Columns

MLB's crazy spenders could use an intervention

Spending in Major League Baseball has become silly.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published December 21, 2006

I imagine them gathering in a windowless room in a minor-league stadium.

A dozen or more wealthy men, burdened with the knowledge of a shared affliction. They drink coffee, eat cookies and make small talk until the meeting is called to order. And that is when the stories are told.

"I'm Theo," the first one says, "and I'm a shopaholic."

And so it begins. Tale after tale of outrageous spending and irresponsible behavior. Of blowing smoke and guzzling revenue streams.

Some are small-town rubes. A general manager who dabbles in utility infielders and middle relievers and then, before you know it, he's mainlining $55-million of his owner's money on something called Gil Meche.

Some are hip and well-educated. A Yale grad who compensates for a string of bad relationships by dropping $103-million on a pitcher who has never played in the majors, and $70-million for an outfielder with modest pop and tender bones.

They start with an Andy Pettitte and, within weeks, are strung out on the likes of Adam Eaton. They're borrowing from the bullpen to pay for the outfield. They begin with good intentions and wake up later in a bed of their own mess.

They are baseball's owners and general managers, and they are free-agent junkies.

They can't help themselves, and they rarely help their teams. Since free agency began in the first week of November, big-league clubs have dropped roughly $1.2-billion on around 75 players. And not one is a certain Hall of Famer.

What happened to restraint? Who called a war on fiscal responsibility? And is it possible all 30 GMs were dropped on their heads as infants?

Alfonso Soriano is a good player who is being paid as if he's a superstar. Eaton has never thrown 200 innings in a season or won more than 11 games, yet the Phillies gave him $24.5-million. And since J.D. Drew has had his heart criticized and his commitment questioned, shouldn't Boston GM Theo Epstein have his head examined after offering a five-year, $70-million deal?

It's as if they're racing to see who can be the first to commit career suicide.

(My money is on Anaheim general manager Bill Stoneman, who looked at 32-year-old Gary Matthews Jr. and saw a .263 career hitter who has never hit 20 homers or driven in 80 runs and apparently thought, "Yup, that's a $50-million outfielder.")

Welcome to baseball's silly season. That time after the World Series and before spring training when baseball tests the limits of credit lines and common sense.

This go-around may be the worst yet. It might even surpass the silliness of 2000 when four players got contracts worth more than $115-million each. Back then, at least, we were talking about Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey and Mike Hampton. This winter, it's Soriano, Drew, Meche and Aramis Ramirez.

What has caused the craziness? It's a combination of factors. A labor agreement has provided stability. New TV and satellite radio deals have meant additional revenues. And record attendance has put money in the pockets of owners.

The flagrant spending has made the rest of baseball look so loony, the Devil Rays are beginning to seem like the brightest kids in the classroom.

The Rays didn't waste money on 38-year-old pitchers. They didn't commit millions to injury-prone hitters. They didn't break the bank for setup men.

Look, I'm as hoarse as anyone from shouting about Tampa Bay's penny-pinching ways, but it's hard to disagree on a more cautious approach this winter.

Seriously, which of these free-agent contracts do you wish the Rays had on their books? And I'm not even talking about the big-ticket players.

Jason Marquis had a 6.02 ERA in St. Louis and got a $21-million deal with the Cubs. Alex Gonzalez is a weak-hitting shortstop who strikes out way too much, and he got $14-million from the Reds. Juan Pierre is an adequate leadoff hitter disguised as a $44-million player in Los Angeles.

When the last of the free agents are off the board, Rays vice president Andrew Friedman just may become everyone's favorite dance partner.

Whether it is teams looking to fill a final hole before spring training or hoping to dump contracts in July, the Rays will be an attractive suitor. Tampa Bay has a fairly nice collection of young hitters - i.e. cheap hitters - who might be moved in return for pitching.

In the meantime, the Rays can afford to sit back and watch. In this marketplace, it's the only thing they can afford.

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[Last modified December 21, 2006, 07:37:01]