Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Down With Drew Day
In a much-needed change of pace from all the mostly unfounded hating, Peter Gammons pimps free agent J.D. Drew here. Drew, as you probably know by now, opted out of the final 3 years/$33 million of his contract with the Dodgers, meaning either 1) he was very, very confident that he could get more moolah on the free agent market, 2) he really wanted to get the hell out of L.A., and hey, who doesn't?, or 3) Scott Boras is just one conniving son of a bitch.
In his blog entry, Gammons points out that Drew's .889 OPS last season was fourth-best among major league right fielders (Dye, Guerrero, and Hawpe were better). Hmm, didn't realize that. Also according to Gammons, Drew's OPS the past three years (.946) is better than Alex Rodriguez's (.945). Hmm, didn't know that either. Let's see, now, with Moises Alou leaving and Barry Bonds and his agent taking turns spouting off ludicrous salary demands, it would seem the Giants have a hole to fill at a corner outfield spot. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
A lot of people pooh-pooh the idea of Drew coming to the Giants but there's really no reason why. Drew is a guy who keeps to himself, isn't particularly quotable, and quietly goes about producing, and in a big market like L.A. those guys tend to get raked over the coals. It's amazing how players like Drew, who put up numbers without much publicity, get unfairly ripped for not being team players or whatnot, while wired guys Darin Erstad get all kinds of praise even though they completely blow ass. People also still hold animosity toward the man after he refused to sign with the Phillies in 1997, but I think we can get over that at this point and, again, Scott Boras is just a bastard like that.
All Drew did last season was lead the Dodgers in doubles, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS. In a Giants lineup that was starving for power and patience, he'd be a wonderful addition. He does have a well-documented history of injuries, but the knee problems that plagued him in St. Louis appear to be behind him, and other than a freak injury in 2005, he's been perfectly healthy the past three years (including a monster 2004 in Atlanta).
So if the Giants can get Drew for somewhere in the $12 million per year area, I'd be happy. My original pipe dream free agent signee, Aramis Ramirez, decided that he'd rather roast in Dante's Inferno for five more years than come to the heavenly pastures of Mays Field, so now I'm looking for Plan B. Drew does everything a nerdy nerd like me goes gaga over: he hits for pop, he draws lots of walks, he can run a little, he can field all outfield positions very well, and he's still in his prime. What's not to like? While other teams are throwing $10 million a year at idiots like Juan Pierre (uh, yeah...other teams), the Giants should be focusing on guys like Drew who produce. The guy is routinely lambasted, but hey, Gammons has got his back, and so do I. Drew in '07!
In his blog entry, Gammons points out that Drew's .889 OPS last season was fourth-best among major league right fielders (Dye, Guerrero, and Hawpe were better). Hmm, didn't realize that. Also according to Gammons, Drew's OPS the past three years (.946) is better than Alex Rodriguez's (.945). Hmm, didn't know that either. Let's see, now, with Moises Alou leaving and Barry Bonds and his agent taking turns spouting off ludicrous salary demands, it would seem the Giants have a hole to fill at a corner outfield spot. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
A lot of people pooh-pooh the idea of Drew coming to the Giants but there's really no reason why. Drew is a guy who keeps to himself, isn't particularly quotable, and quietly goes about producing, and in a big market like L.A. those guys tend to get raked over the coals. It's amazing how players like Drew, who put up numbers without much publicity, get unfairly ripped for not being team players or whatnot, while wired guys Darin Erstad get all kinds of praise even though they completely blow ass. People also still hold animosity toward the man after he refused to sign with the Phillies in 1997, but I think we can get over that at this point and, again, Scott Boras is just a bastard like that.
All Drew did last season was lead the Dodgers in doubles, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS. In a Giants lineup that was starving for power and patience, he'd be a wonderful addition. He does have a well-documented history of injuries, but the knee problems that plagued him in St. Louis appear to be behind him, and other than a freak injury in 2005, he's been perfectly healthy the past three years (including a monster 2004 in Atlanta).
So if the Giants can get Drew for somewhere in the $12 million per year area, I'd be happy. My original pipe dream free agent signee, Aramis Ramirez, decided that he'd rather roast in Dante's Inferno for five more years than come to the heavenly pastures of Mays Field, so now I'm looking for Plan B. Drew does everything a nerdy nerd like me goes gaga over: he hits for pop, he draws lots of walks, he can run a little, he can field all outfield positions very well, and he's still in his prime. What's not to like? While other teams are throwing $10 million a year at idiots like Juan Pierre (uh, yeah...other teams), the Giants should be focusing on guys like Drew who produce. The guy is routinely lambasted, but hey, Gammons has got his back, and so do I. Drew in '07!
