Raul Ibanez -> Phillies

by IcebreakerX on Dec 12, 2008 5:35 AM PST Comment 25 comments

Via Jayson Stark...

The Phillies have agreed to a three-year contract with free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, pending a physical. The deal is believed to be worth $30 million over three years.

Raul Ibanez
The 36-year-old Ibanez will become the Phillies' new every-day leftfielder, and his signing means the Phillies no longer will pursue their long-time leftfielder,Pat Burrell, who is also a free agent.

Ibanez had drawn significant interest from a number of teams, including the Cubs, Mets, Angels and Braves. But he had been sending signals through friends that the Phillies were his first choice. And the Phillies stepped up their efforts to sign him Thursday after it became known that the Angels were also negotiating the parameters of a deal with Ibanez as their No. 1 alternative if they lost out in efforts to sign Mark Teixeira.

Draft Picks!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3764268

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Comments

Why would an NL team sign Raul?

Don’t they realize his defense is terrible and only going to get worse?

by drm1125 on Dec 12, 2008 5:53 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Go get those veterans, Gillick!

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Dec 12, 2008 5:54 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Gillick's gone. It's Ruben Amaro Jr. now.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Dec 12, 2008 8:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmmm

Is it bad that couldn’t tell the difference based on the signing?

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Dec 12, 2008 8:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, Gillick did win a World Series...that's more than we can say for our GMs. Including Pat Gillick.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Dec 12, 2008 8:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gillick's still an adviser to the team.

Not saying this was him (though it reeks of him), but he’s still around in some capacity.

by Teej on Dec 12, 2008 10:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gillick’s still an “advisor”; the assumption of many around here is that this went down the same way Raul’s signing here in Seattle went down — namely, it came after Gillick was officially no longer GM, but was just a matter of his replacement doing what Gillick told him to.

by The Ancient Mariner on Dec 12, 2008 2:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes! This is fantasctic.

This offseason has been made of chocolate covered caramel sunday joy.

by Sec 108 on Dec 12, 2008 6:32 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

sigh

Even though I couldn’t stand his defense, I will miss Raul the hitter and man.
His bat did produce more than almost everybody expected together with a modest salary, and I respect the man for his work ethic and preparations off the field.

by Sam Regens on Dec 12, 2008 6:46 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I was hoping he would sign with the Mets

Because I fucking hate the Mets. And wish to see them forced to deal with his defense for the next three seasons.

That said, I wish Raul nothing but the best, and since I have no real problem with the Phils as a team I hope he somehow magically finds a way to improve defensively. Raul, you were fine man and an impressive bat. Your glove, well at least it gave us some of LL’s greatest .gifs. Thanks for the memories.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Dec 12, 2008 6:54 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Raul signing with the Mets would mean that we wouldn't get a first round pick

as compensation.

As it is, we’re getting a very late first round pick by him signing with the Phillies, but hey, I’ll take it.

Pat Gillick, you so crazy.

by katal on Dec 12, 2008 7:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Also, I do kind of feel good for Raul - he's going to get to play on a winning team for only the second time in his career.

He has a very high chance of experiencing postseason baseball for the first time since the 2000 ALDS.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Dec 12, 2008 7:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Erm, ALCS.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Dec 12, 2008 7:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

THANK SWEET JESUS

the Angels didn’t sign him!

the other angels fan

by Eyebrows on Dec 12, 2008 7:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Awww

Mariners ----> Brewers.

by Taylor H on Dec 12, 2008 8:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Assuming things continue on in the same way...

We now have picks number two, twenty-one (depending on Fields), and twenty-eight (twenty-seven, if Fields does sign), plus whatever comes in the supplemental round.

Not bad.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Dec 12, 2008 7:24 AM PST reply actions 0 recs