Why developing your own talent is so important

[Frobby]

From Tom Verducci:

Consider the torch officially passed. The next generation is the now generation. Of the 180 votes for the top three spots on the 60 MVP ballots, 161 of them, or 89 percent, went to players in their age 29 season or younger: Mike Trout, 20, Buster Posey, 25, Andrew McCutchen, 25, Craig Kimbrel, 25, David Price, 27, Ryan Braun, 28, Miguel Cabrera, 29, Robinson Cano, 29, Yadier Molina, 29, and Jim Johnson, 29. Nobody in his 30s got a first-place vote.

The only baseball elders to even sneak into a top three on a ballot were Adrian Beltre, 33, with 17 votes, and Derek Jeter, 38, with 2.

Keep this in mind when you want your club to extend a star player or sign a free agent that takes him well into his 30s. Combined votes for 30-and-older players like Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones, Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Jimmy Rollins, Scott Rolen, Lance Berkman, Michael Young, Paul Konerko, Mark Teixeira and Ichiro Suzuki: 9 out of a possible 600.

We have returned to the late 20s as the sweet spot of a player's career. In the decade since drug testing was introduced in 2003, only three out of 20 MVPs were in their 30s when they won: Barry Bonds twice and Alex Rodriguez, both PED users. The NL has produced eight straight MVPs from age 25 through 29 since Bonds won MVPs at age 36, 37, 38 and 39 from 2001-04.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2CiHYHwhJ

[Ven6]

Seems steroids are still having a significant effect on the game.

[tennOsfan]

Seems steroids are still having a significant effect on the game.

How do you get that from the article?

[Ven6]

How do you get that from the article?

In the excerpts above, his point is aging stars don't perform very well anymore so all the MVPs are younger, the late 20s are once again the sweet spot of a player's career, and baseball has changed again. Steroids, or specifically what they did in the past and the testing that is in place today, are still transforming the game.

[WEAVERMAN]

From Tom Verducci:


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2CiHYHwhJ

Players in their 30's may not be MVP candidates, but they can still contribute to your ball club in a big way.

[TradeAngelos]

A players peak performance years are 27-29, but they are still very productive all the way up to 34-35 in baseball.

Of course it is much likelier that they have an MVP type season before 30, that is pretty obvious.

Doesn't mean they can't be productive past the age of 29 or not help your team. The list of guys fitting that criteria(over 29)that helped teams win championships is a mile long.

[cb3fsu]

A players peak performance years are 27-29, but they are still very productive all the way up to 34-35 in baseball.

Of course it is much likelier that they have an MVP type season before 30, that is pretty obvious.

Doesn't mean they can't be productive past the age of 29 or not help your team. The list of guys fitting that criteria(over 29)that helped teams win championships is a mile long.

The point is, they still might be productive players but they aren't likely to be worth $15-25 million per year when they are on the wrong side of 30. So are the first 2-3 years worth having to endure the last 2-3? For baseball teams who don't play in NY or Boston the answer is probably NO.

[DrungoHazewood]

Players have always peaked around 27. Even five, ten, 15 years ago. It was always a poor bet to sign a player through his mid to late 30s expecting him to perform like he was 28 the whole time. More HOFers were out of baseball at 35 than still performing at a HOF level.

[Bradysburns]

Players have always peaked around 27. Even five, ten, 15 years ago. It was always a poor bet to sign a player through his mid to late 30s expecting him to perform like he was 28 the whole time. More HOFers were out of baseball at 35 than still performing at a HOF level.

Even though I'm a fan of Hamilton - and us signing him - this scares the bejesus out of me. I'm sure DD would take all of this into account when structuring an offer, if indeed he goes that route. Another reason to go bigger yearly dollars on a 4-year deal, if possible.

[DrungoHazewood]

Even though I'm a fan of Hamilton - and us signing him - this scares the bejesus out of me. I'm sure DD would take all of this into account when structuring an offer, if indeed he goes that route. Another reason to go bigger yearly dollars on a 4-year deal, if possible.

I know this is only superficially relevant, and very simplistic, but when I see Hamilton my brain thinks "Darryl Strawberry". Strawberry, with all of his issues, was still an excellent player at 37. He put up a 1.100 OPS at 37, and hit 24 homers in roughly half-time play at 36. But he played a total of 335 games in his 30s, an average of 42 per season. Between drugs and other health issues he just wasn't available most of the time.

I have little fear that Hamilton will play 155 games at 35 and hit .240 with a .650 OPS. I fear that he'll play 75 games with a .875 OPS, and leave the other 80 some games to the future versions of Steve Pearce and Endy Chavez.

[luismatos4prez]

I know this is only superficially relevant, and very simplistic, but when I see Hamilton my brain thinks "Darryl Strawberry". Strawberry, with all of his issues, was still an excellent player at 37. He put up a 1.100 OPS at 37, and hit 24 homers in roughly half-time play at 36. But he played a total of 335 games in his 30s, an average of 42 per season. Between drugs and other health issues he just wasn't available most of the time.

I have little fear that Hamilton will play 155 games at 35 and hit .240 with a .650 OPS. I fear that he'll play 75 games with a .875 OPS, and leave the other 80 some games to the future versions of Steve Pearce and Endy Chavez.

The net result of that would still be better than what we had this year in LF. Obviously not good value for what we'd be paying him though.