YANKS SIGN QUANTRILL, BROWN "OPEN" TO MOVE


it's all about family

ESPN reports that the Yankees have signed reliever Paul Quantrill to a two-year $6.8 million deal. Say hello to the $30 million dollar bullpen?

The same report, courtesy of ESPN's Peter Gammons, says the Royals are close to signing OF Raul Mondesi and catcher Benito Santiago.

From the Kevin Brown dept. here's a gem from the pitcher's agent, Scott Boras :

On the Brown front, Dodgers sources told The Los Angeles Times that the veteran right-hander is open to a trade to a team closer to his offseason home in Macon, Ga.

According to The Times' report Wednesday, sources said Brown's agent Scott Boras recently informed general manager Dan Evans that Brown would waive his no-trade clause to join the Yankees.

Evans declined to comment on his talks with Boras.

"Kevin Brown is a Dodger and he has every intention of fulfilling his contract," Boras told The Times, adding "all I will say is that if an opportunity presented itself, the only way he would consider waiving his no-trade clause would be because of his family.

"... The fact that anyone who knows Kevin knows how important his wife and children are to him and how difficult it is for him to be away from them during the season, that's the only way he would consider something like that."

So that's why he signed a long-term contract with LA in 1998. Los Angeles being so much closer to Georgia than San Diego. Since 1998, Kevin Brown has earned $73 million dollars. While being away from his family for half the year is undoubtedly a hardship (assuming he'll no longer have access to Rupert Murdoch's private jet), it's crazy to suggest that his career path is driven by the need to stay close to home. I bet if Brown took $7 million in 2004 instead of the $15 million he's owed, he could pitch for the Braves. Upon arrival, Mike Hampton could let him know that those Denver public schools weren't really all they were cracked up to be.

From Bill Plasche's column in today's Los Angeles Times :

The utter nonsense of the proposed deal sending Kevin Brown to the New York Yankees for subway tokens is surpassed only by the stubborn foolishness of keeping him.

The Dodgers have not made the playoffs since Brown arrived with his punky mood and private jet, and will never make the playoffs as long as they are saddled with his paycheck. Like the varnished tree trunk coffee table that seemed a good idea at the time, he now clogs up the middle of the Dodgers' living room, difficult to move and ruining every redecorating plan. Want to splurge on a free-agent bat? Want to add a big contract in a trade? Not while you still owe $30 million to a 38-year-old pitcher, you can't.

He helps the team with his arm but kills them with his pay stub. He is an ace in a lineup of jokers. Last season he was second in the league in earned-run average, but tied for last in playoff games pitched.

He is Alex Rodriguez without the charm, overpaid and under-exploited, an October player whose mere presence makes it difficult for his team to survive September.
And now you have somebody who is finally willing to take him? Pay both years remaining on that contract? Somebody who is so paranoid about the Boston Red Sox and Curt Schilling that they might give up more than just battered pitcher Jeff Weaver? Maybe they'd even add decent first baseman Nick Johnson? Somebody will actually take Brown and give the Dodgers at least one No. 3 starter and enough salary flexibility to add two bats? What part of 'Yeah, baby!' don't you understand?

Since coming here, he's bullied the manager, trashed the clubhouse, embarrassed female reporters and given virtually nothing of himself to fans or teammates. He was supposed to help the young pitchers. He taught them only to disrespect authority. He was supposed to unify the clubhouse culture. He only isolated himself. But when he finally departs, there won't be a wet eye in the house.

Posted: Wed - December 3, 2003 at 01:18 PM      

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