Melvin

[Carp]

Actually he was the #1 CF'er on the market and was worth, at the time of his signing, around $24m AAV due to his prior performance. We may have paid more than other teams offered, but considering his age, AAV and prior numbers , nobody who follows this stuff closely was alarmed by the deal. It looked like a pretty good deal at the time especially since he had yet to turn 30. I think some of this criticism is revisionist history. How was any GM to know he would fall off the map like that? Lately he seems to have righted the ship, and maybe that's because playing with his brother messed him up, or the team messed him up or Fredi sucks as a manager...etc Yes Bj underperformed (and that's putting it mildly) but, AT THE TIME IT WAS SIGNED, there is no way it was a bad deal.

edited to add: between 2007-2012 seasons (his 6 with the Rays) BJ was tied as the 4th most valuable CF'er in baseball amd 30th overall, that's a top tier guy

His last two seasons in Tampa are more indicative of his actual value. He was essentially a 3 WAR player but had declining on base skills. He wasn't terrible, but be certainly got paid more than he was projected. And I'd argue that Bourn was more valuable at the time, being that he was coming off a 6 WAR season.

[chop2chip]

Reggie Sanders and Bret Boone belong on this list.

So we have to go back 20 years for this list?

[bravos4evr]

His last two seasons in Tampa are more indicative of his actual value. He was essentially a 3 WAR player but had declining on base skills. He wasn't terrible, but be certainly got paid more than he was projected. And I'd argue that Bourn was more valuable at the time, being that he was coming off a 6 WAR season.

but his power was up then.... IDK, Bourn was older too tho. I think at 28, BJ 5/$75 is not any worse than Bourn at 30 at 4/$48 (thing is, neither deal ended up working out, but thus are the risks of big money free agency) funny how $15m AAV now is what avg guys are getting. man times change fast

[VirginiaBrave]

So we have to go back 20 years for this list?

2 years or 20 it doesn't matter they happened. Reggie was particularly frustrating.

[zbhargrove]

Reggie Sanders and Bret Boone belong on this list.

Sanders was awful... but Boone basically played to his career norms at that point in his career with us... it was after (well into his 30s) when he exploded... I think he could have been an obvious PED beneficiary.

[Russ2dollas]

I think his ops is better than jup or heyward this yr. not sure how much he is playing

I hated the signing like wren fa signings. But nobody thought he'd be that bad that fast

Still mad we packaged him with kimbrel since we suck for the rest of the contract

[chop2chip]

2 years or 20 it doesn't matter they happened. Reggie was particularly frustrating.

Of course it happened, but it really doesn't signal any glaring issues with the team.

[Carp]

I remember a time when you couldn't even mention Brett Boone without Mike Adams threatening to ban you.