36 games into the season isn't that much at all. You can completely turn a team around in that time and it happens all the time (in both directions, bad teams can get better and good teams can get immensely worse...). The Penguins were tenth at one point, and to suggest they'd win it all is similar (to me at least) to saying the Jays would make the playoffs 40 games in.
It's not the same at all. The Penguins at 10th are just a few spots out of a playoff berth, and not many more points away from being a middle seed in the conference (with much of the season ahead of them).
Saying the Jays will make the playoffs 40 games in is in no way comparable because a) only 8 teams in MLB make the playoffs and b) they still have over 75% of the season left to play.
uhh perhaps you're reading the stats wrong. Based on his UZR and UZR/150, he's the worst fielder in the majors. By far actually. He's 10 points behind the next worst player in both categories.
I'm not 100% sold on UZR as an effective measurment. In some cases it seems to be, but it also seems to have its flaws. Using UZR, some of Wells best fielding seasons (supposedly) he was actually among the worst in the game. I find that hard to believe. Even this year...he looks like one of the top centre fielders in the game by traditional metrics (ZR, RF, etc.).
I don't doubt he has dipped, but worst fielder in the game is a huge stretch for me.
Well first off all, I'm sure Rios had been dangled in front of teams for a while now. He was in the past offered for Lincecum, so there's nothing to suggest he was immediately taken off the market in the two years between then and his waiver release. No one wanted him at a price pre-trade deadline.
It has been reported that there were at least two teams interested in him, both willing to trade prospects/players and take on his full salary.
Obviously getting something in return is always good, but IF they sign a player for the money they would have spent on Rios, then how is that not similar to a 1for1 deal? What would be the difference between (hypothetically) trading Rios for Jason Bay who is also a free agent this winter or trading Rios for nothing and getting Bay in Free agency? Really, nothing. I don't think they'll go after Bay, but insert anyone for Bay and if the value is equal or greater than Rios then it's a smart move.
I don't think we know if Rios will get better. Ya he's 28 and heading into "prime years", but we don't know. We're just basing it on the generalization that all players peak at roughly the same age.
That argument doesn't make any sense. They took an asset they spent years developing and gave him away for nothing. It doesn't matter that his $60 million is off the books. They still got nothing in return.
They might as well give Roy Halladay away for nothing and save $16 million next year.
