Phillies sign Bobby Abreu

by **TomatoPie** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 17:31:58

philliesphhan wrote:And Utley's contract couldn't be more team friendly

It would be a fine signing if it was for one of the few missing pieces of a contender. This team will contend only for the cellar.

Plugging spots with broken down fan favorites of yesterday only delays the opportunity to get better. It will sell more seats in 2014. It may even seem like a savvy "team friendly" business move, but the Phillies became beloved for one reason - winning. We're still riding on that recent run, and it would be smarter to move forward than to wring the last penny out of the fan's love for Utley. Over a longer period, the Phillies will sell fewer tickets by clinging to mediocrity instead of finding a path to excel. It's bad baseball and bad business.

by **Monkeyboy** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 17:32:21

You have your nose so far up Jeff's ass that you must surely be trying to model the weather up there.

Is that better?

by **SK790** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 17:52:24

feelin burnt

by **Monkeyboy** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 18:33:43

by **bleh** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 19:01:58

Gonna bump this when Abreu is the WS MVP.

by **TomatoPie** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 19:11:55

The most distressing part about these moves is that they indicate short-term thinking, and short-term only. Even as the Eagles failed to get over the top in the Andy Reid/Joe Banner era, they were never sentimental or short-sighted about aging players. Trotter, Douglas, BMitch, and plenty of other fan favorites were jettisoned in order to allow the team to stay competitive. Yep, they probably dumped Dawkins too soon, but the overall philosophy was designed to stay at the top. The Phillies are grasping for mediocrity.

by **Gimpy** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 20:06:48

TomatoPie wrote:The most distressing part about these moves is that they indicate short-term thinking, and short-term only. Even as the Eagles failed to get over the top in the Andy Reid/Joe Banner era, they were never sentimental or short-sighted about aging players. Trotter, Douglas, BMitch, and plenty of other fan favorites were jettisoned in order to allow the team to stay competitive. Yep, they probably dumped Dawkins too soon, but the overall philosophy was designed to stay at the top. The Phillies are grasping for mediocrity.

They're also trying to sell tickets and baseball's a more sentimental game (to me anyway). Like, you're more likely to go see a former great player play baseball than you are to go see a former great football player play. I don't disagree with your overall point, but I don't think it's a totally fair comparison.

by **Bill McNeal** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 20:54:11

Abreu is not guaranteed a spot or his $800,000 salary. If he doesn't make the big club, he doesn't get the money. I know the Byrd deal and brining back all the old heads sucks, but this is a completely different sort of deal. It's a low (no) risk / medium reward. Worst case scenario is he sucks in ST and he rides off into the sunset, best case he rakes for a few weeks, makes the roster, has some hits off the bench and when he cools off, you dfa him / let him retire. It's not like this is a multi year guaranteed contract here.

by **The Dude** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 21:12:15

The Eagles also did the same thing in that they wouldn't sign old guys to long contracts. they always signed old guys to short contracts (bishop, kirkland, etc)

by **Barry Jive** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 21:37:16

Bill McNeal wrote:Abreu is not guaranteed a spot or his $800,000 salary. If he doesn't make the big club, he doesn't get the money. I know the Byrd deal and brining back all the old heads sucks, but this is a completely different sort of deal. It's a low (no) risk / medium reward. Worst case scenario is he sucks in ST and he rides off into the sunset, best case he rakes for a few weeks, makes the roster, has some hits off the bench and when he cools off, you dfa him / let him retire. It's not like this is a multi year guaranteed contract here.

reminds me of the unmitigated Juan Pierre disaster

by **Wheels Tupay** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 21:42:38

TomatoPie wrote:The most distressing part about these moves is that they indicate short-term thinking, and short-term only. Even as the Eagles failed to get over the top in the Andy Reid/Joe Banner era, they were never sentimental or short-sighted about aging players. Trotter, Douglas, BMitch, and plenty of other fan favorites were jettisoned in order to allow the team to stay competitive. Yep, they probably dumped Dawkins too soon, but the overall philosophy was designed to stay at the top. The Phillies are grasping for mediocrity.

I gotta disagree with this. They are thinking long term by not handing out any contracts that will kill them 5 years from now. The only contract that make no sense is the chooch deal. They know the only way they will be competitive is if everyone is healthy, which has like a 1% chance of happening. They seem to be relutant to blow it up because they want some tickets to sell.

by **mcare89** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 21:44:58

Barry Jive wrote:
Bill McNeal wrote:Abreu is not guaranteed a spot or his $800,000 salary. If he doesn't make the big club, he doesn't get the money. I know the Byrd deal and brining back all the old heads sucks, but this is a completely different sort of deal. It's a low (no) risk / medium reward. Worst case scenario is he sucks in ST and he rides off into the sunset, best case he rakes for a few weeks, makes the roster, has some hits off the bench and when he cools off, you dfa him / let him retire. It's not like this is a multi year guaranteed contract here.

reminds me of the unmitigated Juan Pierre disaster

by **Houshphandzadeh** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 21:52:07

is there really even a chance for medium reward here, though? I'm not pissed about it by any means, but it does feel like the baseball version of an upworthy post

by **TomatoPie** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 23:43:41

Bill McNeal wrote:Abreu is not guaranteed a spot or his $800,000 salary. If he doesn't make the big club, he doesn't get the money. I know the Byrd deal and brining back all the old heads sucks, but this is a completely different sort of deal. It's a low (no) risk / medium reward. Worst case scenario is he sucks in ST and he rides off into the sunset, best case he rakes for a few weeks, makes the roster, has some hits off the bench and when he cools off, you dfa him / let him retire. It's not like this is a multi year guaranteed contract here.

Agreed. This, is a vacuum, is kinda cool. But in the wake of the bonehead decisions on other members of the the over-the-hill-gang, was just enough to spark some outcry.

And brining the old heads is a recipe I will try, for sure.

by **drsmooth** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 00:01:14

nothing provocative ever happens around here anymore

by **drsmooth** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 00:08:40

bleh wrote:
swishnicholson wrote:
swishnicholson wrote:
bleh wrote:I like it. Mostly because it will piss off abreu haters.

This. However, I would say March 15 is the latest he stays in camp.

I mean, his career really hit a wall three years ago.

Abreu never hits walls.

in our prime, swish would never have had to be so broad with his straight line

and bleh's reply would have drawn more plaudits

curious if many of his ABs - if he gets any - can be the displays of craft most once were

by **Barry Jive** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 00:18:38

i want my bobby back bobby back bobby back

anybody do that one yet

by **JFLNYC** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 07:22:06

Which one?

by **WilliamC** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 09:11:21

My hero returns :h:

So happy about this.

He is going to hit about .310 with an OBP of about .410. One lust hurrah.

by **SK790** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 09:31:56

this thread just reminded me of the day of the Abreu trade. I was supposed to go to a graduation party for my friend and her brother(they're twins). My friend and her brother were both "big" Yankees fans, in the sense that they watched their playoff games and tried to convince me that I should sympathize with Yankees fans because Boston fans were mean. Keep in mind this is the early 2000s. Anyway, the Phillies were playing a 1 pm game that day and Bobby was out of the lineup and as you all know his trade was announced during the game. After reading the details of the trade, I immediately realized, like most rational baseball fans, that the trade was horrible for us. CJ fucking Henry and Matt Smith!?!?!

Anyway, I decide I'm not going to let sports affect my RL, so I go to the party. Talk to my friend's brother who declares it an even trade and basically tries to tell me how Bobby isn't very good and CJ Henry is a legit prospect. I tried to explain how Abreu was worth more than what we got alone, even at his age. He ends up cursing me out and takes a swing at me(he's drunk and 18), misses and ends up falling into a pile of random stuff in his garage. I tried to calm him down, tell him we're only discussing a sport, it's not worth being a moron over, etc... he finally calms down. later he pours a beer over my head and i totally kick his ass. the year was 1976 and i was living in texas.

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