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Bonds and Shea don't mix
Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci's Baseball Mailbag appears weekly on CNNSI.com. To send a question, click here. Let's see, the Mets took a pass on Alex Rodriguez, insulting him in the process for being too concerned about himself, and now Barry Bonds is on the market -- the guy with his own wing in the clubhouse, his own stretching program, and the same agent as A-Rod. Does that sound like a match? We'll see. Do you see the Mets making a run at Barry Bonds to improve their outfield?
Also, do you think it's possible the Mets could make a deal with the Angels to
acquire Troy Percival, Darin Erstad and Mo Vaughn in exchange for Todd Zeile,
Armando Benitez and Bruce
Chen?
I don't see the Mets getting Bonds, not after their infamous "24-and-1" characterization of Rodriguez and their reluctance to spend big money following a season in which they made the World Series. Now, after a down year and a downturn in the economy, I don't see the Mets throwing tons of cash at free agents. However, I do see where they may have a fit with Anaheim, trading big contracts in a deal for Vaughn, but your idea is not exactly fair, is it? Besides, the Angels would be better served to move such players individually rather than as a package. If baseball decides to abolish Florida and Montreal, what kind of process
will be put in place to make sure teams like the Yankees and Dodgers don't get
all the top players (like Jose Vidro, Vladimir Guerrero, Preston Wilson and
Cliff Floyd)? Other teams like the Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays and Padres should
have as much of a chance to get these All-Stars as any other
club.
The most likely scenario would be an expansion-type dispersal draft, drafting in order of record from worst to first. Those teams could then arrange trades with other teams involving the guys they just drafted. So, if Pittsburgh took Vladimir Guerrero, they could trade him for three players from another club. How come everyone wants to see the Marlins disbanded? Why not Tampa Bay, a
team that is much worse than the Marlins, and really has no history whatsoever,
let alone a World Series victory? Is there any possibility of combining the two
teams, or possibly moving the Marlins to Orlando or another Florida city with a
big baseball
market?
There are several scenarios in play and baseball is a long way from a final answer on which two teams they want gone. Well, Montreal does seem to be a given. But the other one could be Minnesota, Florida or Tampa Bay or (though not likely) even some other club. I can't claim to know for sure whether Tampa Bay is better than Florida. But I do think both franchises cannot exist long term in their current facilities. (I won't use the word ballpark.) I read recently that the players' union has said it has to approve the
elimination of teams. Is that really necessary? If a company or franchise goes
out of business in the real world its employees don't have to
approve.
Baseball is not the real world. And remember, these franchises are not going out of business by bankruptcy or default. They are being bought out. This changes the working conditions of the union workers, and is subject to union approval. You're not just going to take away 60-70 jobs (including DL players) and expect the union to let it go without input. With their apparent lack of quality starters, will the Mariners go after Chan
Ho Park in the offseason, and how high do you think the bidding for him will
go?
I think Park is a good fit for the Mariners, who have the cash to pull it off. I think the bidding will get near $15 million -- Mike Mussina -- type money. The way the Cubs turned things around this year, what do you think they need
to do to get over the hump? Should they go with some youth (Bobby Hill at
second, Corey Patterson in center field, Juan Cruz and maybe Mark Prior in the
rotation), or do they need to fill these spots through trades and free agency?
They seem to be on the right track -- how do they stay
there?
I like the Cubs' pitching and they feel comfortable with it, too. They need to come up with some position players this winter. The key is Patterson. He's progressed a little slower than some scouts thought he would. I don't see how Chicago can go into next season guaranteeing him the full-time job in center field. It might turn out that way, but the Cubs do need to have insurance in case he needs more seasoning. In one of your mailbag answers
last week you wondered why more Yankees' coaches haven't been hired as managers.
Don't you think other teams know the Yankees are this good because they have a
huge payroll? What does coaching have to do with how good they
are?
According to your theory, the Dodgers, Orioles, Red Sox and Mets should be world beaters. Just spend money and let 'em play, right? It's not that simple. The Yankees have won because they have money to spend and because they play the right way. That means they win one-run games, they catch the ball, they move runners and they are disciplined. For instance, Lee Mazzilli has done a great job improving Bernie Williams' defense in center field. Williams used to be awful on balls in front of him and over his head. Mazzilli worked with him to get him comfortable playing farther in. And Willie Randolph has done a great job turning Alfonso Soriano into a good second baseman on a moment's notice -- basically a week before Opening Day. It's unfair to discount the work of coaches just because of the payroll. First, what's the deal with Juan Gonzalez? The guy consistently puts up MVP
numbers, yet no team seems to want to keep him? Is he a problem in the clubhouse
or something? Second, what quality pitchers will be available this winter, and
what chance do the Blue Jays have of acquiring some of them?
The Indians have payroll troubles. That's the reason Gonzalez is not back. He's no problem in the clubhouse. There is some concern, however, about the long-term health of his back, which may limit the length of his next contract. The guy is a big-time run producer. The pitching pool is pretty thin. Chan Ho Park, Jason Schmidt and Pedro Astacio will be out there. I don't see Toronto landing any of them because it's better off going with what it has (especially relative to cost). There is no No. 1 starter available at this time. To send a question to Tom Verducci's Baseball Mailbag, click here.
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