Alex Gonzalez and Escalating Baseball Salaries

Prices paid to free agents and to retain ones own players have skyrocketed
this offseason. People are wondering why and how salaries could increase so
much out of allignment with previous reasoning. There is no better example
than former Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Alex became a regular in 1999.
In the 7 seasons prior to 2006 he averaged .245 .291 .391 while playing in
124 games and having 11 home runs and 53 RBI. Then he became a free agent
and couldn't get a contract until the Red Sox signed him on Feb. 6 to a one
year deal for almost 2.7 million.

Alex plays all of 2006 with Boston and puts up .255 .294 .397 averages
with 9 HR and 50 RBI over 111 games. The BA, OBP and Slg are all just a
smidgeon above his prior career numbers. So close in fact that the career
averages all went up just one point each. HR and RBI were down just a bit in
part reflecting his 13 games below average played. All in all it was a very
predictable year for him, very much in line with his career. So now he is a
free agent again, one year older with no signs of change from his
established level. The next thing you know Cincy has signed him to a three
year deal for $14,000,000 dollars. Why did at least one team's perception of
his value go so high without any significant on field improvement? He will
be 30 before next season begins. The price of mediocrity has gone thru the
roof.


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