Should the A's have Interest in Mulder?
by athleticsBB4life on Oct 20, 2008 4:35 PM PDT
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After two seasons lost to a persistent and perplexing shoulder injury, Mark Mulder and his representative received notification last week that the Cardinals will not exercise the $11-million option on the lefty’s contract.Visits with nearly a half dozen specialists this past season assured the lefty that there was nothing structurally wrong with his shoulder.
"I feel healthy," Mulder told The Post-Dispatch in August. "But for what I do for a living, I’m not."
We've had a lot of discussion lately on AN about bringing back former Athletics' 1B Jason Giambi. Giambi is guy who could possibly be a good fit for an up and coming team, with salary demands that should be reasonable. Why would he want to come back? Oakland is a known quantity.
So, that leads us to Giambi's former team mate, one third of the big-three, Mark Mulder. Would it be worth it for the A's to offer him a one year deal with an option to see if there is anything left in the tank? Someone to mentor the young lefties the A's have collected.
Would Mulder be interested in returning to the friendly confines of the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum?
I think we can all agree that his old #20 will be available!
via i.a.cnn.net
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The shoulder injury
Mulder’s shoulder just hasn’t seemed able to recover, and there have been thoughts of the shoulder causing an end to his career. I wouldn’t take the risk of signing Mulder. He’s tried comebacks with the Cards, but there has been no success. Plus, I don’t see any role he could play for this team; there’s already a good amount of pitching in Oakland.
Procrastinators unite....tomorrow
Exactly
1) No Role on this team with our glut of sp
2) highly unlikely he could make a comeback
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Oct 21, 2008 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think so.
The A’s have enough injury prone people on the team. If he’s expressing doubt as to whether he’s ok, I don’t think the A’s should get him. Besides, he’s tons more expensive than the pitchers we have now. I just don’t see it happening.
I Could be totally and completely wrong, though!!
Awww… Unicorn's optimistic. And a cheeseball. That’s cute. ~Whiteshoes40
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." -Yogi Berra
Unless he'd take a very small
pay check then no, I do not want him back. I don’t even think he’d be that great of a pitcher if he did manage to stay healthy.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
To a AAA min deal, yes
to a MLB min deal, no.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
I think Giambi is far more likely to help the A's offense
than Mulder is. Pitching we have – good, healthy pitching even. Hitting, not so much.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I think you underrate Mulder's offensive prowess
"Lefty relievers are like the different Mountain Dew flavors. New ones keep appearing, and people are willing to buy, but in the end most of them suck." - Gallagher's Watermelons
by scatterbrian on Oct 22, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions
NO, NO
AND NO
Broken down. Too risky.
We need hitters. Pitching will be fine by 2010.
May The Red Sox and all their fans get food poisoning and all collectively crap their pants
risky for what?
beane has shown to waste $$ before …just last season foulke, calero, etc
if its a small deal w/ incentives…what the hell, take a chance
the pressure of justifying the deal for stl weighed on him…he gets puts back in a no pressure situation and close to home in AZ
From the post
I feel healthy," Mulder told The Post-Dispatch in August. "But for what I do for a living, I’m not.
Mulder himself acknowledges that he’s not healthy enough to pitch.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
You must've missed the part where Foulke was pretty good for the first half of the season
And, even with a subpar second half, he still finished as an average reliever.
by thejd44 on Oct 21, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
You must have missed the part where Foulke had a tRA+ of 56 (!) this season
which is horrifically unacceptable for even a long reliever.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Sigh
Is tRA+ the cool new stat we’re using now? So hard to keep up.
I find this turn of events horrifically unacceptable. But then, it’s possible I’m just being outrageously hyperbolic, which is of course a catastrophically tiresome rhetorical posture affected with unspeakably horrendous frequency in blog comments sections.
If I was the type to use other people's comments for siglines
I might consider this. Just for the number of words that contain four or more syllables.
But alas, I do try to maintain some sense of originality ’round here.
Oh, and thanks for throwing that Rickey project at me (ok, I was going to do it anyway). But right now I am trying to decide what pics not to use.
I'm here to talk about the past.
Short answer: yes
Long answer: it’s no worse than FIP or the other “luck adjusted” stats out there, and it might better.
As for the adverbs, well… you know me, right?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
might BE better
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Jeff and Grant at LL
You won’t go far off using the stats they use.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
But that's not the point
Foulke may have been really lucky, but the fact is that luck or not the final result wasn’t half bad. It was worth the $700,000 he was paid or whatever it ended up being after bonuses and incentives. The luck that Foulke experienced is a good sign that re-signing him would be a bad idea, since he’s unlikely to be an average pitcher again.
A better way to put it might be this: Foulke was a bad pitcher who had perfectly acceptable results. That made him worth the money.
by thejd44 on Oct 21, 2008 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
It's not just his shoulder - he's still hurt
It’s the top of his femur (a crack that went untreated), and it’s been that way since he injured it with the A’s. BB was smart to trade damaged goods to the Cards and get Haren, Barton, Calero.
Absolutely not.
I heart-ed Mark,
but unless it’s a minor league deal, I say no thanks. But, if he could get back to form, those sub-2-hour games would be nice to see again…
maybe?
If Ankiel told him how to go from broken starting pitcher to be an outfielder that can hit 25+ HRs… then sure why not.
No Meyer will be on the 40 man roster this winter either...
Charlie Brown GO A'S WIN
by Charlie Brown on Oct 20, 2008 8:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Mulder is a classic....
Non Roster Invitee. However, as thin as the free agent pitching market is, some team may give him a guaranteed contract.
"just a beating heart ... plasma that we'll put into our uniform." - Billy Beane
by athleticsBB4life on Oct 20, 2008 5:43 PM PDT reply actions
I don't see the down side of an NRI either, and I liked Mulder a lot.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Oct 20, 2008 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions
How bout an MRI followed by an NRI?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
there is a spot open for mulder...
1st base coach…get it done
No, he could get injured out there
Put him at third. Its not like he’s going to be waving any runners home next season anyways.
facepalm.jpg
I really surprised with these poll results,
we’ve had our time with Mulder just like Hudson and Zito. You would think that we would want to see him healthy before even giving this a consideration.
If he says he's not healthy at what he does for a living (baseball)
then hell no. The A’s need moves towards healthiness. Unless Mulder would accept a league min deal and then donate it all to charity…
The fact that he's healthy enough to be an accountant
isn’t good enough for you to give him the ball on Opening Day?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
What about if Mulder pitches in relief?
We do have to fill a few holes/provide depth to our bullpen, don’t we? If we could sign him to a minor league contract and let him prove he’s healthy first, then why not? He would be a cheap pitcher with decent upside, and what organization doesn’t want that? If nothing else, sign him so that our ’Cats can win another PCL championship.
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
Problem is, the odds are he wouldn't be any more effective
than all the other options the A’s will explore, such as Outman/Braden, Saarloos, and Kilby/Gissell types, none of whom can hold a candle to what Mulder was – but all of whom can probably match Mulder’s performance going forward.
There’s just no reason to think Mulder will ever be a great starter again, and it’s not as if medicore long relievers are hard to find or produce. Mulder was awesome in his prime, but sadly his day has come and gone.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
i don't know why not
if he signed for a minor league contract. would he have to be added to the 40 man or could he be a non roster invitee?
I mean, I understand not wanting him, but if doctors confirmed he would be ready for spring training, would spending a less than $400k be a huge waste if it didn’t work out?
i personally don’t think so…
YES! because we're desperately low on pitching
starting pitching, relief pitching, pitching in the minors, we need it all.
wait, we’re the orioles, right?
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Don't expect Meyer to be on the 40 man roster this winter.
Charlie Brown GO A'S WIN
Mark Mulder and his representative received notification last week that the Cardinals will not exercise the $11-million option on the lefty’s contract.
the look on his representative’s face when he got the news:
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is pretty good!!
"What do we do with Crosby? Well, in my neighborhood, trash goes out on Mondays." ~ Nico
If we're talking a minor league deal with a ST invite
then YES, I’m all for bringing Mulder back for a try-out. If the 1-in-100 happens and he ends up being 1 of the 5 best SP in camp then the A’s have the option of sending Smith or Gio down to the minors. Seriously, if there’s zero investment involved then the worst that can happen is he gets cut.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Exactly
Option: good.
Commitment: bad.
Personally, I DON’T think he’ll get a major league deal— so why not have the A’s be the team to give him a minor league one?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Oh man
We just got rid of a perpetual heartbreaker in Harden (much as I love ya, dude, you know how it is) – I can’t imagine picking up another injury-case guy to come in and GRIND on those heartstrings right where Richie left off. Give me a little break from those emotion-tugging ones, yeah?
It's been said above but....
Minor league deal or nothing. Much as I loved Mulder, he never was the same after that first half of 2004.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
as a coach/mentor... sure
as a pitcher… no.
"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey
I was going to say 'no', also, but...
…a minor league deal might be ok. I’d still say ‘no’ to a major league deal.
"If I've got baggage, he's got a whole set of Louis Vuitton." ~ Milton Bradley on Barry Bonds
I'm all for a guy like Mulder as a minor league deal
A little insurance for the young pitchers at essentially no cost or committment isn’t a bad idea.
by thejd44 on Oct 21, 2008 11:07 AM PDT reply actions
Is he healthy enough to pass out:
Root-Beer Floats??? Maybe he can be hired to work as Stomper for the A’s away games….
The guy (Mulder) is done, and we need a right-handed hitter that can hit for average and decent power!!!
"What do we do with Crosby? Well, in my neighborhood, trash goes out on Mondays." ~ Nico
Because Gallagher is terrible!!!1111!!11!!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111!!!!!!!!!!11111!!
"What do we do with Crosby? Well, in my neighborhood, trash goes out on Mondays." ~ Nico
How Incredibly Stupid Were the Cardinals?
2005 StL 32 32 3 2 205.0 212 90 83 19 70 111 16 8 0 0 — 3.64
2006 StL 17 17 0 0 93.1 124 77 74 19 35 50 6 7 0 0 — 7.14
2007 StL 3 3 0 0 11.0 22 17 15 4 7 3 0 3 0 0 — 12.27
2008 StL 3 1 0 0 1.2 4 2 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 10.80
so let’s see … after the 2006 season, when the guy had an ERA over 7, they paid him $13 million the last two seasons. unbelievable.
answer = not as stupid as your numbers seem to imply
I cant seem to say this enough around here, but just because the outcome was bad, it does not mean the decision was bad, and I think this is a pretty classic example.
For comparison: the Zito contract was a bad decision.
Agree with your premise
Though I think it’s reasonable to say that they should’ve seen the warning signs with Mulder.
by thejd44 on Oct 21, 2008 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm For It
But it would definitely have to be a cheap deal with incentives and he might have to start in the bullpen.
Mark Mulder was the reason I started liking the A’s in the first place, so obviously I’d love to see him looking awesome in the green and gold for that reason…. but I think it needs to be a really really awesome deal for the A’s. I don’t think he’s ever going to be back to where he once was, and I don’t want the A’s to pay to have another guy on the 60 day DL.
Not what we need
as much as i like what mulder had done in the past in an A’s uniform
we need hitters, pitching is not the concern right now. it has been proven our young pitchers can stay up there with the other Aces
Mulder never really had to rely on “stuff” to get guys out. Mulder at his best was “get ball, get sign, throw ball, repeat 11 times and return to dugout”. His delivery was pretty smooth, and if the Doctors ok his health, at age 31, there is no reason we couldnt use a lefty long reliever to provide insurance for WHEN (not if) one of the front line starters goes down.
We’ve done fairly well with one year retreads lately. We got Barton and Haren for Mulder the first time. We sign Mulder to a one year deal near the league minimum? I could see him having some trade value with a strong first half showing- the league has proven time and again that there is a place for a left handed hurler somewhere. As long as he passes the physical, I would see that as an acceptable roll of the dice.
But Mulder as coach? Get real! He doesnt exactly… insipire. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but, you know, so was Art Howe.
It's been like that the whole way
Pretty much a dead heat as far as I can tell.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Keep an eye on Ohio and Florida
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
For Some Reason
Every time I vote “no”, it comes up “yes” on the screen….
The poll was too vague
I voted no anyway, but there is absolutely a contract which would make Mulder make sense. Specifically, a MiLB minimum.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
For some reason
Every time I vote “yes,” the screen comes back with “no.”
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