I would like to start out this post by thanking all who support the amazing work we do on Derosby Brothers.com.  I hope that my comments do not anger you enough to avoid the work we do here on this site.

This morning I woke up to hear the news that Cliff Lee, the top free agent of this year’s baseball class, had signed a five year 120 dollar deal with the hated Philadelphia Philles.  Of all the teams out there, I despise them them most, for their obnoxious attitude and their winning of the NL East year after year.  They are successful and the results of their winning allow them to spend.  It is a current situation of spending money to make money.  They have built up a solid fan base and with each successful year, they bring in more money due to games, clothing, etc…  That is why it is sometimes important to step up to the plate and spend the money when it is called for.

That being said, I must admit that this rotation is downright nasty, but only for the 2011 season.  First of all, for those that know little about baseball, their rotation stands as

1.  Roy Halladay

2  Cliff Lee

3.  Cole Hammels

4.  Roy Oswalt

5.  Joe Blanton

That is a scary rotation as the top four can be an ace on almost all teams.  However there is reason to worry at 2012 and beyond.  First of all, the Phils rotation is expensive; very much so.  They have two starters in their rotation making over 20 million dollars.  And while Roy Halladay is a beast, he is still in his 30′s.  Lee will be 33 when his contract begins, and with his contract having a 6 year in there or a 13 million dollar pay out, he will be 39 when it ends.  Lee was ok this year, better in the postseason, He also struggled with back issues all year so I would be worried he would break down.  Does that mean I would not sign him?  Hell no, they were smart to do so.

The Phillies have an opportunity to have a rotation that rivals the 1990s Braves rotation of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, and Leibrandt.  They were downright dominant and have three Hall of Famers in the rotation.  Currently I would just say that Roy Halladay is a HOF, maybe Oswalt but I think the Astros team he was on will hurt his numbers.  Cliff Lee, while good, is not HOF worthy, especially if Jack Morris isn’t in.

The Phillies farm system is in tatters.  They have traded everyone away and have little left in the minors to bring up.  The current starting 9, while good, is getting older.  Utley has been dealing with injuries for the past year, Ibanez fought in the First World War, Rollins has slipped since is MVP season, and Ryan Howard will slowly make the Phils regret that contract.

Again, would I have signed Lee?  Yes.  Will they be hampered by huge contracts and an aging team in two or three years?  Definitely.  But they are built to win now.  The only thing I could give for advice is that one day you will be like the Mets, tearing down a team that was built purely on money.  The Mets are now having to stand pat as everyone, including the Phils get better.  They have set aside a 5 million dollar spending limit; though Sandy Alderson says there is no limit.  But after this year, they will drop almost $60 million dollars from their budget.  Maybe they will spend smarter than before.

Now on to the Boston Red Sox.  This winter they started by trading three prospects for Adrian Gonzalez.  I think this is a good move, except his surgery, he should be a monster in Fenway.  He is a great defensive infielder and a heavy hitter.  He will give the Sox the hitter they have missed since Manny Ramirez.  The major issue will be the length of the contract.  Rumors are that it will be 160 for 7 years.  That is a long contract and if he gets hurt or hits a downslide, like Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Carlos Beltran.  That is a large hit it he fails or does not respond how Red Sox nation demands.  But overall, this is a smart move.  They are a big market club and they showed it.

The other contract worries me more.  I like Carl Crawford and think he is a good player but is he worthy of being one of the highest paid players in the game?  I am not so sure.  He will make 142 over 6 years and play OF for the Sox.  Crawford is very athletic and young.  Those are two good components to have and  a major reason they were willing to give both Gonzalez and Crawford contracts like that.  However, Crawford is all about speed.  He has stated that he is moving away from that.  What happens if he has hamstring issues?  Jose Reyes has been plagued by it and has become a major issue.  I would be more concerned by this.

So in the end, I think they are all very smart moves, Crawford being the only suspect one.  I like the Lee move but hope his back doesn’t go out in the first few years of the deal.  In the fifth and six year, it does not matter.  I think they will be an old club by then looking to rebuild.  Sure they will have to sit on those deals until they run out, like Beltran, Perez, Castillo, but they will have a few more playoff appearances by then.  The Sox made some great moves and have a strong lineup, but how will the pitching staff support them.  Will Lackey, Beckett, and Dice-K make it back to form?  Will the Phillies have enough bullpen help to keep those wins.  The only thing I do not want to hear is that the Yankees only win championships by buying them.  The Red Sox and Phillies just did the same thing.  The Sox have bought or traded and paid for the following players:  Gonzalez, Scutaro, Saltamacchia, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Cameron, Crawford, JD Drew.  Their homegrown talent is good but they have definitely used their Red Sox money to trade then pay for guys.  The Phils whole rotation except Hammels is bought and paid for, including two 20 million dollar pitchers there.  They have a homegrown infield, counting Pollanco for second run as a Phil, but that rotation is the key.

The key to success is to build talent, then trade it for major league players.  Keeping minor leaguers, like the Royals, only equal to having great minor league teams.  All the while, their major league club sucks, big time.  So the Sox and Phils made some great moves, however no more crying when the Yankees sign the latest free agent by throwing money around.  There is more than one guilty party there.

Now what do the New York Yankees do considering they planned on signing Lee, and maybe even Crawford.  Crawford is an excellent Plan B, but his early signing hurt Brian Cashman’s chances of picking his second choice, if for some reason, Lee signed somewhere else.  I think this will truly show if the Yankees just buy their talent or if Brian Cashman really is a good general manager.  For years, I have said that one major attribute that few clubs had, except teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, was an ability to make their farm system look like the Garden of Eden.  Every minor league player in each organization is a future HOF player.  Teams are willing to trade with both clubs because they feel their lower, cheaper talent is better than in other organizations.  However, teams like the Royals have major talent at the low levels but are never buyers, always sellers in the market.

Some of the steps taken by the Yankees are interesting, yet necessary.  First of all, they signed Russel Martin to a one year deal. This ensures that Jorge Posada has likely seen his final days behind the plate, providing them with a power DH.  The problem the Yanks have is that they have several of those exact players, as age is catching up to them.

The next player they signed is the oft injured, arm of a God-body of an old woman, pitcher Mark Prior.

This exact scene has been witnessed multiple times throughout his career.  Just one look at the picture and  I already know that we have a Prior and a trainer.

This is a low risk, high reward signing if he even comes close to reaching the potential he had out of college.  Will he?  I would not draft him in any fantasy league but one never knows.

So what do they do?  I have heard the names Zack Greinke or Carlos Zambrano.  Can they really handle the NY spotlight?  I wouldn’t think so, quickly reviewing their past issues.

In the end, who really won here.  Well in the short term both the Phils and Red Sox won.  Teams like the Mets, while unhappy, are not as affected as one might think.  They were not going to contend this year, as they do not currently have one ace, much less four.  It hurts teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, who were torn apart by free agency and the lack of finances.  It hurts teams like the Yankees and Blue Jays, who watched the Red Sox virtually take the AL Title.  It hurts the Rangers, who now need a plan B in finding someone to replace the loss of Cliff Lee.  It will be an interesting year, seeing how these contracts play out.  But more importantly, it will be fun to look back, say four years from now, to see who really was most affected by these moves.

“THANK YOU JESUS”

That is what Carl Crawford is saying at this moment.  Just yesterday, Jayson “Jesus” Werth signed a 7 year 126 million dollar contract with the Washington Nationals.  He will be 32 when the season begins and goes from a bandbox known as CBP to a cavernous stadium in Washington.  In total, he has had only one and a half good season.  Seems like a lot of money .  This will soon be on the worst MLB contracts of all time list, if it isn’t already.

If Werth got that contract, what will Crawford get?  8-10 years, 180 million?  Stay tuned true believers.  The Nationals just screwed up the market…Big Time.

Alan…is this really what it feels like? Seriously, I feel much worse for you now than I ever have. My sympathies go out to you. Thank you to whoever had this video available, I am eternally grateful. You made my morning.

<object width=”426″ height=”256″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lRuboEJPdBM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lRuboEJPdBM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”426″ height=”256″></embed></object>

For the past few years, I have been working on my first novel, Purgatory.  It was indeed a process of writing and rewriting, editing and then editing it once again.  A storyboard was created, used, scrapped, redone, then finally used to create a strong finished product.

I finally completed the product in the end of July, after having both Craig and Keith read and edit it.  I then fixed all my mistakes, which were many, and placed the final period on the story Purgatory.  It was one of my greatest accomplishments as most people talk of writing a book but few get around to it.

So I sat down and wrote, what is called, a query letter.  It was a one page letter which covered several topics.  I had to give a brief, and I mean brief, synopsis of my novel.  My 255 page book was reduced to one paragraph.  This was tougher than I thought.  I had trouble because my novel is really original and has many moving parts.  After that, I had to inform the reader of who I was, in a brief biography.  Who am I?  Well this was my first novel.  After that?  Hmmm, married, child, history, video games, Mets.  These aren’t exactly selling points; especially my love of the Mets.  Basically I spent one page selling my book.  And again, this is a tough tough process.  Everything has to be perfect.

Next came the process of finding a literary agent.  Once I finished my book, I thought, “no problem with this one.  I will just send it to the agent that interests me most and wait for the request to read my manuscript”.  Unfortunately, that was my first rejection.  I re-read the agent’s website and decided that maybe my genre just wasn’t “for him”.  So I found several more agents that specialized in both young adult lit, as well as historical fiction.  I knew, just knew, they would all say yes.  However, more rejections.

So here I am 14 rejections later.  I am a bit closer as an agent did ask to read my manuscript.  14:  No/ 1: Yes.  While that is considered a minor slump in baseball if a batter went 1 out of the last 14, it is considered a minor victory in the writing world.  Sure my hit was a bloop single.  If she shows more interest, then we can make it ground rule double.

The reason I write this is because it was an eye opening and humble experience; one which I am still stuck in.  I currently have 50 query letters out, with only one yes.  I am sure a lot of the agents haven’t got around to reading my letter, some never will.  One agent sent me a rejection letter just minutes after I sent my query.  In his rejection response, he apologized for it taking so long to get back to me and said this project may not be for him.  Hmmm, a long time in responding?  It was minutes.  It MAY NOT be for him?  It either is or isn’t.

I am not worried that eventually someone will pick up on my novel and they will be happy they did.  It is original and not the typical vampire/wizard book that young adults normally read.  I have had four people read it and heard great responses from them.

So I won’t give up and I will keep plugging away.  Maybe this agent that asked to read my book will be excited enough to want to work with me.  Maybe she won’t and I will move on.  I might be surprised and have several of those 50 agents ask for my manuscript.  They could also all turn it down and I will continue my search.  Either way, I have to be patience.  I don’t really have a choice.

PURGATORY: coming soon

This morning, while drinking a cup of coffee and watching Dora with Sofie, I roamed the internet for sports.  Coming to CNN, I read about the Hall of Fame snubs this year and future players coming up for election.  I will have a post soon enough about that particular topic.  However there was an article I read that seemed to sum up the press’ opinion of the Mets, compared to the Red Sox or Yanks (or any other team, for that matter)

A few days after Christmas, the Mets signed Jason Bay to a four year deal with a fifth year option.  The total contract will equal roughly 80 million if he gets the vesting option on the fifth year.  Is that a lot of money?  Sure.  A week later, Matt Holliday signed for 7 years and roughly 120 million.  The Cardinals will also be paying him well into the 2020s, giving him a smaller yearly income, much like the Mets are STILL doing with Bobby Bonilla.

On CNNSI.com, Jeff Pearlman writes a whole article on why Jason Bay will be a bust for the Mets.  Will he be?  Maybe.  But there is also an article on the site about how the Holliday deal was better than the Bay deal.  Two years and twice the money for an good player.  Their logic seems to be built more on the failure of the Mets organization than that of the players themselves.  When the Sox go out and sign players like John Lackey, Adrian Beltre, and Marco Scutaro, the press say they are buiding with pitching and defense.  They don’t mention the pressing need in Boston is power, which none of those players provide.  Beltre has been more of a bust than Bay, yet the Boston press look at his 10 million dollar contract as “worth a shot”.  When they spent 12 million on players like Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and T. Saito, sports networks called this a smart move because one of them would work out.  Even after they failed, especially Smoltz and Penny, people blew it off as a team taht has money to try those manuvers.  When the Yanks spend money, and they do, people get mad at the money thrown around, not the players themselves.

Do the Mets make mistakes, yes they do.  Do they have more pressing needs than Bay?  Some would say their pitching is suspect (which they are correct), but they also needed a powerhitter and a left fielder.  Will he be worth the money by the time the fifth year option comes around?  Probably not.  But he could very well succeed in New York, surrounded by players such as Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Franceur.  The Mets won’t make the playoffs without a SP or two, but Bay’s numbers and potential in New York should not be based on things he can’t control.

Where do I begin?  Can I root for both teams to lose?  This year, it couldn’t have been worse, not only for my beloved and beleaguered Mets but at the end, the World Series is made up of the two teams I despise the most, the Yanks and Phils.

Now I hate both teams but for different reasons.  With the Yankees, it comes down to being crosstown rivals, calling themselves America’s Team, and having the opportunity to throw massive amounts of money to any player they want.  The reality is that every teams spends money, just some more than most.  Unlike years past, the Yankees spent it on good players in their prime.  I think the Burnett signing might bite them later on but the others, like CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, will benefit them for several years.  Red Sox fans can complain about the Yanks spending money but they, and the Mets, do it as well.

The Philies are a different story.  They are division rivals.  Each year they have a player that assures their NL East title, and they follow through.  They are made up of a series of blowhards, like Shane Victarino, Jimmy Rollins, and Brett Myers.  They play in a ballpark that is the size of Purnell Field (replace this with any little league field in your area).  They sign Pedro Martinez to a contract and gues what, he is successful.  The Mets paid him 55 million for taking up DL space and the Phils get a good pitcher.  How does that work?  Finally, my brother is a rabid Phillies fan and to give him more fuel for the fire during the offseason and into next season is more than I can take.  How can I honestly prove the Mets can win the East when they blow it, big time, year after year.

So I guess it can come down to players and who I would like to see win a World Series.  While it would be nice to see Father Time, Raul Ibanez, win a WS ring, I cannot cheer for a team that employs Pedro.  That bastard stole money and should be paying the Mets back for the last two years of that contract (not like the Sox didn’t warn us though).  For the Yanks, I would like to see Tex and Sabathia both win since they are both hard working players in the perfect situation.  But do I want to see A-Rod win?  It is funny that New York was looking for ways to void that contract after the steriod information leaked.  Now he is a Yankee hero for batting about .400 in the playoffs.
I guess I watch the World Series and cheer for no one.  I don’t care who wins.  If the Phils win, I hope Pedro has nothing to do with it.  If he does, he should send his ring or money to the Mets, since they not only paid him 55 million but also paid and took care of his surgeries.  If the Yanks win, I hope it is because of CC, Tex, and Jeter.  I just don’t want to see A-Rod have a Reggie Jackson moment in the W.S.

PS…both teams suck…GO 2010 NEW YORK METS-Your next World Series Champs.

Now as a Mets fan, I go into every year thinking World Series. Every year I am disappointed. Several weeks ago, I posted on the Mets injuries and it seems to continue. If you have been keeping a running count, Reyes is now out several weeks and John Maine has been placed on the DL. I don’t want to make excuses but the Mets have gone into the past few major series with the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yanks with a less-than major league lineup. One through 5 in the batting order is fine but the bottom is awful.

It was bad enough to lose 2 of 3 to the Phils when the Mets were leading in all three, late in the game. Last night’s loss to the Yanks was, quite possibly, one of the worst losses I have ever seen or heard. I had been listening to it on and off all evening and because I couldn’t sleep, I went into the computer room and listened to the end of the game on MLB Audio. I just sat there after the game was over, stunned. I am so glad I was by myself because I was honestly embarrassed about what just transpired.

To give a quick recap, Alex Rodriguez popped up a ball to the 2nd baseman Luis Castillo. There were two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Instead of doing what needed to be done, Luis decided it was better to use one hand on a pop up and he dropped the ball. Castillo, then, picked up the ball and threw it to second base instead of  to home plate, making Alex Cora relay it there as both Jeter and Teixiera crossed the plate.

Frankie Rodriguez had been perfect in save opportunities and this was his first blown one. Does he look disappointed

When teams like the Phils, Sox, and Yanks beat the Mets, they can complain about their depleted roster (which I have used numerous times this year when discussing the current Mets situation). But this is a play the Mets had to and should have made. Any Little Leaguer could have made this catch.

This team has put Mets fans through two collapses in a row. They lost in the playoffs to the Cards the year before, who then went to destroy the Tigers. In the next few weeks, Mets fans will be posting about the team’s need for a big bat, like a Matt Holliday. This team has many needs and maybe with their returning players and a trade or two, the Mets will turn it around. I do feel bad for Castillo who generally seems like a nice guy and really worked hard this offseason to change. Mets fans have not been kind to him and this one play will haunt him unless the Mets use this loss as a turning point in the season. Something needs to change.

Ok, part of me is very happy that the Mets took two of three from the Red Sox.  I was actually expecting the Mets to be swept but sometimes heart has a lot to do with wins.

Now my biggest concern is the injuries they have.  Let me list them

C:  Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro

1st: Carlos Delgado

SS:  Jose Reyes, Ramon Martinez

OF: Ryan Church

RP:  Frankie Rodriguez

These are the following players out of position:  Gary Sheffield, Daniel Murphy, Oliver Perez

I know everyone says teams all go through this but this is ridiculous.  Their only opening day starters still on the field are David, Wright, Carlos Beltran, and (gulp) Luis Castillo.  Beltran’s knees are bothering him and Castillo hasn’t had a healthy season in years.  I think this is bad for two reasons, yes the injuries are one.  But the bigger issue is the fact that Omar Minaya has no contingency plan at all.  He just gives Manuel major league rejects to use instead of building from within and making trades when he needs to.

They better do something soon before they drop too far out of it.  To look at them and see they are above .500 is a testament to how scrappy and hard working this group is.  Omir Santos has shown he can catch a pitching staff and should actually stay as a starter when those other two rejects make it off the DL.  Daniel Murphy is basically auditioning at 1st base.  Pelfrey is doing well again and Bobby Parnell has shown he is an attribute in the bullpen.

Keep it up Mets.  Hopefully either guys will get healthy or Minaya will do something, anything to help these guys out.

First of all I will give you my picks for the 2009 playoffs.

AL:  Red Sox vs Angels:  Angels in 4.

Tampa vs Chicago:  Tampa in 5

Angels vs Tampa:  Tampa Bay in 6

NL:  Dodgers vs Cubs:  Cubs in 5

Phillies vs Brewers:  Phillies in 3

Phillies vs Cubs:  Cubs in 7 games.

Tampa Bay vs Cubs World Series:  Your World Series champion Tampa Bay Rays

Now personally I don’t have stock in any of these teams so I just going by gut.  I think the Rays and Angels have the strongest pitching staffs, followed by the Red Sox and Dodgers.  I think the Phils will lose only because their starters are not strong enough to stand up to both the Dodgers and Cubs.

This is a sad day in baseball.  I will write my opinion of the Mets season, the dropping of the NL East again, and the Phillies chances in the playoffs.  I will also be picking my division winners and even give a world series prediction.