Sunday, December 12, 2004 |
Anaheim Aftermath
The Dodgers are beginning to contemplate life without third baseman Adrian Beltre. It's an unpleasant prospect, given that Beltre, 25, is a popular homegrown Dodger coming off a blockbuster season. But his asking price is believed to be seven years for about $90 million — enough to make DePodesta blanch.And then there's more solidification of the story that Tim Hudson will be heading to the Dodgers, possibly in exchange for Edwin Jackson and Antonio Perez."Recent history has shown that teams with one player carrying a disproportionate amount of payroll don't do well," he said. "It's clear to me that there is no discount for Adrian Beltre to stay in Los Angeles."
It's uncertain whether any team will meet the demand. The Seattle Mariners want Beltre, but are as averse to a seven-year deal as the Dodgers. The Detroit Tigers want him, but Beltre might not want to leave the West Coast.
Beane would not allow Hudson to negotiate a contact extension with teams trying to trade for him, saying it would become "a circus." Hudson wants an extension before the season starts and probably can command a four-year, $40 million deal.More on this here.
As I said yesterday to Jon, I've given DePodesta a wide berth on this offseason because I've basically agreed with his approach. But at some point, the Dodgers have to make trades and free agent signings that work in the majority, and that clearly hasn't happened, not yet, anyway. If the Dodgers don't sign Beltre, we're back in the middle of the division again.
The Times reports the Angels are close to signing free agent Matt Clement. If true, this is a fantastic signing depending on years and terms; three years and $21M sounds like a great figure.
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