10
2012
Dodger-Mania: There Must Have Been Some Magic…
An article by 
Less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to pay free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke $147 million over the next six seasons, they announced that they signed South Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu to a six-year, $36 million contract.
Ryu, 25, was a seven-time All-Star and league most valuable player with the Hanwha Eagles. Over his career, he was 98-52 with a 2.80 earned-run average.
When you add in the $25.7 million posting fee, the investment on Ryu totals $61.6 million.
Since the last sunrise, the Dodgers have dished out a total of $208.7 million dollars on two starting pitchers.
Once both deals are finalized the Dodgers will have eight starting pitchers under contract for next season: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang.
What gives?
I’m still reeling from that trade they made last season when they took on the contracts of Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and so on.
Since the Magic Johnson ownership group took over, the team has taken on more than $650 million in salaries. Of course that lucrative new broadcast deal makes much of all this possible, but still…
It sort of gives me a new-found resentment for Bud Selig who kept his friends Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz afloat, while they swam in the same sea of chaos as Frank McCourt.
It’s hard to believe how quickly the Dodgers’ fortunes have changed. Money means nothing in Tinsel Town these days, while the Mets keep pinching pennies and attempt to low-ball their best starting pitcher in over a quarter century.
One thing to consider now is how the Dodgers will impact the R.A. Dickey trade market.
Los Angeles could easily make Capuano, Billingsley or Lilly available for trade, and probably for a lot less than what the Mets are asking for their knuckleballer.
It’s certainly something to consider.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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8 SPs… My goodness.
I’ll assume Cap to the BP, and the other 2 are toast (Beckett/Harang)? Not sure you’d get much back on any of them. But either way, good to know they’ll never have to worry about calling up a Figgy or Hefner to cover the 5th spot should Lilly’s arm fall off?
“Los Angeles could easily make Capuano, Billingsley or Lilly available for trade, and probably for a lot less than what the Mets are asking for their knuckleballer.”
Well perhaps they trade RA and then trade for one of those guys.
Heard a comment from the winter meetings last week….a baseball writer (can’t remember which one) asked the Dodgers group what their budget figure is heading into 2013. Their response was ‘what budget’.
Wow…remains to be seen how this all works out for them. Being able to spend freely though should give them an edge. Just depends on what they do with that free spending.
The TV deal thing is interesting. It’s obviously fueling the spending spree. While other teams are counting pennies or scrambling to get under the $189MM, the Dodgers are spending. I think baseball has swung the pendulum where money is all that matters now. The Dodgers are owning the market because they realize they can spend money, pay the luxury tax, and make money.
The Wilpons have to love these TV deals. If nothing else, they always know that they can sell SNY and make billions. Not billions for the Mets, just billions for their pockets. The Mets are a financial joke because of greedy owners. Sucks for us.
Does anybody know what percentage of the team is owned by Magic? Its probably the same as one of the owners of the mets who bought in for 20 mil. I guess its not good to have the face of ownership be a fatcat insurace company. Anyway, If spending like drunken sailors was all it took to win the yankees would win every time.
No, I don’t.
Saw two articles over the weekend speculating that the Steinbrenner sons might be getting ready to sell the Yankees. Something about getting under the $189 MIL payroll for 2014 being moved up to 2013 instead.
Found that interesting. Since I have to believe the Yankees are probably the most expensive MLB team to buy right now, I can’t imagine one person swooping in to pick them up. Would almost have to be a group, you would think.
Cuban could easily handle it on his own.
I thought of him…but for some reason Selig is reluctant to let him into the good ole’ boys club. I can’t imagine he’d change his mind when the offer is the Yankees. Then again, if this rumor is true, Selig might be gone by the time they sell.
It doesn’t guarantee a championship every year but it’s kept them in or close to the post season more years than not. Between George and the immense success of the YES Network they have their coffers filled to overflowing. You can hate them but you can’t deny their consistency. It’s what breeds the arrogance of their fan base.
Meanwhile we have to deal with the ownership of Moe, Larry and Joe DeRita ( I won’t insult Curly or Shemp).
Hi GameGeezer,
Don’t sell Joe Durita short – he fit in nicely with Moe and Larry toward the end of their run. Knock Joe Besser who wouldn’t allow himself to get hit with pies, etc. and was better at playing Stinky (if anyone knows who I am talking about).
FYI – a 20 DVD set of all the three stooges shorts, plus all shorts in which Shemp appeared on his own, etc. is out. My wife got it for me for Hanukah and we watched a few of them. They were remastered great!
You’re not the only one doing damage to his or her teeth of late either. Nyuk, Nyuk.
Joe Besser was fantastic as Stinky on the old Abbot and Costello show! Still remember him punching Lou and saying “I’ll harm you!!!” Also loved Mr. Fields, Mr. Bacegalupe, Mike the Cop and of course sexy Hillary!
Didn’t know about Joe Besser not wanting to get hit with pies and such. Oh well.
Hi Geezer,
Glad we share the same memories. Of course, when Stinky said “I’ll harm you” it was usually accommodated by that pinch in the arm. Other great Stinky one-liner included knocking down Costello while riding his bicycle and then calling him “a dangerous pedestrian”.
OK Geez, do you remember Stinky’s real first name? And apologies to all you guys not old enough to remember Joe Besser, an adult dressed up in knickers and playing a brat.
That was a tough one Joe D. Stinkys first name was Oswald used by his mother only once in
the first episode “The Drugstore” and never mentioned again.
Hi Geezer,
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Anybody who can remember Oswald is OK in my book!
Of course, we learned Stinky’s name was Oswald in that one episode because Costello started to pat him on the cheek and Stinky then bit his hand. Remember why Stinky’s mother then yelled at him for biting Lou’s hand, calling him Oswald? It was because Stinky could get blood poisoning!
Hi Joe,
“It sort of gives me a new-found resentment for Bud Selig who kept his friends Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz afloat, while they swam in the same sea of chaos as Frank McCourt.”
New-found? For me, it only raises up those demons I’ve been trying to surpress inside of me, especially when coming across articles like this one:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Sports/2011/0422/Why-did-Major-League-Baseball-take-over-the-Los-Angeles-Dodgers
Why would the steps he took with Los Angeles, Texas and Montrael be in the best interests of baseball but not for us? Those three franchises are again healthy. With us, we’re on life-support as the Wilpons and Sandy take private helicopter trips to Florida.
One thing, though. As the article says, the Dodgers are a much storied franchise for even our own owners built their new ball park as a monunment to it.
Just makes me hate the stewardship of the Wilpon/Katz/Wipon troika that much more. I only wish they had been able to buy into the Dodgers to make old Freddie happy instead of the Mets back then and run that franchise into the ground instead of the Mets.
Now we’ve got the Dodgers spending like the Yankees and we’re stuck with a crappy ersatz shrine to a team that deserted NYC fifty five years ago and no money to spend on players because of their cheesy investments in greed.
Geez Geezer,
I thought I said that LOL.
My teeth gnashing must have blinded me! Sorry about that Joe D.