Comments on: Matt Morris and Sunk Costs

By: JC

JC — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:01:52 +0000

Both Zito and Morris contracts are sunk costs, because the players have to be paid as long as they show up to play. The question is if the continued play of these players increases or decreases losses.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:28:26 +0000

I like your logic, I’m just not sure that Morris is really a sunk cost. If he continues to pitch poorly, which he probably would, wouldn’t he still be hurting the team and thus, “costing” them? The way I look at it the team has two options:

1. Keep him at no extra monetary cost (if you want to call it that), and have him continue to pitch with a fairly high baseball cost (admittedly, with the chance (a small one) that he improves and actually helps the team).

2. Cut him and purchase a triple-a contract for a small, albeit significant, monetary cost. And have this player provide some “baseball” benefits for the team (with the chance, of course, that he doesn’t provide benefits)

I can see how it would be a difficult call to make, but I still like option 2.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:20:09 +0000

I’m curious at what point Barry Zito becomes a sunk cost. If Pat Misch comes up and pitches well, and Noah Lowry comes back and pitches well, then the replacements for Zito would be better than Zito. Should the Giants write him off at that point, or do they need to spread the consideration of sunk cost over the lifetime of the contract? There is way to tell today if the number 5 starter for the Giants in 2011 will be better than Zito’s fifth year with the team.

Does the possibility of improvement mitigate the desire to write Zito off, and at what point should ZIto be written off?

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:09:34 +0000

Leave it to the Pirates to somehow make an awful deal (trading for Morris in the first place) into something even worse. No wonder they’re at something like 16 losing seasons and counting. Too bad the Braves didn’t get to have a go at Morris or his replacements earlier this month.

By: Ken Houghton

Ken Houghton — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:44:49 +0000

Dumatrait, according to Beyond the Box Score, is one of the Three Mouseketeers who has been killing the Pirates in middle relief.

Now he gets to start, and someone they thought was worse than him at the start of the season goes into the middle relief spot.

Less than 1/3 walk per inning would have significantly improved the Arson Squad. So you’re spot on for this one.