This is total bullshit. They have made a fucking living by telling free agents to get the best deal from another team (usually Boston) and then coming back and they will beat it. Now when it's done to them in a trade scenario it's the worst thing ever? Go fuck yourselves.
The issue isn't that Seattle took what they felt was the best offer. That's how free agency and trades work. The issue is that they had agreed to a deal in principle with the Yankees. You'll notice no one from the Yanks is pissed at Texas. In the free agency scenario, it's the agent who is behaving improperly. The Yanks are not at fault. They can't control whether the agent agreed to a deal in principle with another team. Of course, in that scenario, everyone gets pissed at the Yanks, anyway. Especially the fans of the financially struggling, small market scrappers up in Boston. Imagine if they didn't balk over $10M for Teixeira and send him to the Yanks. What would last year have looked like if he was on the Sox instead of the Yanks? Boston probably would have won the East and the WS last year. Too bad.
Probably, and I was furious about it. I don't like Teixeira but would have liked to have his bat in the Sox lineup.
I think they made the right call with Lee. They had a team that they thought would contend, but they didn't, and they got a nice package for him. The ridiculous move for them was letting Branyan go in the offseason and then trading prospects for him recently. WTF? They were well out of contention and obviously planned on trading Lee, so why trade prospects for an old player, especially an old player you just let walk?
That's BS. Complete and utter BS. And I hope you know it and just trying your best Cakes impression. This. This. This. This. This. Thank you. No. It's not because they have no money. It's because they won't invest money. People bitch about the Yankees. Guess what? YES was an investment. One they entered with a BASKETBALL team to create. It's paid off. Welcome to America. -------------- Anyway, I don't blame the Mariners for getting Lee this offseason. A rotation that included Lee and Hernandez? If they scored any decent number of runs they were a legit World Series contender. They just can't score. As for the deal itself, I was disappointed, but only angry about one thing. Texas should not have been allowed to get him. The entire team is being run off the rest of the league's money. It's ridiculous. They shouldn't have been allowed to take on the contract. Who the hell wants to loan their neighbor money just to see them come home in a new Mercedes? To put it in perspective, word is, the Mets won't be able to put another contract on the books this season, and if they manage any trades it'll have to come with the condition that the other team eat money, which results in the Mets giving up extra prospects in any deal. Does that make Mets fans happy? Still want to gloat that the Rangers "beat" the Yankees at their own game? Anyway, it actually works out better for the Yankees in the end. Texas won't be able to extend him at all, so he'll hit free agency, and the Yankees will thumb their noses at baseball and ludicrously overpay him. Oh, and for the record, even without the trade, AJ Burnett is still the "worst" pitcher on the Yankees. :rofl:
MLB gave Texas a budget to operate under, and Lee was well within that budget. They actually still have room under the budget so could make some more moves.
Former CEO. He stepped down ten years ago. I'm sure he's wealthy, but all of baseball's owners can be classified as "one of the richest men in America." I don't know that he's necessarily richer than other owners. For example, his money is nothing compared to what Carl Pohlad had.
Of course Texas should've been allowed to get him. They barely added any money because Seattle paid off most of what was owed to Lee for the rest of the season. You're saying that since Texas is in bankruptcy, they shouldn't be allowed to make any moves at all?
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. They shouldn't be allowed to do squat until they fix their financial situation. Again, it's also fine with me that they did it, since it was the best team for him to go to in terms of the Yankees grabbing him off the top of the FA heap in November plus he stands little chance of hurting the Yankees in the playoffs. I just don't think it's right and I'd be pissed off if I were a MLB owner that they did (and there are a number of them that are.)
I disagree with you on two counts. From what I understand, the owners allotted a small operating budget to the Rangers and they managed to work out a deal that fits Lee under it. I say they deserve credit for being creative and getting a great player on the cheap I also disagree that Lee isn't likely to hurt the Yankees in the playoffs. It seems very likely that the Yankees meet Texas in the first round this year, and although I'm very confident in the Bombers I do get nervous about facing Lee twice in a short series.
I think it's ridiculous that a team like the Mets, a major market team, can't afford to take on money, and therefore has to get creative to improve their team for a playoff run, but Texas, running off other teams' money, can make a move to get one of the best pitchers in the sport. It just seems screwed up to me. As for Lee hurting in the playoffs, I'm not worried. I think Texas is going to get the 2 seed, so we'll play either the central winner or the Rays. Even if we play the Rangers, our pitching can beat any team in baseball right now. The only thing we have to do is score runs, which while it's been an issue so far this year, this team is starting to heat up. I'm confident this team will go into October scoring runs off anybody. Now, if we were facing Price and Lee in a 5-game series, I'd probably already be planning the offseason, but that's why I'm okay with the Rangers getting Lee.
I don't understand how you don't understand this. The MLB owners gave Texas an opperating budget to function under. Seattle ate most of his salary, so the actual portion of payroll Texas took on was very very small, and falls well within the budget MLB owners made in the preseason. Texas gave up some top prospects to rent a man for 4 months. Texas is paying this man next to nothing, while Seattle is paying the majority of the deal. Why should they not be allowed to operate under the rules established by the MLB owners? The Mets argument is horrible, in that they are already one of the highest payroll teams and have nobody of value to trade. Honestly, you just sound butthurt that the Mariners took advantage of you guys and you couldn't throw money at this problem, as per.
My problem is, they're being rewarded for failure. But I guess in these current days in America, that's okay. And it's not like there aren't teams that are upset about the same exact thing. Just because MLB's office said it was okay doesn't make it right. I'm not arguing that Texas didn't pay Seattle fairly in the deal. I'm simply arguing that they should not have been allowed to make any deal in the first place. I'm not going to spend a lot more time arguing this though. It doesn't make any difference. The league allowed it, and even the teams that were originally going to sue the league dropped it, so the point is moot. I'm just happy he didn't wind up with Tampa Bay. Any other team is still beatable for the Yankees even with Lee.
They added the MINIMUM amount of payroll possible. If they had traded for a minimum guy who you didn't want, would you really be as upset? No. Honestly, I think you're upset they picked up a good player you wanted was grabbed by another team. You said it yourself, "I want Lee so bad it hurts".
Am I upset that the Yankees didn't get Lee? Absolutely. Would I have been upset if any other team got him? Sure I would. Am I pissed off that no matter how small his contract hit is to the Rangers it's someone else's money they're spending? Hell friggin' yes. And I would have said that if it were any player they acquired at this point. We could get all political with the conversation at this point, and discuss the parallels to current government issues, but you and I both stand on opposite sides of that fence as well, not coincidentally the same opposite sides of the fence. Again, there are other baseball owners who are pissed off about this. Regardless of the amount of money involved, the Rangers should be making do with whatever they have until they can right their own ship. That's why I'm pissed off that the Rangers got him. Otherwise, as I've said, this works out great for the Yankees. Chances are, they won't face Lee, at least not in the first round. Then, in November, Texas can't possibly afford to re-sign him, thereby giving the Yankees the opportunity to say "Hey Cliff, how many zeroes should we put on this check?" Lastly, we get to keep our best prospect for later deals. If Texas were capable of supporting their own team financially, I'd be happy he wound up with the Rangers. It's the best place he could have wound up for my team. But if you'd really like to continue arguing, and assuming you know what I'm arguing beyond what I'm actually writing, go right ahead.
If these other owners had made the demands that they could not make any moves, and had an approved payroll with no room to wiggle...Then I could agree with you. These guys are mad that the Rangers worked the system and improved, albeit only in the short term, a large ammount. They used their existing asset to swing for another asset and did exactly what they were told they could do. They had to goto MLB to get the OK, and it was OK'd. The only people I've seen who are upset are Yankee fans, and it's almost entirly because they're butthurt the Rangers got Lee. The Rangers very well may be able to spend this offseason, as well. If the Nolan Ryan group wins their lawsuit, the sale can be pushed thru and his group could take control by seasons end. And MLB has been ok with approving money increase with imminent sales, so while I doubt Lee would stay in Texas, they could very much be in the game.
I see your point, and that's fair. I still disagree with MLB allowing though. The teams that were preparing to sue were the Marlins and (I think) the Twins. So no, it wasn't just Yankees fans. Ryan's group will win. I'm all but certain of it. It won't matter though. The Yankees will definitely throw money at this one like no one's ever seen. Cashman is fuming, and it's only going to be 5 months of stewing up until the time he make a deal. Lee is going to make so much money it'll be laughable.
I have no doubt that they'll win, and I also have no doubt that the Yankees will throw boatloads of money at Lee. Just saying, the Rangers deffinetly COULD be in play, should he enjoy the time there and they perform well. I certainly hope so, at least. I'm a Ryan fan and have always liked what he's done in the office. As far as the Marlins go, they always are against MLB assisting teams. It cuts their bottom line. The Twins, I dunno. They could legit be upset about the miniscule payroll increase, or just be upset they made a lackluster offer that was trumped.
