Lunch Thread: Lackeytime

$20M per year is his market. Yes, they should get in on it.

Ok, even if we have to go with a guy named Tyler, we could just call him “Ty” for short. Heck, when he wins a Cy Young award, we will call it a “Ty” Young award.

but I dont see paying a pitcher 20 mil a year……..when the last two years he’s missed a good amount of time with injuries……..

I’d say we offer him 15 mil a year for 4 years………and throw in some incentives for innings pitched/games won/K’s whatever……that could get him up into that 20mil a year range.

We got other pitching and at his asking price, i dunno if its worth it. Let me REMIND people the guy has started the two seasons in a row on the DL.

If you had to choose between John Lackey and Doc Halladay, who would you take? I believe the Doc is a few years older than Big John, and I assume he will be seeking CC Sabathia-type money. Lackey will possibly be a little bit cheaper but not much. …My heart says go for Lackey because he is one of the last remaining connections to our ’02 ring and he is obviously a great teammate and an awesome pitcher, but my head says Halladay because the guy is quite simply the most dominant starting pitcher in the gamre today. What do you think? Is this even a reasonable conversation to be having? Is it a foregone conclusion that Halladay (and maybe both Halladay and Lackey) will end up in pinstripes?

i’d love to think he’s invincible and one of the best pitchers in the game, but he’s really not. he’s a very, very good pitcher, but not one of the most dominant (save for 2007). he’s started 2 season in a row on the DL with arm issues… that’s not something you want to commit $20MM/yr to.

…but the Jays are supposedly entertaining early trade offers to maximize the value they get in return. I would think that a team that took him in a trade would try to make the deal contingent on signing him to an extension.

that the Angels offered ceecee 140 mil last winter. I sure hope Lackey doesn’t hear about that.

mattwelch posts some of the best posts and states this subject far better than I do… Lackey Not So Thunderous

That said…Nick’s death may have cinched whether we are forced to be a player in the sweepstakes.

Lackey is 30 years old and has won > 14 games ONCE in his career. I don’t think that makes him worth $20M. Sorry John.

Jason Vargas graduated from the same high school as me.
and there’s your fun fact for the day.

A number of Angels players will be free agents after this season. As such this will open up payroll capacity. (2009 salary info sourced from espn.com)

Vladimir Guerrero……….$15 million
Kelvim Escobar…………$10 million
John Lackey……………..$10 million
Chone Figgins…………..$5.775 million
Bobby Abreu……………..$5 million

TOTAL : $45.775 million

The flexibility in payroll after this season provides the Angels with some interesting options as they will have the means to make offers to premier players. If the Angels cannot or choose not to re-sign any of the above players listed, I’d like them to aggressively pursue:

Jason Bay (career .282/.377/.522)
Nick Johnson (career .274/.399/.457)

NOTE: neither player is a Scott Boras client

You can review the complete free agent list here

Being injured in his walk year likely means he can’t manipulate the market like other players did this year.

I’d go 4 years, $56m base. Player option for a 5th year based upon year four performance.

Im already considering Big John gone