Prior to this season, the knock on Ryan Dempster has been his control. For his career, he’s handed out 707 free passes in 1425 innings. That’s 4.47 walks per nine innings, which is pretty much unacceptable.
But his 2008 performance has shown exactly why walk totals are extremely important. By cutting down to 3.4 walks per nine, Dempster produced a 2.96 ERA in 206 2/3 innings. And now, he’s reportedly cashing in with a deal totaling $52MM over four years.
Although he’s on the wrong side of 30, I think that this will be one of the saner deals this off season. Unless he forgets how to throw a strike, Dempster will be a pretty good bet of keeping his ERA below 4 for close to 200 innings in 2009, which is incredibly valuable and well worth $13MM a season and then some. And based on his strikeout rate last year, he’s capable of being a quality pitcher for most, if not all, of the four year deal.
So if these numbers are accurate, it looks like the Cubs got themselves a steal.
And no, I did not mean to rhyme.






I hope I am proven wrong but I think this is a terrible deal. The Cubs are spending money, at a time they have to limit payroll, on an aging pitcher coming off of a career year. Everything about what he did this past season screams unrepeatable career year. He has had tommy john surgery already and until this last season has never been known to be a guy that keeps himself in the best of shape.
If it is true that the Cubs are going to be sold before the end of the year then this decision should have been left to the new ownership. According to Kevin Towers the Cubs are the only team he is talking to about Jake Peavy. I would much rather see the Cubs trade for Peavy and go after a guy like Derek Lowe for a 3 year deal. Lowe is older than Dempster but is a sinker ball pitcher, a plus in Wrigley, and he probably isn’t as much of an injury risk. I also think he has been a more consistent starter than Demp. He gave the Cubs a great season but they should have waved good-bye and let him sign for more money elsewhere.