With the Winter Meetings concluded, a lot of the big-name free agents still remain on the market. Not Randy Wolf though, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for how he handled his free agency.
Randy didn’t let his eyes wander around the league, looking at all the other deals being made or discussed. He knew what he wanted, he found a situation and an offer that fit him well, and he jumped on it. Good for him. There aren’t many guys around anymore who will go into free agency and accept the first fair deal that comes their way. No, they’ll test the waters and wait for some team to hurl up an enormous offer.
Raul Ibanez made a very similar deal last year. The Phillies made him a fair offer coming out of the ’08 Winter Meetings. Ibanez took it and he went out and played quality baseball for a great team.
Take a fair deal and go play your game.
The Wolf deal should serve as a heads up to the remaining free agents, an example they should consider following. Don’t get too greedy, don’t worry about anyone else in the league, and don’t wait around for the absolute perfect deal. That’s not to say the $30 million that Wolf is going to get over the next three years is anything to shake a stick at, but many guys in his position might have turned down the Brewers’ offer in favor of finding an even better deal – something that may never have come along.
It was a two-way street. The Brewers didn’t step beyond their means. Instead, they stayed within themselves and filled their need for a quality left-handed starter, and they accomplished that goal early-on in the off-season.
My advice to the remaining free agents – worry about yourself, ignore all the other deals being made and just look for one that fits you. You don’t need a blockbuster deal to find your place on the diamond.
Filed in: MLB.
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Speaking as a lifelong O’s fan that has now adopted the Brewers after moving to Milwaukee six years ago, I am thrilled with the Wolf deal. Last year was a let down after they made the playoffs in ’08, but it’s great to be in a division that has a chance to compete each year. And it’s great to know there are guys out there still playing for a reason other than to make to one of the big market teams.
Thanks for the insight. It’s great to talk baseball in the dead of winter!