Wow:

The source also said All-Star center fielder Aaron Rowand asked for a six-year, $84 million contract, but the team is only willing to offer around $30 million over three years. Rowand, 30, hit .309 with 27 homers and made $4.35 million in 2007.

For those of you who aren’t mathematically inclined, that’s $14 million a year. $788,928.71 per home run Rowand could reasonably be expected to hit. $211,441.99 per RBI. $96413.10 per base hit. This in and of itself is nothing to worry about – athlete salaries generally have nothing to with numbers anyway – but for anyone holding out hope that #33 would be patrolling center on the South Side once more, just remember that arguably the greatest lefty pitcher in team history signed for the same amount, and even that was only after a long and protracted battle. The safe bet is hearing lip service from Sox brass about the acquisition of someone on par with a Jacque Jones or Willy Mo Pena. “He’s a good fielder, a live hitter, a real grinder,” Williams will say, “and we feel he’s the best fit where we see this organization going.”

Is Rowand worth more than the Phils’ $10 million/year counteroffer? Sure, but only because the Angels thought an older Gary Matthews, Jr. was last winter. Matthews and his alleged HGH, by the way, hit .313/19/79 in his walk year, and for their investment the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and All Surrounding Counties Plus Parts of the Greater Sacramento Area got a .252/18/72 year this time around while Matthews ended up unable to play in the postseason due to injury. But, you know, Matthews made that one awesome catch in 2006. And, come to think of it, so did Rowand. There’s your $14 mil right there.

“It isn’t the high price of stars that is expensive,” Sport Shirt Bill once said, “it’s the high price of mediocrity.”

It’s going to be a long winter, folks. Too bad it’s only October.