Cubs sign DeRosa for 3 yrs/$13M

[Pinktermite]

There's no way in this market this year that you could get reasonably productive players on the cheap. Wiggy is right, Pierre is going to get a ton...stupidly. Even Maddux will probably get a two year contract. The Cards will pay 19 million to an injured and declining Jim Edmonds.

 

Most people on here (including me) on saturday night were ready to tear out JH's living guts because we all thought that Aram was gone.

 

Give the man a chance.

[goonys evil twin]

Brought down to that level by an awful 2004. The last two years he's had an OPS+ of 98 and 106, and will be playing mostly "defensive" positions. He'd be a bad hitter for a 1B or RF, but as a 2B/SS/3B/Util guy, he's clearly not a bad hitter.

 

You can just as easily say it was brought up by a fluke 2006.

 

Quit making excuses. It's a bad contract.

 

Quit being a pompous prick. Not everyone agrees with you.

 

People who aren't dumb do.

[C.C.]

It's a dumb contract. Very.

[Vinestal]

Brought down to that level by an awful 2004. The last two years he's had an OPS+ of 98 and 106, and will be playing mostly "defensive" positions. He'd be a bad hitter for a 1B or RF, but as a 2B/SS/3B/Util guy, he's clearly not a bad hitter.

 

You can just as easily say it was brought up by a fluke 2006.

 

Quit making excuses. It's a bad contract.

 

Quit trying to erase the guy's 2006.

[TruffleShuffle]

Career OPS+

 

2001: 91

2002: 101

2003: 84

2004: 59

2005: 98

2006: 106

 

 

which one looks like the biggest fluke?

[Pinktermite]

This is stupid, can't we debate something without getting nasty? Geez

[mhuber92211]

OK so mostly from this thread is not the fact that DeRosa is on the team its the fact that he is here for 3 years and he is being paid 4 million dollars.

 

No offense but whoopeedoo. Who cares how much he is paid? What is it to us fans? Once again the logic states that if you make a bad choice on a contract, its better to miss small then miss big. This is considered small. 4 million dollars is swallowable, especially for a club that swallowed 16 million. DeRosa is also a tradable commodity. He is a guy that a contender would look to add for the stretch run if he doesn't work out. This contract or signing puts the team in a better position then yesterday. It fills a hole on the team and the price does not preclude ANY other potential move. Whereas if the team signed Soriano to a long term high dollar contract it would preclude a high dollar pitcher. At least this way the player playing 2B is not stopping the team from making decision about obtaining another impact player.

 

No one can say what DeRosa will hit this coming season. We have no idea. He is as likely to repeat a performance from 2 years ago as he is his performance from last season.

 

As with any signing thelogical thing to do is look at the opportunity cost. In other words examine what the alternatives to signing this player would be. By signing DeRosa does it impact any other decision available to the team? Not really. With DeRosa's felxability, Soriano could still be signed to play 2B if that was s ticking point in negotations. It would also make a platoon partner still available for Jones should DeRosa start at 2B. In other words adding DeRosa is better then not adding him.

 

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left. If he was an option for the Cubs then he was certainly a starting 3B option for the many teams looking for help at that position (Anaheim, LA, Philly all come immediately to mind). With the other options available to those teams I am sure that one of them would have paid $4 million for DeRosa. Hendry should be praised for getting an option that was sought after by other teams immediately and not being afraid to take the pay up a notch in order to get it.

[goonys evil twin]

Brought down to that level by an awful 2004. The last two years he's had an OPS+ of 98 and 106, and will be playing mostly "defensive" positions. He'd be a bad hitter for a 1B or RF, but as a 2B/SS/3B/Util guy, he's clearly not a bad hitter.

 

You can just as easily say it was brought up by a fluke 2006.

 

Quit making excuses. It's a bad contract.

 

Quit trying to erase the guy's 2006.

 

I didn't try to erase it. I take it into account.

 

I said about 20 times that if he repeats 2006, he'll be good. The problem is the rest of his career, and his age, doesn't indicate he has much of a chance.

[b_wiggy_66]

How would you define bad contract in a market like this? I bet according to the standards everyone is using as of today to judge contracts, that 97% of the contracts signed this offseason will be considered bad contracts.

[goonys evil twin]

No offense but whoopeedoo. Who cares how much he is paid? What is it to us fans?

 

Because fans realize the team is on a budget. Every dollar spent on mediocrity is a dollar that can't be spent on good players.

[b_wiggy_66]

OK so mostly from this thread is not the fact that DeRosa is on the team its the fact that he is here for 3 years and he is being paid 4 million dollars.

 

No offense but whoopeedoo. Who cares how much he is paid? What is it to us fans? Once again the logic states that if you make a bad choice on a contract, its better to miss small then miss big. This is considered small. 4 million dollars is swallowable, especially for a club that swallowed 16 million. DeRosa is also a tradable commodity. He is a guy that a contender would look to add for the stretch run if he doesn't work out. This contract or signing puts the team in a better position then yesterday. It fills a hole on the team and the price does not preclude ANY other potential move. Whereas if the team signed Soriano to a long term high dollar contract it would preclude a high dollar pitcher. At least this way the player playing 2B is not stopping the team from making decision about obtaining another impact player.

 

No one can say what DeRosa will hit this coming season. We have no idea. He is as likely to repeat a performance from 2 years ago as he is his performance from last season.

 

As with any signing thelogical thing to do is look at the opportunity cost. In other words examine what the alternatives to signing this player would be. By signing DeRosa does it impact any other decision available to the team? Not really. With DeRosa's felxability, Soriano could still be signed to play 2B if that was s ticking point in negotations. It would also make a platoon partner still available for Jones should DeRosa start at 2B. In other words adding DeRosa is better then not adding him.

 

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left. If he was an option for the Cubs then he was certainly a starting 3B option for the many teams looking for help at that position (Anaheim, LA, Philly all come immediately to mind). With the other options available to those teams I am sure that one of them would have paid $4 million for DeRosa. Hendry should be praised for getting an option that was sought after by other teams immediately and not being afraid to take the pay up a notch in order to get it.

 

Well said

[goonys evil twin]

How would you define bad contract in a market like this? I bet according to the standards everyone is using as of today to judge contracts, that 97% of the contracts signed this offseason will be considered bad contracts.

 

If Hendry keeps paying the same dollar per production as he's paying here, the team won't be getting much better.

[TruffleShuffle]

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left.

 

I wouldn't think he has enough offense at that position, but another reason I think it's an OK signing is that he can give you at least passable offense at 3B when ARam gets hurt - which will probably happen based on recent years. He's certainly better than the anemic Neifi Perez or Ronny Cedeno.

[goonys evil twin]

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left. If he was an option for the Cubs then he was certainly a starting 3B option for the many teams looking for help at that position (Anaheim, LA, Philly all come immediately to mind).

 

What does this have to do with anything? Just because the Cubs may have been foolish enough to think about having this guy play 3B next year does not mean others were. And that fact, well, it's not really a fact, does not all of a sudden mean this is a good signing.

[TheDude]

No offense but whoopeedoo. Who cares how much he is paid? What is it to us fans?

 

Because fans realize the team is on a budget. Every dollar spent on mediocrity is a dollar that can't be spent on good players.

 

All teams not owned by Steinbrenner have mediocrity. This guy could be better than mediocre, as was the case in 2006.

[Pinktermite]

If the Cubs win the WS next year, there are people on here that will complain that they should have won it in 6 instead of 7 games.

 

Some people just will never stop being critical. The Cubs sucked last year, we all know that. Let's hope DeRosa will help.

[goonys evil twin]

No offense but whoopeedoo. Who cares how much he is paid? What is it to us fans?

 

Because fans realize the team is on a budget. Every dollar spent on mediocrity is a dollar that can't be spent on good players.

 

All teams not owned by Steinbrenner have mediocrity. This guy could be better than mediocre, as was the case in 2006.

 

Not all teams give $13 million to mediocrity.

 

Bottom line is this guy would have to significantly outproduce his past 3 years for this not to hurt the team. And asking a 30 something player to significantly outproduce what he did before is not wise.

[C.C.]

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left.

He's certainly better than the anemic Neifi Perez or Ronny Cedeno.

 

Is he? I mean he was last year, but that's 1 year.

[CubColtPacer]

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left. If he was an option for the Cubs then he was certainly a starting 3B option for the many teams looking for help at that position (Anaheim, LA, Philly all come immediately to mind).

 

What does this have to do with anything? Just because the Cubs may have been foolish enough to think about having this guy play 3B next year does not mean others were. And that fact, well, it's not really a fact, does not all of a sudden mean this is a good signing.

 

Other teams were looking to make Derosa a starting third baseman though. The Phillies were one that I know of.

[goonys evil twin]

If the Cubs win the WS next year, there are people on here that will complain that they should have won it in 6 instead of 7 games.

 

Some people just will never stop being critical. The Cubs sucked last year, we all know that. Let's hope DeRosa will help.

 

What is this garbage? Why can't a person be critical of a signing that sends lots of money to a utility player who is reportedly going to try and be the everyday 2B without being accused of always being critical? Do you seriously not see the potential downside risk to this signing? It's at least as strong as any upside opportunity.

[WindyCity]

DeRosa is a usefull addition to the bench as a super-sub. Unfortunately, at 3 years, $4mil he's not being signed to come off the bench it seems. Because of the years/dollars involved, this is not a good signing. Add up a few more deals like this and there will not be budget for the true difference makers this team needs.

[TheDude]

How would you define bad contract in a market like this? I bet according to the standards everyone is using as of today to judge contracts, that 97% of the contracts signed this offseason will be considered bad contracts.

 

If Hendry keeps paying the same dollar per production as he's paying here, the team won't be getting much better.

 

4 million for .800+ OPS out of middle infielder improves the team. But we're just going to go in circles on this point, because all you see is 2004 DeRosa in 300 ABs and not 2006 DeRosa in 500 ABs.

[TruffleShuffle]

For those who wonder about his value. DeRosa was an option for starting at 3B if ARam left.

He's certainly better than the anemic Neifi Perez or Ronny Cedeno.

 

Is he? I mean he was last year, but that's 1 year.

 

Neifi's career OPS+ is 63. Cedeno was one of the worst hitters in baseball. Yes, he's easily better than either of them, regardless of what happened last year.

[Elrhino]

I'm not thrilled with the contract, but I can't really say how bad it is until I see what others sign for and how DeRosa is used. Its obvious that the Cubs were going to sign a 2nd baseman, and I really didn't have a preference. Durham's the best out there, but I have a feeling he's going to get 7-8 million and I think that's could be a really bad contract as well. And, sorry, I'm not a big Theriot believer given that he has absolutely no track record in the minors to suggest last year was sustainable.

 

I will say this for DeRosa since I live in Texas and followed him closely with the Rangers ... 2005 he was still not 100% after blowing out his ACL in Sept. 2004. Last year was the first year in a while he had been 100%, so I can't really say how much of an anamoly it was. He had a good BABIP in 2006, but a poor one in 2004 & 2005.

Edited November 15, 2006 by Elrhino

[Pinktermite]

I think he can be a useful player Goony, I'll stick to that, and if he does turn out to be useful, then the people that maligned Hendry for signing him can be a man and apologize about it.

 

4 million is a lot to pay, but not grossly so, for a man that can be very useful should there be an injury.