October 31, 2007

Schilling Files For Free Agency

Curt Schilling is a free agent for the first time in his career.

If things do not work out with the Red Sox for 2008, Curt Schilling says he would consider playing with a dozen teams next year -- clubs "that have some of the off the field things that are big to us, plus the potential to go into October next year".

Nine of the 12 teams are in the National League:

AL: Cleveland, Tigers, Angels

NL: Mets, Phillies, Atlanta, Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers

So ... no other AL East team -- Curt has said absolutely not to the Yankees, so he obviously believes the Blue Jays are not contenders -- strong teams in the other two divisions, and three teams per NL division.

According to the Globe, when asked if Schilling would be back, "a club source" said that unless Schilling accepts a low base salary with plenty of incentive bonuses
I don't think so. We have such a strong nucleus of pitching with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz. We'll talk about it. We'll be reasonable. We'll see what happens.
The nucleus is there, for sure, but Lester and Buchholz remain question marks to some degree, as does Tim Wakefield, whose contract the source said the team would pick up for another year. There has been no indication how low the base would be.

(Also, I faintly recall reading something during the second-half of the season about the possibility that, with Dice and old-timers like Wake and Curt, the Sox would toy with a six-man rotation in 2008. Does that ring a bell with anyone?)

What will happen, according to G38:
For the next 15 days I can speak with other teams, and they can contact me, but no details can be discussed. They can only express interest. For the next 15 days the team that remains my first choice, the Sox, have exclusive rights. I guess I'll find out how closely teams follow rules ...
The Dome-Bellied Big Lug is also posting in SoSH's "The Future of Curt Schilling" thread -- e.g., see here.

12 comments:

s1c said...

(Also, I faintly recall reading something during the second-half of the season about the possibility that, with Dice and old-timers like Wake and Curt, the Sox would toy with a six-man rotation in 2008. Does that ring a bell with anyone?)

Check the Bradford files at the herald. This has been mentioned more than once there, I believe it was John Farrell who brought it up. The idea being to get everybody some rest in the middle of late part of the season.

If Schilling was smart, and if the Padres are interested, that is where he should go. Imagine his fly balls dieing on the warning track in that park!

nixon33 said...

i understand hes a "gamer", i just wonder how many years he thinks he has in him?
hes stated that he thinks maybe one more year, so i raise the question:
wouldnt it be better to ride off into the baseball sunset with your final memory a championship?
dont get me wrong, i'd like to have him back, sure.
but what is the sense of going out and having what might be a bad/mediocre year (and i dont mean the team being mediocre)?
competition and money i guess.

s1c said...

He wants to become a hall of famer, and if you listen to the Sean McAdams, Neyers, Massaroti's etc, they all say he needs more wins.

Rob Neyer thought he needed 30-35 more wins before this season. His 3-0 record in this post season probably drops that down to 25-30. He won 9 this year so he needs another solid season before he is almost guaranteed a Hall of Fame vote.

Curt won't say that, but without a doubt that is driving him. I know it would drive me. That is why he wanted to stay with the Sox. If he just stays moderately healthy next year with this team he would end up in the 14-18 wins category, plus another chance to pitch in the playoffs. This is nothing to do with riding into the sunset as it has do do with getting a plaque.

BTW I think his performance in this post season made him an almost lock on the second year of voting. Curt wants to be a 1st year certified lock.

Rob said...

A 6-man rotation would be interesting next year, with the potential to be quite dominating. Beckett, Dice, G38, Wake, Houdini, and HH? That would be fun. We'll see if the Red Sox think it's practical or not.

Benjamin said...

He mostly seemst to want to put in a couple dozen more games to make sure he's in hall-of-fame contention.

nixon33 said...

i thought the fact that hes won 3 world series, and 11-2 record post season and era around 2 would seal the HOF for him. no?

s1c said...

i thought the fact that hes won 3 world series, and 11-2 record post season and era around 2 would seal the HOF for him. no?

Just listend to CHB and Ryan on the 10.0 show on NESN about the big Lug. The hate for him is just oozing out of CHB. Both say he is not a hall of famer, CHB said he is just being needy and 20% chance of coming back since Luccino and THEO both hate his gut(s).

CHB also strongly hinted that he was a cancer presence in the club house also. To sum up their feelings, thanks for the memories, you talked the talk and walked the walk, but don't let the door hit you on the way out.

216 wins does not get you into the Hall (even with a win %age of .597). Basebal-Reference.com has him as a HOFer in 3 of the 4 categories.

As for the Tampa Bay not being on the list, if I remember correctly he mentioned them if his preferred teams were not interested, ie contenders.

Rob said...

Seems like he originally thought he'd pitch for 2-3 more years, but now he's saying 1 year, then retire. Wherever he goes. I wouldn't want to spend my last year in Tampa Bay, either.

Rob said...

Now that I think about it, if I were him I'd try harder about spending my last year in a place I've been before. So for him, it'd be Philadelphia or Arizona.

s1c said...

Just listened to WEEI interview of Larry Luccino. He said that the Sox would look at what he brings inside the Club House also, ie his influence on the younger pitchers.

Sounds like Larry isn't kicking him out the door. Will have to see.

Zenslinger said...

I wish the door would hit CHB's ass on the way out.

s1c said...

I wish the door would hit CHB's ass on the way out.

Agree with that, agree with that.