Hoffman is still a quality reliever, and with the dearth of good bullpen arms on the team, will almost certainly be welcomed back assuming his contract demands are not ridiculous.
What I find interesting about the situation is many fans seem to wish Hoffman would just retire after the season. They believe that he is ruining is legacy by continuing to pitch well past his prime, that he will somehow be remembered not as one of the best relievers in major league history, but as a middle of the road closer who made every save appearance an adventure toward the end of his career.
Personally, I have no problem with players continuing to play until no team will offer them a job, even if they are not still at their peak. An athlete has a limited time frame in which to earn a living. The money earned playing baseball basically has to last them a lifetime (yes, I realize they could transition to a different job, but most baseball players best, and most lucrative skill is playing baseball-not doing something else).
I have heard the argument that star players are better off protecting their legacy, that they have accumulated enough money in their careers already, and don't need another contract. I find this line of reasoning silly.
First, there is no reason to think that continuing to play past one's prime results in a reduced legacy. Jordan came back and played for the Wizards, he is still considered the best basketball player of all time. Willie Mays played one forgettable season for the Mets at age 42, but most remember his fantastic years with the Giants. It seems to me that once removed from the short-term, people tend not to remember the last years of most athlete's careers (unless you are talking about Barry Bonds of course). Hoffman is really at no risk of wrecking his legacy by continuing to play. In fact, he may be enhancing it. Hoffman will continue to accumulate saves, innings, and strikeouts, all of which will be positively referenced in hall of fame debates. Note: His career ERA is not really at risk of a significant increase if he continues to play.
Second, even if you assume that a player's legacy is reduced by playing past his prime, I am not sure the magnitude of that reduction is enough to bypass the millions of dollars a contract will pay. It seems ridiculous that a player would be so worried about what others think, that he would turn down such a large amount of money.
Hoffman is not a bad pitcher, and his presence on the Padres makes the team better than they would otherwise be. So long as the team agrees with my assessment of his value, and Hoffman does in fact wish to continue playing, there is no reason he should not be welcomed back. Whether the fans think Hoffman should retire is irrelevant. Whether Hoffman should continue to close out games is an entirely different debate.
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2 comments:
My opinion has bounced around on the issue.
For awhile I thought the best option for everyone involved would be to let Trevor announce his retirement and let the fans send him off into the sunset this season.
Then the team's below average performance threw me for a loop, and now I think they might not even be that competitive next year.
The point is, I'd be ok with Trevor in 2009. But 2010 scares me. He isn't a guy the team can easily demote if things go south. And with his leverage index still up there (highest on the team at last check) he isn't exactly "hiding" in the closer role like some sabermetrically inclined folk might believe.
PS Your blog rocks.
True playing past ones prime does not necessarily damage their legacy but that doesn't mean you have to keep playing until you are replacement level. I like to look at John Elway, he certainly was not in his prime when he retired but he retired on him own terms with two rings. I think that when you are a definite hall of famer you need to retire on your own terms. Nobody wants to see a great like Ricky Henderson try to keep playing until every team including the AAA teams dont want him. I think Henderson did damage his legacy a little bit and I dont want Hoffman to do the same.
Having said that I would love if the padres bring back Hoffman for a one year deal at a discount. He does offer something to the table and he is still a pretty decent pitcher. Of course Hoffman has the right to keep pitching for another 4 years if a team will offer him money to do so, but that may not be in his best interest because no padre fan wants to remember him being cut in the middle of the season like David Wells when he can't get anybody out.
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