Comments on: Phils Don’t Offer Arbitration To Burrell, Moyer

By: harry

harry — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:09:26 +0000

i believe everyone questioned the front office last year about letting rowand go, and that seem to turn out ok.

By: Megary

Megary — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:13:28 +0000

There can be no other explanation for this other than as Dipsy said…they are freeing up this money in order to toss it at, what they believe, will be a more productive free agent.

If they don’t make a legitimate push at Lowe or Burnett or ???, then let those who cry “Cheapskates” howl until their lungs are content.

The real problem is, even if they do go hard after *someone* they believe to be the right fit fror this team, they may still lose out. That would be a disaster.

I have no problem with cleaning the books of Burrell or Moyer as long as that money is spent on either a) a top replacement for one or b) decent replacements for both.

It’s still not out of the question to sign these guys (and I still think Moyer may be back), but let’s not be naive enough to think that Burrell and/or Moyer are the best FA’s out there.

By: MadSon

MadSon — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:13:20 +0000

Yous guys do know that there is a 5 year no complaining about front office moves grace periods for World Series winning teams. They is a small possibility that they know more about what is going on with The Bat and the Old Man then we do, so lets see how this all plays out. I love Pat and have since the first time he stepped on the field for the Phils, so to hear people who just last year were screaming for us to trade him say we are stupid for not offering him arb is making me a little sick. I’ve been a Phillies fan for a long time and know how “we fans” are with our love/hate relationships with players, so for all yous guys know you may be hating Pat by May and saying it was stupid for them to have offered him arb and then got stuck with his inconsistent play for one year at 16 mil.

By: Matt S

Matt S — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:58:10 +0000

Wow guys, its freaking arbitration, lets wait this out a little bit…Mike, I am not sure you paid to much attention to last years draft because the cheeps up top actually opened the wallet for once to sign some high cealing talent that was expected to go to college. now I do agree that they should have offered, but give the guys a little break they just won the world series, I think we owe them that much. (and i do not mean this to say the deserve a break from winning, just a little time to settle things out, it will be an interesting off season).

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:51:58 +0000

The Yankees will sign Lowe, The Tigers will sign Cruz, but the Mets will sign K-Rod, theyre putting out a lot of smoke to distract people, but theyre going to be forced to sign him.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:50:22 +0000

Im actually ok with those decisions. It would be nice to get draft picks for burrell. But if you offered moyer arb it would make him totally unsignable to any other team. You would lose all leverage and be forced to take him back on his terms.

The Burrell decision is a little mystifying. Does the two draft picks cost make Burrell unsignable? Maybe it would have. One year of Burrell at 16mm is actually a little hefty though, so Im not upset with the decision. This free agent market is different this year. Guys not offered arb: Kerry Wood/Russ Springer and Joe Biemel would really make this bullpen very very strong again next season. Two Bullpen arms and Brad Penny would really add to pitching depth. What I would like them to do now that the arb process has shaken out: Call Andy Pettite’s agent immediately. He wasnt offered arb and I think if you can get him on a one or two year deal its absolutely worth spending the hefty price tag. PLus, he can show JA Happ how to be just like him somday, I mean, Happ even looks like him.

By: Griffin

Griffin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:17:09 +0000

Ugh. I just don’t get it. I was looking forward to either the draft picks or one year of Burrell and now we’ll get neither. This will look foolish when Burrell signs a 3-year deal with an American league team.
Let’s face it, the Phillies are going to sign some bargain basement rightfielder to platoon with Jenkins and that will be that. It’s rare that a World Champion will get worse in the offseason, just wait until the Muts sign K-Rod, Cruz and Lowe.

By: reddeath

reddeath — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:12:40 +0000

come down everyone, lets not jump off the ben franklin bridge over arb. cases.

By: Bear Mike

Bear Mike — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:40:21 +0000

Confusing move not putting one or both on arbitration. Could they have possibly reached a last minute deal with one or both, and are awaiting a surprise announcement?

By: mike

mike — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:28:30 +0000

The difference in the Yankees is they will sign cc and lowe and whatever they need. In the draft they will take HighCeiling kids and paid a lot to keep them out of college. We don’t do that even in the draft we are cheap letting high ceiling kids walk. The team takes easy signs,As I have stated before they took Tyler Mach a low level college player in the early round when they had 2 compenstation picks because they didn’t want to spend more in the draft mach guit after one season, be sign for a low bonus. Gibson a top 5 pick this year didn’t sign because they low ball him Saunders a top starter for Angels didn’t sign .this draft they spent nothing in international market and a little more in draft. you must have a good farm. The team right now is eleven years of high picks with some lucky pickups by gillick. Forget Amaro he isn’t Gillick. As I Said if arb was excepted by Burrell it would have gave them another year of protection for howard and a chance to see if someone in the minors stands out. Stop buying into they are using burrell money to get someone better its a joke, why can’t people see they are bottom line and couldn’t care less about the fans. if they win great if not the suckers will come out.

By: Lewisauce

Lewisauce — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:57:06 +0000

I can understand this in one way. The Yanks, according to Rosenthal, are not offering arb to Abreu because of the economy. Dempster aside, the economy might drive contracts down significantly, and if the Abreu situation is any indication, there could be a flood of good (but not elite) outfielders floating around in another month or two, and the glut might save money.

So on one level, I get it. But on another, why not offer Jamie arb? He might cost $10 mil, but he might cost $8 mil. And there’s not going to be a glut of starting pitchers, because that is impossible. (Unless they feel they’ve already made some progress on Lowe/Burnett and are saving their pennies for a legit shot at him …?)

By: The Dipsy

The Dipsy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:47:38 +0000

I don’t have a problem with this. Pat Burrell’s number at arbitration will be somewhere in the area of $15m. God forbid he wins! I don’t want to pay him that for even one more year especially when you take into account that the Phillies are a essentially a “capped” team, albeit self imposed. The money that Burrell would make would be better spent somewhere else. Then again if we do wanna keep him perhaps Amaro knows he can sign him for much cheaper than his arb number. The readers who say “we get nothing” if they walk w/o draft picks may not see the fact that we are keeping money free to perhaps get better players. By not offering arbitration to these two, they are essentially freeing up 15m (Burrells arb #) plus 10m, yes I said 10m, which would have been Moyers #. Thats 25m they theoretically now have to use somewhere else. In my opinion.

The Dipsy
Chairman for the Derek Lowe in Pinstripes Foundation

By: mike

mike — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:59:03 +0000

This is the phillies organization. Led by Mongomery cheap Bast@@. Coming off one of the best financial years in history, they decline arbritation and get nothing. Burrell even for one year gives them a better chance to win, if he declines we get two good draft choice. but they don’t want extra choices because it cost money. This to me is the reason giles and montgomery and the rest of these owners got one championship in 28 years. I hate these owners guts and they got lucky this year with there cheap alterante moves it will never happen again. I hope you enjoyed the parade.. And if anyone thinks this wasn’t a money issue by cheap owners they are only fooling themselfs. I am proud that I refuse to give them my money I have followed this team and these owners in the draft and at the major league level. and have seen there cheap ways begging the league to give them money as a small market. Lead by Giles who put his man wade in the front office with no experience .expect to be the errand boy for Giles, and now you have another yes man Amaro a unguaified yes man. Who like wade only did contracts has no idea about trades and scouting. there will be a lot of well you can’t win all the time wait until next year. were not a big market, if being a fan is being a sucker count me out. this move makes me sick.

By: metsblow4show

metsblow4show — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:29:52 +0000

I can see them not offering Burrell arbitration. I’m a Burrell fan but he isn’t woth 16M., that money could be used elsewhere. As far as Moyer, I don’t get it. The Phillies were against giving him a 3 year deal,so let him test the market. I doubt very much if anyone is going to give a 46 year old pitcher a 3 year deal and if someone is stupid enough to do so, you just picked up some nice draft picks. If he takes arbitration, the Phils get the one year deal they were looking for in the first place. I don’t get it.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:36:10 +0000

This is completely senseless – what was the “worst case” in the Phils’ view? One year of Burrell at $16MM and one year of Moyer at $7MM? And that’s a bad thing somehow? Terrible decision by Amaro, IMO

By: krams

krams — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:23:15 +0000

I’m not sure I get why not offer either. Those draft picks can be huge.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:19:55 +0000

Wood, and Springer would be good additions to the bullpen, then a Brad Penny signing would also be a good insurance policy should we allow Jamie Moyer to walk. Joe Beimel also wasn’t offered arbitration so that’s another possible add for the bullpen.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:00:01 +0000

Is this the end of pat burrel in philadelphia?