Percival off the market

The Indians' search for a reliever got a little tougher today. Troy Percival signed with the Tigers for two years and 12 mil. While I'm sorry to see him not go to the Indians, I believe they made the right decision when it comes to Troy. He's getting old now, and he only had one K per save, not IP last year (52 games, 33 saves, 33 Ks).
This also sets the bar for relievers. The Tribe will make a STRONG push after Armando Benitez now. Should they give him 3 years? It might be worth it to get him...
Benitez would really stabilize the bullpen for next year. If he had been with them this year, they very well might have won the division.
If they get Benitez, it will also allow Bob Howry, Rafael Betancourt, David Riske, Matt Miller, Jeremy Guthrie, Fernando Cabrera to fall back into roles they're more comfortable with. Add a reliable lefty and you have yourself a decent bullpen.

No more Omar...

The San Francisco Giants signed Omar Vizquel to a 3-year deal worth over 12 million. My initial reaction was "What a terrible contract!" Not for Omar, of course.

IF the Giants get the exact same production out of Omar that the Indians got this year, it MIGHT be worth it. That's a huge if. He's 37. His OPS last season was .741. Excluding his career year in 1999, his OPS was not higher than .760. So, assuming age or injury is not a factor, we still assume his OPS to be .730-.750.

On the fielding side, Omar's range factor and zone rating have been significantly lower ever since the '90s. He's not the defensive master he once was.

Don't get me wrong: Omar is a solid player. But will he stay healthy? If he does, will age take its toll on him? I smell the potential for a baaad contract...