Agendas --yea or nay?

[Frayed Knot]

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I think the question is this:

When it comes time to negotiate with Reyes and his agent next winter, are you willing to give him a multi-year contract? If so, how many years and how many dollars?

What's the threshold? If you don't give him enough, you risk disgruntling him and losing him to free agency after the 2009 season.

[seawolf17]

Didn't we have the Reyes contract offer discussion a few weeks ago? It's like deja vu all over again.

[Frayed Knot]

"When it comes time to negotiate with Reyes and his agent next winter, are you willing to give him a multi-year contract? If so, how many years and how many dollars? "

And that - as Seawolf points out - has already been discussed in great detail.
It's the long-winded rants about why any answer which lies between offering a big buxx FA deal 3 years before it's required or kissing him goodbye is somehow unacceptable, unheard of, and unpossible that are making about as much sense as a conversation between George Bush and Courtney Love with a bottle of vodka thrown in.

[Elster88]

]making about as much sense as a conversation between George Bush and Courtney Love with a bottle of vodka thrown in

That is a very impressive analogy. Full marks.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

="Frayed Knot"]"When it comes time to negotiate with Reyes and his agent next winter, are you willing to give him a multi-year contract? If so, how many years and how many dollars? " And that - as Seawolf points out - has already been discussed in great detail. It's the long-winded rants about why any answer which lies between offering a big buxx FA deal 3 years before it's required or kissing him goodbye is somehow unacceptable, unheard of, and unpossible that are making about as much sense as a conversation between George Bush and Courtney Love with a bottle of vodka thrown in.

But why would anyone with reading skills more refined than a chimpanzee actually conclude that is anything like what I'm saying?

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

After some thought, which I probably wouldn;t have done without FK's and JD's prodding with a pointy stick, I've come to realize that there is much more of a middle ground possible here than I had supposed.

The Mets could offer Reyes, to continue with that example, a two- or three deal after 2007 that would extend through his first (or second) FA year, giving them some extra time while Reyes is showing whether or not he has the stuff they want in a middle infielder/leadoff hitter, and giving him at the same time enough money to satisfy him for the time being.

Two years would certainly not be long-term, and the money we're talking about may fall short of big bux. Further I can see where if you were to offer him big bux, there are circumstances (such as Reyes') where that wouldn't necessarily be long-term, and perhaps there are contracts which are long-term, providing security, but not qualifying as big bux (though I can't think of any of these--if a player doesn't get the big bux, there's a higher than usual chance that he will be inadequate in a few years).

Sorry to have been needlessly stubborn and ill-mannered in this discussion.

[Vic Sage]

]Sorry to have been needlessly stubborn and ill-mannered in this discussion.

as opposed to which other discussions?

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Pointy stick well taken.