2-9 with a 6.45 ERA last year and coming off arm surgery? He hasn't had a winning year since 2002. Id love the chance at $8 million (with incentives) if I sucked that bad, which I would. Hey, its the Rangers. In order to raise ticket prices (see other thread), you gotta go sign a huge free agent player like Jennings to get the buzz going around the Metroplex. You gotta get people wanting to buy tickets. I know I am going to be there every 5th day to watch this guy pitch.
Think of it this way Ranger fans, you're paying $4M plus incentives for Willy Taveras, Taylor Bucholz, and Jason Hirsch. Does that make you feel any better? To think that the Astros traded away Taveres, Bucholz, Hirsch, Luke Scott, Troy Patton, Matt Albers, and some minor leaguers in the last two years for two guys who might not play a game in 2008. At least the Astros' pitching staff is still better than the Rangers'.
It's not exactly a risky signing. The Rangers weren't exactly World Series Contenders this year. You pick up a pitcher who has had good years in the past, but hasn't done **** lately. Give him an incentive-laden contract, and hope he does well. It's not like the Rangers gave him a 3 year, 32 million dollar deal.
There's a science to it. Regardless of the 4X number, they offered that clearly believing he would get more in arbitration. So the bad side is????
Assuming the Rangers worked Jennings out and saw what he has, I don't think this is that bad of a signing, either. $4M is chicken feed is an industry with revenues of $6 BILLION. Carlos Silva is getting $48M/4years, and if Jennings is 90% healthy, he'll be better than Silva.
JENNINGS is a typical Rangers' signee... very average Keep the payroll in the bottom five of all baseball even though we are in a top 10 market. Hell the owner has to make a buck. The Rangers and steriods have ruined ML baseball for me. I commit my time Horns.
To some degree this is a typical Rangers signing--a flyer on a guy coming off arm surgery for minimal money. But behind that, I actually really like the signing. In 2006, Jennings pitched 212 innings for the Colorado Rockies, and gave up only 17 home runs. By my count, that's only one home run every 12.4 innings. Playing in Colorado, I think that's pretty impressive. And by my count, that's better than any of the Rangers' current starters have done in recent memory. Beyond that, in 2006, Jennings pitched three complete games. The Rangers staff last year pitched zero. His strikeout-walk ratio is under 2/1 for his career, so that is a little alarming. But he looks like a pitcher who can eat up some innings, and this staff desperately needs that. LHP's are great to have in Arlington, and this one isn't a bad find, especially for only $4M.
