(Sorry for going off-topic back to something from the weekend.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by JetsIn06
I also think that you have to consider his strategy probably doesn't change much going from regular season to postseason and they've won 90+ games the last 5 of 6 seasons with a payroll around $60m, give or take a few each year.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike D
True, if Maddon had a $175M annual team payroll (instead of $60M), we'd probably never know just how clever he is. It's amazing what an additional $115M can buy your baseball team.
(EDIT: haha...*drops the mic*  ) |
My argument is that payroll is irrelevant when talking about the manager. I give Friedman and the front office all the credit in the world for assembling such a good pitching staff of entirely pre-FA starters, locking in Longoria and Zobrist at borderline criminally low AAV salaries, and realizing that there's no point spending $10-$12m/year for slightly above average players when you can find players (like Loney, Escobar, DeJesus, most of their relievers) to basically match that production for $5m/year or less and short years. And I'm sure he'll do it again this offseason and get some great young players for trading David Price just before he starts getting fairly paid and you have to wager on a pitcher staying healthy during a long-term contract. I just don't see why people credit that to Maddon and his "creativeness/cleverness" and not the front office's. Assemble a team with Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Wil Myers, Xander Bogaerts, Paul Goldschmidt, Michael Wacha, Jose Fernandez, Stephen Strasburg etc and my little sister could manage them to 110 wins with a payroll under $20 million.