|
ESPN Boston is reporting that the Red Sox are not not willing to offer Josh Beckett a 5-year extension on his contract.
The assumption is that the Red Sox are concerned about his durability - namely his shoulder. A fair point, but here's where I get confused:
John Lackey got 5 years and $82.5 million this offseason, but hasn't started 30 games since 2007. The Red Sox protected themselves with a unique injury clause, but who's to say Beckett wouldn't agree to a similar agreement?
A.J. Burnett got the same deal last offseason from the Yankees. He averaged 25 starts per year during the the five years leading up to that deal, and although Burnett logged 33 starts and 207 innings, he finished at 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA, while Beckett was 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA.
Here's the kicker: If the Sox gave Beckett a 5-year deal, he would turn 35 in May of 2015 - the final year of the contract. Lackey will turn 36 in October of his final year and Burnett will be 36 during his final year in New York. Again, I'm confused.
The Red Sox have over $30 million coming off the books this offseason when the contracts for Ortiz, Lowell, Varitek and Lugo are finished... so giving Beckett $16.5 million as part of a 5-year, $82.5 million deal shouldn't be a problem financially. However, they do need to Victor Martinez (or another catcher), replace or re-sign David Ortiz at DH and replace or extend Adrian Beltre at third base.
What it comes down to is this: Will the Red Sox be a better team with Beckett or without him?
If Clay Buchholz emerges as the pitcher we all hope he can be, the Sox could theoretically, get by without Beckett. Perhaps they plan to offer a deal the 2011 Free Agent Cliff Lee in the hopes of signing a potential 12-15 game winner for less money and years. But after Lee and Beckett the 2011 FA class isn't very exciting... and Beckett remains one of the youngest in the class.
One could argue that the Sox don't need to replace Beckett with an "ace" with Lester, Lackey, Matsuzaka and Buchholz on the team, but why sign a guys like Justin Duchscherer (33) or Dave Bush (31) or Jeremy Bonderman (28) when you can have a proven winner in Beckett?
Bottom Line: Beckett may very well decide that staying in Boston and playing for a perennial contender will make him happy... even if it's only for four years. But if the two sides can't agree to a deal before the end of the 2010 season, Beckett could end up winning 20 games and asking for $100 million.
I say lock him up now, and if he leads you to one or two more World Series apprearances before 2015, it will look like a bargain in the end.
What do you guys think?
|
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 