https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/08/15/watercooler-wednesday-97/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers
Players behaving badly appears to be the theme of this week. To be more accurate, it?s more like star players behaving badly.
Now that Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer have been traded, Mets players are unloading on them. Both being described as ?difficult.?
They called JV a ?diva? and someone only concerned with himself, while ignoring the rest of the team. Max, as we know, flamed team ownership and management, and was caught surprised when he was immediately traded. Just this week, he had another meltdown on the mound with his new team when things didn?t go his way. Three episodes and counting so far this year.
We now know that both did not get along when they were with the Tigers and there were problems with 3 out of the 5 starting pitchers during those last playoff years.
It has been insinuated that the issues surrounding these 2 players with both the Tigers and Mets negatively impacted their team chemistry.
Of course, there have been plenty of other incidents of star players causing disruptions and distractions to their organizations. Enough to disrupt the balance of personalities and performance to various degrees.
And this week, another alleged scandal involving one of baseball?s best players ? Wander Franco. He is now on unpaid leave while MLB investigates. (Nothing is yet official and the subject is a delicate one so we will not be getting into the details of what supposedly transpired. Nor will we be approving any comments today that delve into this subject matter as a result.)
Over a year ago, the Tampa Bay Rays made their first really big investment by signing Franco to a 12-year contract that is worth a maximum of $223 mill. He is their best player.
But there have been some red flags. Bad decisions, immaturity or attitude problems depending upon whom you ask. One in particular that teed off teammates and got him benched for multiple days. Yet despite instances over the past 2 years, he got the mega-contract anyway.
And now, if things go really south, the Rays could be taking a really big hit both competitively and financially.
It?s a huge risk when extreme talent, personality issues and really big bucks collide. For some, the risk pays off. For others, it can cost a team dearly.
Which brings us to ask how important a player?s personal make up is in comparison to his talent.
Is having a difficult/demanding personality worth having on a team esp. when their talent is significant?
Or is the price created by their behavior too much of a cost when it comes to the overall roster and team performance?
What would you do if faced with a similar situation? Is it all about getting the talent or are there other factors to consider?
How should big talent and personality be addressed when giving out mega-contracts?
1. Talent is the only thing that matters.
2. Bad behavior and ?me first? attitude are deal breakers.
3. Both talent and behavior require equal scrutiny before a contract is offered.
VOTE
