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Fangraphs: J.D. Drew has earned his keep 12.14.10 at 3:27 pm ET
By Alex Speier

According to Fangraphs.com, J.D. Drew has been worth the money over the first four seasons of his five-year, $70 million deal. (WEEI.com/John Vu)

Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.com offered an interesting piece today, comparing this year’s free agent market to the profligacy evident in the offseason of 2006-07. Over the past couple offseasons, huge long-term deals had been few; this winter, however, the signing of Cliff Lee by the Phillies will mark the fourth $100 million deal of the offseason, following those signed by Troy Tulowitzki, Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford.

Things didn’t work out so well for the baseball world the last time that nine-figure contracts and/or contracts of four-plus years were dished out like Halloween candy. To wit, Cameron notes that of the 14 players signed in the winter of ’06/’07, just one has earned his keep.

The player who has been worth his deal? J.D. Drew.

According to FanGraphs, Drew — because of his plate discipline, power and defense — has been worth $57.2 million over the first four years of his deal, during which time he has been paid $56 million.

The other free agent outfielders signed that winter have been disasters, and received longer-term deals than Drew. Carlos Lee — a glorified DH who is forced to play a position in the NL — has been a $38.9 million player; he has been paid $63 million with another $37 million due over the next two years.

Alfonso Soriano has been paid $64 million over his first four seasons with the Cubs, and is still owed $72 million over the next four years. FanGraphs values his performance at $59.3 million.

A year ago, Sox GM Theo Epstein suggested that he didn’t regret the Drew deal, and suggested that the right fielder had earned his keep. One year later, at least by one measurement system, the outfielder continues to do so. Of course, he will have to recover next year from his struggles of 2010 in order to be worth the money for the full life of his contract. All the same, given some of the other signings that winter (Lee, Soriano, Barry Zito, Gary Matthews, etc.), the oft-criticized deal for Drew could be judged in a different light.

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