Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche announced his retirement on Tuesday surprising much of the baseball world. Meche was due over $12 million in the final year of his contract and unremarkably he won't be seeking an injury settlement from the Royals.
instead, he just won't take it. Here's what folks are saying about it:
Gil Meche, via Sam Mellinger, KC Star: "People might think I'm freaking crazy for not trying to play making this amount of money," he says. "But I don't think I'm ever going to regret it."
Meche isn't taking his remaining salary that's rightfully due to him. Royals GM Dayton Moore says he hasn't seen anything like it because, well, who gives up $12.4 million?
Via USA Today: Moore was listing the return in prospects he had received for trading veterans that he had added over the past couple of years -- Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Alberto Callaspo -- and said, "... Gil Meche could have been one of those guys if he hadn't gotten hurt."
Indeed he may have been. Meche was injured in spring training and never really got back into it making just nine starts on the year as he moved to the bullpen.
Via Rob Neyer, ESPN.com: Until today, Meche was the highest-paid Royal. By a LOT. He was slated to earn $12 million in 2011; next on the list is Joakim Soria, at $4 million. Jason Kendall ($3.75 million) and Jeff Francoeur ($2.5 million) are the only other Royals making more than $2 million in 2011.
Those numbers are incredible but don't get your hopes up about more talent coming in with the Royals newfound wealth. Moore indicated at the press conference that there's not much more out there that's better than what they've got.
Via Yahoo! Sports: Considering that Meche has already banked more than $50 million in his career, there's no doubt that the cynics are yawning and saying "big deal." But how often do we complain about an athlete picking up a paycheck when he's not earning it?
Agreed in that we complain about guys getting paid too much all the time. For all the folks that killed Meche last year making a big salary while on the DL, I hope you're just as loud commending this move.