The small market lament

I know that I’m supposed to be happy today that Cliff Lee left some money on the table from the Rangers and Yankees to sign a shorter deal with the Phillies for a little bit less money. It’s true that I’m always happy to see someone turn their nose up at the Yankees and it’s also true that while I hold nothing against Chuck Greenberg or the Rangers, I’m a little relieved that I don’t have to hear a certain contingent of the Yinzer Mafia whine and moan about the Pittsburgh native out-bidding the Yankees for Lee’s services today.

Still, Lee signing with the Phillies feels like a kick in the gut because money left on the table or not, it illustrates just how wide the gap is between the big market baseball teams and everyone else. Last April, the Phillies signed Ryan Howard to a 5-year extension worth $125 million that hasn’t even kicked in yet. This could easily become one of the worst contracts in baseball. They owe the ancient, creaky Raul Ibanez $11.5 million in 2011. They owe Brad Lidge $11.5 million. For reasons that only Ruben Amaro Jr. understands, they’re paying Placido Polanco more than $5 million to be their starting first baseman. And on top of all of that, they’ve got a few big contracts for players that aren’t overpaid: Roy Halladay ($20 million), Chase Utley ($15 million), Roy Oswalt (actually, he’ll probably be overpaid at $16 million next year).  

The season ended and the Phillies had so much money tied up in contracts, both good and bad, that they never even made a real effort to re-sign Jayson Werth, even though he was their best hitter in 2010 by a pretty good margin. And then Cliff Lee came calling and they decided that maybe if they shuffled Joe Blanton out of town, they could afford to add another $24 million a year or so to the payroll. Meanwhile, Pirate fans have spent a ridiculous amount of time over the week arguing over whether or not paying Kevin Correia, Matt Diaz, and Scott Olsen $7 million or so in 2011 will break the bank. 

I’m not trying to sound like Bob Pompeani here, nor am I handing the Phillies anything for 2012 (it’s trite, but World Series aren’t won in December). I’m just pointing out that like the World Series Champion Giants, who more or less paid Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand $30.5 million to stay the hell away from their team in the playoffs, the Phillies can absorb big mistakes while the Pirates can barely afford to make small ones. Teams like Tampa prove that things aren’t hopeless for the Pirates, but this is one of those days when the size of the mountain that the club has to climb is pretty clear.