Burrell could be headed for a new home
Posted: Friday, October 24, 2008 12:02 PM
Pat Burrell plays this World Series knowing these may be his final games in the only uniform he has worn as a major leaguer.
Not long ago the Phillies had a trio of Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome and Burrell that was the NL’s best for packing a punch. But the Phillies couldn’t win behind those bats. They needed Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins to be their main men. And only Burrell survived from the original threesome.
Do the Phillies look to keep Burrell who is a free agent this offseason? His numbers in bulk are impressive: 251 home runs in nine years and OPS the last three years of .890. He provides power that will be in demand as the game phases out of the BALCO era. No longer will slight infielders be belting 25 home runs a season.
Temptation is to label Burrell as a product of the bandbox ballpark he plays his home games in. In 2007 that was true (1.016 OPS home to .794 away) but this year the numbers reversed (.787 home to .964 away where he hit 21 of his 33 home runs).
Then there is the price tag for a new deal (he made $14 million in this the final year of his contract). We know players don’t look for a cut in pay and agents know that despite the recent economic downturn, MLB has been awash in cash.
The take here is that Burrell will find a good deal, in dollars more than years, but not in Philadelphia. The Phillies still operate as a “mid-market” team -- or in other words -- with a financial conscience. They will do a cost analysis and projections on the replacement of Burrell’s numbers. They will decide that Greg Dobbs or perhaps Geoff Jenkins and a right-handed hitter to be determined can produce much of Burrell’s numbers at a lower price.
The Phillies have Utley and Rollins locked up, although I wonder how long Rollins will be happy at $7.5 million when he sees Burrell at $14 million and Howard due for a raise from his 2008 rate of $10 million? But the Phillies need money for Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Howard’s arbitration. So the money that might have been spent on re-signing Burrell could very well be headed elsewhere.
Meanwhile, a team like San Francisco is in dire need of power. The Mets also could use a right-handed power bat. As the winter unfolds, Burrell should have his share of suitors. He will find a new home but likely not for the long-term deal that is his goal.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. LISTENED TO MY FRIEND CHRIS RUSSO FROM TAMPA BAY…on satellite radio on Thursday and I heard callers from the East berating the “late” starts of postseason games. The excuse floating, and I don’t know where it began, was that it was to benefit the West Coast. Let’s be clear on one thing: there is only ONE factor that determines start times on network television -- RATINGS!
If Fox felt it would gain better ratings at 4 a.m. that’s when the games would start. Fact is that prime time viewership at the Olympics peaked in the 11 p.m. hour, thus the lack of concern over late finishes in the Eastern Time Zone. If viewer patterns change and it is reflected in ratings, so will the start times.
2. A TERRIFIC CONVERSATION BETWEEN RUSSO AND STEVE PHILLIPS…lent many insights. Phillips has mastered the front office to television baseball analyst transition, so much that he openly doubts he would ever return to the insane lifestyle of today’s general managers. He praised Mets general manager Omar Minaya and his recent contract extension, correctly pointing out that Minaya crafted a team that had substantial leads with three weeks remaining in each of the last two seasons. And he lavished immense praise on Yankees general manager Brian Cashman with the statement that Cashman has managed “the people above him beautifully.” When Joe Torre gets his Hall of Fame honor, Cashman should not be forgotten for the role he played in the success the Yankees had under Torre.
3. PHILLIPS HAD AN INTERESTING TAKE ON SEATTLE’S NEW GENERAL MANAGER…talking about how general managers are a “fraternity” (my word). Jack Zduriencik has spent his baseball life, quite successfully, in player development. But Phillips pointed out that leaves him without relationships with other general managers and agents, an early hurdle he will have to clear.
4. BUD SELIG ALSO TALKED TO RUSSO…and wasted some time on television ratings. That is the most overplayed topic in October. Here’s the deal: baseball is about the regular season, a six-month daily soap opera that keeps many of us glued to the sport. Our degrees of devotion and concentration vary, but baseball does not NEED October ratings to validate the sport’s health. The worst analogy is World Series vs. NBA Finals ratings. The sports are thoroughly different: the NBA plays an 82-game season that is, in essence, barnstorming. The games have little meaning other than entertainment. Then, in April, the better teams embark on a six-week journey of legitimate intensity. Casual fans know they need not pay close attention until May. Few baseball fans watch their first games of the season in October.
5. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE BEEN A POTTED PLANT IN THE ROOM…when Selig and baseball’s bankers met. The money men have not been bashful in the past decade to warn MLB about excess spending. Given the economic meltdown, it would be easy to imagine the warnings intensifying with no margin for error. The good news for baseball is that new ballpark construction is nearly finished -- New York’s new pair of stadiums open in 2009 and Minneapolis opens in 2010. The team left out, and one to watch carefully this year, is Oakland. Their proposed venture is dormant -- victim of the real estate crash. Thus, their future in Oakland is once again dicey.
