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Market unfriendly for closers
Updated: Friday February 02, 2001 6:52 PM
The Yankees were stunned when Mariano Rivera asked for a long-term contract for more than $11 million per season. Nobody in baseball, not even New York, is ready to pay that kind of money for a pitcher who throws 75 innings a year. The disagreement between Rivera and the Yankees could go to arbitration, as it did last year when Rivera lost. It also illustrates that baseball clubs still value middle-of-the-rotation starters higher than they do the best closers in the game. That means starters such as Denny Neagle, Kevin Appier and Darren Dreifort, who are counted on for 200 innings, can command more money than Rivera. The highest paid closer in baseball is Robb Nen, who will get $8.45 million per season before he can opt out of a four-year contract after the second year. The Yankees are willing to pay Rivera more than that, but only in the range of $9 to $10 million. Rivera is much more valuable than your typical pampered closer. For instance, he did have to get four or more outs to nail down 13 of his 36 saves. But not even Rivera can break into the pay scale reserved for starting pitchers.
Going for the goldFor the second consecutive season the Milwaukee Brewers will hold an invitation-only, pre-camp training session for about 15 pitchers in Arizona next week. The group will include prize rookie and Olympic hero Ben Sheets, who could be the key toward turning around a staff that walked more batters last season than any team in the big leagues.Though Jeff D'Amico, Jamey Wright and Jimmy Haynes are regarded as the only locks in the Milwaukee rotation, you can count on Sheets joining them. "He would have to fall on his face'' not to be the fourth or fifth starter, according to assistant GM David Wilder. "If he doesn't, we'll be disappointed.'' Sheets is a 22-year-old right-hander with a 94 mph fastball, an exceptional curveball, a good changeup and the poise to be a No. 1 starter. Wilder, with the Chicago Cubs in 1998, saw how the emergence of Kerry Wood helped turn the Cubs into a playoff team. "Kerry was 20,'' Wilder said. "Ben will turn 23 this season. He's not the power pitcher Kerry is, but he's further along in terms of development. We think he's ready.''
Welcome, MattYes, the Cardinals believe they've added a premier starting pitcher in Dustin Hermanson, even though word among scouts is that his stuff and makeup may be better suited toward closing.But St. Louis quietly may have added an even better starter to their rotation: Matt Morris. Remember him? He pitched well out of the bullpen last season while coming back from elbow surgery. Now the 26-year-old right-hander has been throwing every other day at the Cardinals' camp in Florida with every intention of being a starter. Morris said he felt his stuff was as good as ever last season but that his arm lacked the stamina to start. Now, almost two years removed from Tommy John surgery, he's ready to meet the expectations of being a No. 1 starter in the big leagues.
Giant shoes to fillHow will the Giants replace the offense of Ellis Burks? They won't -- at least not all of it. But San Francisco is eager to find out what Armando Rios can do as a full-time player. He had 50 RBIs last year in only 233 at-bats. Also, the additions of Eric Davis and Shawon Dunston allow manager Dusty Baker to sit Rios against tough lefthanded pitchers. The Giants also think they'll get more production out of third base, where Russ Davis replaces Bill Mueller.But make no mistake, the Giants think the NL West will be won on pitching, and even though they don't have a true ace like Los Angeles, Arizona and Colorado, they like their depth on the mound as much as any team. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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