ATM report--Signings

[nyy26wc]

1) The Brewers signed free agent 2B Eric Young to a 2 year, $5 million contract, with a team option for 2004.

Young hit .393 SLG, .333 OBA, .726 OPS, -12 RCAA, .434 OWP, 4.43 RC/G, 79 RC in 149 games in 2001. It was the 3rd time in the past 5 years that he's had a double digit negative RCAA and the 4th such season of his career. Young has a .760 career OPS, compared to his league average of .771 and 2B average of .736, -31 RCAA and 24 RCAP.

GM Dean Taylor says Young's signing means Ron Belliard could be moved to 3B or be traded.

2) The Mets signed free agent P Pedro Astacio to a 1 year, $5 million contract, with a team option for 2003 that becomes guarantees if he has 180+ IP in 2002.

Astacio had a 5.09 ERA and 3 RSAA in 26 starts in 2001--22 with the Rockies and 4 with the Astros. It was his 3rd consecutive year with a positive RSAA, but a big dropoff from his 25 and 20 figures in 1999-2000. Astacio has a 4.50 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.27, and 43 RSAA in 308 games.

Astacio's 2001 season ended in August, due to a torn labrum, and he decided not to have surgery.

Meanwhile, according to the NY Times, Mets GM Steve Phillips implied the team is still interested in signing another pitcher, with their being speculation that the team is interested in David Cone.

3) The Mariners re-signed 2B Bret Boone to a 3 year, $25 million contract, with a team option for 2005 that becomes guaranteed if he has 500 PA in 2004.

Boone had a career year in 2001, hitting .578 SLG, .372 OBA, .950 OPS, 53 RCAA, .718 OWP, 132 RC in 158 games. He's had a double digit negative RCAA in half of his 10 years in the majors, with his total of -29 or -30 seasons matching his total of positive seasons--2 apiece. Boone has a .756 career OPS, compared to his league average of .769 and 2B average of .735, -48 RCAA and -4 RCAP, with the numbers plummeting to a .725 career OPS, compared to a league average of .770 and 2B average of .735, -101 RCAA and -61 RCAP taking out last year's fluke season.

4) The A's re-signed RF Jermaine Dye to a 3 year, $32 million contract, with a mutual option for 2005.

5) The Twins re-signed P Joe Mays to a 4 year, $20 million contract.

Mays had a 3.16 ERA and an AL leading 35 RSAA in 34 starts in 2001. He has a 4.21 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.73, and 47 RSAA in 114 games.

6) The Angels re-signed OF-1B Darin Erstad to a 1 year, $6.25 million contract.

How would you like to get a $2.8 million pay increase?

All you have to do is be terrible at your job this year and have this be the 2nd time in the past 3 years where your employer would be better off if you got lost on your way to work every day. But, in between, you will need to have a fluke year that your employer will have no right to expect you to ever duplicate.

This method worked for Erstad. Why can't it work for you?

Erstad hit .360 SLG, .331 OBA, .691 OPS, -20 RCAA, .400 OWP, 4.37 RC/G, 80 RC in 157 games in 2001, a season that came just 2 years after his -30 RCAA/.683 OPS season in 1999. He has a .794 career OPS, compared to his league average of .779 and positional average of .819, 39 RCAA and -8 RCAP, with those totals inflated by his fluke 59 RCAA/.951 OPS figures in 2000.

7) The Cardinals re-signed RF J.D. Drew to a 1 year, $3.1 million contract.

Drew hit .613 SLG, .414 OBA, 1.027 OPS, 47 RCAA, .763 OWP, 10.00 RC/G, 100 RC in 109 games in 2001. He has a .907 career OPS, compared to his league average of .790 and positional average of .835, 72 RCAA and 50 RCAP in 362 games.

8) The Redsox re-signed C Doug Mirabelli to a 1 year, $650,000 contract.

Mirabelli hit .453 SLG, .332 OBA, .784 OPS, 2 RCAA, .529 OWP, 5.47 OWP, 31 RC in 77 games in 2001. He has a .727 career OPS, compared to his league average of .783 and positional average of .738, -7 RCAA and 5 RCAP in 217 games.

9) The Cubs signed P Alan Benes to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Benes had a 7.36 ERA and -5 RSAA in 9 games for the Cardinals in 2001. He has a 4.42 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.27, and -11 RSAA in 101 games.

10) The Tigers re-signed P Danny Patterson to a 3 year, $7 million contract.

Patterson had a 3.06 ERA and 10 RSAA in 60 games in 2001. It was his 4th year with a positive RSAA in his 5 year career and his 2nd year with 10. Patterson has a 3.97 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.70, and 30 RSAA in 288 games.

11) The Giants signed C Scott Servais to a minor league contract.

Last month, Servais signed a minor league contract with the Astros, but the next day the signed Gregg Zaun, Servais asked to be released and the team granted the request.

Servais spent most of the 2001 season in AAA and played just 11 games in the majors. He has a .681 career OPS, compared to his league average of .766 and C average of .723, -105 RCAA and -60 RCAP in his 11 year major
league career.

12) The Royals re-signed P Jose Rosado to a 1 year, $3.25 million contract.

Rosado hasn't pitched in April 2000, due to shoulder surgery. He has a 4.27 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.76, and 48 RSAA in 125 games.

13) MLB owners approved the sale of the Redsox to John Henry's group. Meanwhile, there hasn't been official approval yet of Henry's sale of the Marlins to Expos owner Jeffrey Loria and the sale of the Expos to MLB. That approval will reportedly come before Henry's group officially takes over the team in the next couple of months.

14) The Pirates signed P Scott Service to a minor league contract.

Service has a 4.91 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.49, and -15 RSAA in 284 games in 1988 and 1992-2000.

15) Cubs Ps Will Ohman and Phil Norton will both miss the entire 2002 season. Ohman, who was a candidate for the bullpen, had reconstructive elbow surgery and Norton had Tommy John surgery.

16) Braves GM John Schuerholz says prospect Wilson Betemit will get a chance to win a starting job in spring training. If Marcus Giles plays, Rafael Furcal will probably play SS and Giles will play 2B, while if Betemit is in the lineup, he'll play SS and Furcal will play 2B.

Correction and addition to yesterday's report--Yesterday's reports should have said Sheffield has a .400+ OBA, not OPS, in each of the past 6 years. Also, in exchange for Sheffield dropping his no trade clause to the Braves, the Braves agreed not to exercise their option for 2003.

[Duque]

Oh boy. Cone back in Shea - that would be a spectacle.

Hopefully, LaRussa will play Drew every day this year, and not put him in some weird platoon with Placido Polanco or So Takaguchi.

[Xanadu Dragon]

All winter, I've had this feeling about Cone and the Mets.

Lord, when he gets win number 7 next year, what a media blitz it will be - - -

Can we start a pool on the first "I never wanted to leave the Mets" or "I've always been a Met" quote in 2002 from Conie?

[BuzzBuzzard]

Media blitz for 200 wins?

[Duque]

I think more media blitz over Cone.