Under normal circumstances,
signing Scott Podsednik to a one-year deal under the pretense of having complete confidence in his abilities might've caused my right eye to start twitching. Instead, I'm pretty sure that it's due to Kenny Williams' other move this weekend,
declining to offer David Riske arbitration.
What's most peculiar about this combination of moves is that the rationale for one didn't apply to the other. There are a lot of similarities between the two:
- Both are 30 years old
- Both would cost under $3 million
- Both are entering the downside of their careers
- Both of them underperformed expectations last year
- The Sox don't have credible options to replace them right now
Williams decided to go with Pods because given the money that other teams threw at possible leadoff solutions, he decided to stick with what he knew. But looking at the market for relievers, I don't see why he didn't hold on to Riske, who probably would've cost around $2.5M for this season. And when you look at the contracts good-but-not-great relievers are signing this winter, I don't know why Riske wouldn't test the free-agent market and give the Sox a sandwich draft pick:
- Chad Bradford: 3 yrs., $10.5 million
- Justin Speier: 4 yrs., $18 million
- Jamie Walker: 3 yrs., $12 million
- Danys Baez: 3 yrs., $19 million
As it stands now, Kenny doesn't have anybody surer than Riske to rely on when forming a bullpen. At the worst, Riske accepts arbitration, signs a one-year deal ~$2.5M, and if he's mediocre, send him somewhere during the season for a live arm. At the best, Riske rejects the Sox and gives them a first-round pick and a step towards rebuilding their practically barren farm system.
Though I
don't really care to watch Podsednik play for the Sox anymore, this move doesn't necessarily mean he'll be in left field on Opening Day. But it would've been the same situation for Riske had he accepted a deal with the Sox. Try as I might, I can't make sense of this move.