 million, deferred with no interest.

 

“You’ve got to be careful talking about money with an organization,” he said. “But they were looking to free up some money to go out and be more competitive, to become a better ballclub. I was certainly more than willing to do that, so pushed some money back. It’s a negotiation. They said, ‘we’ll extend you if you do this.’ It worked well for both of us.”

 

That $5 million allowed the Reds to add to Orlando Cabrera ($2.27 million), Jonny Gomes ($800,000) and Aroldis Chapman ($1 million) to this year’s payroll.

 

Of course he received an extension for his efforts, but if winning is the main thing and you have more money than you'll ever need..................................

 

 

Sure, which makes something like this the player's call. But we're also talking about a different situation here. It's one thing to be negotiating a contract for an upcoming season and the team lays out plans to you and tells you that they want you, they want to pay you a little less than what you may be able to get elsewhere, but they want to take that money and sign some other players. They may also tell you specifically what it is they want to do and who else they want to sign. That's one thing, and it's not all that uncommon. It's a completely different thing, however, to ask a player with an already existing contract to restructure. In that case, you're getting into some murky player-relations territory.

 

Like I said before, part of that problem is the decision of who would get approached first. You have to think that if you come to a current player on your roster and tell him what you want to do, his reaction will probably be, "Why are you asking me to do that? Why not anyone else?" I would also imagine that, for future puproses, you don't want to be known as the team that signs its players to long term deals, then comes to them 2 years in to ask to restructure. Part of the benefit of getting a long-term contract is the security of knowing exactly what you'll be paid and for how long.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Ranger

[Dick Allen]

Sure, which makes something like this the player's call. But we're also talking about a different situation here. It's one thing to be negotiating a contract for an upcoming season and the team lays out plans to you and tells you that they want you, they want to pay you a little less than what you may be able to get elsewhere, but they want to take that money and sign some other players. They may also tell you specifically what it is they want to do and who else they want to sign. That's one thing, and it's not all that uncommon. It's a completely different thing, however, to ask a player with an already existing contract to restructure. In that case, you're getting into some murky player-relations territory.

 

Like I said before, part of that problem is the decision of who would get approached first. You have to think that if you come to a current player on your roster and tell him what you want to do, his reaction will probably be, "Why are you asking me to do that? Why not anyone else?" I would also imagine that, for future puproses, you don't want to be known as the team that signs its players to long term deals, then comes to them 2 years in to ask to restructure. Part of the benefit of getting a long-term contract is the security of knowing exactly what you'll be paid and for how long.

Rolen deferred $5 million of his 2010 salary with no interest. He did have an existing contract. His payoff was an extension, but he did defer money. Iamshack was suggesting guys like Peavy who supposedly want Damon badly defer a million or two to get it done. I don't know what the payoff for Peavy could be. Maybe later on if the White Sox are absolutely sure of his health, they can guarantee picking up his option or something.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Dick Allen

[Ranger]

Rolen deferred $5 million of his 2010 salary with no interest. He did have an existing contract. His payoff was an extension, but he did defer money. Iamshack was suggesting guys like Peavy who supposedly want Damon badly defer a million or two to get it done. I don't know what the payoff for Peavy could be. Maybe later on if the White Sox are absolutely sure of his health, they can guarantee picking up his option or something.

 

 

But there isn't anybody like that on the Sox (a guy with one year left that there's a consideration of a long term deal after this season). Nobody's contract is coming up, at least not a player they're probably looking to sign long term. Except for maybe AJ, but who knows right now what their plans are for him. I doubt they'd be looking to bring him back for more than one more year if they're looking to bring him back at all. I doubt they're looking to do the same with Konerko, either, unless he'll be a future DH or something.

[iamshack]

For a guy slated to make $52 million over the next three years, the payoff is the chance to have a better shot at winning a title...

 

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I don't recall ever hearing Damon talk, but does he have a mental problems and speech impediment?

 

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7171759

 

He seems be at lost for words and how to form a sentence, then when he starts talking, he sounds like he has speaking problems.....

[chw42]

He seems really really nervous.

[TitoMB345]

He seems really really nervous.

Wow, he seems beyond nervous..

[Balta1701]

Wow, he seems beyond nervous..

Well, he has wanted to play for this team for so long.

[iamshack]

Well, he has wanted to play for this team for so long.

Oh, well-played, well-played.

 

Balta, you do not seem yourself today...are you drunk again?

[southsider2k5]

I guess we see why Borass does the talking for him...

[Kyyle23]

I don't recall ever hearing Damon talk, but does he have a mental problems and speech impediment?

 

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7171759

 

He seems be at lost for words and how to form a sentence, then when he starts talking, he sounds like he has speaking problems.....

 

 

You should find the video of him hosting WWE Monday Night RAW a few months ago. If you think he sounds nervous and out of place on this video, you should see him on live TV in front of a stadium full of people talking

[greg775]

He probably hates speaking in public. Or maybe has speech impediment. Who knows?

He's definitely had an excellent career, but I don't really care we didn't get him. Never been a huge Damon guy probably because of his arm.