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Keith Law of ESPN.com discusses how Arizona's release of Russ Ortiz is an example of a team making more of a baseball decision than a bottom line decision. Law argues that Ortiz's contract is a sunk cost for Arizona.
Ortiz's contract was a bad idea from its conception. Original errors often are compounded when teams are unwilling to acknowledge their initial mistakes by releasing the players in question. Roughly one-third of all major-league teams have players for the sole reason that they make "too much" money to be released. And that is just plain stupid; there is no greater fool's errand in baseball than waiting for a player who was never that good in the first place to suddenly earn his pay. Unless you can foist the bad contract onto someone else in a trade, which happens very rarely, you're better off releasing the player as soon as a better alternative arrives.
Honest, one day I will post something that is either not about World Cup soccer or a former pitcher for Arizona.
Just give me time.
Phillies: Lieberthal, Rollins, DBell and (perhaps) my pal Sal.
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