He wanted a long term deal, 3-*5 years. He had just proven that he was more than capable being a top flight closer with his impressive performance last season. Considering that and the fact that by delaying it another year he’s not only another year older but another year removed from showcasing his closer skills it was a calculated risk. One which might not work out for him but seemed to be worth taking.

My real issue here is why is it the players are always called out for being greedy? Everybody involved in the game from the owner to the guy selling hot dogs does it for the money but the players are always the ones that are greedy. Not a single player is playing MLB for the love of the game so to that extent they’re all greedy. But neither is a single owner. What happens on the field and to a large extent in the clubhouse is baseball, .. the rest is business. He made a business decision that looks like it’s not working out for him, .. at the moment. I see no reason to inject a pejorative moral component to a rational strategic decision. If anything suggesting greed speaks to the under lying issue that MLB players are obscenely overpaid considering the value they bring to society. Which is why we take a certain amount of satisfaction when one ask for a salary and has to settle for less, .. or as in this case far less. Whether they are overpaid with relation to the economic value the provide is completely another issue. But, in the end I’d rather some player got overpaid occasionally than some owner, .. usually already a very wealthy individual, .. merely pocket more profit. Nobody ever paid a nickel to see an owner do anything.

But, nevertheless, Granderson, Matt Joyce, and Cameron Maybin were drafted by the Tigers before he was traded. Bonderman was looking very good until some bad luck happened and his arm fell off. For all of Porcello’s problems, he’s still been a very good pitcher considering his age. Jacob Turner could be a #1 starter next year, and was another draft pick.

The Tigers can draft players. They’ve just been big movers in trades in the last five or so years, so they haven’t held onto a lot of their top guys (not to say they didn’t get anything in return). You also have to keep in mind that Nick Castellanos has been their only first rounder in like four years because of free agent signings, and he was a compensation pick (not to mention he looks like he’s going to be an All Star some day).

I’d say the Tigers are doing just fine at drafting, developing, AND valuing talent

Jonathan Broxton got a 3 year, 7m per deal. Given the draft pick issue, I don’t think Soriano should get more than that. The problem is that he wants double that

Why are the players only the ones that get accused of being greedy? It was a business decision pure and simple, .. it may turn out to be a bad one but it was neither poorly thought out or greed. After filling in for Rivera last season it was his best chance to get a 3-5 year deal he was trying to get. It might have been smarter to wait until the Yankee contract played out but that would have made him yet another year older and another year removed from his very strong 2012 performance. It was a calculated risk, .. not greed.

Cashman took a hard line stance and only after Aroid went around him and had Warren Buffett reach out to Hank Steinbrenner did anything happen.

Arod, without Boras, brokered the deal with Hankenstein who then ordered Cashman to make to finalize it.

This is why Hankenstein was then chased off by towns folk with pitchforks and torches, leaving Hal Steinbrenner running the show.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/24/the-prince-fielder-contract-all-kinds-of-crazy/

The four who are still free agents:
Michael Bourne/Atl/Scott Boras
Adam LaRoche/WsN/SFX – Mike Milchin
Kyle Lohse/StL/Scott Boras
Rafael Soriano/NYY/Scott Boras
There’s been a lot of chatter about Bourne and LaRoche recently, so I expect them to sign fairly soon. About the only thing I’ve read about Lohse and Soriano is that teams are unwilling to give up a draft pick for them. It looks like Boras misread the market value of high round draft picks with the new draft bonus cap rules.