I think what Purpura was saying is that BorASS isn't waiting on Purpura to call him back with an offer or anything...basically he is saying that the ball is in their court.
[ESPN]: Astros to increase bid on Beltran Just said on Sportscenter that they were increasing to a predicted 100 mill for 7 years. I believe that they said this was relayed to them by Scott Boras, so take it with a grain of salt, though.
14 million a year sounds great to me. It's right in line with what Vladimir Guerrero and Albert Pujols got.
Yea...Beltran better hurry and make his mind up or we will have jack sh*t to show for the off-season. We're already missing out while the Braves are markedly improving themselves. If we make the playoffs again while facing the Braves again, then what we do this off-season becomes huge. They just got Hudson and Smoltz will be a starter again. Yikes!
If this report is true... this could very well be a "final offer" sort of ultimatum. You can tell that the Astros probably don't want to wait til January 8th, and have taken the initiative in trying to win this thing. Unfortunately, this number was only probably 'leaked' in order to see how the Yankees will counter (because I'm assuming this offer is now higher than the Yankees initial offer)... and if the Yankees do up the ante, Carlos should have the decency to choose whether or not to keep us in consideration, and tell us accordingly. Overall, I don't see us going much higher than this... but I have been wrong before.
If Beltran resigns will the payroll be over 90 million? Because on 610 they said McClane didn't want to go over the 85million mark.
McLane. Seriously, he's the owner of our team...it's not that hard to get right. I agree that if they reject this offer, it's time to look elsewhere. Clement/Drew, baby!
Since Boras knows how high we would go for Beltran, would that hinder our negotiations with his other clients? $100 million for Beltran? If it comes with team option years then sure. The Mariners just got Sexon and Beltre for $114 million. We could get Clement and Drew for around that much. (10million x 5 years for Drew / 5 million x 4 years for Clement = $70 million total contracts, spend everthing else on relief pitching and resigning Berkman and Roy vs. $100 million for Beltran)
They've always been flexible with the final payroll number, especially since they wanted to leave wiggle room for other moves they HAVE to make, even if Beltran signs (bullpen help, and another vet. starter if Clemens retires). Clement's psyche is fragile... not Redding-fragile, but nowhere near the mentality of the other top pitchers. And don't get me started on Nancy Drew... he is a great talent, when he wants to be, but something tells me that once he starts making the big bucks, he's going to dissapoint some people who expect gigantic numbers for that salary. And I haven't even begun to mention his injury-history... last year was the first year EVER that he was healthy for most of the season (and in a contract-year, no less... what a shocker). I'm not saying that either of these guys would be bad for us... I just don't like being reactionary, and saying that we have to spend all this money on somebody else out there, if we don't get Beltran. Right now, Mclane is willing to go this high because he knows how well Beltran fits this team. Any other free agents out there would have to be evaluated differently.
Looks like the "Tal's Hill will have to go if Beltran resigns" rumors are false: Tal's Hill in no danger of removal Astros GM Purpura dispels rumors about incline By Jim Molony / MLB.com HOUSTON -- Astros general manager Tim Purpura may be trying to move heaven and earth to re-sign free agent Carlos Beltran, but he hasn't ordered earth movers for Tal's Hill. After several media outlets reported from the Winter Meetings that Tal's Hill, the incline leading to the center-field fence at Houston's Minute Park, had been discussed during the negotiations between Purpura and Beltran's agent Scott Boras, the GM went on radio to set the record straight. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and USA Today Sports Weekly were among the publications that reported that the hill would have to go if Beltran were to stay with Houston. MLB.com reported that the hill had been brought up during negotiations. "I heard it during the Winter Meetings, and it is an absolute fabrication," Purpura told Houston radio station KTRH Thursday afternoon. "Whoever made that up was having a slow day at the Winter Meetings, I believe. I laughed about it, and I also brought it up to Scott Boras a couple of days ago and he laughed about it too, so there's nothing to it." The hill is named after Astros President Tal Smith, who worked in the Cincinnati organization when the Reds played in old Crosley Field, which had a hill leading up to the left-field fence. Jim Molony is a writer for MLB.com based in Houston. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Now the Yanks have settled their pitching rotation, they'll turn their attention to Beltran. The Stros need to lock Beltran up and do it quick.
Big deals like this are ALWAYS extremely backloaded to make the overall figure look really nice. So even if the contract is 7/100, the salary figure for the upcoming season could only be around $10-12 mil.
Look, if Beltre's contract is any indication, the Astros offer to Beltran appears more than fair. Beltre only got 5 years...and less per year than what the 'stros are offering Beltran, and their numbers are pretty comparable. Beltre was freaking legit last season. Soooo...let's get this crappy thing done, already!!! If we're forced to wait on the Cubs to see if they can get rid of Sammy...and the Yankees to see if they can actually pull this Johnson deal off...then we're going to be forced to look elsewhere. And I think we're the ones bidding up Beltran, to this point...which means that Boras' little manuevers and delays may actually backfire on him when Carlos signs.
I know its just Kurkjan and the rest of the media clowns putting their spin on things...but everytime I see a report on Beltran these days, we are mentioned less and less....while the Yanks and Cubs are mentioned more and more. Hopefully, we have made a "final" offer and given him a pretty much take it or leave it offer because we are going to get hosed here if we lose him....especially if he goes to the Cubs and we end up settling for whatever is left over
really? i heard Gammons say again this morning on ESPN2/ Mike & Mike that he thought Beltran would end up with the Astros because the deals would ultimately all be pretty even.
Yea, I heard that as well... also, this morning's chronicle said that negotiations would continue again next week. Boras is busy signing his other clients... while Kurkjian is reading the same script he used BEFORE the winter meetings (and, btw, he still said the Astros were one of the top contenders... he just said the Yankees were probably #1 because of the most $$$)
