Getting Bagwell'ed

[holyroman]

This will for ever be my term for somebody getting royally screwed and disrespected. I can't believe my beloved Astros are handling the unfortunate situation that is Jeff Bagwell's injury so poorly. I can't believe this isn't being talked about in this forum yet. I just believe the guy should get a chance to prove he can still play. If he can produce in the last year of his contract the way he did in 2004 when he was hurt i think they would take it. but it looks like he will never get that chance.
Has anyone been following this story. what do you think. I am obvious biased as a Bagwell fan. but the guy is a hall of famer and should be allowed to go out on his own terms. He has proven in the past that he is of the charachter to shut it down if he would have too, plus he has deffered his salary for the Astros in this contract.

[holyroman]

“It probably will never be fixed between me and the Astros,” Bagwell said Tuesday morning in his first public comments since general manager Tim Purpura declared Monday that Bagwell “from a technical point of view right now he is a disabled player. He can’t play professional baseball -- certainly not at the National League at this point.”

“Well, it’s really not that disheartening for the simple fact they have to do this in order for them to protect themselves,” Bagwell said.

“To me more than anything else, it’s just amazing how bad they don’t want me to play,” said the Astros’ all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. “Anything else said it’s just not the truth. They just want to collect their money. It’s an awkward situation. It’s just amazing to me how much they don’t want me to play.”

Although the Astros may not be able to recoup on the insurance if Bagwell practices this spring, Bagwell is committed to going to spring training. He adamantly plans to be at Osceola County Stadium next month with his teammates.

“I sure do,” he says. “Formalities or whatever, the thing to me is I am a under contract for 2006. No matter whatever is said or not, it should be no matter. I know I have a bad shoulder. I know I’m coming off surgery. I just want to have an opportunity to see if I can play.”

“I tell you what, I didn’t script this,” he said. “I did not script the end of my career to end it when you’re pushed out the door. It all comes down to the same fact. It’s a business. And when you think it’s not a business, you’re reminded it’s a business.

“My teammates, now they know how much of a business it is. And for certainly I know how much of a business it is. As I reiterate, now I hope fans understand how much of a business it is. I’m not looking for handout. I’m not looking for sympathy. It’s just a business.” - Jeff Bagwell

[KCGHOST]

Going out on his own terms??? He is going to get his $19M whether he plays or not. That is not exactly being abused. The guy has pulled in over $100M in his career, so he needs to get over the "disrespected" crap.

This is business. The Astros are staring at paying out $19M this season for a guy who may not play much and almost certainly won't play well enough to justify an 8 digit salary. They are making the business decision that he won't be very productive (and the odds are he won't) and trying to recover most of the cost of having him on the payroll.

I understand Bagwell wanting to play. It's hard to accept you best days are way behind you. He's only 51 HR's away from 500 which would probably lock up his HoF candidacy. He should be a lock anyway, but the 500 would seal the deal.

I agree he is "high character" guy, but you notice he made a business decision, too. He offered to defer salary, not renegotiate his contract downward.

[holyroman]

he deffered his salary before his production declined to help the team improve not as some kind of admittal that he didn't deserve the money.
first of all, I feel he is being disrespected he didn't say that. And I believe it is 17 million not 19, still alot of money but money he earned earlier in his career even before he signed the current five year deal.
Believe me I want the team to be the best it can be but I also want Bagwell to have a chance to be able to see if he can play. That is what I take issue with. Bagwell will get payed either way so he is not being greedy. He wants to finish his career not have someone else finish his career by labeling him as disabled while he is rehabbing.
This is all about moving Lance Bekman to first base to prevent any further injury to his knee that might happen by him playing in the outfield(not his natural position) and improving the team by getting three legitimate outfielders something they sorely needed last year.
That is the astros motivation to me. For everything that Jeff has given them I feel they would pay his salary this year If they thought he could play at all.
He will report to spring training as of now. Whether or not that wrecks their insurance plans because he deserves a chance to see if he can play still.
I guess we'll know more then.

[rockin500]

Going out on his own terms??? He is going to get his $19M whether he plays or not. That is not exactly being abused. The guy has pulled in over $100M in his career, so he needs to get over the "disrespected" crap.

This is business. The Astros are staring at paying out $19M this season for a guy who may not play much and almost certainly won't play well enough to justify an 8 digit salary. They are making the business decision that he won't be very productive (and the odds are he won't) and trying to recover most of the cost of having him on the payroll.

I understand Bagwell wanting to play. It's hard to accept you best days are way behind you. He's only 51 HR's away from 500 which would probably lock up his HoF candidacy. He should be a lock anyway, but the 500 would seal the deal.

I agree he is "high character" guy, but you notice he made a business decision, too. He offered to defer salary, not renegotiate his contract downward.

to be fair to bagwell about it, i dont think the union allows anyone to actually reduce their contract. the most they allow their members to do is defer money.

still and all, baseball is a business and at some point, you have to cut ties if you think a player is no longer capable of playing at a manageable level.

[Brian McKenna]

breakups are messy - just ask carlton fisk - but i never cry for a multi-millionaire who still has the potential to make more millions - i'll reserve my hanky for those in lesser-paying industries

[Nomtoc]

Baggs was basically a DH in NL last year and will be that again this year.

I respect Baggs but I HATE THE DH!

[Bench 5]

I can respect the Astros side of this because Bagwell can't play ball anymore. If he wasn't due $17 million he would have been cut. During the World Series he seemed like an automatic out every time up. He shrunk a lot from his glory days. He doesn't look nearly as big or strong.

I hope he can come back but he's been trying to come back for the past couple years.

But the Astros are also at fault for giving him such a large contract on the back end as he turns 38.

[Mikie]

As a longtime Houstonian and Astros diehard, this whole deal has been like watching a gigantic train wreck in slow motion for the past few weeks. I've loved watching Bags play his whole career, and think he deserves the chance in Spring Training, because I also think he'll retire if it's obvious he can't play.

How much he stands to play even if OK is questionable, the 'Stros didn't sign Preston Wilson to be a benchwarmer, and Taveras and Lane need to be in the lineup and in the outfield. That leaves first as the only place for Berkman, simple. To anyone sentimental enough to be suggesting Bags at first, Lance in left, Wilson in center, Lane in right, I remind them to think of the differences in speed and defense between Willy T. and Bagwell. OK, sit Lane instead? I'll lay you odds right now that given a full season each, say 500 AB's, Lane would far outpace Bagwell's production at the plate.

I can also see McLane pursuing the insurance claim for the good of the franchise. Not only is it A business, it's HIS business.

The one thing I don't understand is the deadline for the insurance claim, January 31st. Why can't that be pushed to, say, April 1st so Bags can get his tryout? If it stands, the insurance company foots the $15.6 million bill, whereas if they extend it the Astros might decide Bags can play and the insurance company is in the black by whatever premiums they got for the deal. How can allowing more time not be in their best self-interest?

[Lipsander]

I'm a die hard Cub fan and Bagwell has burnt us a few times, but I respect him fully. I hope he comes back and tears it up. Go Bagwell!