Sox have 2 of Jonah Keri's Worst 15 Contracts in baseball

[doublem23]

Dunn and Danks at 12 and 11 respectively. Can't really argue with that.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...-contracts-mlb

Unfortunately, we only have 1 of the Top 50 most valuable players in baseball right now... http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...aseball-part-2

[SephClone89]

Honestly, it's really awesome to see Sale make the list that high, as well as MLBN lists and otherwise. God, I hope he turns out well.

I need a new jersey t-shirt to replace my Beckham one and I want to go with Sale, but I'm worried it's still too early.

[LoveYourSuit]

Just hoping this Danks injury is a one year thing and nothing nagging for the future.

Sucks for a team who rarely pays long term money to pitchers roll the dice and fail so far with it.

But again, only 1 year.

[LoveYourSuit]

Also, if not for a comeback season last year, Rios would have made that list too.

[sullythered]

They put Mark Buehrle on the "honorable mentions" list. Until I see some kind of decline, he shouldn't be there.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by sullythered

They put Mark Buehrle on the "honorable mentions" list. Until I see some kind of decline, he shouldn't be there.

Well, he's been in more or less rough decline for a few seasons now, but I'm sure it's more in relation to the fact that in 2014 and 2015 he's owed an average of $18.5 M per season which is WAAAAAAAAAY more than Buehrle's probably ever been worth, even at his peak. That's a tough pill to swallow for a to-contact pitcher reentering the American League.

This isn't just "15 Worst Players in Baseball," it's "15 Worst Ratios of Player Value to Amount of Money Owed." Albert Pujols is still one of the best hitters in the game, but the fact that he's owed approximately $300 million until he's in his 40s... Woof.

[SoxFanCPA]

Originally Posted by SephClone89

Honestly, it's really awesome to see Sale make the list that high, as well as MLBN lists and otherwise. God, I hope he turns out well.

I need a new jersey t-shirt to replace my Beckham one and I want to go with Sale, but I'm worried it's still too early.

It wasn't too early to get Beckham's?

[mahagga73]

I'm not sure where Dunn is that bad a contract. He produces Runs and RBI's at a clip well above league average usually , at least last year. He gets paid a ton, but I don't remember many complaints when we got him . I was happy with it. Danks contract was an eyebrow raiser , I never thought he should have got that kind of money for pretty average career numbers and performance. But I have heard , for the sabermetric people , he has WAR well above average for his spot in the rotation and for a lefthanded pitcher. I didn't like that contract at all at the time and still don't. He gets paid like a top flight pitcher and he doesn't perform like one in my opinion. If he gets injured again, that contract is going to be a disaster.

[asindc]

Originally Posted by mahagga73

I'm not sure where Dunn is that bad a contract. He produces Runs and RBI's at a clip well above league average usually , at least last year. He gets paid a ton, but I don't remember many complaints when we got him . I was happy with it. Danks contract was an eyebrow raiser , I never thought he should hve got tha kind of money for pretty average career numbers and performance. But I have heard , for the sabermetric people , he has WAR well above average for his spot in the rotation and for a lefthanded pitcher. i didn't like that contract at all at the time and still don't. He gets paid like a top flight pitcher and he doesn't perform like one in my opinion. If he gets injured again, that contract is going to be a disaster.

I have an opposite viewpoint. Keri seems to include Danks in his bottom mainly based on the uncertainty that he will perform close to pre-injury levels, while Dunn's inclusion is based on a two-year decline (not in HR and RBI, of course, but in every other offensive category) at the age of 33. I think Danks will come closer to earning his salary than Dunn will, especially when you factor in defense (and why wouldn't you?).

[mahagga73]

Originally Posted by asindc

I have an opposite viewpoint. Keri seems to include Danks in his bottom mainly based on the uncertainty that he will perform close to pre-injury levels, while Dunn's inclusion is based on a two-year decline (not in HR and RBI, of course, but in every other offensive category) at the age of 33. I think Danks will come closer to earning his salary than Dunn will, especially when you factor in defense (and why wouldn't you?).

Yeah I can see that. didn't factor in age and all that for Dunn.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by asindc

I have an opposite viewpoint. Keri seems to include Danks in his bottom mainly based on the uncertainty that he will perform close to pre-injury levels, while Dunn's inclusion is based on a two-year decline (not in HR and RBI, of course, but in every other offensive category) at the age of 33. I think Danks will come closer to earning his salary than Dunn will, especially when you factor in defense (and why wouldn't you?).

I think there are a lot of pitching contracts that are worse than Danks'. If you are going to go with uncertaintly of future performance, there could be a lot more. Pitching is such a fragile commodity that there are pitchers who appear to be signed to good contracts now who will be hurt in 2013 and become huge financial burdens on their team. The anti-Cubs bias here will cloud opinions, but look at how abrubtly objective baseball opinions changed in considering Mark Prior's Cubs contract.

I though Dunn's contract was one of the worst in baseball the day it was signed because I think basesball, winning baseball anyway, has been evolving away from what he brings to the game. He isn't even a very good run producer considering that in two years in the American League he has been his team's worst regular hitter with runners in scoring position. I hope that doesn't continue, but I think that will continue as long as he doesn't work on making more contact.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by mahagga73

I'm not sure where Dunn is that bad a contract. He produces Runs and RBI's at a clip well above league average usually , at least last year. He gets paid a ton, but I don't remember many complaints when we got him . I was happy with it. Danks contract was an eyebrow raiser , I never thought he should have got that kind of money for pretty average career numbers and performance. But I have heard , for the sabermetric people , he has WAR well above average for his spot in the rotation and for a lefthanded pitcher. I didn't like that contract at all at the time and still don't. He gets paid like a top flight pitcher and he doesn't perform like one in my opinion. If he gets injured again, that contract is going to be a disaster.

mahagga I think the point on Dunn was also that his production can be achieved/close to achieved at the DH spot by guys that can be signed to minor league deals now. Not that they don't deserve more, but execs are now spending more on players with multiple tools and paying very little to one and two dimensional sluggers.

[Frater Perdurabo]

As others have said, I am not that concerned about the contracts right now, given that over the next few years the big deals will come off our books.

I am more concerned that the Sox have enough talent coming through the system, both currently in the minors and young players on the roster, to replace the aging expensive veterans as they leave.