Originally Posted by
HollywoodLeo
Scenario: It's 1999 and you're the GM of a small market team getting set to move into a new stadium that you yet to know any ramifications of as to what type of park it'll play as. (pitcher's, hitter's, need-for-speed, etc) Also, you're under the impression that this stadium will be open for business in 2002.
You have just acquired Player A in a big trade with an east coast team.
Here's Player A's stats from 1994-1999
94: 17 HRs, 47 RBIs, .907 OPS
95: 23 HRs, 70 RBIs, 1.104 OPS
96: 34 HRs, 93 RBIs, .894 OPS
97: 24 HRs, 84 RBIs, .824 OPS
98: 18 HRs, 70 RBIs, .832 OPS
99: 21 HRs, 80 RBIs, .908 OPS
would you say it'd be a good idea to sign this guy long term? I'd say it'd be a good deal, so let's sign him through 2004
Fast foward to 2001 you're in the same situation as stated above, except you're seeing delays on stadium opening. No big deal, you can still put together a team in that timeframe. On your team you have a slugger, we'll call him player B. Here's his stats with your team from 1999-2001
1999: 24 HRs, 85 RBIs, .880 OPS
2000: 31 HRs, 107 RBIs, .916 OPS
2001: 41 HRs, 126 RBIs, .976 OPS
Call me an idiot, but this drastic year to year improvement tells me that I want this guy long term and he looks like just the guy to build my team around! We'll sign him till 2006
Fast forward one more year to 2002. Player A is still on the team and here's what he's accomplished since his last contract signing.
2000: 26 HRs, 92 RBIs, .909 OPS
2001: 30 HRs, 113 RBIs, .923 OPS
2002: on his way to 29 HRs, 95 RBIs, .925 OPS
Man, this guy's just not stopping, let's add two years to his contract, that way he's here when PetCo opens and we have our team together. (originally supposed to open 2002, now it's 2004)
Unfortunatley as fate would have it, after the contract signings Nevin would turn out to be injury prone, then Ryno would go down for 2003. Then when the stadium finally opens it would prove to be a spacious park not designed for mashers (don't take that as me insinuating HRs can't be hit there..) and Nevin and Klesko would let it get in their heads making it seem that much worse.