After getting offers from the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Nationals and Angels, Boras may have already lost two of those offers. All of the offers were reportedly in the neighborhood of eight years and $180 million, give or take.

Last week the Red Sox said they were pretty much out of the running, saying they would be unable to meet the even larger price tag that Boras is asking for. The Red Sox implied that they had been outbid by quite a bit, but no one knows who the mystery bidder is. The Orioles, Angels and Nationals have said what their bids were, and the Yankees promised it wasn’t them who made the huge offer.

Now, the Angels have pulled their eight year offer off the table. And then there were four. That is, if you count the Red Sox as still in the hunt.

If you recall, Boras also overpriced Alex Rodriguez, to the point that A-Rod had to call the Yankees, sans Boras, and negotiate his contract himself, at far under the asking price of Boras.

Now Teixeira may be in the same boat. At some point, you’d think that either A) owners stop doing business with Boras, or B) players stop signing with him. He certainly gets results, but he’s let star prospects miss out on a year’s worth of paychecks by making unreasonable demands on rookie contracts, and now he is making teams afraid to sign one of the top free agents in the game. Something’s got to give eventually.

Now I know Teixeira is a good ballplayer, but is he worth nearly $200 million? Sure he is a switch hitter, which is always good, and he’s just 28 years old (29 in April). Also good. But in reality, he’s at least the third best hitting first baseman in baseball (Pujols, http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/berkmla01.shtml), and I just don’t know if he’s worth $25 million a season.

If these teams have the backbone, they will all pull their offers until the (non-existent) high bidder is revealed. If Boras wants to play games, these teams should get tough and fight back.

Next season is going to be a rough one for baseball, due to the economy. Attendance will likely be down, and so too revenue. Overpaying for players by this much could be the kind of thing that kills a franchise financially. Eight year contracts are just stupid in baseball, and any team that gets suckered by Boras gets what they deserve.

Just as we’ve seen in years past, the MLBPA is butting their heads into things that they should stay out of. Yes, Sabathia accepting this contract, no matter how ridiculous it is compared to other offers, will raise market values around the league. But should a player have to take the most money every time? What’s the point of free agent negotiations if the only thing that matters is bottom line dollar figures.

What happens when a player wants to play for a team, but that team cannot afford his market value? What if you want to stay with the team you are with, but they can’t offer you as much as a New York team?

According to the MLBPA, you should follow the money, winning or personal preference be damned.

Remember when A-Rod was traded to the Red Sox? You don’t because it didn’t happen. Well, it did, but the MLBPA wouldn’t allow A-Rod to renegotiate his contract to take less money, so the deal didn’t end up working out.

The game’s highest paid player wanted to play for a discount for a particular team. The union does not allow this, and A-Rod was instead dealt to the Yankees. Against the wishes of the player, the union intervened and disallowed a voluntary pay cut.

The Major League Baseball Player’s Association is one of the strongest unions in the world. They are the only professional sports union that has no salary cap. They resisted drug testing for a long time. They basically do whatever they want to do.

Now, they want to tell free agents where to sign.

CC Sabathia is arguably the best pitcher in baseball in the prime of his career. He will be a rich man no matter where he signs. If he wants to stay in Milwuakee because he enjoyed his time there last season, no one should be pressuring him to do something else. If he does not want to live in New York, or work for Hank Steinbrenner, or deal with the New York media, he shouldn’t be pressured to do so because they offered him the most money.

By this logic, all of baseball’s top free agents should end up in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. This seems to be what the MLBPA wants. They are actively fighting parity and success of small market teams.

Their idea is that if Sabathia takes less than the top offer, it is setting a precedent that will mean lower prices will be paid to other free agents this year, as well as the top pitching free agent next year. They are basically treating this situation like the NFL draft. Johan Santana was the top free agent pitcher in 2008 and got X amount of money. Sabathia is the top guy in 2009 and should get slightly more than X amount of money. Then next year’s top free agent pitcher could expect to make a small percentage more than Sabathia.

But that’s not how things work. If the teams can’t afford it, they can’t afford it. Sabathia has earned the right to pick whatever team he wants to sign with.

The player’s union should keep their mouths shut and stay out of this. It’s none of their business. Every year, I respect Barry Bonds more and more for opting out of the union. I just wish more players would follow him.

Olney also said that the Yankees are planning on making offers to free-agents A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

The Yankees have also been rumored to be interested in Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Ben Sheets, Oliver Perez and Orlando Hudson.

They acquired Nick Swisher earlier this week for three players, and also signed Damaso Marte to help their bullpen.

No word if the Yankees have made an offer to buy the entire Tampa Bay Rays, but it’s not out of the question.

There is no simple answer to this, but the likely answer is that teams will save some money on the middle of the road players, and the small and medium markets may be hurt, but the big name players and the major markets will be dealing with large numbers still.

CNBC Sports Biz writer Darren Rovell talked to author Vince Gennaro, who said:

“We are already seeing the impact in how teams are setting pricing for next season’s tickets. Many clubs are being extremely conservative, meaning they are taking very small increases, or even holding last year’s pricing. So, if the economy were the only new development, I would expect the free agent market to soften somewhat.”

So if ticket prices aren’t going up, what about salaries? The key to understanding baseball economics is that there is no league standard. Each team has their own economic model that they work off of. So teams like the Mets and Yankees, who are getting new stadiums and will be financially fine through the economic downturn, will continue to pay exorbitant salaries. Teams like Arizona or Oakland, who don’t have the new stadiums or never-ending cash flow, may be a bit stingier than their New York counterparts.

Gennaro also said that aside from the Mets and Yankees, teams like the Cubs and Red Sox have freedom from the economic pressures, allowing them to continue to sign top free agents, due to their huge season ticket bases and incredibly strong brands.

So in the long run, this year’s free agency market will balance itself out in an odd way.

“So, in what could be viewed as somewhat of a paradox, I feel these teams will help prop up the top end of the free market this year, despite the economy. I see Sabathia getting top dollar, I see Manny, Teixeira, K-Rod and a handful of others getting more than they would have gotten last year. But, the middle of the free agent market–the place where mid-market teams usually dabble–could potentially be soft. Lesser know guys like Nick Punto or Mark Grudzielanek may get less than they would have gotten one year ago. In other words, the top quality free agent will get top dollar and the rest of them may be disappointed.”

What that means is that there is a chance that you see a great deal of unevenness in the free agent signings, with all of the top players going to the cash heavy teams, while the small and medium markets fight over the scraps, all the while low balling the typically overpaid average players.

After what happened with Alex Rodriguez last year, don’t be surprised if some of these huge free agents end up with less than they would have gotten a few years ago. Teams seem more reluctant to sign enormous contracts right now. At this time last year, everybody thought A-Rod would be signing a $350 million deal somewhere, but when he filed for free agency, his phone was remarkably quiet. It wasn’t until he took his agent out of the loop that he was able to sign a deal with the Yankees for a mere 10 years and $275 million. A nice salary, but far less than Scott Boras thought he would get, and a raise of just $23 million from the last 10 year deal he signed.

This year, there are quite a few big name free agents, including Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Francisco Rodriguez and CC Sabathia. That’s a lot of money in those four names alone. They can’t all end up in New York, can they? If they all go to New York, Boston, Chicago or Los Anaheim, will any of those teams have the money to fill out the rest of the roster with quality signings?

Perhaps there are four to six teams that are virtually immune to the economic crisis. That leaves about 25 teams that may struggle. Sports have always been strong in tough economic times, but this may be the first time that we’ve had an economy like this and ridiculous ticket prices. Don’t be surprised if you see quite a few empty stadiums next season, as the cost of taking a family to a game might just be too much.

Not to mention, in 25 cities, you might have a roster of low balled, average baseball players.

Baseball season has been 162 games long since 1961. In 1961, the New York Yankees played their first game of the season on April 11, and were crowned the World Series Champions on October 1. This year, the Phillies and Rays started their seasons on March 31, and are still playing on October 29, with a damn good chance they’re still playing in November.

So how did baseball season get five weeks longer without adding a single game?

That answer is two-fold. One, the death of the doubleheader. And two, the takeover of our National Pastime by television, and baseball’s willingness to let both of these happen for financial purposes.

Money drives baseball. Greed, more specifically, drives baseball, and Allan H. “Bud” Selig has allowed it to happen. The baseball season doesn’t need to be shortened back to 154 games, it needs to be controlled by someone who cares about the good of the game.

The truth is, with baseball being managed the way it is, it stands no chance of survival. They think they are maximizing profits, but in the end, they are driving away the people who create those profits. Baseball puts the entire playoffs on cable television, and then will complain about the low ratings in the World Series, as if Tampa and Philly are just not big enough cities to get people interested. People are interested in the game, but you have to let them see it.

Hiding playoff games on cable, the caveman blackout rules, ridiculous ticket prices and the season running into the heart of football season, as well as the beginnings of basketball and hockey seasons are recipes for low ratings, and inevitably, less money.

Less money leads to jumping to conclusions, which will lead to the World Series being on cable in a year or two, because it is assumed that it won’t get good ratings. Rather than fix the reason for the bad ratings, they’ll just believe in their incorrect conclusion, rather than come up with a solution for the problem.

As for doubleheaders, this is the perfect solution to many of these problems. Adding a few scheduled doubleheaders throughout the season will cut the schedule by at least a week, as well as allow for more scheduled days off for teams.

Doubleheaders allow fans to see two ball games for the price of one ticket (this will take some arm-twisting of the owners, but is possible), and could bring back local interest in baseball by creating more “days at the park” atmospheres.

The ‘61 Yankees played 23 doubleheaders. That’s nearly a month chopped off of the season. And you could argue that baseball was never more popular in America than it was in 1961.

Bud Selig needs to do something positive to avoid being remembered as the man who single-handedly ruined baseball, and this could be it.

Bring back a minimum of ten doubleheaders per team, cut down interleague play to six games per team, eliminate all blackouts of games outside of the city limits of the home team, air all LCS games on network television (or at the very least weekend games), and you’ll end up with playoffs in better weather, with better ratings and everyone will be happier.

If you’re sick of seeing playoff baseball in the snow or freezing temperatures, this is the only way it will be accomplished.

Just so you know, the 2009 World Series is expected to start a week later than the 2008 World Series. Good luck getting any games in if Boston, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado, San Francisco, Oakland, Baltimore, Chicago, Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington, Kansas City, Detroit or St. Louis is in the World Series. Other than that, the weather should be fine.

But did anyone else get the feeling that they were just waiting for the Rays to score so that they could all go home tied, rather than let the fans sit in the rain hoping they’d come back out, or expecting the Phillies to win a rain-shortened game?

Now it looks like they may not be playing anytime soon. From ESPN.com:

“I can’t tell you tonight when we’ll resume,” commissioner Bud Selig said. “We’ll stay here if we have to celebrate Thanksgiving here.”

It might be a day or two, at least, before the Phillies get a chance to wrap up their first championship since 1980. Philadelphia leads three games to one.

This could be about the only thing worse than a sweep for Fox. The ratings are going to be a nightmare, with all of this unscheduled programming. Between this suspension and the delay in Game 3 that led to the game starting and ending late, the numbers aren’t going to be there. As Colin Cowherd said, don’t be surprised because of this if baseball and Fox use this as a reason to put the World Series on TBS next year.

Then we can finally get some Frank Caliendo commercials.

The Boston Red Sox will remain as the only team in MLB history to win a World Series with a payroll over $100 million. This season, 10 teams hit the nine-figure mark, and none of them will win the Series. Instead, the Tampa Bay Rays and their $43 million payroll will host the Philadelphia Phillies and their twice-as-much payroll of $98 million. If the Phillies win, they will be third to both Red Sox teams in payroll of a World Series winner.

Yes, you can buy a good baseball team. But you can’t buy a title. Dollar-for-dollar, I’d rather a team overspend on a good general manager and scouting department than a below average number five pitcher.

Just ask the Rays and Marlins how much payroll means. The Marlins have won two World Series titles since 1997. That’s two more than the Mets. The Marlins won by assembling a tremendous amount of young talent, which they got in return for high-profile, high-payroll players. People accused the Marlins of selling their whole team after the 1997 World Series, but the young talent they got back when they traded away the ‘97 team led them to being champions in 2003. Then they traded away that team. Are you going to say that trading Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for six minor league prospects was a bad trade?

Baseball is not like every other sport. These guys spend more time together, and have a much stronger bond than most professional sports. Because of this, you need the right “team” to win, not just the right collection of talented athlets. Keeping young, hungry players together is a great way to build a winner.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t spend good money on free agents, or occasionally trade for a marquee player, but there seems to be strong proof that over-indulging in this is not a good way to build a winner.

I’m genuinely happy for the Tampa Bay Rays. This team, like the Marlins of years past, is doing it right. They are using home grown talent to win in the future. If not home grown, then traded for in good trades at the right point in their careers.

Who do you think won the trade of Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir? The Mets, who were trying to “win now,” or the Rays, who made the right trade for their future, and are now in the World Series.

The top three teams in MLB payroll in 2008 missed the playoffs. The second lowest payroll is in the World Series.

Perhaps this will lead to teams revolting against high salary demanding free agents (like A-Rod in 2007), but more than likely, this just means that the rich teams will give up their future stars in exchange for Justin Upton, Scott Kazmir and Carlos Pena. Then those stars will lead Tampa back to the World Series in another five years.

So congratulations, Tampa. I’m not a fan of your team in the traditional sense, but I couldn’t be pulling for you more in the Fall Classic.

Not to mention, anyone who makes the city of Philadelphia cry is a friend of mine.

Rams lineman Richie Incognito was fined $35,000 for his actions in St. Louis’ win against Washington on Sunday. From ESPN.com: “Incognito, penalized three times during the game, was fined $25,000 for repeated verbal abuse of a game official; $5,000 for a major facemask; and $5,000 for a chop block.” This is the same guy who was kicked off of Nebraska’s football team (home of Thunder Collins and Lawrence Phillips) for fighting, then tried to enroll at Oregon, but was kicked off of that team before he even played again. A lot of people in Arizona are nodding right now, remembering Incognito as the guy who wouldn’t shut up about not getting an offer to play for U of A or ASU. Looks like the hometown schools were right.

How much did Manny Ramires like Los Angeles? Enough to play for the highest bidder in 2009.

Curt Schilling still has that nasty splitter working, as he bounced the ceremonial first pitch before Game 5 eight feet in front of the plate.

The Jake Peavy Sweepstakes has begun.

–News and Links Archive–

Heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko is only interested in fighting Nicolai Valuev, who holds the only heavyweight belt not currently belonging to a Klitschko, or Lennox Lewis, the former champion who retired as such after beating Klitschko in 2004. Lewis hasn’t fought since that fight, which ended controversially, with Klitschko winning on all three cards, but unable to continue due to a terrible gash over his eye. Word around campus is that Don King will offer nearly $50 million to Lewis to come out of retirement to fight Klitschko.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole says that no matter whose hand is raised following Saturday’s Bernard Hopkins - Kelly Pavlik fight, the loser is going to complain about the “terrible decision.” Barring a knockout, he is 100 percent correct about this.

Want a quick preview of every college basketball in the country. Here is a paragraph about all 341 of them. It’s actually quite impressive that for so many teams, they are actually quite detailed and not generic. (HT: Deadspin)

“When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you’re getting your ass hammered by guys — there’s no better feeling than to have that done,” said Matt Stairs, clearly not thinking about the actual words coming out of his mouth.

The unfortunately misguided folks at PETA are calling for Big Brown to be castrated, so as to not create more weak-footed Big Browns. Let me say this, if you are a card-carrying member of PETA, you too should be castrated, so that there is no chance of you producing more idiots. You are incredibly uninformed people (especially about horse racing), in an incredibly pointless group, with no support for personal freedom, and I don’t feel bad at all about offending you. Now, I’m off to eat some veal, with a side of kitten.

Is Scott Kazmir pitching tonight to avoid umpire Derryl Cousins?

Diana Taurasi digs guys? I’m only kidding, Diana, but you understand that you play in the WNBA so it comes with the territory.

–News and Links Archive–

Since word got out earlier this week that Seth Petruzelli was told to fight Kimbo Slice standing up, and it was worth his while to not take him to the ground, rumors of fight fixing have been flying. But now, according to ESPN.com, they’ve called so much that “the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — which oversees the State Boxing Commission — said Thursday that it has opened a preliminary investigation into the matter.”

Rough week for Mets pitcher Ambiorix Burgos, as he allegedly killed two women in a hit-and-run, and now he found out that he’ll be spending the next three months in jail awaiting trial. And I’m sure Omar Minaya is thrilled that Burgos chose to wear a White Sox hat to court instead of a Mets hat.

Also in Mets news, word on the street is that the Mets and the Yankees are in talks to swap Carlos Beltran and Robinson Cano. I think this is a decent deal for both teams, but it would leave the Mets with absolutely zero everyday outfielders. But getting rid of Beltran’s contract could allow them to go after a marquee free agent in the outfield, as well as either CC Sabathia or K-Rod, both guys they are in desperate need of.

–News and Links Archive–