Nov 3rd 2008 3:43PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
As new contracts pour in every off-season, I have to reset the part of my brain that associates a certain performance level with a certain dollar value. My brain still can’t accept Jeff Suppan and Carlos Silva as being worth more than $10 million a year, but I guess that’s the going rate for an approximately average starting pitcher (which is what Suppan and Sliva were when they signed, though they aren’t now) these days. I’m already bracing myself for another recalibration now that the Brewers picked up Mike Cameron’s $10 million option for 2009.

Don’t get me wrong; Mike Cameron’s a nice enough baseball player. He hit 25 homers and had an OPS of above .800 (for a 110 OPS+). He still plays a good centerfield, which was a big need for the Brewers after the Bill Hall debacle in 2007. All things considered, there are worse centerfielders in both leagues and it’s not hard to see why the Brewers want to keep him.

On the other hand, $10 million for a guy that’s going to be 36? Center field is one of the prime defensive positions and Cameron’s likely to suffer a decline out there pretty soon. His on-base percentage this year was only .331. It just seems to me like he’s past the point in his career where he’s worth that kind of money. And I know it was picking up an option, but Cameron seemed to want to come back. I’m sure they could’ve worked something else out. if Mike Cameron’s worth $10 milion, what is CC Sabathia worth?