[Steve_Seattle]

"A professional athlete leaves one team for a better offer with another team and the local scribes are SHOCKED, SHOCKED!"

My sympathies are (sort of) with the writer. How many millions did Pedro already have before he signed this offer? How many millions does one need to live comfortably for the rest of one's life? Why isn't - say - a four year deal for a mere $20 million enough for a pitcher whose best years are almost certainly behind him? Couldn't he scrape by on $20 million, or $10 million, on top of the millions he's already earned?

[dmz]

It's not like Pedro spent his entire career with the Sox where you might anticipate the kind of loyalty one encounters with class acts such as Cal Ripken, who definitely earned far less in his career than he could have if he'd have left the O's.

[dead]

How many millions did Pedro already have before he signed this offer? How many millions does one need to live comfortably for the rest of one's life? Why isn't - say - a four year deal for a mere $20 million enough for a pitcher whose best years are almost certainly behind him? Couldn't he scrape by on $20 million, or $10 million, on top of the millions he's already earned?

That’s just a really silly sentiment.

If I offered you $10 million to do your job, and somebody else offered you $20 million to do your job, which offer would you accept?

[NYCVirago]

My sympathies are (sort of) with the writer. How many millions did Pedro already have before he signed this offer? How many millions does one need to live comfortably for the rest of one's life? Why isn't - say - a four year deal for a mere $20 million enough for a pitcher whose best years are almost certainly behind him? Couldn't he scrape by on $20 million, or $10 million, on top of the millions he's already earned?

Bob Ryan ain't exactly working for minimum wage himself. Sportswriters move to different papers for more money all the time, or they use offers from other papers to get more money from their current paper. But none of them ever wring their hands over that.