Top bargains on New York athletes
Photo credit: Newsday/Patrick E. McCarthy | Islanders' John Tavares is listed as the second best bargain in New York.
We’re all looking for discounts in this struggling economy, and that even includes your favorite team’s general manager.
Just on a much different scale, of course.
Not everyone has access to the Steinbrenner checkbook to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars per offseason. So what better time than now to recognize New York athletes who represent the best bargains?
Now, before we go further, let’s get one thing straight: No athlete in his right mind would ever be proud to show up on this list. Because what we’re doing here is highlighting the players whose production greatly outweighs their salaries. That’s a nice way of saying these guys are vastly underpaid. Just ask their agents.
But as far as economics go, by saving money on these guys, teams presumably can have more freedom to spend elsewhere, putting the team in better position to succeed.
So in honor of these bargain-shopping times, these are the 10 players who we think gave their teams their money’s worth, and much more.
1. Steve Smith, Giants WR, $460,000
In this post-Plaxico Burress era, Smith has emerged as Eli Manning’s favorite receiver (not to mention a fantasy football superstar). His 61 receptions rank fifth in the NFL, and his 719 yards are seventh. Not too shabby when you consider that Smith, whom the Giants selected with the 51st pick in the 2007 draft, entered this season with 637 receiving yards.
2. John Tavares, Islanders C, $900,000
Tavares already is proving to be the scorer everyone expected, with nine goals and 10 assists in 22 games. And he’ll continue to be a bargain for two more years, thanks to the league’s collective-bargaining agreement. The three-year deal he signed after he was drafted first overall last summer was the most he could get: $900,000 per year with incentives that could max out the three-year deal at only $3.75 million.
3. Matt Moulson, Islanders LW, $575,000
Smith and Tavares are bargains because of the economics of pro sports, more than anything else; they’re not experienced enough to cash in. But the 26-year-old Moulson is a true bargain, considering how he entered the season a no-name with only 29 NHL games on his resume. Two months later, he’s on his way to becoming the league’s surprise of the season, with 10 goals and eight assists in 22 games.
4. Phil Hughes, Yankees pitcher, $407,650
Although the postseason got the best of him, Hughes was a dominant eighth-inning reliever for the Yankees during the regular season. And for a team with a payroll north of $200 million to pay someone less than a half mil to post a 1.40 ERA and .857 WHIP in 511/3 innings certainly must be considered a bargain.
5. Alfredo Aceves, Yankees pitcher, $406,750
In 2007, Aceves was a Mexican League veteran, pitching there for the sixth straight year, when his changeup caught the eye of a Yankees scout. The Yankees paid a reported $450,000 to his team for a package of players, including Aceves. And the next thing you knew, Aceves was pitching important innings for the world champion Yankees, going 10-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 84 innings in 2009.
6. Kyle Okposo, Islanders RW, $850,000
Like Tavares and Hughes, first-round picks in their sports, Okposo won’t be a bargain for long. In his second full season, Okposo is looking more confident and poised on the ice, and it’s showing in the results. A year after totaling 39 points in 65 games, Okposo has overcome a preseason concussion and a bout with swine flu to produce five goals and eight assists in 21 games.
7. Vinny Prospal, Rangers C, $1.15 million
Usually lured by the big-ticket item, the Rangers instead pounced when the Tampa Bay Lightning bought out the final three years of Prospal’s four-year, $14-million contract. The Rangers signed him at a clearance price, and he’s rewarded them big-time. His 16 assists lead the team, and his 21 points are second only to Marian Gaborik, whom the Rangers are paying about $6 million more than Prospal.
8. David Harris, Jets LB, $460,000
This 2007 second-round pick of the Jets signed a reported four-year, $3.5-million contract back then, and in addition to his $460,000 salary this season, he’s also receiving about $400,000 in a roster bonus. But considering he’s been one of the most active players on defense this season, leading the team with 74 tackles, he’s still very much a bargain.
9. Mario Manningham, Giants WR, $385,000
If not for teammate Steve Smith’s stunning emergence as one of the league’s leading receivers, Manningham would be receiving a lot more attention for his play. A third-round pick in 2008, Manningham has 34 receptions for 491 yards. This after a rookie year in which he caught only four passes for 26 yards.
10. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants RB $460,000
A big reason why the Giants didn’t mind losing Derrick Ward to free agency during the offseason was because of the presence of Bradshaw. A seventh-round pick in 2007, the speedy Bradshaw has been a perfect complement to barrel-chested Brandon Jacobs. With 515 rushing yards through nine games, he has an outside shot at 1,000 yards. His previous career high was 355 in 2008.
