What a lot of issues this one raises.
First, is it a good signing?  Well, Belle is 30 and most likely has
already seen his best years.  At $10+ M per year he'd have to put up his
95-96 numbers for each of the next 5 years for the WSox to break even on
the signing.  OTOH, they've taken away their main rival's best hitter.
My guess is that it looks good for a couple of years and after that it
starts to hurt.
Is Reinsdorf crazy?  He's reputed to be the "no deal" leader.  By voting
down the latest proposal he saves himself a couple of mil in luxury
taxes and prevents Alex Fernandez from becoming a free agent.  I hope
this signing opens the eyes of other owners to the self-serving nature
of this slime.
Whither Cleveland?  They looked like they were set till the end of the
century.  Now Baerga and Belle have gone and Lofton is supposed to be on
the block.  They still have Ramirez, Thome and Williams so all is not
lost.  And watch them to make one more big signing.
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