SS Julio Lugo
1B Todd Helton
DH David Ortiz
LF Manny Ramirez
RF J.D. Drew
3B Kevin Youkilis
C Jason Varitek
CF Coco Crisp
2B Dustin Pedroia
Yah, pretty ridiculous. This would have been a crown jewel of the Theo Epstein era in a sense;
that Helton is coming at a reduced rate the Rockies would still be on the hook for slightly less than half of his remaining $90.1M guaranteed contract, meaning the BoSox are only paying him roughly $8-10M per season - and yes, I did say reduced rate) is exactly the type of player Epstein is known to love. He hits for average, works the count, hits the gaps hard, has a great OBP, extends the game, and compliments everyone around him perfectly. Now that he's aging and has shown a decline in his power numbers (his slugging has dropped from .630 to .620 to .534 to .476 over the past four years) he wouldn't be relied upon for power numbers, that's reserved for Papi and ManRam, and could just slap line drives off the Monster all day long, cashing base runners and setting the table for the big boys at a very high efficiency. Simply put, this would have been another kick to the collective groin of all Blue Jay fans and a reminder to the Yankees that the battle in the AL East is never over.This off-season wasn’t as highly publicized as last year in Toronto, but key additions have been made by JP Riccardi to surround a very talented core group of players with some extra ammunition. The addition of Frank Thomas should compliment a very potent offensive barrage and provide Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus with even more protection to do what they do best. The loss of Ted Lilly hurt as the young arm of Gustavo Chacin will be relied upon heavily as one of the only left handers found in the Jays corps of starting pitchers. A few other minor additions in the likes of Tomo Ohka, John Thompson and Victor Zambrano combined with the young arms of Downs, Janssen, Marcum, McGowan and Taubenheim will act as a sort of crap shoot – whoever is throwin the hot dice is going to get their turn at the table – and hopefully on each fourth and fifth day there will be a solid contribution of innings out of two guys in the group. In a market where mediocrity is selling for more than $10M per season, placing hope in a few guys who came at a Dollar Store price and have proven they can have success as a major league pitcher is a smart move. The key word from that last sentence; hope.
All of the efforts by Riccardi could be lost however, due to the fact that money is evidently no issue whatsoever to our counterparts on the east coast. But wait a second! After not being able to reach an agreement based on the fact that the Red Sox weren't going to be adding one of their highly touted young prospects in the deal (the Rockies supposedly were eyeing Manny
Delcarmen or Craig Hansen) the Rockies took Helton off the table and closed talks. Whether or not those same talks start up again as we near the beginning of spring training is yet to be seen, but the possibility is always there. What stroke me as a nice surprise, was the reaction of Colorado owner Charlie Monfort. After the Sox declined to offer Delcarmen or Hansen the Rockies owner’s response was that Helton has been, and will now continue to be, an integral part of the Rockies line-up and help in their efforts to make the playoffs and compete for the World Series. He also added that “this is not an issue of just dumping salary," and that they would not "disrespect Todd and receive nothing of value in return.” Now thinking that the Rockies are contenders for the World Series, or the playoffs for that matter, is a little suspect but, optimistic thinking on Monfort’s behalf nonetheless. Saying that he did not want to disrespect Helton and not receive anything of substantial value from the Red Sox in return, now that’s what pro sports needs more of today.Although this deal would make complete sense for the Rockies – it’s true, they will always have an outside shot to make the playoffs coming from the weak NL West, but with a depleted pitching staff and heavy reliance on young players such as Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins and Brad Hawpe to provide consistent production - they will be hard pressed to make a major impact this year. Monfort also did just discuss the possibility of the most recognized player in franchise history leaving town, and supposedly not for the first time. All these things aside, the future of this team should be a different story. They have a great group of young position players making their way up to the Bigs (SS Troy Tulowitzki & C Chris Iannetta leading the way) and promising arms that continue to develop (Francis, Taylor Buchholtz, Aaron Cooke and Jason Hirsh) that have many people around the Rockies organization very excited, with Monfort leading the charge. The inclusion of Helton in a talented young line-up where he isn't forced to do all the heavy lifting and finally receiving the payoff you were planning for when you signed him to his 9-year $141.5M contract back in April of 2003 is an enjoyable thought. What really impressed me about the Helton trade talks though, was the tone in which Monfort conveyed his message. It was as though he was standing up for ethics and the proper treatment of players who love the city they have grown up in and who the city has loved watching grow up. He did it in sort of a commanding way, the way that the Boss talks to his henchmen, making sure there is no question in what his intentions are. And it's something that has become an afterthought when discussing professional sports these days.
No longer is it common practice for a player, or an organization, to continue their relationship for the entirety of said player’s career. The list of remaining people around pro sports who have remained in the city that drafted them into the league is a short one. This disheartening fact is
something that comes to no surprise to anyone who even remotely follows pro sports. Common mentality is; draft a player, groom that player into a thoroughbred, and then pray to God that player likes the city/teammates/coaching staff/front office/direction of the franchise and has his family’s support in all these facets. If you’re fortunate enough to find someone who fits this mold, you’re one of the lucky few. Most often, a player is groomed by his hometown club only to become too good for them and forces a choice to be made: either keep him and take the hit in the chequing account (but appease your local fan base and earn some cred from writers and associates around the league), or deal him for young prospects and continue the vicious cycle teams like Oakland and Minnesota have found themselves in for the past decade. The fact of the matter is that it’s not in the best financial interest for many owners of pro teams to lock homegrown players up to long term extensions, unless that extension comes at a hometown discount, or if that player is one of those special multi-tool Hall-of-Fame types (please Vernon, don't make a fool of me). Even then, you still need an owner who is willing to spend money, and a lot of it. As shown by the Florida Marlins, you are able to provide the ultimate euphoric experience for your fans on a consistent basis with very minimal expenditures. This is accomplished by building a great farm system, developing your own players into modern day heroes, then spending a ton of money, winning a championship, then immediately trading all the high priced players away, and start all over again with the touted youngsters you got in return for the proven high priced players, only the next time around you minimize the amount of high priced players coming back in order to secure victory. It might not be the best public relations move, but it’s something that is financially sound and in the end, that’s all that it comes down to now.That’s why Monfort’s decision to stick to his guns and keep the local hero around for a little longer is so refreshing. Fans are used and abused. Built to love and attach themselves to players, only to have those same players sent off to the highest bidder in a different city, bringing a new, unproven, unknown group of players back in return. The feeling after losing one of these players is like trading the perfect New Era fitted cap (the one that finally, after years of dedication and loyal wearing even in the most awkward situations, you've been able to mold to the contours of
your head) to your buddy for the 7 1/4 he just picked up off the shelf at Champs. You lose something that you feel at one with. The new hat would take some serious getting used to. Just like the new guys will take some serious getting used to. They'll come strolling into both the clubhouse and our lives, and we are forced to start the entire process all over again, square hat in tact. It’s sickening in a sense. You purchase jerseys, attend autograph signings, boast to friends and families about the quality of people you have in your organization, only to have the front office ship those exact same guys out of town without even blinking.It is however, a double edged sword. General Managers and Owners are not the only people who show loyalties first and foremost to their financial statements. Players are just as bad and just as easy to blame. Helton would have waived his no-trade clause in order to complete the deal with the Sox, and rightfully so. He has played a long career thus far and deserves a legitimate shot at winning a championship in his final few years in the league. His departure would not have come in the same light as others who flee for exorbitant riches (he's already got that). Nowadays, there will always be a biased thought in the back of the minds of all parties involved. The player is looking out for his best interest, he knows that the organization has no loyalties, so why should he? He has a family to fend for and his own personal dignity to keep intact. The ownership group on the other hand, is looking out for the best interest of the club in general and it too often comes down to the bottom line; are we in the black or are we in the red this year? We have lost the days where people really, truly cared about one another and being a part of a team was like being a part of a family. Toss in a side order of player agents and the plot even thickens. Needless to say, everyone is looking out for themselves, rightfully or wrongfully so, you can be the judge.
The manner in which Charlie Monfort approached the Helton situation is commendable. More people should act in the same light as the Rockies Owner and others who truly honor the old mentality of dignity, honor and respect. When all is said and done, we are still just simple people who work hard, go home to our families, and hope for peace of mind at the end of the day. Whether that peace of mind comes at the expense of those who pay for your million dollar mansion and five-car garage, sadly, doesn’t seem to matter too many people anymore. For the fans in Colorado, thankfully it does to Charlie Monfort.
Then again, Helton could get off to a great start, the young players may not develop as fast as previously thought, the team could be sputtering at the bottom of the NL West with the season looking awash, and Boston may approach them again, this time offering Manny Delcarmen with open arms and a giddy smile on their face, and Charlie Monfort et al. might say "Hmm...Do you know what, this deal makes sense for everyone" and wish au revoir to the greatest Rockie of all-time. Yes, this is a cruel world we live in.
- JW
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