Barahahahahahahahahahahahahaha-jas
The Canadian Press is reporting that the Jays have signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year contract worth $1.2 million.
You may remember the former Phillie from such nicknames as Traitor, Judas and Rod-The-Dick Arnold when he mimicked my favourite form of birth control and pulled out of a contract with the Jays last off-season that would've paid him $6 million over two seasons.
Assumed to be following the advice of the MLBPA (who were less than enthused with a backup signing a contract for less money to play as a starter) Barajas switched agents, reneged on the Blue Jays deal and ended up signing with the Philadelphias for a one year contract, plus a team option, that guaranteed less than half of what the Jays were promising him.
Ha-ha.
Despite a respectable OBP, Barajas had a disastrous year last season, appearing in only 48 games and slugging below .400. After spending some time on the DL with a groin injury, Barajas lost his starting job in Philadelphia, and was used only as a pinch hitter by the time the season came to a close. The Phillies emphatically did not pick up his option.
Over nine seasons, Not Very Hot Rod has accumulated a career .239 batting average with 62 home runs and 235 RBI in 584 games. While useless in fantasy baseball, and I mean that only in the sense that he's of no use whatsoever, Barajas has a reputation as a defensive dynamo and possessing a cannon for an arm behind the plate.
While his past behaviour ultimately ended up saving the Jays money, Barajas is going to have to work very hard for this particular fan to come around and cheer for him. I'm surprised that Ricciardi would even consider bringing a player to Toronto that ultimately rejected the Jays in the worst possible manner.
I know this it's becoming redundant (oxymoronic) to mention at this point, but Ricciardi is again signing a player that fills the "void" that only sports radio show callers seem to believe exists. Yes, he will gun his fair share of base runners down, even in a backup role. Over his career, Barajas has thrown over 33% of those trying to steal on him.
However, a catcher's ability to throw a runner out has to be one of the least vital skills on a baseball team. Check out the team rankings for catching base runners. Both World Series teams, rank well below the league average.
Colour me impressed if Barajas is able to maintain his high percentage for catching base runners with the Jays starting rotation throwing to him.
Update #1: Somehow I doubt Phillies fans will be extending the same best wishes they did when Sal Fasano signed here. A quick search of the interwebs reveals an enormous hate on for the Jays newest pudgy Hispanic. My favourite disparaging rain of insults comes from We Should Be GMs, who liken Barajas to a fat, lazy dog.
Update #2: Our friend at MLB Trade Rumors has more to say on the deal, while also directing readers to a story on the Baseballistic blog about the first time Ricciardi and Barajas tangoed.
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8 comments:
guys this is a great signing. Barajas has a .337 career CS%, the best in the organization right now, and has a bit of power and showed some walks last year. It adds depth by pusshing the young guys back in case of injury....great signing. The team is set to go now, lets hurry this up.
I'm not too concerned about stolen bases. I think I was hoping for Johnny Estrada . . . or rather Johnny Estrada of 2004. But this will do. Definitely better than Fasano.
I just don't understand how Ricciardi could possibly have this guy back in the organization after he pissed on their handshake. I guess he's getting the last laugh, but still . . .
I wonder how the fans will react the first time he comes to the plate. I don't like handin' out the boo birds for the hometown team, but Barajas may be an exception.
I know it should be all about makin' the team better, which he does, but I'm still going to have a hard time cheering for this guy.
Great quote from the last line of the aforementioned Baseballistic entry (dated Nov. 29, '06): "One thing is clear from all of this: Rod Barajas will never play for the Blue Jays after this fiasco."
uh, yeah.
Parkes, he's a fucking backup catcher. You've already put in enough effort by learning his name. Booing him will go way too far towards acknowledging his existence.
I reckon Eli's comment was sarcastic. At least, I hope it was. Stolen bases, schmolen bases.
Anyway, it's not like there aren't ways in which these sorts of moves make sense, but I also can't help but wonder what sort of games are being played by this front office-- though maybe that's giving them way too much credit.
I certainly can't say I don't think there's anything to the theory that image consciousness is driving some of these moves in part-- crazy as it might sound. I mean, for sure there's some of that going on with how Ricciardi has prevented the team from watching Glaus, Burnett and Downs walk away at the end of the season-- even if it's not exactly in the best interest of the team.
Had those things happened, and, say, had Frank Thomas got hurt and not reached the plate attempts to hit his vesting option, come September it would have looked a whole lot like starting over. Ricciardi's team is now just a little more safely locked in-- though I guess it's probably a stretch to connect that with the signing of the radio caller type guy. But JP definitely builds layers of safety nets around himself, I think. Something's going on.
if they want fewer allowed stolen bases, they need a completely different pitching staff. Which just isn't going to happen, nor do I want it to.
Great signing. Zaunie will be hung over for at least 50-60 games this year. Hopefully Barajas wont get diarrhea from eating too many tacos.
Well, the media and fans certainly made a lot out of Zaun's inability to throw out base runners (and I even think some of our really drunk readers voted for that as the reason the Jays tanked last year on our smokin' poll). So maybe J.P. is just trying to appease that shit and win over some Durnk Jays Fans. Fuck if I know.
We hate Barajas at WSBGM's.
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