The Tampa Bay Rays added a big bat for the middle of their batting order, agreeing Monday to a $16 million, two-year contract with Pat Burrell.
The 32-year-old spent the past nine seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Rays in the World Series a little over two months ago.
The Rays did a nice job of taking advantage of the glut in the market for corner OF/DH types with the signing of Burrell.
In my opinion, it's a better value then the 3-year, $31.5 million contract the Phillies gave Raul Ibanez. Burrell is younger and has more power. And while Ibanez hits for a better average, Burrell actually has a better eye at the plate (Burrell has a .367 career OBP vs. Ibanez's .346). They are both poor fielders, so I consider that a wash.
#1 - Mon Jan 5, 2009 7:23 PM ESTI never liked the Ibanez signing in the first place, he was older than Burrell, far more likely to decline and bats lefty in a lineup that already sees its two cornerstone players in Howard and Utely bat from the left side as well. Any batting order that features Utely, Howard and Ibanez in a row (and really, who else would you hit fifth?) is just asking teams to abuse the Phillies with lefty specialists later in games.
And now that Burrell signed a contract for half that of Ibanez, this deal looks even worst. I think the only advantage Ibanez has over Burrell is that he wouldn't embarrass himself in right, but that shouldn't be a concern for the Phillies with both Jasyon Werth and Geoff Jenkins slotted for right.
Burrell on the Rays kinda scares me, and probably cements them over the inactive Red Sox at this point. Burrell should probably also contribute about 75% of what Teixeira does, but at 1/3 the cost.
Agreed!
Someone described Ibanez's routes in the outfield as someone being chased by a swarm of bees.
That being said, he might be a tiny bit better than Burrell in the field. But the beauty of the Rays deal is that Tampa will use Burrell primarily as a DH, using the best of him and avoiding the worst. Nice move on their part.
If Matt Joyce ends up not working out in right for the Rays, it's not the worst thing in the world to move Crawford over to right, and play Burrell in left.
I think left field defense is a tad overrated, though of course that depends a lot on if you're in a cavernous stadium, or a bandbox, plus if you have a ton of ground ball inducing starting pitchers, or do you got a lot of fly ball types.
Pat Burrell is a hard worker and a better outfielder than he's given credit for. He has a great arm. But he's a rally killer. Too many strikeouts and pop-ups to shallow center field.
#2 - Tue Jan 6, 2009 1:51 PM ESTBut he's a rally killer. Too many strikeouts and pop-ups to shallow center field.
How exactly is he a rally killer when he gets on base at a .367 clip? That's a decent amount better than league average. A strikeout doesn't kill a rally any more than a normal out does, and Pat Burrell makes outs at a lower rate than the average player.
I'm a Phillies fan. Burrell was never appreciated that much in our fair city - similar to another #5 who arrived at just about the same time (Donovan McNabb). Replacing 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs is never easy. I'm nervous about the left-left-left sequence of our order, but I think it was best for both Pat and the team for him to move on at this stage of his career. Best of luck, Pat.
#3 - Tue Jan 6, 2009 8:48 PM ESTI think the problem with Philly fans and Burrell was that at the start of his career his improved consistently for the first few years of his career that culminated in a .282/.376/.544 season with 37 home runs and 117 RBI. He was then handed a 6 year extension for $50 million and proceeded to hit only .209/.309/.404 with only 21 home runs and 64 RBI the very next year. I think that led many a fan to label him a fraud. Even his second post-contract year wasn't the greatest hitting .257/.365/.455 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI. At that point his status as a bust and a fraud was basically cemented in Philly.
That reputation led to his next four years get a bit overlooked, where Pat was extremely consistent hitting in the .250s, getting on base at a .380 rate and slugging .500 and doing all that with about 30 home runs, 100 walks and cutting his strikeouts down to the 130 range. That's a very useful hitter. Even the 130 strikeouts isn't really that much when matched with 100 walks. In comparison, Ryan Howard will walk 100 times in a season but strikeout 200 times.
His prior reputation, along with his low batting averages, strikeouts and poor defense led far too many fans from appreciated the 30 home runs and 100 walks, plus relative health, that he'd contribute year in and year out.
Burrell isn't an All Star and he's not going to carry a team himself, but he shouldn't be expected to be. He's a good fifth or sixth hitter in a lineup with championship aspirations. Exactly what he was for the Phillies last season.
Burrell isn't even one of my favorite players, but I just think that he's been criticized so long for the things he doesn't do well, that too many people have lost track of the many things he DOES do well. And I love this signing and I really do think this is the signing of this winter. Burrell protects the Rays from a decline by Carlos Pena, or a sophomore slump by Longoria. He'll fit in perfectly hitting fifth or sixth in that lineup, providing power and OBP.
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Pretty cool gif animation of him throwing last night.
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