Sunday, May 10, 2009

What To Do With An Extra $7.7 Million?

Go after Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, speculates Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The Dodgers are the best team in the National League West, with or without their dreadlocked desperado. Despite their return to third place Thursday, the Padres still figure to be bringing up the rear by season's end. Subtracting one slugger does not begin to level this baseball playing field, and it could, conceivably, make the Dodgers even stronger down the stretch.

If General Manager Ned Colletti can effectively deploy the $7.7 million in salary Ramirez is no longer due, the Dodgers could be a better club when their performance-enhanced left fielder returns July 3 at Petco Park. This year more than most, those clubs with spare cash should be positioned to pounce as their pinched rivals struggle to meet payroll.

This, people, is where the Padres could become a pertinent part of the story.

By the end of May, the unpaid portion of Jake Peavy's 2009 salary will slip beneath $7.7 million. As a short-term proposition, at least, that would mean the Dodgers would be able to add the Padres' best pitcher without increasing the payroll they budgeted at the beginning of the season.

“That doesn't necessarily answer the question of subsequent years,” agent Barry Axelrod said Thursday afternoon. “(But) if you look at it that way, this year could be a break-even proposition.”

Neither Peavy nor Axelrod is actively lobbying for a trade. “You'll never hear me ask out of here,” Peavy said after the Padres' 10-inning, 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Yet some of the conditions that put Peavy on the block last winter have lately intensified. After 14 home dates, Padres' attendance is down by nearly 14 percent from last season, including four of the six smallest crowds in Petco Park history this week alone. Despite Thursday's victory, the Padres have won only four of their past 17 games, and stand 7 1/2 games behind L.A.

So long as Eric Stults keeps pitching CG shutouts, and Hiroki Kuroda stays on the path back to the starting lineup, this shouldn't be an issue....

8 comments:

Orel said...

Savings is only $2.37M this year.

PenosCabell said...

Even though the Dodgers will only save $2.37million, they should still go after that big arm.

Steve Sax said...

Hmm. "Jake, we would gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today?"

Eric Karros said...

Too bad he can't serve his suspension over the next 4 years.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

EK: Nice retort. Like it.
Sax: A close second

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

If Colletti can get Manny for free, imagine what he can get for $2.37 million!

rbnlaw said...

Hmmm. Jake Peavy or Jason Schmidt?
Have fun in rehab Jason, I think we've found another starter.

Eric Karros said...

Actually I think even the $2.37M is a typo. I think it's $2.73M saved (the linked article first says $2.37M in 1st paragraph, then $2.73M in the 3rd).

But 50/183 x $10m = $2.73M, so I'm guessing that's the correct figure.