Last week, during the Winter baseball meetings, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Nate Mclouth to a one year contract for $1.75 million. Mclouth, a former All Star outfielder who the team traded to the Atlanta Braves in '09, will be a reserve outfielder for the team this time around.
The team also announced the signing of starting pitcher Erik Bedard to a one-year $4.5 million deal. Bedard was 5-9 last year with a 3.62 ERA with both the Mariners and Red Sox.
Is anyone excited about either move? I know I'm not.
This is why I laugh when people say the team needs to spend more money on salary. You know why? This is what they get. Players like this. Mclouth is a broken down version of his former self, and Bedard is Paul Maholm without the $9.75 million option; a pitcher who missed the 2010 season with an injury.
The Pirates also signed 36 year old catcher Rob Barajas to a one year, $4 million contract last month to be their catcher.
Doesn't this stuff sound familiar? It's scraps. Other people's scraps. These are the kinds of players that may be able to contribute a key start or an at-bat on a pennant contending team, but on a young time still trying to find its way, they are a waste of time and money.
This is why I laugh when anyone suggests that the answer for the team is to bolster their payroll.
Developing their minor league system through the draft is what's going to turn the Pittsburgh Pirates into contenders someday, not signing these guys.
So, next time you want to complain about the payroll, think about the type of free agent the Pirates normally sign, and instead of worrying about the payroll, worry about what the young players are doing both in the Majors and in the minor league system.
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