Jeff: Ichiro, Torii and Lots of Dough

Well Jer was sure right: this IS the slowest time of the sports year. Getting rather excited for football season however, which is brewing on the horizon like a thunderstorm. Not long now and it'll be wall-to-wall football!!!

Anyway one baseball-related thought: I know I'm a biased Mariners fan, but I like the Ichiro extension. I know there's been some huffing and puffing outside the Pacific Northwest about paying a leadoff hitter who doesn't hit homeruns or drive in runs that much money. There's been more frustration saying his contract will drive up the market for players like Torii Hunter. First of all, this is neanderthal thinking, because Ichiro is as valuable as any position player in the league since he came over from Japan in 2001. Read this from the boys at USSMariner for more info and lots and lots of math that I don't completely understand but know adds up to Ichiro being awesome! As an M's fan, I like the signing and think it was money well spent. As far as driving up the price for center fielders? Really? What about Vernon Wells 7 yr/$126 million whopper with Toronto, Alfonso Soriano's gargantuan deal with Chicago or Juan Pierre's ridiculous salary with the Dodgers? The Mariners didn't overpay, whereas all of these teams certainly did. And don't even get me started on the Barry Zito contract.

Torii? I can't explain how he's been hitting this well the past 1.5 years. I just can't. A career .268 hitter in his first 10 years, last year he posted a solid .278/.336/.490 stat line with a career high 31 HR's. This year? Off the freaking charts!! So far he's hitting career highs of .300/.343./.549 with 19 HR's in 337 AB's. That's just awesome production from a great defensive player at a premium defensive position. So why wouldn't I sign Torii longterm? Because I can't believe that giving Torii $80-$90 million isn't going to hurt the Little Engine That Could's ability to lock up more important players long term. Johan Santana has been the best player in baseball since 2003, Joe Mauer is the game's best catcher, and Justin Morneau is looking like the real deal over at first. To me, all 3 of those guys should get priority over the 31 year old Hunter. Even though they have ONE OF THE RICHEST OWNER IN ALL OF BASEBALL (according to Forbes he's 2nd only to Fox's Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Dodgers)the Twins don't operate like other "larger market" teams . Pohlad, despite the HUGE cash cow of his new stadium coming soon, won't keep the team's core intact. Therefore, if forced to choose, you have to let Hunter walk unless he gives a serious hometown discount. He's meant a ton to the organization and deserves to have his number as a Twin retired, but if he hits the open market it just doesn't make sense to give him $80 or $90 or possibly $100 million (he's from Texas and you can bet the Rangers, who have been awful, will give him the moon to move down there) to appease the fans. You just can't. As a LETC admirer, I hope they find a way to make it work and keep Torii in Minnesota, but not if it costs them Santana, Mauer or Morneausy. And we haven't even started about Joe Nathan or Mike Cuddyer.