arredondo is technically more effective if you go off other stats

only difference is frankie gets a status-pumping stat for doing his job while our other relievers do not.

do i need to point out that the cardinals just won a world series with a rookie closing games? not a future hall of famer?

once again, im not making it sound like frankie is not good at what he does, because he is. Im just saying that new closers arise every single year. This team has shown it has a hard time landing impact, game changing offense. Why let one go that is completely elevating this team to a new level so we can keep a closer who is having a harder time striking guys out and whos command comes and goes.

papelbon came out of nowhere just 2 years ago and is a dominant closer that won a world series. They werent paying him 15 million dollars. We were, though, paying frankie about half of that last season to give up a walk-off to Manny WHEN IT MATTERED ie i dont care about save records. all it was was an indicator that we had good pitching and bad hitting. If youre into meaningless records, by all means keep frankie over teixeira

I have mentioned before how the save stat is very overrated many of times. Don’t get me wrong I believe you need a solid back of the bullpen, but not at the $$$ F-Rod is talking about. With the BS (blown save) being charged to a pitcher at any time of the game it is tough to really say that the 27 games the Cards have been credited with blowing they had a win all but sewn up. That is crazy talk.

As you mentioned before there is so stupid ways to get credit for a save (Wes Littleton http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200708221.shtml)

There is a reason that 7 National League teams out of the top 10 list are leading in blown saves. With the lack of DH and pitchers being taken out often there is more chance for error out of the pen.

They also haven’t won and WS since signing Jeter, Giambi, and A-Rod to 200 million-ish contracts. Using your logic, Signing Teixeira would also be the kiss of death.

than the addition of Tex over Kotchman post-All-Star Break.

In 9 games with Casey Kotchman starting at 1B post break, we scored 63 runs for an average of 7 RPG. If you include a tenth game against Baltimore where he didn’t start but picked up a pair of ABs, it drops to 6.5 RPG.

In 11 games post-break with Mark Teixeira starting 1B, we’ve scored 73 run for an average of 6.6 RPG.

In 18 games post-break with Juan Rivera as a starter, we’ve scored 129 runs for an average of 7.17 RPG.

In 8 games post-break with GMJ as a starter, we’ve score 42 runs for an average of 5.25 RPG.

But there isn’t a cheaper way to get what Frankie has been throughout his career, because unless your name is Mariano Rivera, no one really has been better. If we don’t want to shell out the $5-10 million raise (don’t forget: he’s making $10 mil already), and don’t want to guarantee 4-5 years on a guy with a violent delivery, and don’t want to throw huge money on 75 innings a year, I totally get all of it.

But let’s not pretend Frankie’s talent and results are replaceable, because they’re not. Even in a year with lousy (for him) K/9 & BB/9, he’s still allowing 6 hits per 9, still striking out 9.8 per 9, and will still probably set the save record. We will be worse at the closer spot, while letting a fan favorite and a future Hall of Famer walk.

There are arguments for doing that (which you and I have both mentioned) but those arguments aren’t that there’s a cheaper way to do what Frankie has done. I just want everyone’s eyes open before deciding that Jose Arredondo is the next Mariano Rivera.

With K-Rod, they are in first. Gregg has likewise been less effective than Frankie’s 92% save record. How much closer are the Marlins with K-Rod instead. This year we have a giant margin of victory in the division. Looking at all the prospects Texas and Oakland have been collecting, do we really believe this will remain the case in the future? Hell, if not for Frankie, does Beane sell out in early July, completely demoralizing his team? If not for Huston Street blowing chunks, does he do so? They were six games back at the break. How much closer are they if K-Rod and Street were reversed?