Sheets watch, Part 2: Had surgery 2/10, Brewers may need to pay for it

[logan82]

It appears Sheets has a torn flexor tendon and we might be on the hook for the surgery. Link

 

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Moderator's Note: The old Sheets Watch thread was getting overly long and burdensome to page through. This will be the start of a new Sheets Watch thread. The old thread c an still be found by clicking here.

[Milltownhooker]

Some reports that he may need surgery now instead of only rehabbing. I doubt if Sheets came back to the crew asking for 8 Million it even would be considered by Melvin. Unless the crew trade Cameron to free up the extra cash for a pitcher needing surgery:)

[JohnBriggs12]

Mystery solved. Nobody will touch him if he needs surgery, at least not anytime soon. Brewers probably knew more than they let on. That explains why they were reluctant to give up a pick themselves because they can kiss the one they would have received for Sheets goodbye. It's probably in the Brewers interest to pay for the surgery voluntarily.

[kramnoj]

The piece that is news to me is that the Rangers and Sheets had agreed to a 2-year deal. We knew they were in talks, but recent reports were that the talks were dead.

[Thurston Fluff]

If the brewers knew more than they were letting on why would they have offered him arbitration? I don't think they could keep Sheets in the dark about the extent of the injury and if he knew it was worse than they let on he would have accepted arby. I might be time to start questioning our medical staff's abilities somewhat. I know it's not an exact science but obviously Texas doctors saw something the Brewers didn't.

[paul253]

Man I bet he is just kicking himself for turning down arbitration, not that wasnt kicking himself already. If he has this surgery is he out all of 2009? He could have made probably $11 million from arby and not pitched a single pitch all season. Too bad the Brewers won't be getting any picks for him, though.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

We just can't get a break this offseason. Bye Bye draft picks.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why offer him arbitration? That's easy. His contract would not have been guaranteed if he accepted arbitration. This also explains why Sheets didn't accept arbitration. Had he done so, he would have gone to camp, not passed his physical and the Brewers would have waived him. Both the Brewers and Sheets were better off seeing if after a couple more months he would have healed enough to pass somebody's physical.

 

Obviously he couldn't.

[JohnBriggs12]

Man I bet he is just kicking himself for turning down arbitration, not that wasnt kicking himself already. If he has this surgery is he out all of 2009? He could have made probably $11 million from arby and not pitched a single pitch all season. Too bad the Brewers won't be getting any picks for him, though.

 

No he couldn't. FA accepting arbitration don't get guaranteed money.

[Fatter than Joey]

I might be time to start questioning our medical staff's abilities somewhat.

 

Yep. Some quackery might be a good explanation for all of this. Brewers and Sheets are relying on their Drs., so they both think Ben is healthier than he is.

 

This sucks. I really wanted to see Ben get a good contract.

[Thurston Fluff]

In any other year the Brewers may still have got the picks. There have been several teams in the past who signed a guy coming off surgery to a multi year deal with the hope the second season would come cheap enough to off set the lost one. This year I just don't see that happening.

So the brewers went from losing Sheets and CC for four picks in the top two rounds to a sandwich and a second with Sheets injury and Texeria signing with NY.

[Oldcity]

Yes, this would answer one question but it only brings about more. Who the heck advised him not to get surgery initially? Why did the Brewers offer arbitration, and why did Sheets decline it? It all seems to come back to the team doctors (or whoever it was who made the call). This is just crappy.

[SeriesFinale]

This sucks. I really wanted to see Ben get a good contract.

It really is a crummy situation all the way around for everyone involved. Sad, even. This is Ben's prime.

Beyond this, weren't the team doctors the one who initially said Yo was OK after his collison in Chicago last year, not just to pitch, but after the game as well?

 

 

[Fatter than Joey]

No he couldn't. FA accepting arbitration don't get guaranteed money.

 

He would have gotten some money. It would have cost the Brewers $1-2 million (at least) on a $12M contract.

[JJHardy7]

I still wonder why Ben didn't get all that much attention before the Rangers deal. Maybe other deals have fallen through/failed other tests with other teams? Something still doesn't seem right about this situation. If he wasn't going to need surgery as originally thought, why was there still little interest?

[kramnoj]

FA accepting arbitration don't get guaranteed money.

 

Are you 100% sure about this? I know that teams can cut a player and not pay the whole salary, but I am pretty sure that a team that offers arbitration and then releases the player owes a certain amount (1/3 or 1/6 of the salary, something like that).

 

If there was absolutely no risk regarding arbitration, why would any team not offer it?

[logan82]

This sucks. I really wanted to see Ben get a good contract.

 

So did I. Sheets was always a very entertaining and down to earth guy in interviews.

 

ESPN just reported that surgery for this type of injury usually requires 9-10 months of recovery time. Link

 

Free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets is considering elbow surgery that would probably keep him out for most, if not all, of the 2009 season, according to a major league source familiar with Sheets' medical prognosis.

[Oldcity]

I believe the team is on the hook for some of the contract but not all in that situation. The Brewers did this with Vargas and saved like a million bucks or something.

[SeriesFinale]

I mean, how long is he out? Since the team is going to end up paying for the surgery anyway, and most likely won't get any draft picks at this point, would a 2 yr/$15M deal be absolutely insane? Am I losing it?

[Dmiles23]

The piece that is news to me is that the Rangers and Sheets had agreed to a 2-year deal. We knew they were in talks, but recent reports were that the talks were dead.

 

The article said they agreed late last week, and the rumors that talks were dead came early this week. So it makes perfect sense. He went in for his physical late last week, didn't pass, and thus the talks were dead.

 

I might be time to start questioning our medical staff's abilities somewhat. I know it's not an exact science but obviously Texas doctors saw something the Brewers didn't.

 

I don't quite understand this logic. The Brewers medical staff looked at Sheets what? 3 months ago? I'm willing to bet that some of this was on Sheets. There is a reason the Brewers hardly attempted to sign Sheets after he declined arbitration. The Brewers doctors could have said "There's a 90% chance you'll need surgery, 10% chance you can rehab." And maybe Sheets was hoping he could rehab well enough to get a big deal before he needed surgery. If the Brewers would have signed Sheets to a big deal, and then noticed he'd need surgery, then I'd question the medical staff. But it's hard to place blame on them... because there is a reason the Brewers didn't pursue him as a FA.

[Thurston Fluff]

I thought there was a difference between pre-free agency arbitration contracts and arbitration contracts for players who filed for free agency. I can try to find it but if someone has the answer it'll save me some google time.

[Fatter than Joey]

I believe the team is on the hook for some of the contract but not all in that situation. The Brewers did this with Vargas and saved like a million bucks or something.

 

JB12 is 100% correct that the contract is not guaranteed -- but as other have pointed out, the Brewers would be on the hook for a non-trivial amount of $$$.

 

If he wasn't going to need surgery as originally thought, why was there still little interest?

 

Because he is viewed as "injury prone" -- that and the draft picks...

[Fear The Chorizo]

Sad, even. This is Ben's prime.

 

Nope - this was supposed to be Ben's prime. Ben's actual prime was 2003-2005.

 

So, as it turns out quite a few of the conspiracy theories actually had some merit to them. You really have to wonder what the team doctors saw/didn't see, and whether Sheets and his agent did their due diligence to get additional opinions - if he does need surgery in order to continue pitching, he could have been 5 months into his recovery by now if he got it done right away.

[kramnoj]

I thought there was a difference between pre-free agency arbitration contracts and arbitration contracts for players who filed for free agency.

 

There is a difference in regards to not being able to reduce a salary by more than 20%. I'm not aware of any difference regarding the guarantee of the contract, but I won't claim to be an expert.

[Fatter than Joey]

if he does need surgery in order to continue pitching, he could be 5 months into his recovery by now.

 

Yes -- and teams would feel more comfortable where things are at with Sheets.