Closing the book on another free agent signing gone awry

I don't have a problem with free agency at it's core. It's a system that was entirely necessary and actually came about much later than it should have (Thank you Curt Flood.) As someone who worked in the business, I understand changing teams and going where the best offer is. You would do the same if your company wasn't paying you what you were worth, right? Or if another company came along and wanted to pay you 150% more than any other company, you would take it.

However, athletes and the agents that represent them...that is the problem with free agency in baseball.

Trevor Hoffman had no intention of ever leaving San Diego. He certainly did a great job of convincing everyone he was coming to the Indians though. They drafted a contract, took a physical, wined and dined, toured the city....and then he went back to San Diego and re-signed with them. It's forplay for forplay's sake.

This is like the girl who wants to make her boyfriend commit (I'm talking about the forever type of commitment here) but he just doesn't seem like he's there yet. So she starts hanging out with an "old friend" from college just to make him jealous. She tells the boyfriend how sweet this guy is and how she wants to set him up with a great girl because he's so perfect. She tells the old friend how wonderful he is too and that she "absolutely adores him." He starts thinking, "hmmm, what if I get her to break up with this other clown, then I could have her for myself!" Meanwhile, the boyfriend doesn't think anything of it, until his boys keep telling him that this dude is moving in on his woman. One day she calls and says that they need to talk about something and the next thing you know the boyfriend is down on one knee with a ring the size of a walnut and a whole in his wallet that you could drive a truck through. The other guy, he's left with the what-the-hell-just-happened face.

Surprisingly (note the sarcasm), the Padres upped their offer after they realized the face of their organization was "serious about leaving." Of course, he probably wasn't serious, he just wanted more money from the team he was with and used the Indians to get it. Good for him. That's how the system works and the Tribe let themselves get played as a result. This isn't the first time that an athlete has spurned the city of Cleveland in free agency for a bigger market or a place with warmer weather.

It's great for me though. This just gives me one more athlete to hate. One more thing to bitch about.

Thankfully, Bob Wickman agreed to a one-year deal last night. Still, I'd rather have had Hoffman who is arguably the second most reliable closer in baseball history. We all thought Wickman was going to retire, but I guess he'll wait until next winter. I just hope his arm doesn't fall off first. If it does, I know who I'm going to blame.