Terrell Suggs: Epic Money
No more worries about Terrell Suggs and the franchise tag: the Ravens have inked their star linebacker to a contract with the most bonus money ever awarded to a defensive player. The $63 million total isn’t so shabby, either.
If the NFL were like baseball and contracts were guaranteed I’d be tempted to call this a sketchy move. But since contracts in the NFL aren’t really contracts, it’s a great move.
Locking up a world-class talent while he’s really just entering his prime? Consistent with how the Ravens do it, and proof that no matter what the ups and downs on offense that D isn’t going anywhere.
I’m pretty sure it’s just the bonuses (signing and performance) that total the highest for a defensive player. Didn’t the Redskins just throw stupid money at Haynesworth?
@random dude – Good call, man — thanks. I edited the main entry.
Hard to argue with this.
Although I suppose you could argue that now that the Ravens have paid their linebacker more than most quarterbacks, guys like Ngata are going to want similar money. They’ve set the bar now, and that could blow up in their face. Suggs’ sacks have also decreased each year in the league, and you’d hope that doesn’t continue or else he’s not going to live up to that kind of money.
is it friday yet? and i’m not asking that for the normal reasons i usually am at this point in the week…but more because i miss bitching about base running errors and diet cokes.
@ryan97ou – What you said.
Seriously, this is the worst night of the year for me. No ball. Just the sad duty of sending e-mails to classmates, urging them to send in their money to pay for our high school reunion. I feel like Lloyd Dobler, collecting keys at the beginning of the graduation party. Just 10 years on.
But back to ball… Viva le Adam Jones.
No doubt, today is a black hole for sports. The Suggs news is interesting, but there’s only so much you can really say about it. This is kind of what the Ravens do, and do well.
I’m working on the Diet Soda Awards, though, and I’m also thinking about a post on the makeup of the starting rotation. Coming soon.
@Miles – We did our high school reunion at a bar. Best decision ever made btw. Forget picnics and gymnasiums. Just go out and get hammered.
Was at owl bar last night and they had espn on in the background where they were announcing their midseason winners. They had reimold as their mid season al rookie of the year.
Here’s to a ‘good’ 2nd half
@Ryan97ou – That’s good to hear, though my pick would be Bergy. I watched some of MLB Network’s “30 Clubs, 30 Report Cards” this morning and wanted to spit nails. All three of their pea-brained ex-jocks (Mitch Williams, Dan Plesac, John Hart) picked Rick Porcello as their AL ROY because “he’s pitching for a first-place team, in games that count”. Ugh. Some numbers:
Bergesen: 6-3, 3.54 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.198 WHIP, 2.12 K/BB, 104.1 IP in 16 starts.
Porcello: 8-6, 4.14 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, 1.52 K/BB, 87 IP in 16 starts.
So on average, Brad’s giving up at least 2 less base runners per game and going an inning deeper. There is NO stat other than wins in which Porcello tops him, and that wouldn’t even be true if not for a few bullpen gaffes. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, ERA by month, April thru July (so far):
Bergesen: 5.59 (9.2 IP), 4.78, 2.23, 2.61.
Porcello: 6.23, 1.50, 4.60, 9.00 (4 IP).
So you want to tell me Rick’s pitching great in a pennant race? There’s a trend to be found in those numbers. This is without even getting into Ricky Romero, who’s also much better than Porcello. Nice to see that MLBN has the potential to be just as irritating as ESPN.
/rant over
andino was also #8 in total web-gems (baseball tonight) with 5.
and also an article peter gammons wrote (possibly the only man left who actually talks baseball on espn): “Never have I felt better about baseball than I did watching the pregame show and knowing that Granderson and Jones and others are the next generation. There was no residue from the Mitchell Report.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/notebook?page=bbtn
also, this is gammon’s headline on the espn mlb page:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d82/ryan97ou/jones.jpg
yah jonesey.
@Kevin B –
Dan Plesac: Meathead
John Hart: Old-school, uneducated-in-the-21st-century-game meathead
Mitch Williams: Greasy, bemulleted uber-meathead that makes John Kruk look like Einstein.
@Miles – Watching all of them – including Harold Reynolds and Sean Casey – utterly destroy the notion that advanced statistics have a place in today’s game made me lose all hope in the MLB Network. Is it to much to ask to get a group of 3 or 4 guys and have one of them with a different opinion?
Their coverage of the Draft was pretty horrid, too: “What a good pick!” “I think we’re going to be hearing a lot about this kid for years to come!”….for every single pick in the first round. Ugh.
Hey – anybody got any second half predictions? I know I do (if I can get them organized in my brain…but they are there). Care to share and debate? Trades, callups, final record, playoff picture?
I love how it’s only a matter of time before football threads end up as baseball threads. To me, it’s almost pointless discussing football until after pre-season.
Second half:
-Markakis and Jones find their power stroke, if maybe only for a month. Jones will set career highs in everything and Markakis will have a good year, but what we will overall view as a “down” year for The Stick.
-Baez will get flipped for inventory.
-No freaking clue how the Salazar/Pie roster spot issue resolves itself ultimately.
-Huff will not get traded, unless they find someone offering a sick young corner infielder. Otherwise, Andy will take the draft picks.
-Sherrill? Probably your best trade chip. Do you use it to solve third base? If you can, you probably should, I think, as sad as that would be.
-Mora will light it up in the second half. Roberts, too.
-Scott will finish with a career high in home runs and play a handful of games at 1B.
-With Izturis back in there, the base running will improve a bit.
-Tillman up by August.
Anybody else?
Huff will resign with the Orioles when we offer him arbitration I think. I don’t really know. He’s not that old, but where else is he going to play?
Someone on OH mentioned Sherrill for Garrett Atkins. I think that’s a pretty good trade for the O’s.
I’ve already said Tillman on Aug. 10.
I agree Huff does not get traded but whether or not he accepts arbitration is too close to call. It wouldn’t be the worst thing ever, so no reason to worry.
If you can trade Sherrill for a potential corner infield solution or young closer type, you obviously do it…but I’m not sure I see that happening. Still, Georgie stock has certainly gone up a lot. Maybe you can eat salary and package Sherrill and Baez for someone worthwhile. Atkins is not worthwhile. 66 OPS+ at age 30 versus Mora’s 73 at age 37? No thank you.
I’m watching most closely to see what the three rookies do in the all important second half: Bergesen, Reimold, and Wieters. I predict Bergesen comes back to earth (.272 BABiP right now) a little, but Reimold and Wieters will be massive successes. Tillman will be uneven.
Any bold final record predictions? I initially said 80 wins…I’m backing off to 75. The O’s have an insane schedule from here on out, so we’ll see how it goes.