Why Pay Dusty Baker $3.5 Million?

Links (5)

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT DUSTY
Published 10/16/2007 by The Zoner at Zoner Sports
... Sabernomics says: ...

More on Dusty Baker
Published 10/17/2007 by Justin at On Baseball and the Reds
... J.C. Bradbury noted that Baker's salary will be $3.5 million a season over his three-year deal, which is ~$2.5 million more than the median managerial salary in '07. He thinks that the decision to spend that kind of money has more to do with sending a message to the fanbase than an expectation of actual return on the ballfield. I think he's probably correct about that. ...

Tuesday Morning Miscellaneous
Published 10/23/2007 by Al <al@bleedcubbieblue.com> at Bleed Cubbie Blue
... now that his old enabler Dusty Baker is managing there. Plausible, especially if the few AL teams where he'd fit (Seattle, Oakland, maybe Detroit) all pass. It's further corroborated by this Sabernomics blog post suggesting that the primary reason the Reds paid Baker $3.5 million per year was to send the "message" that they are serious about contending, and might want to make a splash in the free agent market. ...

How About Bonds To The Reds?
Published 10/23/2007 by Tim Dierkes at MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
... discusses the Dusty Baker connection, while Sabernomics believes the Reds hired Dusty partially to show free agents they're serious.  Sabernomics believes the Reds could even make a run at Alex Rodriguez.  (Hat tip to ...

World Famous StatSpeak Roundtable: August 4
Published 8/4/2008 by Pizza Cutter at Statistically Speaking
... happened to the Braves attempts to move Will Ohman. In the end, the Reds should have made this happen. It’s not like the Reds didn’t see this coming. This is just another bad decision by a club that wasted $3.5 million on Dusty Baker and ...