Per Boston Herald and Rotoworld, the Royals have signed Octavio Dotel to a one-year deal. $5 million guaranteed.
I'm stunned. Thoughts?
Immediate response: Yesterday Joe Sheehan said he preferred Dotel to Gagne at this point, because Dotel actually pitched late last season. Who knows what we'll see at this point. Best case scenario: Dotel is his old self, and Moore flips him for a B-prospect at the deadline. Worst case scenario: He's bad.
You really can't screw up a one-year deal. Although I'm stunned this is the best offer Dotel got, probably says something about his reputation amongst the other GMs.
By the way, looks like Dayton really has been given an actual big-league budget to work with.
First Royals Review Dotel Official Prediction for 2007:
Dotel will be named the mythical closer, and have a bad outing during the first week. After which, Buddisimo and others will grumble about his mental makeup and that maybe the lovable Joe Nelson should close games. Much teeth-gnashing and radio hours will be spent on the topic. Dotel's salary will be mentioned with the familiarity of a Homeric epithet.
I cannot wait and furthermore, I already do not care.
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More Dotel stuff on Friday morning:
Dotel's page at Baseball-Reference
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Well actually, I'm not sure the Dotal deal is official yet, I can't find any more authoritative stories online. In the meantime, theres the entirely unshocking news that JoePoe likes the Meche signing:
I kind of like this move.
The claim is that a) the Royals had to do something ricky/bold/manly and that actually b) Gil Meche was their man all along and that he may be the next Chris Carpenter or Jason Schmidt.
Lets hope so, because the Royals are basically paying that rate already for Meche. Yesterday an unnamed BP'er claimed, "This is like a family on welfare buying a plasma TV that doesn?t work".
The simile I prefer is, the Meche signing is like paying double for a beachhouse in an area no one has discovered yet, because they're still waiting for the local taffy factory to be torn down. Once that taffy factory is gone, the area will really improve, and pretty sure, values in the neighborhood will, umm, double.
Make no mistake, there is no bargain here. The Royals are paying Meche Carpenter-money now, before he's actually made the leap to that level. This is unlike, you know, the original model.
Well, we've got five years to further discuss this.
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Update [2006-12-8 12:45:32 by royalsreview]:
Final details now availible courtesy of Bob Dutton and the Star. Opportunity to close games (and rack up money-making saves totals) is a cited reason for Dotel's journey to Kansas City.
John Bale, a 32 year old reliever has also signed. As "ROR1FAN" notes in his diary, Bale also choose the Royals over the Yankees. Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of this angle, I don't know if the players are being told to mention it, or if the reporters are broaching the subject or what.
Batista is supposedly still being pursued.