. . .And Many of Those Who Comment At the Bailey/Siegel Blog:
1) Try to get your brains around the following scenario, the way I think it probably went down:
TIM PURPURA (IN BETWEEN SIPS OF HIS FRESCA):
Hendricks says Andy's got 16 with a player option for '08, he'll take 14 with the same option from us.TAL SMITH:
12 is fair, the elbow. Garland would have signed for 12, and he's 27 years old, and was better last year besides.DRAYTON MCLANE (ABOARD HIS HELICOPTER, VIA VIDEO TELECONFERENCING EQUIPMENT):
Maybe our option. . . not his.PURPURA:
Hendricks says Pettitte wouldn't exercise it if he were hurt.SMITH (DEADPAN):
We should take their word for it.ALL:
HA HA HA HA(Fresca comes shooting out of T-Purp's nose)
MCLANE:
We appear to be in agreement, then.SMITH:
Yes.PURPURA:
Yes.(McLane ends his connection, the monitor screen goes grey)
SMITH:
You wanna give Kenny Williams another call?(Purpura opens his cellphone)
2) Just because Gil Meche got what he did for the Royals doesn't mean that he represents the market for pitchers. I'm kind of torn on whether it's for better or for worse, but the Royals will cheerfully admit they overpaid for Meche. Y'know, 'coz the Royals suck and all. A contender would not [and gee whiz--DID NOT) pay Meche 10 mil a year.
In simpler words, the Meche deal DOES NOT mean Pettitte would have been overpaid at 12 million.
And considering the stupid way the Cubs have thrown their money around this winter, I don't think the Ted Lilly deal has much bearing, either.
Meanwhile, the Yankees and their fans, however, will concede at the drop of a hat to having overpaid for Andy.
That is all.