Minority Report, A One-Act Play

Scene I

Donald Watkins is a Birmingham attorney and Chairman of the Board of Alamerica Bank. His net worth has been estimated at up to $1.5 billion.

Donald Watkins expressed interest in buying the Devil Rays in early May. Most reports at the time estimated the potential purchase price to be about $150 million.

Donald Watkins' quest to purchase a baseball team was the subject of a Bob Nightengale article in Baseball Weekly's November 14-20, 2001 issue. Nightengale's major theme was that Watkins wants to own a baseball team, and he doesn't care which team as long as he can purchase one. The article also states that Watkins "has been informally approved as a potential owner" and that Bud Selig said "'He's legitimate, very legitimate.'"

Scene II

John Henry is tired of owning a Marlins' team that can't secure a new ballpark.

John Henry is reportedly selling the Marlins. The sale could be approved next Tuesday at the owner's meeting in Chicago. Florida's new owner remains undisclosed.

John Henry bought the Marlins for $150 million from Wayne Huizenga. Forbes valued the Marlins at $128 million earlier this year. The rumored purchase price of the Marlins is $150 million.

Scene III

Bud Selig wants more minorities in leadership positions in baseball. He has fined teams in the past for not interviewing minorities for administrative openings.

Bud Selig was probably not pleased with Dave Stewart's threats of racism last week after Stewart was passed over for the Toronto General Manager's job.

Bud Selig desperately needs some positive publicity for baseball's owners because almost everyone in the country recognizes that contraction is a horrible idea.

Casting Note

Donald Watkins is African-American.

Plot and Resolution

Donald Watkins would be a figurative feather in baseball's cap as the first minority who is either the majority or sole owner of a baseball franchise.

Donald Watkins's entrance into baseball ownership would help alleviate racism concerns by people like Dave Stewart, and will be viewed widely as an excellent PR move by otherwise desperate owners.

We believe that Donald Watkins is buying the Florida Marlins from John Henry.

The Right Reasons and The Wrong Reasons

The Oakland Athletics signed 25 year old outfielder Mike Colangelo on Tuesday. A former Angel who played for San Diego in 2001, he has excellent plate discipline and should fit very well with Oakland's system. The Athletics could use Colangelo in a number of roles, but he will probably probably wind up as at least their fifth outfielder, and possibly in a much larger role. Expect him to make the team out of spring training.

He is a much better player than the 34 year-old infielder F.P. Santangelo, who was released by Oakland that same day along with Billy McMillon. Colangelo has significantly more upside than either of these guys, and provides another example of how well the A's organization understands the concepts of free talent and replaceable talent.

Santangelo should still have a few years left in the majors as a utility guy. Don't be surprised to see him sign with whichever team Felipe Alou joins; Alou helped established Santangelo in Montreal. McMillon just lost his best chance for a regular starting role, as few other teams will sign good hitters who lack most other tools.

In a slightly more impactful transaction Monday, Tony Clark was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox. Provided that Clark is healthy in the spring, Juan Diaz and Calvin Pickering will once again have nowhere to play, and Dernell Stenson is probably buried for good in Boston. Clark has suffered from back problems the last two years and a wrist ailment forced him out of the lineup at the end of the 2001 season. Wrist problems seem to linger for many baseball players and they can drain power while still leaving guys healthy enough to play. Clark can be scary to own without a good back-up, but he should do well in Boston since they have have an abundance of potential first basemen already on the roster.

Picking up Clark's contract (soon to be inflated by arbitration), Dan Duquette showed that he doesn't understand the concepts free talent or replaceable talent. He claimed Pickering off waivers for practically nothing, and instead of giving Cal a chance to succeed cheaply, he added another few million to Boston's already expanded payroll in a frequently injured slugger with a similar upside to existing potential platoons. Expect Clark to receive significant at-bats at DH since Brian Daubach continues to play well for Boston.

Clark was likely available due to Dave Dombrowski beginning his house cleaning in Detroit. As the new Tiger President, Dombrowski needs to keep a relatively low payroll while building a team to compete in their unique stadium. Any moves that open up positions for younger, more athletic talent make sense considering the available talent.

Chris Holt was another casualty of Dombrowski's reign. The Tigers released him, adding Holt's inconsistent but durable pitching to this year's somewhat weak free agent class. Holt has had a bumpy couple of years, first in Houston and then in Detroit, but he did begin his pitching career with fairly good numbers. Overuse at an early age brought about arm surgery in 1998, and every batter seems to hit him harder now than before his injury. The Tiger's buyout of his current deal should make it possible for Holt to be a bit choosier in signing his next contract. He will be able to look at clubs as a whole and not just how much money they have to offer. In the right environment i.e. a decent pitchers' park on a team with good defense), he could put up helpful numbers and contribute positively to a team's pitching staff.