The Cubs signed Canadian funster Ryan Dempster yesterday to a four-year $52 million deal. Other than the fact the contract is too long, and for too much money, it’s not too bad. Oh, and I’d rather it was for a different pitcher, other than that, I’m on board. Love it, actually.
I’m not taking anything away from Dempster for his 2008 season (just by starting the sentence “I’m not taking anything away… means, “I’m not giving this dope any credit” doesn’t it? That would be wrong. He deserves some credit. I just don’t think he’ll ever do anything remotely like this again. Remotely), but it’s pretty obvious now that when Jim Hendry and Kerry Wood sat down for dinner in Arizona last week, and Jim told Kerry he wouldn’t be brought back that it was because Hendry had decided to give Dempster, Kerry’s money, and then some. A whole lot some.
What do we know about Dempster? Quite a bit, actually.
He’s Canadian, right handed, a Tommy John Disease survivor (so far), he was an above average big league starter before he caught the disease, then a below average middle reliever (every time I see Dempster I think of this game, and it shocks me that I’m not serving life in prison for killing him and LaTroy), then a somewhat competent closer, then one of the best starters in the National League, for one season so far. We also know that he was completely overmatched in his only playoff start, and he was afraid to throw strikes or unable to–either one is bad.
In the aftermath of his four inning, 109 pitch SEVEN walk performance in game one of the NLDS, Dempster looked like Senator Geary when he woke up with the dead hooker.
He’s going to be 32 for most of the 2009 season. He’s never likely to duplicate his 17-6, 2.96 ERA that he put up last year.
Here’s the sad thing. When the free agent market shakes out, his contract won’t look so bad. Derrek Lowe is older and he’ll get more years and more money. (Of course, he actually won the playoff game that Dempster lost.) AJ Burnett is more injury prone and will get more money. CC Sabathia is younger and better and will get enough money to buy either his own planet or a pair of pants that actually fit.
But, the only way this works is if one of the Cubs’ real aces, Carlos Zambrano or Rich Harden decides to pitch like it next year, making Dempster what he should be, a third or fourth starter, albeit a very pricey one.
The Cubs will be paying every member of their starting rotation more than $9.45 million next year. And one of them is Jason Marquis. Guh.
One of the things I find amusing is the feeling out there that Dempster deserves the big contract because he’s such a good “clubhouse guy.” The Cubs need guys like him, otherwise the bad element in the clubhouse will take hold and things will collapse like they did in 2004.
Those 2004 Cubs could have used a guy like Ryan Dempster.
Oh, wait, we already established that they had a guy like him. Him.
Over at Pollyellon’s Shut-Ins Galleria one of them sent Al a link to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by a writer who wanted the Braves to sign Dempster because he’s so swell.
In the meantime, I throw out a personal vote for Ryan Dempster because this is my blog (for the moment) and I can say what I want. He’s still available after the deadline passed for teams to negotiate with their own free agents. My honorary cousin Phil Rogers of the Tribune says the Cubs offered him $48-$50 million over four years.
But here’s the personal part: I went into the Cubs clubhouse in spring training in 2004, unknown to most everybody in the room except for Greg Maddux, whom I was waiting to interview about spending his first spring training away from the Braves in 12 years.
And Dempster, seeing me standing there by myself, probably looking a little bewildered, came up and introduced himself. Yes, “Hi, I’m Ryan Dempster.” And he asks me where I’m from and what I’m working on.
Unreal. I’m telling you, that doesn’t happen in clubhouses. You’re supposed to know who these guys are, for one thing. And I did. But what an impression that made.
See? It’s years later and I’m still talking about it, and thinking he’d make a great addition to the Braves clubhouse. And OK, OK, there’s got to be a baseball part too. Seems to me he’s on the upswing. Just put up a 17-6 season with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs in his first year back in the rotation since 2003 with the Reds.
Wow, so Ryan kissed a media member’s ass. Who knew? Gee he doesn’t seem like the type. No, he doesn’t seem like it. He is precisely the type.
Al gives his own, consistently hackneyed take on it:
Laugh if you will, tell me this stuff doesn’t matter. I tell you that it does matter. Good clubhouse guys aren’t easy to find, and when you have one like Dempster who gets it, in addition to being dedicated to his craft and staying in shape so he can continue to perform at the high level he did in 2008, you keep him.
Laugh if I will? By all means. I’ll tell you what. This stuff absolutely does not matter. Not one bit. It doesn’t matter that Ryan Dempster was nice to an Atlanta writer in spring training four years ago.
Good clubhouse guys are easy to find. You can shake a tree and good clubhouse guys fall out of it. Why they’re always climbing trees, I’m not sure, maybe they’re hiding from LaTroy? Nice has nothing to do with it. Now I’m not saying you go out and sign guys just because they’re assholes, but you can assemble the nicest bunch of non-threatening, friendly, courteous guys, and it doesn’t mean they’re going to win anything. If anything, the 2008 Cubs were too nice. The only guys who had any outward fire were the game two starter (who makes everybody scared when he gets mad) and the nearly 70 year old manager.
And as for Al’s assertion that since Dempster is “dedicated to his craft and staying in shape” that ought to be a given. Unless you sign a slob like Scott Eyre, you’re paying them to be dedicated to their craft and to stay in shape. Jason Marquis works out non-stop, and throws more in the offseason than the Cubs would like him to, and he still sucks.
Besides, Mr. Funtime here seemed to throw his manager under the bus with his curious comments yesterday about why the 2008 Cubs flopped so epically in the playoffs.
“Maybe we underestimated how prepared you have to be, how ready you have to be, especially in a five-game series,” Dempster said. “It’s like a short heavyweight bout. Ding, the bell is ringing, you’ve got to go.”
Yeah, that’s probably it, because you hadn’t been swept in a five-game series in nearly a year. Maybe what happened was the starting pitcher in game one set the tone by being unable to find home plate with a flashlight and a map? Maybe the problem was that in your “short heavyweight bout” our fighter stood in the center of the ring and pissed himself?
Besides, who says “bout” these days? Well, you are Canadian, maybe you said “boot?”
“I think sometimes we almost expected it, go out there and play hard and we’re good enough and just expect it to happen, and we’ll win this series and then the next one and all the excitement will happen once we get to the World Series,” he said. “Maybe L.A. was just a little more prepared for us than we were for them.”
If I were Lou, and I read this, I’d hire a sled dog team and find you in Bumfuk, Canada and kick your ass. LA was more prepared than you were? That’s why you walked seven guys in four innings? That’s why you couldn’t get a bunt down? Joe Torre took Derek Lowe aside before the game and explained where the strike zone was so he could not only throw strikes, but so he could bat against you and walk? Why didn’t Lou think of that? He didn’t prepare you! He didn’t help you put on your Depends before you went out and shit all over yourself on national (well, for cable) TV. Shame on Lou.
Yeah, that’s just what this team needs, more guys like you. More guys who can act befuddled when you play like a pussy, and then blame it on somebody else. More guys who annoy the shit out of their teammates and me with the worst Harry Caray impression of all time. I can’t believe Hendry didn’t give you a 12 year contract, you’re invaluable!
Congratulations. Go treat yourself to a nice meal. Just try not to choke on it.
“Vicious. You hit me with a flower. You do it every hour.”
Thank you for this, Andy. That is as well put as could be.
Well said. Chances are this was a bad move. The Dempster that showed up in October was the Dempster I was expecting going into the ’08 season. Just hope he’s not another one year wonder like Mike Bielecki.
Are you trying to tell me that the only guys on the 2008 Cubs with any fire were Carlos and Lou? When I rammed Yadier Molina at home plate that day, it took every fiber of my being not to get out my hunting knife and gut that flabby piece of shit trying to block my way. And you’re telling me I don’t have fire? Where’s my knife?…
Whatever happened to trading me for Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene?
I have fire. I broke my helmet.
Uh-oh, I left out Lilly. I’m a dead man.
This is exactly the type of reaction every Cubs fan should have to this signing instead of pissing ourselves with glee because Dempster’s so damned funny and treats reporters like princes.
“When I rammed Yadier Molina…”
Anyone Tivo that?
The baseball gods hate clownfucks like Dempster. And we extended Hendry?
Harden had a shit playoff start too, should they have declined his option?
Who gives a good god damn how anyone acts in the clubhouse? Dempster pitched very well last year and they decided to lock him up. What should they have done instead? Cut him loose and jumped into the AJ Burnett bidding war?
Oh my god, they’re keeping together most of the components from a 97-win team. What assholes.
dude, your a dick, dempster kicks ass and your just a unintelligent, over zealous, and generally bad reporter. Ive read your site, been totally unimpressed on every single facet of the page. By now picking on Dempster, who IS, IS! the heart and spirit in the cubs clubhouse you have crossed the line.
Zach, its my job to kiss Dempsters ass, so like the buffett table, you better step the fuck back!!
Dempster gets it. He understands. Let the pitchers who don’t get it, like Johan Santana, go pitch for the Mets.
They may get more hitters out, and have more strikeouts and a lower ERA, but they don’t get it, and Dempster does.
The Yankees have never had anyone who gets it. Sure, they’ve won more World Series than Dempster has games (or at least it seems that way), but they’ve done it the wrong way.
Go Cubbies!
“#
Jim Nantz Underpants
11
Harden had a shit playoff start too, should they have declined his option?
Who gives a good god damn how anyone acts in the clubhouse? Dempster pitched very well last year and they decided to lock him up. What should they have done instead? Cut him loose and jumped into the AJ Burnett bidding war?
Oh my god, they’re keeping together most of the components from a 97-win team. What assholes.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:34 pm e
#
zach
12
dude, your a dick, dempster kicks ass and your just a unintelligent, over zealous, and generally bad reporter. Ive read your site, been totally unimpressed on every single facet of the page. By now picking on Dempster, who IS, IS! the heart and spirit in the cubs clubhouse you have crossed the line.”
You two do parody so well, I almost believed you. But then I noticed that the first guy had to be kidding when he compared picking up a $9 million option on a 27 year old or giving a 32 year old a four year contract as the same thing. That’s so dumb it’s funny, so nice job.
And 12 is hilarious. I love that he can’t use you’re correctly, or figure out when to capitalize a word, that was a nice touch.
Both of you do realize that if you actually read the column you see that it was about how the Cubs had to overpay for Dempster because of the market, and that Dempster managed to contradict all of you simple-minded dopes who think he’s just so wonderful in the clubhouse, by signing his contract and then refusing to take any blame for his awful, embarrassing, scared-shitless start in the playoffs.
So good job, for a moment, I almost thought both of you were serious. Obviously that can’t be the case.
#12 probably really is a joke. The BCB-speak, combined with the NSBB-spelling, is way too obvious.
If Hendry has a plan I’d like to know what it is. And don’t get me started on this 3 playoff appearances in 6 year shit either when Hendry had to spend like the Yankees following a 96 loss season just to save his job. If the Cubs don’t win it all this year or possibly next, those backloaded contracts will sink this team faster than Soriano’s plate appearances.
The teams rotation could project as strong next year with Marshall, as it did last year with Dempster. Who could have projected a year for Dempster last year to be anything like the one he had.
The Cubs post season flops were more a function of a poorly constructed unbalanced lineup than it’s rotation. How many times do you need your 4th. starter anyway. If the Cubs rotation isn’t strong enough at 1,2 & 3 with Z, Harden and Lilly, then you are telling me that Dempster is going to save them?
“If the Cubs don’t win it all this year, or possibly next those backloaded contracts will sink this team faster than Soriano’s plate appearances.”
Nope. No they won’t. At least not in two years.
This is the year the ones that are backloaded kick in.
This is the year the backloaded contracts take big jumps. Zambrano goes up $2.7M to $17.7, Eramis goes up $1.6 to $15.6, Soriano up $3 to $16, Lilly goes up $5 to $12M, Kosuke goes up $1.5 to $11.5, Marquis goes up $3.5 to $9.875 and DeRosa went up $800K to $5.5M.
The Cubs really only have three “bad” long term contracts. Marquis never should have gotten his money, this year is absurd, and Soriano’s is just way too long. It goes to $18M in ’10 and stays there until ’13. And Kosuke needs to do a 180 to prove he’s worth $38M over the next three years.
But the only players they are on the hook for after ’10 are Zambrano, Soriano, Dempster and Kosuke. E-ramis has a team option at $16M for ’11, so it’s up to them if he comes back or not.
So when you say that if they don’t win this year or next the backloaded contracts will kill them, it’s just wrong. This season and the effect on this year’s payroll is as bad as it will get because of the jumps they’re seeing right now. After this year they’ll be off the hook for Marquis, DeRosa and Harden. Lee and Lilly after next year. By ’12 the only guys with contracts are Zambrano and Soriano.
All Hendry did was shift payroll to the years the Trib didn’t figure to be paying the freight. That’s why he got his extension. But the structure of the contracts won’t kill the Cubs, the players they pay with them might.
OBAMA!! OBAMA!!! LET’S TALK POLITICS MORE, OBAMA RULEZ!!! RYAN DEMPSTER IS A REPUBLIKAN, STONE HIM, HE’S A RACIST.
Thanks for the heads up Andy and of course you are right, it’s not necessarily what you pay it’s who you pay. Still if money isn’t spent to upgrade and balance this lineup, the Cubs pitchers will have to shut out the opposition to win a playoff game.
It’s also quite amazing to see the depth of biting, political satire by Desipio Fanboy Groupthink Morons. Deep, very deep, and a fine example of how Obama plans to transcend petty ideologies and bring the country together. So that’s real change you can believe in? Yikes!
“You two do parody so well, I almost believed you. But then I noticed that the first guy had to be kidding when he compared picking up a $9 million option on a 27 year old or giving a 32 year old a four year contract as the same thing. That’s so dumb it’s funny, so nice job.”
No, I’m just trying to figure out what Dempster did to piss you off so much. It can’t be the horrible playoff start, because you’re not calling for the heads of the 300 other Cubs that sucked just as hard, Harden included.
(And that’s a misleading comparison that ignores the part where the 27 year old spends half of every season on the DL, dominant as he may be when healthy. And I was happy that they picked up his option.)
“Both of you do realize that if you actually read the column you see that it was about how the Cubs had to overpay for Dempster because of the market, and that Dempster managed to contradict all of you simple-minded dopes who think he’s just so wonderful in the clubhouse, by signing his contract and then refusing to take any blame for his awful, embarrassing, scared-shitless start in the playoffs.”
To repeat from my comment, which you apparently didn’t read either, I don’t give a damn how someone acts in the clubhouse. Don’t lump me in with the BCB idiots — I don’t care if Dempster is nice, or funny, or an asshole, or whatever. He had a very good year as a starter, the Cubs are giving him what amounts to #3 money in the current market — so even if he regresses he won’t be overpaid — and you seem to be pissed off about it because of an interview he gave. I like the signing because it maintains the rotation depth.
Seriously, what’s the problem here? The Cubs certainly aren’t out of money, and it’s apparent they don’t have enough trade material to get Peavy, so they re-signed a guy who had a big year for them and filled a hole in the rotation. This is a disaster?
I had Tommy John disease when I was 27 there Undiepants, so the comparison’s not that far off. And who’s paying $50 mildo for a third starter these days?
to be fair #22 the mariners are paying roughly 36 mill for a #5 starter
Andy, I totally read the hell out of this site, but seriously, you never miss an opportunity to diss Al or BCB…WTF? Did you catch him getting a BJ from your girlfriend or something?
That Dempster guy was so nice to me, I’m still talking about it. Now let me tell you about a few of my other friends. I went to Walmart the other day and this wonderful old man in a rascal came up to me and said Hello. It was so nice, I ended up just talking to him until he fell asleep. Then there was one time I met this nice woman at a strip club who kept saying hi to me and asking me to have drinks with her. What a nice lady; most women won’t even look at me. I’ll be telling my grandchildren about all these wonderful people who said hello to me.
I resent that, #24, I don’t GET blowjobs.
Wow, I mean, did THIS comment section fly off the track, or what?
Andy just has a long-standing gripe with Dempster because he doesn’t find any of his antics funny. The guy could win 27 games next year and Andy will still slam him because he think Dempster is a douche doing a bad impression of Will Ferrel doing a bad impression of Harry Caray.
It’s because signing the obvious over-performing FUNNNY, GREAT CLUBHOUSE PRESENCE, INTANGIBLEZZ!! Dempster is really a dumb ass idea… considering
1. he more then likely wont duplicate the sucess he had this season
2. He too, shits his pants when it counts, then takes no blame for it. (See also, Soriano, Alfonso)
Fuck dempster and his 4 year contract.
My problem with Dempster was him trying to throw Lou under the bus for the playoff loss. And who the fuck says ‘haterade’?
I use Haterade all the time, dawg. Boo-yeah!