Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
November 23, 2004
Paying for Control

The Twins are not going to be able to sign Brad Radke for $7 million a year. As the article points out:


Radke's agent, Ron Simon, wouldn't discuss the terms he's seeking from the Twins, but the market for Radke figures to start on the high side of the $22.5 million, three-year deal Kris Benson, a 30-year-old right-hander with a losing record over a six-year career and a recent history of injuries, signed Monday with the New York Mets.

Radke does one thing very well, and that's keeping his walk totals low. You have to earn your way on vs. Radke. Organizations like the Red Sox and the Yankkees know the value of that stat for pitchers, and will pay appropriately. Benson has good walk numbers, but still walks over twice as many as Brad. The Twins, in my estimation, are going to need to get closer to $10 million per year to be competitive for Radke's services.


Posted by David Pinto at 10:33 AM | Free Agents | TrackBack (1)
Comments

Radke also gives you innings, and has had good health through his career. If Benson is worth $7.5M per (which he's not), Radke is worth $12M.

Bad signings such as Benson inflates the market for all.

Posted by: Al at November 23, 2004 11:10 AM

But Radke is a bit on the older side, too, isn't he? Early to mid 30's?

Yeah, that Benson signing is really going to drive the price of SPs this year.

Posted by: sabernar at November 23, 2004 11:52 AM

All the Benson signing does is drive up the agent's demands, it doesn't necessarily affect the amount any given team thinks he is worth.
Only the stupid teams let an aberrational contract define the market for them. And everyone knows Benson had the Mets bent over a barrel.
GMs and agents understand leverage and the metrics that define value.
I expect Benson's signing to generate some headlines like this but I would be surprised if it has much effect on the offers Radke/Pavano/etc. receive.
(Hey I'm a crappy 39 year old pitcher with injury and emotional problems - I deserve Kevin Brown money - not gonna happen.)

Posted by: Matt Davis at November 23, 2004 12:23 PM

Radke just turned 32. If he can get $10m from Boston or NY good for him. He's solid but at best a #3 for a top team. If he's your #2 as the Twins found out, you're not going anywhere.

Posted by: Jack Tanner at November 23, 2004 01:29 PM

Radke is a better version of Leiber. Polanco is a better version of Cairo. Maybe the Yanks will go after the better version instead of signing the worse versions because of some nebulous "commitment" they feel toward players who played for them in the past.

Posted by: sabernar at November 23, 2004 01:33 PM