Octavio Dotel Is Worth $11 Million
Wow, it’s a desperate and hard world out there for GMs looking to upgrade their bullpen. Octavio Dotel, a guy who has pitched fewer innings in the last three seasons than a severely babied Jonathan Papelbon did during the 2007 regular season, was signed to a two-year deal by the White Sox for a whopping $11 million.
So, in case you weren’t keeping track, Kenny Williams has now spent a combined $30 million on two relievers — Dotel and Scott Linebrink this offseason. Apparently he went to the Baltimore Orioles School of Bullpen Building while the other teams in the AL Central were busy getting a whole lot better during all of 2007.
Seriously, I can’t figure Kenny Williams out. One moment I think he’s one of the more interesting, creative GMs out there, the next I feel like he’s channeling Steve Phillips.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
What makes this even more ridiculous is that Raphael Betancourt just re-upped with the Indians for $4 million (I believe) over two years and that the Rays just gave James Shield an $11.25 million deal for four years. So Dotel will be making considerably more money per year than two other pitchers that are almost infinitely more valuable considering it’s practically impossible Dotel will make it through his contract without spending time on the DL. I think Kenny Williams has officially entered Dumb GM territory (if he hadn’t already).
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I actually liked the Nick Swisher deal, though, and I think Williams is kind of getting the point, although a year or two too late, that he should just GFIN (go for it now) since the White Sox have such a crap minor league system and an aging core.