Free Agent Fallout
Free Agent Fallout The definition of this term would be: How a player starts his new career in a new city, directly after signing a huge contract. In the past signing for $20 million would put you in that category. Those would include Jose Offerman and Jack Clark, but today a $20 million FA doesn’t even get a special signing press conference, such as Matt Clement. But if you sign for $40 million, like Edgar Renteria and start off poorly, you get the wrath of the fans. This could cause an adversely negative effect on the performance of the million dollar baby. You can go from a gold glove to Don Buddin, before you even get your first $10 million bonus. It also seems that teams cheat when it comes to releasing the salary amounts. If a player signs for 4 years and gets $40 million, shouldn’t his salary be $10 million a year? Look at Jason of NY. 7 years $119 million, isn’t that $17 per year? Why do they list him as only $13? There are other ways that teams cheat during the season. For example when a player is suspended, like Bronson Arroyo, the team should only have 2 options, first would be to accept the penalty, when it is handed down, or to have a specified amount of time until a hearing could be held. One week should be the timetable used by the sport. Another form of fraud used by teams is the use of the disabled list. If a team selects a rule 5 pick he must keep him on the 25 man roster. Having a player stay on the DL until June because of a sore thumb the way Adam Stern has done, is not an ethical way of doing business. One might say it is only a coincidence, but this is the second year in a row, ( last year it was Lenny Dinardo) the same team, that went on to win the World Series did the same ploy. One solution would be to increase the amount of acquiring a rule 5 player. Increase it to $100,000, with 50 going to the former team, and 50 to the player. Then this player would be on the 40 man roster for one year, and if not on the 25 man roster, the next year, then he would be declared a minor league free agent. Or you could have the team that wants to pluck someone from another team, give up one of its June draft picks. Either way, it would make for a more equitable league, where all teams would be playing fair, not with deceit.
I am The Fan’s Commish
Rick Swanson