Bagwell real life situation

[PETERLE]

Currently in Houston sports news, the second biggest issue (1st is who Texans should take first, Bush or Young) is the Bagwell shoulder situation.

Bagwell has had a bad right shoulder. Bagwell believes he can still play. Ownership thinks he cant. Ownership wants to collect $15 million (of $17 million contract left) from insurance claim and has to be done by Jan 31st. If Bagwell just steps on the field in spring training, Astros collect zero dollars from insurance claim. Bagwell intends to be at spring training and playing. Astros might have to trade or release Bagwell.

My question is do you think ownership should let Bags play out of respect for what he has done, and he has done alot, for the Astros or should they do whats right for business and get the money and go out and get a capable player for the $15 million? Basically, this is an issue of what is worth more, $15million in cash or 15 years of dedicated service to one team? I understand both sides point of view.

I for one love Bags. Bags and Biggio, Biggio and Bags, cant say one without the other. I think they need to let Bagwell decide when he thinks he should hang up his spikes. Even though I think he cannot play anymore, its not me to say or even management, it should be Bagwell's decision.

[the splinter]

If Bags really wanted to do the stand up thing he would allow for his release and then sign an incentive laden deal and prove them wrong.

BTW- I think Bags is one of the steroid abusers and that his body is now paying the price.

[bleacher_creature]

Bags has a right to play. You can say, "hey Jeff, it's just business" I say yeah. That's right.

The Astros signed him for all that money and al those years. That was their business decision THEN, fraught with all of the obvious risks.

[RiggoDrill]

Just goes to show you how silly all that talk about "loyalty" was. The contract is a problem created by the Astros, not Bagwell. Seems kind of odd to me that the Astros would ask him to lie, so they can collect insurance money. If he thinks he's healthy, he should suit up and play.

[KEVINSMITH 2]

I am really torn. Loyalty goes both ways. Biggio and Bagwell both could have easily gone elsewhere several times during their careers. They even played for less money on occasion to stay in Houston. Now is time for Bagwell to reep reward for 1 year of "immunity". He should be allowed to show up for spring training and test his throwing ability....i think we all know GONE is HR hitting Bagwell of old, but he can still hit for doubles, etc. If he can't muster what the "Stros want, release him then. You will have freedom in salary for 07. We need $$ cause we need hitting, but you can't bite the hand that has fed you for so many years. Is the future of the franchise really worth it? Bagwell at least deserves this last chance effort, he is very near the end of his career. He has rewarded us for years, we OWE him this in the very least to go out with his head held high, not with sour grapes.

[CHARLESBELL]

The Astros intent does not seem to be about making a better ballclub; its all about mitigating the cost of the contract $$ they owe Bagwell, even if it means fudging the medical details in order to collect. I hear no concern for Bagwell or the competiveness of the team, only for cashing in on the insurance.

If bagwell is medically cleared to play then he should be given every opportunity to do so. And it is a credit to Bagwell that he wants to try to earn that salary by playing. At least he isn't simply taking the money and running since he'll be paid whether he plays or not.

Bagwell is doing the right thing. The club is not.

[JohnnyBlazers]

Bagwell gave the Astros a Hall of Fame caliber career. He deserves the last year of contract. They always talk about players who want to renegotiate their contracts and are called greedy, selfish, etc. Well, what about unloyal and greedy owners? Bagwell deserves this "severance" pay, even if he is no basically a part-time player with no role. SOme clubs take care of their own, others don't. The Yankees accepted back a washed up Bernie Williams for one more year-after all he's meant to the franchise over the last 10-12 years, he deserves. I put Bags in that same class.

[geekor]

Well I'm hearing some weird things....

a) he will get paid EITHER WAY. Does the team or the insurance pay him is the only difference to him.

b) I've read that 2 different team doctors have said his shoulder is done, period, not even close to playable.

To me it seems like Bags doesn't wat to quit, but he really should. He still gets paid, and the team could use that money to get another bat who can still hit.

[NEILKAHN]

I must admit I am ignorant as to the exact nature of his shoulder injury, but I have personally had a complete tear of my rotator cuff in my throwing shoulder repaired arthroscopically, and while I do not believe it would allow me to pitch at the major league level, I can throw across the infield without pain, and I can most certainly swing a bat without pain. As a first baseman, he should be good to go.

[tersignf]

Attached the AP story below.
Gotta be contrarian here and say I agree with the Stros--versus Bag's agent. Yes--it's his agent who wants to be paid. The guy ain't 100% and they paid a private insurer--with good reason--to mitigate this risk. Having just gone through the same thing as a Yankee fan with Bernie Williams who has seriously deteriorated physically, both sides did the right thing and found middle ground.
Bagwell didn't stay in Houston as a charity effort--he was paid handsomely and loved living there--it's not like he was exactly volunteering his services.

Let's see--how about let him keep 2 mil for every world series they've won all these years...oh...maybe not.

The baseball money situation is a farce anyway because of the players, the players' union, and the owners. I went to my last game in 2004 when I almost had to take out a home equity loan to see the freaking Royals. So how about we strike as fans?
[quote:82e747574c]
Bagwell plans to go to spring training
CHRIS DUNCAN
Associated Press
HOUSTON - Jeff Bagwell is planning to show up at spring training, despite the Houston Astros' contention that he's too hurt to play.

"He believes he's going to be ready for the start of the season," Bagwell's agent, Barry Axelrod, said Tuesday. "That's what we're counting on."

The 37-year-old Bagwell had surgery on his arthritic right throwing shoulder in June. Doctors who examined the four-time All-Star told the Astros this month that the shoulder still was damaged and that they could not expect Bagwell to be productive this season.

The Astros said Monday they intend to file an insurance claim by a Jan. 31 deadline to recoup $15.6 million of the $17 million they owe Bagwell this season. Team spokesman Jimmy Stanton said the claim had not been filed Tuesday.

For the Astros to collect, the insurance provider would have to deem Bagwell unable to play. Astros general manager Tim Purpura said Monday that Bagwell is "disabled at this time for playing professional baseball."

Bagwell told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that he's disappointed by how much it seems the Astros want him to quit.

"To me more than anything else, it's just amazing how bad they don't want me to play," Bagwell told the newspaper. "They just want to collect their money. It's an awkward situation."

Bagwell has spent all of his 15 major league seasons in Houston and is one of the franchise's best and most popular players. The dispute, he said, may have damaged his relationship with the team.

"It probably will never be fixed between me and the Astros," the first baseman told the newspaper.

But the bitterness won't keep Bagwell from reporting to the Astros' spring training center in Kissimmee, Fla., on Feb. 24, Axelrod said. Though he still doesn't have full range of motion in the shoulder, Axelrod said Bagwell thinks he can be nearly 100 percent healthy by April.

"That's still his approach," Axelrod said. "When we were told that Jan. 31 was when the determination had to be made, we were caught off guard by that. The fact is, a determination can't be made by then."

Bagwell missed 115 games last year after the surgery to repair the shoulder that's bothered him since 2001. In the four previous seasons, Bagwell hit 136 home runs and had 417 RBIs - numbers Axelrod said should earn Bagwell one more season.

"No one is saying Jeff has functioned in those years like he did in his MVP year (1994) or the years around that, but it hasn't been half-bad," Axelrod said. "If he is irritated about anything, it because he feels that, 'I've battled through pain and discomfort before and I always get through spring and get stronger.' All of a sudden, someone is saying, 'Well, sorry, we've decided you're not able to perform.'"

Purpura said the Astros will chart Bagwell's progress leading up to spring training and left open the possibility of Bagwell returning.

"We've got some time here," Purpura said. "We all feel bad. It's a difficult situation for everybody."

Axelrod said Bagwell could probably extend his career up to five seasons if he played in the American League as a designated hitter. But Axelrod said the possibility of a trade is remote, mainly because if Bagwell played somewhere else, he would disprove the Astros' contention that he's disabled.

Axelrod also said Bagwell doesn't want to play anywhere else.

"Jeff is a lifelong Houston Astro," Axelrod said. "That's something certain players think about and Jeff's part of that ilk. That's a badge of honor, an entire career with one organization. It means you've exhibited loyalty."

Both sides are still mulling how the insurance policy affect's Bagwell's status with the team.

If Bagwell arrives at spring training and decides he can't play, then the Astros are likely to recoup their money. But no one's sure what happens if Bagwell decides he can play.

"That's one of the nebulous aspects, what can happen and can't happen," Axelrod said. "For a team to tell a guy with a questionable shoulder that he can't step on the field, I'm not sure how far that's going to go. I don't know what will happen. None of us do."[/quote:82e747574c][/i]