Jerome Williams

[Dave B]

If a young, once promising, guy like Williams pitches well when do we think about re-signing him? Obviously, the earlier, the cheaper we can get him.  Looks for like a one year deal for a couple mil in July.  Would we have seen enough to go multiyear?

This plan stuff is tricky because some of our plan guys are not "under control" for 3 years

[heatchucker]

lets hope he makes the team before we resign him   geesh

[Nat of the Living Dead]

lets hope he makes the team before we resign him   geesh

My thoughts exactly.

[Dave B]

Whence I say "IF" to start out my post.  I thought it would be a pretty strange situation we could be in and could spur some dialogue, so if you plan on not thinking about it, carry on.

Notice I also say "guy like Jerome Williams" so I am not necessarily referring to him.

Most rebuilds are young arbitration eligible guys at the most, or old veteran free agents to be traded or discarded.  So your decisions are made for you. When you have a guy like Williams who is 25 and in the last year of a contract (I think he was only a one year deal guy) you have a decision to make, and possibly fairly soon.  The longer he pitches well the more money he'll get from someone, so you might want to lock him up with an early gamble. This seems like an issue for budget team like ourselves. 

Forgive me for posing a hypothetical question and I'll forgive your dismsissive attitude or possible inability to read

and it sheesh or szjeeez, not geesh

[shoeshineboy]

If a young, once promising, guy like Williams pitches well when do we think about re-signing him? Obviously, the earlier, the cheaper we can get him.  Looks for like a one year deal for a couple mil in July.  Would we have seen enough to go multiyear?

This plan stuff is tricky because some of our plan guys are not "under control" for 3 years

The question is moot. If Williams makes the team he is under club control until 2011. He will be arbitration elligible from 2008 thru 2010. This is similar to most of the players Jimbo and company picked up in the offseason. The plan was to stockpile guys who if they panned out would not be lost after one good season to FA.

[Dave B]

The question is moot. If Williams makes the team he is under club control until 2011. He will be arbitration elligible from 2008 thru 2010. This is similar to most of the players Jimbo and company picked up in the offseason. The plan was to stockpile guys who if they panned out would not be lost after one good season to FA.

Thank you for some insight.  How is he still under control?  Didnt we get him as a minor league FA or something? So the Cubs or someone just got rid of him even though they could still control him ("out of options" guy?).  So he was not a 6-year FA?  I feel like I've heard that term? Do their deals expire?

[shoeshineboy]

I'd have to look into exactly what his situation was, but it is getting late.   But I believe he was a 6-yr FA guy so he was available for us to sign. But because of his limited accumulated service time, he has not gotten to his arbitraton years. So as long as we want to keep him, all we have to do is have him under contract for this year and offer him arbitration for 2008.

[shoeshineboy]

BTW, if you want to see the status of the various contracts on the team, here is one of the better sources:

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/clubhouse_Contracts.aspx?sport=MLB&majteam=WAS

It really demonstrates how well we're positioned with some of these young guys. For instance Josh Wilson wouldn't be elligible for arbitration until 2010.

Edited: BTW, the club control here in some cases is related to salary and keeping a guy by offering arbitration. If a guy is out of options that creates a situation where a guy can't be sent down to the minors at will. But the key for this discussion is that under the hypothetical scenario that Williams has a good year and the team wants to keep him, they can without losing him to FA like Soriano or even Loaiza.

[heatchucker]

sorry for that comment...

JW has been cast off by 3 other teams, that has to mean something. He has had 2 straight good outings-- this after 2 crappy outings when we were going to pack his bags for him to leave!!  this is still spring training guys!! he may have potential  but still i want to see 10 starts first

[tomterp]

sorry for that comment...

JW has been cast off by 3 other teams, that has to mean something. He has had 2 straight good outings-- this after 2 crappy outings when we were going to pack his bags for him to leave!!  this is still spring training guys!! he may have potential  but still i want to see 10 starts first

Uh, er, we only have 9 days left.  We aren't going to get to see any of our pitchers 10 more starts before the games count.  Here we go, ready or not!

[heatchucker]

i know  i meant 10 starts regular season where he can..do well...or not 

I wont base it off 4 spring outings...thats not enough    should he go 5-5 witha 4.70 that would be fine with me

1-9 with a 8.20 and ax him

[tomterp]

Well, we're almost to the starting line.  We've whittled it down from 14 to 4.  Hey, wait a minute, we need 5! 

The idea is, we take the hottest 5 (to include JP) into the start of the season, and send the next 5 to AAA.  Anybody falters in our rotation, we swap 'em for the guy at AAA who has emerged by then.  At least one, if not two or three, will have emerged by the time we need somebody.  And don't forget, we've got Brandon Claussen and Mike O'Connor riding like the cavalry to the rescue say June. 

I'm looking forward to a couple of starts at Potomac for these guys, too.

[shoeshineboy]

And don't forget, we've got Brandon Claussen and Mike O'Connor riding like the cavalry to the rescue say June. 

Latest reports have that looking more like all-star break.

[tomterp]

Latest reports have that looking more like all-star break.

You're kidding!?!  Somehow, I don't think you are.