Paul Byrd signs with the Los Angeles Angels
Paul Byrd signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Angels today. I’ve got to say this one perplexes me. That’s probably the same exact deal he would’ve gotten if he accepted arbitration with the Braves. He resides in Alpharetta, GA and has stated in the past that he would like to stay in his hometown.
The Associated Press quoted Byrd as saying “The reason I chose Anaheim over several other teams was I felt they have the best chance to win the World Series and that was the best place for my family.” The best place for your family is on the opposite coast from where your home is? Also, I don’t know that the Angels have a better chance at winning the World Series than do the Braves. One would hope he’d give the Braves the benefit of the doubt considering he was injured 3/4 of the duration of his last contract. All I can figure is that he either prefers the American League, feared the Braves would relegate him to the undesirable 5th spot in the rotation, or didn’t want the uncertainty associated with arbitration.
But the Braves won’t be losing any sleep over losing Byrd. They’ve still got their sights set on a stellar rotation topped off by Tim Hudson. Settling for a rookie like Dan Meyer isn’t looking like so bad an option either, if it allows them to snag an outfielder like Magglio Ordonez.
I really thought Byrd’s local connections would keep him in Atlanta too. Perhaps the American League is more comfortable for him to pitch in?
Comment by Steven — Dec 15, 2004 @ 9:10 am