Where does the money go?

[Max Power]

Tribe offered Thome $72 mill for 6 years - - $12 mill a year. He went to Philly. What does the Tribe do now with that $12 mill a year for the next 6 years? Spend it on more players? Or, more likely, pocket it?

Same thing last year with the A's - - they offered Giambi $91 mill for 6 years - - $15 mill a year? When Jason went to NY, what happened to that money? Did they sign FAs?

Yes, they gave their SP some money - - but, that was probably always in the plan - - - you think the A's would have signed Giambi and let Zito, Mulder and Hudson walk in 2-3 years? Not likely.

So, where is the money?

You would think that a team willing to spend $70-90 million has the money ready. Where did it go?

If I had $50,000 to buy a car, and wanted a Hummer - and then got shutout on the last one - - I would simply then go get a Navigator or something. Why don't these teams with the money ready and in hand then do the same thing? Something is not right.