FALL 2015
PAGE 9
Dillon Stephan ‘ 17 Contributor
Sports Opinion : It Is Time for the Patriots to Trade Tom Brady ? Forty is not a good number for quarterbacks
What I ’ m about to say may make some people lose their minds , but I believe the Patriots should trade Tom Brady and make Jimmy Garoppolo the franchise quarterback . I know this sounds insane . I even questioned myself when I thought about it because Brady is arguably the best quarterback of all time . But the more I thought , the more it made sense . Garoppolo is 24 and Brady is 39 , and when quarterbacks hit 40 , they absolutely fall off a cliff when it comes to performance .
In less than two games Garoppolo led the Patriots to four touchdowns and 496 yards with a 117.1 passer rating . He had no interceptions and only one fumble lost . Garoppolo led the Pats to a 2-0 record while emerging as a team leader . If he was not injured , I believe the Patriots would have been 4-0 leading up to Brady ’ s return .
At 39 , Brady shows no signs of decline , but that could also be said of two other recently retired superstar quarterbacks . Brett Favre and Peyton Manning are considered to be among the best quarterbacks of all time , but both became shells of themselves once they turned 40 .
At 39 , Favre and Manning had MVP caliber seasons . Favre had 33 touchdowns with seven interceptions and 4,200 yards with a 107.2 passer rating while leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 12-4 record . Manning had 39 touchdowns with 15 interceptions and 4,727 yards with a 101.5 passer rating while leading the Denver Broncos to a 12-4 record . But the next year , Favre only played 13 games , with 2,500 yards , 11 touchdowns , 19 interceptions and a 69.9 passer rating , the lowest in his 20-year career . Manning only played 10 games with 2,200 yards , nine touchdowns , 17 interceptions and a 67.9 passer rating , the lowest in his 18-year career .
The Patriots need to trade Brady and think about the future . If they trade him now , they could easily obtain a first round draft pick , which could result in a starting player . Belichick could mold Garoppolo into the next Brady , and the new face of the NFL . Garoppolo ’ s contract is up in 2018 . The Patriots need to commit to him so he doesn ’ t leave town as a free agent .
Brady says he wants to play for as long as he can . He even follows a specialized training and diet regimen designed to extend his playing time , but will it work ? And , for how long ?
I could be completely wrong . Brady might play at an elite level for the next five years , but no one knows for sure . I would rather be safe than sorry . Brady has been amazing for the Patriots . I know it would be harsh and even mean to let him go , but for the betterment of the franchise , they should trade Brady now , get a good return , then build the team around Garoppolo , a new superstar quarterback who might be the greatest of all time and who could be in the league for the next 15-20 years , helping the Patriots continue their long string of success .
Tom Brady ( Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons Sharealike )
“ When quarterbacks hit 40 , they absolutely fall off a cliff .”
Dillon Stephan ‘ 17
Abington ’ s Mike Hazen is off to Arizona Takes Over as Diamondback ’ s GM after 10 years with the Red Sox
Scott Neville ‘ 17 Contributor
Abington High School Alum (’ 94 ) Mike Hazen has parted ways with his hometown Boston Red Sox after 10 years with the organization . Hazen is headed to Arizona to rebuild the Diamondbacks after not being satisfied as Dave Dombrowski ’ s second in command . He has a large challenge ahead of him as the Diamondbacks ended 2016 with a 69 – 93 record . They finished fourth in the National League West Division , only ahead of the San Diego Padres . Hazen will not have a ton to work as the Diamondbacks have the 26 th lowest team payroll in the league . Fortunately , they only have two players on the 25-man roster that will be entering free agency , and neither of them are worth retaining . The Diamondbacks will lose relief pitcher Daniel Hudson , who had a 5.22 ERA in 60.1 innings , and Rickie Weeks , an outfielder who owned a . 239 batting average in only 180 at-bats . The two sub-par players will free up $ 4.2 million in 2017 . The Diamondbacks primary concern should be pitching . Arizona had a team ERA of 5.09 in 2016 , which was the worst team
ERA in baseball . They also allowed the most earned runs ( 821 ), runs ( 890 ), and had the highest WHIP ( 1.49 ). The Diamondbacks looked as though they would have a solid pitching rotation as they acquired two 2015 All-Stars last off-season . They signed Zack Greinke and traded for Shelby Miller . Greinke went from a Cy Young candidate a year ago , to a mediocre pitcher this season . He had an underwhelming 4.37 ERA to go along with a 13-7 record in a failed attempt to be the Diamondbacks ace . While Greinke struggled , Miller ’ s season was a disaster . The Diamondbacks gave up the number one pick in the 2015 draft , Dansby Swanson as well as top pitching prospect Aaron Blair and productive outfielder Ender Inciarte to acquire Shelby Miller last off-season . Miller posted a 6.15 ERA with a 3-12 record this season . Despite their disappointing seasons , Hazen should not focus on these players as they have a track record of success . Even if Hazen had an issue , Miller is not worth the value the team gave up last off-season and Greinke ’ s contract is too large to move . Hazen ’ s priority should be to get production from the bottom of the rotation . Rich Hill is easily the best option in a weak free agent class of starting pitchers . Hill dominated with a 2.12 ERA and 12-5 record . He struck out 129 batters in only 110.1 innings this season . The Diamondbacks should get quite a discount considering his effectiveness . The reason is that he is a 36-year-old pitcher who has battled injuries his whole career . When healthy , Hill has proven to be an elite pitcher , and he could give a boost to a team who embarrassed themselves on the mound this year . Mat Latos is another player who should come at a discount but could provide a high upside . Latos was a great middle of the rotation option from 2010-2014 . He has had back to back seasons of not living up to his potential , but is worth the risk for a team that needs a spark . The Diamondbacks will also need relief pitchers to close out games next season . Hazen needs to completely revamp their entire bullpen . The only effective reliever in 2016 for Arizona was free agent to be Brad Ziegler , who was traded to Boston at the deadline for a couple of minor leaguers . Hazen should re-sign the 37-year-old veteran , as he should be a cheap option for a closer or set-up man of his caliber . Sergio Romo is another free agent who could be an effective weapon for a good price . Ziegler had a 2.25 ERA and currently owns the
New Arizona Diamondback General Manager Mike Hazen with Charlotte Clark and Derreck Gately at the 2016 Senior Awards . ( GWG )
Diamondbacks record for consecutive save with 40 . Romo had a 2.64 ERA in his age 33 season but only pitched 30.2 innings due to Bruce Bochy ’ s unorthodox bullpen use . Hazen needs to be aggressive in free agency to acquire starting and relief pitchers if he wants a competitive team in 2017 .
As we went to press , Hazen completed his first deal on November 23 , acquiring righthander Taijuan Walker and infielder Ketel Marte from the Mariners in exchange for infielder Jean Segura , outfielder Mitch Haniger and left-handed reliever Zac Curtis .