As we approach mid-December, our thoughts turn to buying presents for our loved ones. There are less than two weeks until Christmas, and there is, as usual, far too much to get done. Buy and trim the tree, prepare the holiday feasts, and, for law professors, grade those Torts exams. But even in the off-season -- or especially in the off-season -- baseball clubs are busy with their own Christmas shopping. Who might our club acquire that would make a difference on the field during the 2011 Championship Season?
The Boston Red Sox were first into the department stores this December with two blockbuster acquisitions -- one by trade, one by free agency (not to be confused with "one if by land and two if by sea," a common phrase when walking around Boston Common). The Red Sox signed two stellar ballplayers to long-term and expensive contracts. (I guess there was money left over after John Henry purchased the Liverpool club in the English Premier League.) Adrian Gonzalez (7 years -- $154 million) has long been an object of desire for the crimson hose. He will add power to a line-up that has just not been the same since Manny Ramirez flaked off to LA. Carl Crawford (7 years -- $142 million) has mostly been a constant annoyance for the Sox as a stalwart member of the division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Once on base, something that Crawford did early and often, he annoyed the opposing hurler until taking off for second base. His work in the outfield certainly qualifies him to patrol the Green Monsta at Fenway. There is good reason for the Sox faithful to be counting their blessings and counting the days until pitchers and catchers arrive in Fort Myers.
The Bostonians were not the only early shoppers. The Nationals of Washington seem to have overpaid to acquire free agent Jayson Werth, late of the Phillies, but there is no question the hapless Nats fans will appreciate his talents. Carlos Pena's one-year deal for $10 million will anchor first base for the Chicago Cubs, despite his .196 batting average. Pena would be a positive force on any club, and the Cubs will enjoy his power.
The big fish still out there, of course, is Cliff Lee, the free agent hurler. The Yankees have lusted after the temporary citizen of Arlington, Texas. With an uneven corps of starters and an empowered rival club north on I-95, the Yanks need Lee. At this writing, Lee has competing offers and unhappy family memories of recent visits to the new Yankee Stadium. (How impolitic of Yankees fans, knowing that Lee may be their next Moses, to verbally abuse his wife during playoff games this fall.)
Some will see the recent baseball shopping spree as more of the same. Big market clubs throw around their cash to scoop up the best players. Some might even label the Red Sox the "Evil Empire North" after their significant acquisitions this week. What this ignores is that nothing is keeping other wealthy entrepreneurs from purchasing franchises and free agents of their own. (I am sure you could pick one a club at a cut-rate price -- say in Seattle?) Persons with resources can play the game at the Major League level. No one has mandated that the Pirates must be awful year after year. Tampa Bay has shown that good management and superb coaching can produce a winner, even if the club does not evolve into a dynasty. It is true that large market clubs have income streams from attendance and media sales that others might not enjoy, but it was John Henry & Company who made the investments that won the crowns for Boston in 2004 and 2007 and have the inside track on a trifecta in 2011.
There are still more shopping days ahead and more deals to be made -- stocking stuffers, if you would. The Red Sox need relievers and every club needs to add depth to their rosters - but we can already reach some general conclusions. At a time when the National Basketball Association is crying poverty and threatening to contract some franchises out of existence and the National Football League has alerted its best clientele that the future looks dim for its negotiations with the Players Association, some Major League Baseball clubs have taken out their checkbooks and invested in the future. Only time will tell whether these moves prove wise or wildly misguided, yet the overall impression is that life is good in what used to be called our National Pastime.