Staying the Course: Keeping Junior, A-Rod, and The Big Unit in Seattle

[Hendu Style]

All was right with the Seattle Mariners in the late 1990's. Catapulted by a dramatic series win against the Yankees in the 1995 ALDS, the M's were primed and ready to move out of the crumbling Kingdome into the state-of-the-art Safeco Field in less than two years. Boasting a triumvirate of future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr, Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson, this new retractable roof stadium would be home to World Series contenders for years to come. Or so Seattle thought.


Little did the Mariners know, Johnson would soon become dissatisfied with the direction of the team, ultimately getting shipped off in a midseason trade in 1998. Junior, longing to be closer to his family in Florida, would force the M's into a one-sided swap one year later, just as the team was settling into its new stadium. And A-Rod would chase a landmark free agent contract in Texas, becoming the most hated man in the Northwest. In the darkest of hours, Seattle said goodbye to its three franchise players in a span of less than three years.


Though I was never a Mariner fan (despite covering them for a living now), I was always enamored by Seattle's caps and uniforms and the guys who wore them in the late 1990's and early 2000's. It was a travesty that Junior, A-Rod, and The Big Unit never got to play together at Safeco Field. Haven't you wondered what would happen if that trio of All-Stars stayed put? Imagine the possibilities just a couple years later, when the M's added Ichiro and Bret Boone to the mix on the way to a record 116 wins in 2001.


Would Johnson have maintained his Cy Young standard had he remained in the American League? Would Griffey have avoided a slew of injuries if he had avoided the move to Cincinnati? Would Rodriguez have tallied those preposterous homerun totals in the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field instead of the bandbox Ballpark in Arlington?


Those questions will be answered as I rewrite history, and right the ship with the Seattle Mariners.

[Hendu Style]

We catch up with the Mariners in February, 1998. In this alternate universe, Seattle will pry legendary general manager Pat Gillick away from the Orioles with one year remaining on his contract in Baltimore. Our new history starts now...

Friday, February 6th, 1998

O'S NO! GILLICK TO LEAD M'S FRONT OFFICE
General Manager Leaves Orioles to Guide Mariners

SEATTLE, Wash. (AP) -- Wearing a navy blue blazer over a yellow Hawaiian shirt, Pat Gillick was introduced as the sixth general manager in Seattle Mariners franchise history on Friday. He wasted no time telling his new boss -- Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi in Japan -- of his intentions.

"I was brought on board to put together a team that will win championships," Gillick said, having won back-to-back World Series titles with Toronto in 1992 and 1993. "I'm here to tell you that team is already in place. It's going to be my absolute number one priority to make sure Ken Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez are Mariners for life. Everything else will take care of itself."

Griffey is eligible for free agency at the end of the 1998 season, and Johnson is signed through the 1999 season. Rodriguez, the club's #1 overall draft choice in 1993, could become a free agent as soon as 2000. All are sure to command top salaries in the open market.

"I also want to assure our ownership group that I will not ask for a penny over our current budget to keep these boys in Seattle," Gillick added. "But I'm making this pledge today, that these three guys can stay in Mariners uniforms as long as their hearts desire."

Gillick's arrival signals the end of a short two-year stint as the GM of the Baltimore Orioles. The Mariners bought out the final year of Gillick's contract with the O's, though terms were not disclosed by either team.

Seattle is coming off a 90-72 campaign, but recently-fired GM Woody Woodward fell out of favor with ownership when he hastily traded prospects Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to Boston in exchange for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb. The Mariners also announced on Friday that naming rights to their new ballpark have been sold to Safeco Insurance. The team is on schedule to move into the new stadium mid-season in 1999.

John Ellis, speaking on behalf of Yamauchi, said ownership expects a winning record this season, and has a long-term goal of building a championship team.

[Hendu Style]

March 30th, 1998

My first month on the job has involved getting to know the current members of the team, from the manager to the team trainer, and everyone in between. I'm confident we have a strong coaching staff, but my number one concern right now is locking up Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez to long-term extensions.

By my estimate, I'll need about $25-30 million per year set aside for these three. We have roughly half that amount available to sign players to extensions, so this will go beyond trimming fat. I'll have to make over much of the roster, and do so with more of a butchers knife as opposed to a surgeons scalpel.

The most obvious route would be to trade our veteran rightfielder, Jay Buhner. He's hit 40+ homeruns in each of his last three seasons, but is entering his mid-30's and is due $8.5 million in each of the next two years. He immediately put the kibosh on that by exercising his 10/5 rule to veto any trade. Luckily, I was able to string together two sizable trades that will free up considerable capital, while making a third deal that will have minimal impact on our budget.

TRADE WITH PITTSBURGH:


The Pirates trade dumps a whopping $12.4 million in total salary for the upcoming season. Left field is a wash between Glenallen Hill and Al Martin, but we are losing starting position players at first base, second base, and third base. That's a lot to give up, but Aramis Ramirez could be the third baseman of the future for us. And, again, this is primarily about shedding payroll. This money alone could get Griffey under contract.


TRADE WITH PHILADELPHIA:


This was by far the worst trade of the lot. We lose the superior defensive catcher in Dan Wilson, but rid ourselves of two horrendous contracts in Mike Timlin and Jeff Fassero. These three were set to make roughly $10.5 million for the 1998 season. I'm sure we can get Johnson under contract for about that same number.


TRADE WITH CINCINNATI:


We wound up taking on a small amount of payroll in this deal, but we end up getting a new starting second baseman in Bret Boone, a possible new first baseman in Dmitri Young, and a stop-gap at 3B in Chris Stynes. In the long haul Boone will be an upgrade over Joey Cora, and I'm confident Young will eventually outplay David Segui at 1B. Stynes is probably a downgrade at third for us.

All in all, I pared just under $23 million in payroll that I will use to extend our Big 3. We take a big hit in our pitching staff and rotation, but manage to make improvements at 1B, 2B, while staying relatively even at LF, and downgrading at 3B. I like the trades and I now have $35 million available for extensions, but I have to capitalize quickly.

[DD Martin]

Being a life long M's fan I too have thought about this scenario before too. I will be watching to see how this goes. I like the moves to free up the payroll but will be looking to see how the rotation fills out for the upcoming season

[jvjc1233]

Will be reading

[buckeye22]

Griffey is and always will be my favorite player of all time. I was happy, living here in Ohio, to see him in Cincinnati cause it meant I could watch him regularly, but in the back of my mind I've always wondered what would have happened in Seattle had the big 3 stayed. Particularly the 01 Mariners....if they were that good WITHOUT all 3, how good would they have been WITH them?

I'm excited to see how this goes.

[Hendu Style]

Negotiations are already underway to extend our Big 3 contracts. But in the meantime, we've got some baseball to play. Here's our 1998 Mariners Team Photo:




Good news and bad news from the prognosticators. They're predicting that we'll win the AL West. But they also say we'll just get by with a record of 81-81. They also like the Yankees, predicting a 107-win season in the Bronx. Guess we'll have to wait and see.




If we're fortunate enough to reach the playoffs, I like our chances. We have an ace in Randy Johnson, and a formidable #2 in Jamie Moyer. Beyond that, though, it's duct tape and rubber bands. We have a staff full of spot starters and long relievers. We'll have to make due for now, since signing our top three players has left little room for fleshing out the remainder of the roster.

[Hendu Style]

April 3rd, 1998
Record: 1-1 (3rd, 1.0 GB Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Dmitri Young (.429, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Jamie Moyer (1-0, 5.68 ERA, 4 K)


Today we held a joint press conference announcing the contract extensions of Ken Griffey Junior and Randy Johnson. Griffey's extension totals $102 million over the next 9 years, making him the highest-paid player in Mariner franchise history. Junior had reservations about staying in Seattle, indicating that he would someday like to be closer to his son in Florida. But this offer was more than fair, and quite possibly more than he would've earned on the free agent market.





Johnson had been longing for a contract extension since before I got here, and he told me it wasn't about the money. It was about job security and proving for his family. This extension will pay him $51 million over 6 years, and will keep him in Seattle until age 40. He made a small concession in annual salary, taking a small cut from $9.1 million per season to $8.5, though bonuses could bring that total closer to 9 million each season.


We're still working with the final piece to the puzzle, Alex Rodriguez. My hope is to have that extension bottled up this month so I know exactly what kind of resources I'll have to add any more players this season and next.

[Hendu Style]

April 9th, 1998
Record: 4-4 (3rd, 0.5 GB Oakland A's)
Top Hitter: Edgar Martinez (.333, 5 HR, 10 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Jamie Moyer (2-0, 2.93 ERA, 7 K)

The ink is barely dry on the third and final extension for our Big 3. Today, Alex Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $72 million contract, helping us lock down one of the game's premier position players. There's no question A-Rod would've eventually commanded a contract that could've at least doubled that figure, but he avoids the uncertainty of free agency down the road, and we avoid having to worry about those unknowns anytime soon.



With our top three players now under contract well into the next decade, I can finally turn my attention to 1998. We are 4-4 early on, but need some serious help in the starting rotation and in our bullpen. My hope is that our prodigious offense can carry us in the coming weeks, and an opportunity will present itself to upgrade our pitching. But our fiscal health is good for 1998 and the next decade.

[Hendu Style]

May 1st, 1998
Record: 15-13 (3rd, -2.0 GB Oakland A's)
Top Hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.400*, 8 HR, 20 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randy Johnson (3-2, 2.98 ERA, 54 K)
Top Priority: Get Pitching Help in Rotation & Bullpen

Any worries that A-Rod would rest on his laurels after signing a 10-year extension have been assuaged. Alex Rodriguez earned AL Batter of the Month honors for April after hitting an MLB-best .400 this past month, while swatting 8 homeruns and driving in 20 runs.



As a team, the bottom of the rotation and our bullpen are the bane of our existence. Despite solid starts from Randy Johnson and Jamie Moyer, our starters' ERA currently sits at 6.01. Our 3 & 4 starters (Billy Swift and Felipe Lira) have gone a combined 1-8, and the bullpen has posted an abysmal 5.40 ERA. If we're going to have a shot at taking the West, we're going to need a couple of starting pitchers and an arm or two in our bullpen.

[Hendu Style]

June 1st, 1998
Record: 32-24 (T-1st with Oakland A's)
Top Hitter: Dmitri Young (.350, 11 HR, 48 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Jamie Moyer (9-1*, 3.86 ERA, 58 K)
Top Priority: Acquire pitchers for rotation, bullpen

Randy Johnson may be our bona fide ace, but Jamie Moyer is giving him a run for his money. The 35 year-old is tied for the league lead with Baltimore's Mike Mussina with 9 victories and has earned June Pitcher of the Month honors after a 6-0 run in 6 starts.



Despite a laughable back end rotation, we've managed to pull into a tie with Oakland for first place in the AL West. Hitting has been our saving grace, leading the league in runs scored (336), On-Base PCT (.355), and homeruns (90). Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Junior, and Edgar Martinez have been their superstar selves, but first-year Mariner Dmitri Young has been a very pleasant surprise, leading the team in batting average (.350) and RBI (48) while batting second in the order.

I've thrown a couple of trade offers out there, hoping to bolster our rotation and our bullpen. Al Martin is in the final year of his contract and has gotten some attention from Baltimore and Toronto. I was tempted to trade Martin and Chris Stynes to the Orioles for starting pitcher Sidney Ponson, but that would've created two big holes in left field and third base. The Blue Jays are dangling Roger Clemens for Martin and Moyer. But I have to remind myself Clemens is 35 and is making $10 million a year. I'd be better off just waiting for the offseason and spending that kind of money in free agency and keeping Moyer on our staff. It looks like our team is staying intact, at least for the timebeing.

[Hendu Style]

July 7th, 1998
Record: 45-44 (4th, -3.5 GB Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.322, 25 HR, 66 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Jamie Moyer (12-4*, 3.94 ERA, 94 K)
Mission Priority: Get pitching, sign Al Martin to extension

We continue to hover right around .500 as we head into the All-Star Break at 45-44, 3.5 games out of first place in the West. Our three All-Stars this year are Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Junior, and the surprising Jamie Moyer. Moyer has really helped offset the struggles of Randy Johnson, who is just 5-6 so far with a 4.39 ERA. Our 3-4-5 starters are pitiful, with Billy Swift, Felipe Lira, and Mac Suzuki going a combined 10-24 thus far. They are all long relievers and spot starters pressed into duty, and they are making the least of the opportunity.



I've checked in periodically on two position players who could potentially be free agents at the end of the season. At his peak, Al Martin was asking for $9 million per year. He has come down considerably from that position, most recently asking for an annual salary of $3.8 million for 3 years. Much better. Edgar Martinez, meanwhile, was asking for $9 million a year at the start of 1998, and is now requesting a whopping $12 million. I can't imagine Edgar playing anywhere but Seattle, however that kind of money is reserved for superstar position players at the peak of their career. Edgar has marginal defensive skills and is nearing the wrong side of 30. Luckily we hold a team option on him for next season, so we can delay this conversation for another year.

[Hendu Style]

July 25th, 1998
Record: 55-48 (T-1st with Anaheim)
Top Hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.331, 30 HR*, 79 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Jamie Moyer (14-4, 3.90 ERA, 116 K)
Top Priority: Sign Al Martin to Extension

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to be a little lucky. I won't chalk up our current 7-game winning streak to luck... but it certainly changed my perspective as we near next week's trading deadline. Two weeks ago, I figured we would be sellers at the deadline, not buyers. But that all changed when the New York Mets came knocking.

For months, I've been scouring the waiver wires and making cold calls to front offices in a fruitless attempt to add some arms to our pitching staff. Thank God for the Mets. They came out of the blue offering up pitcher Armando Reynoso and recently acquired catching prospect AJ Pierzynski. All they wanted in return was our backup outfielder, Rob Ducey, who has become increasingly agitated about not being a starter for us. Talk about your two birds with one stone scenario.

But I couldn't resist, so inquired about several other arms in the New York bullpen as well: Dennis Cook, Greg McMichael, and Turk Wendell. The Mets were more than happy to rid themselves of Cook's $4.4 million salary, while McMichael and Wendell are on track for one more year of arbitration before becoming free agents. They said I could have all three, if I would be willing to part with our closer, Bobby Ayala, and minor league pitcher Ken Cloude. Sold.

In one fell swoop we got a much-needed starter for our rotation (Reynoso is far from great, but he's a big step up in our starting 5) and three arms for our bullpen. Oh, and we acquired one hell of a prospect in Pierzynski. After making the swap, I immediately made a call to the Phillies, who had been shopping utility man Rex Hudler for the last few weeks. I got him for a song (journeyman catcher John Marzano) and plugged Hudler into our 25-man roster as a backup outfielder.

I'm walking away from the trade thanking my lucky stars. If not for this late surge, I could very well have been the one knocking on New York's. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

[Hendu Style]

September 3rd, 1998
Record: 74-65 (2nd, -0.5 GB Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.322, 41 HR, 105 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randy Johnson (13-7, 3.38 ERA, 265 K)
Top Priority: Win AL West

It's early September and it looks like the AL West is going to finish down to the wire. We've signed Al Martin to a two-year extension, so there are no other pressing needs as far as I'm concerned. The trading deadline is long passed, so my attention is squarely on the most exciting pennant chase in baseball. Just half a game separates us and first place Anaheim. Our schedule consists of 13 home games and 10 on the road, with a collective winning percentage of .495 for our remaining opponents. I like the odds, but it's clear that our path to the playoffs rests in the AL West, not the AL Wildcard.



We lost 10-8 on Wednesday, but commemorated an historic moment at Fenway Park when Alex Rodriguez hit two homeruns to join the 40-40 club. A-Rod is the third member of the exclusive club, joining founder Jose Canseco (1988) and Barry Bonds (1996).



Of course, it hasn't been just A-Rod carrying this team. Randy Johnson has overcome a sluggish first half and has reestablished himself as our ace, though Jamie Moyer leads the majors in wins with 18. Still, our fate could very well rest in Alex's hands. If we're going to pull this off, Rodriguez could be rewarded with his first MVP award. What are our chances? I'd say 50-50.

[Hendu Style]

September 28th, 1998
Record: 83-79 (2nd, -6.0 GB Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Alex Rodriguez (.313, 45 HR, 126 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randy Johnson (17-8, 3.29 ERA, 313 K)


Despite a valiant effort, the MLB postseason will go on without us. Losing streaks of 4, 3, and 3 in September were our undoing. There was just no hiding from our atrocious pitching. Bill Swift lost 20 games for us as our #3 starter, and all of our back-end starters posted ERA's above 5.00, "led" by Felipe Lira's 5.65 mark. Despite the addition of several arms from New York, our bullpen ERA of 4.98 ranked 11th out of 15 American League teams. Trading Bobby Ayala away to the Mets proved to be unwise, as he wound up posting a 2.31 ERA down the stretch for them, while our new closer -- Greg McMichael -- recorded 7 saves with a ghastly 4.74 ERA.





On the plus side, we assembled a lineup that hit more homeruns (228) than any other team in baseball and tied for third in the AL in runs scored (920). We have a true murder's row of Alex Rodriguez (.313, 45 HR, 126 RBI), Ken Griffey Junior (.290, 32 HR, 105 RBI) and Edgar Martinez (.312, 31 HR, 116 RBI). Dmitri Young wound up putting together a stellar season (.327, 20 HR, 94 RBI) in his first season with us as he split time in left field and first base.





The '98 season wasn't without its surprises. The Baltimore Orioles overcame the mighty New York Yankees to win the AL East with 104 victories. Albert Belle's 40 homerun, 155 RBI season wasn't enough to carry the Chicago White Sox to the postseason despite their 91 regular season victories. Two pitchers on the verge of free agency turned in Cy Young worthy seasons as Pedro Martinez posted a 2.69 ERA with 311 strikeouts with the Boston Red Sox, while Curt Schilling fanned 251 on the way to a 17-11, 3.04 ERA campaign. Lightly regarded infielder Bill Mueller won the NL batting title with the San Francisco Giants. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had a spirited homerun chase, with Big Mac besting Slammin' Sammy, 49-47. But it was another slugger who wound up stealing the show in October.

[Hendu Style]

San Diego beat San Francisco in all-West NLCS showdown, reaching its first-ever World Series. Representing the American League? None other than the Cleveland Indians, playing in their third World Series in four years. Powered by World Series MVP Manny Ramirez (.500 batting average, 3 HR, 11 RBI), the Indians routed the Padres in a sweep to bring Cleveland its first championship since 1948. That team proved that you don't necessarily need pitching to win a championship. We tried and failed in that regard, but I have to think we're one or two players away from going to the World Series ourselves.

[Hendu Style]

Baseball's third 40-40 man is now the Mariners' second consecutive MVP winner. Alex Rodriguez won the award today, following in the footsteps of teammate Ken Griffey Junior, who won the award in 1997.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez, Seattle (.313, 45 HR, 126 RBI, 41 SB)
NL MVP: Sammy Sosa, Chicago (.328, 47 HR, 128 RBI)

AL Cy Young: Pedro Martinez, Boston (18-9, 2.69 ERA*, 311 K)
NL Cy Young: Kevin Brown, San Diego (20-10*, 2.36 ERA, 234 K)

AL Rookie of the Year: Miguel Tejada, Oakland (.311, 27 HR, 121 RBI)
NL Rookie of the Year: Todd Helton, Colorado (.324, 32 HR, 100 RBI)

[Hendu Style]

November 14th, 1998

When Vince Lombardi said "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," he obviously didn't have Hiroshi Yamauchi as his owner. Our budget for the upcoming 1999 season has been slashed by $19 million to $71 million by our economizer owner back in Japan, despite turning a tidy profit of $25 million in 1998. I was planning on having at least $10 million in budget room to pursue free agents this winter, but now we are over budget by $377,000.

The timing couldn't be worse with Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, and Manny Ramirez all scheduled to hit the market this offseason. If I could somehow sign one of those free agents, it might just put us over the top to win the AL West and reach the World Series. Any other year, I'd be content to just wait out the final year of Jay Buhner's and Edgar Martinez's contracts. They are slated to earn a total of $19 million in 1999 between them. Unfortunately, Edgar is a fan favorite and Mr. Yamauchi expects us to draw 45,000 fans per game next year. If we trade Martinez, our attendance could take a hit. So I turn my attention to trading Buhner.

St. Louis is willing and able to take Buhner's contract... for a price. I want their young pitcher Matt Morris, but in return they want our prized farmhand, Freddy Garcia. That's a no-go, so we take Morris off the table. Instead, I inquire about utility infielder David Bell. The 26 year-old had an unremarkable 1998, batting .217 in 20 games. After several rounds of negotiations, we have ourselves a trade.

ST. LOUIS TRADE:


Gone are Jay Buhner, starting third baseman Chris Stynes, and relievers Greg McMichael, Jose Paniagua, and Armando Reynoso. The deal trims our payroll down by nearly $12 million (including $800k in cash from St. Louis), and nets us Bell along with reliever Braden Looper. Yes, the trade leaves us vulnerable in the outfield, and we lose Stynes at third, after he put together a very solid .286, 8 HR, 64 RBI season in '98. But it also gives us much-needed payroll flexibility, either to go after a big fish in free agency, or upgrade our bullpen and outfield.

[Hendu Style]

November 16th, 1998

A recent newspaper poll in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said we should go after Pedro Martinez in free agency. Normally I would cast that opinion aside, but in this case, I happen to agree. While we could use Manny Ramirez in our outfield, we absolutely need an inning eater who can help hide our horrendous bullpen. Pedro fits that bill.

Signing a marquee free agent can be a long and arduous process, so we're not going to commit all of our energy to one guy. My target right now is any position that happens to yield great talent and output with minimal cost. Unfortunately, bullpen help is scarce, so we're not going to find much help there on the cheap. But there is a glut of catchers available, so that's what I'm going to focus on.

Mind you I haven't forgotten that we have the formidable Mike Lieberthal behind the dish, but if I can land a couple of solid catchers, suddenly Liebs becomes available. So I've floated a couple of offers to Brad Ausmus and former Mariner Dan Wilson. Both are great defensive catchers and know how to handle a staff. So while I wait to land either Ausmus or Wilson (or even both), I start to shop around Lieberthal. And I'm pleasantly surprised by the response.

The New York Yankees are looking for a DH and someone to give Jorge Posada some rest behind the plate. If we're willing to part with Lieberthal and our young pitching prospect Gil Meche, the Yanks will send Mariano Rivera to Seattle. I can hardly contain my excitement. Rivera was an All-Star and the Reliever of the Year in 1997 (43 saves, 1.88 ERA) and followed that up with a 41 save, 2.08 ERA effort in 1998. His arbitration number is a little high for my liking for a reliever, but we're talking about a premier closer, something we've sorely lacked. As I always do, I push for my trade partner to add something to the pot, and the Yanks astonish me by throwing in minor leaguer Alfonso Soriano. Soriano is still a few years away from being big league ready, but our scouts have him pegged as a future All-Star.

Sorry, Yankee fans, but I can't pass up on this opportunity. Out of sheer guilt, I almost offer up our prized minor league 3B Aramis Ramirez, but then I think better of it. Screw the Yankees.

We take on almost $900,000 in payroll through the deal, which could prohibit us from chasing Pedro, but it's worth it. We finally have a stud closer, and a future All-Star in our minor league system.

[Hendu Style]

November 27th, 1998


It's the day after Thanksgiving and I opened the wallet on the biggest Black Friday purchase I've ever had. Today we put the finishing touches on a 7 year, $85.5 million contract that will make Pedro Martinez the highest-paid player in Mariners franchise history.


Is it worth it? Absolutely. Putting him as our #2 starter behind Randy Johnson gives us perhaps the best 1-2 punch in Major League history and makes us a feared opponent in any playoff series. Of course, my celebration was tempered a bit when I found out the NL champion San Diego Padres made a similar splash by signing Curt Schilling for a much more palatable 5 years and $45.5 million. We could've used that extra $2 to $3 million a year on some bullpen help, but I'll take my chances with Pedro.


In much more minor news, we inked Jamie Moyer (3 years/$20.5M) and Turk Wendell (4 years/$1.16M) to contract extensions recently, as well as hired a new bench coach. My work, though, is not done. Some relative bargains are emerging on the free agent market, and I'd like to make one more move to shore up our bullpen... if I can free up a little salary space.