Keeping up with the Joneses' - The Proliferation of the Bloated, Outrageous and Sick Contracts Today in Major League Baseball

As a young, upwardly mobile young professional, I always want the finer things in life. A new car. A bigger house. More designer clothes. A new computer. Do I want it, yes. Do I need it, that's another story.

Sure, I can or cannot afford those things above. I can always put the stuff I want on the Visa, get a bank loan for it, or fork out the cash, but in the end, you'll have to pay for it and the money needs to come from somewhere.

Baseball execs & owners (assuming you read my blog), heed my advice.

Hold it on the spending until a better value come along! Just say no!

The Baltimore Orioles recently rebuilt their bullpen based on the result of 2006 which was just awful and so bad you had to see Chris Ray at the end being brought into the game in the 8th inning for a save! So, we spent and in turn signed Jamie Walker, Chad Bradford, Scott Williamson and Danys Baez, all priced in terms of the bloated market. We needed a bullpen, but at what cost? Let's thank the market and the Orioles will to overspend!

Anyhow, this off-season in my eyes has been one of excess and future regret. When the contract of erstwhile and mercurical Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez is seen as a bargain, then there are problems with current free agent market. As I see it, the Orioles looking pretty good right now with the contract of Miguel Tejada and having control of him for the next 3 years. If Moises Alou's 1 year contract with the Mets looks like a sound investment (he's 40!), then we have issues.

Simply, right now is a good time to be a free agent in baseball.

Seeing ballplayers like Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee getting contracts of upwards of 100 million dollars or more just shows how volatile and crazy the market is now. It's even better if you're a pitcher...

Adam Eaton. Vicente Padilla. Gil Meche. Ted Lilly. Are they in a class with Johan Santana? No. However, they are going to be paid likely more money than he is.

The reason you see such marginal players on the market now is because teams with young, or franchise players are smart enough to lock them up to long term contracts or hold onto them as long as possible. Do you think the Orioles are going to give up Erik Bedard, Adam Loewen, Chris Ray or Daniel Cabrera? No, and not anytime soon.

Unless you are a big market team like the Red Sox, Cubs, or Mets, then you can indulge freely. If you're the Orioles, Indians or Braves, you don't have much margin for error. If you're Pirates, Royals or Devil Rays, you're on the outside looking in and the prospects of you ever winning have gone down that much further.

God bless the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins. How they manage to win year is incredible with their young talent, player development and smart management. However, the task year after year must be daunting looking at the success and seemingly unlimited funds of the Yankees and Red Sox.

If you're a fan of a team that was lucky enough to sign a free agent, you have good and bad news.
The good news: You may get to see some ballplayers help your team win. Good luck.

The bad news: Someone has to pay for it, most likely you in terms of higher priced tickets, souvenirs and concessions.

Buy now, pay later...